Smoke/Soot Inhibitors
Risk Reduction Category
Technology Description
While a method to prevent smoke and soot residue specifically may not exist, methods to clean outdoor electrical equipment such as insulators can be found online. One existing method involves pressure washing using deionized hot water [1] while another employs so-called dry ice (frozen CO2).[2] The former is already used to clean high-voltage insulators on transmission towers without having to turn off power to the structure. The latter currently seems to be used on substation insulators—again, without having to depower the equipment. The hot deionized water method can be performed from a helicopter using a mobile version of the hot water system [1] The cleaning approach begins at the bottom and gradually moves up to the top in stages. Wind direction and velocity can interfere with either approach.
Example images only; PG&E left, British group right (YouTube images)
An alternative to cleaning the insulators might be to use RG glaze insulators, which are said never to need cleaning even in highly polluted environments.[3] The RG (resistive graded) porcelain insulator acts as a semiconductor that allows 1 mA (±0.5) of controlled, continuous current to flow across the surface of the insulator—creating a heating effect and preventing dry band arcing. While these can be cleaned, they may not ever require it.
Technical Readiness (Commercial Availability)
The following list of manufacturers is the product of an Internet search using a general description of the technology as the search term. Sometimes more than one variation on the search term is used. The objective is to identify the most demonstration-ready products available in the category. Toward assessing demonstration readiness, the manufacturer websites typically provide useful information such as writeups of successful use cases or field demonstrations, number of deployments, or other indicators. Where lack of information exists online, further inquiry is made by phone. Generally, one to three frontrunners emerge as being most ready for a field demonstration. Preference is given to manufacturers who sell to the United States, or, if emerging technology, those who have participated in US-based field demonstrations.
Wilorton Holding Inc (automated and mobile systems)
https://wilorton.com/insulator-washing.php
Cryonomic (specifically for insulators, yet might be adaptable to power lines)
Lapp Insulators
https://kafactor.com/content/technical-resources/lapp_rg_substation_contamination.pdf
Implementations / Deployments
PG&E has used the hot water method and has a demonstration on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z3qYlCUMfg).
The RG porcelain insulators have been targeted for coastal, desert, heavily contaminated areas, and roadways with 1 million units currently in service according to one source.
Innovations as of Mid 2023
Potential Enrichment Work Opportunity
References
[1] Wilorton Holding Inc. ttps://wilorton.com/insulator-washing.php
[2] Cryonomic https://www.cryonomic.com/en/applications/1249/dry-ice-blasting-for-power-generation/high-voltage-insulator-cleaning
[3] Lapp Insulators https://kafactor.com/content/technical-resources/lapp_rg_substation_contamination.pdf