Materials for high voltage insulation: Open challenges for electrostatics experts
Pedro Llovera‐Segovia
Abstract
The field of high-voltage insulation materials is vast, encompassing a diverse range of materials and applications across multiple domains, from electrical engineering to spacecraft and satellites, among others. This review focuses on high-voltage insulation materials, narrowing its scope, an inherently arbitrary decision, to their role in high-voltage engineering within power networks. This focus is justified not only by the sector's societal significance, particularly in the context of renewable energy and the transition to a more electrified energy system, but also by the remarkable variety of insulating materials involved. These materials include solids, liquids, and gases, as well as complex composite systems exposed to diverse environments, whether outdoor, indoor, or in confined spaces subject to radiation or vacuum conditions. The review is designed as an introductory journey into the vast landscape of materials for high-voltage insulation. Key challenges for electrostatics experts are highlighted, serving as an open invitation to contribute to the advancement of the field. • Electrostatics challenges in cable insulation: HVDC, charge injection, interfaces, and field control. • New dielectric fluids impact transformer ageing, charging, and retrofilling. • Overhead line research focuses on HVDC behaviour, ageing, and diagnostics. • GIS technologies shift from SF 6 to new gases, raising electrostatics issues. • Graded materials and surface charge analysis demand further investigation.