Anisotropic properties of graphene nanocomposites for high voltage insulation

Research Project, 2018 – 2019

With the high demand and fast development of power electronic solutions, high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission enables that renewable energy generation are gradually utilized in daily life. Consequently, their electrical insulations are frequently subject to fast switching over-voltage stresses which cause premature failures. One solution is to grade the electrical fields by materials with field grading properties. The anisotropic feature of graphene, in combination with its low weight and high mechanical strength, makes graphene-based material solutions a very promising alternative for future electrical insulation systems. HVDC bushing is a critical component in power transformer.

It is often subjected to high electric stresses ranging from DC to fast transients. This implies that the material properties are important parameters in bushing design. The usage of materials with anisotropic field grading properties can open up new bushing designs with substantially improved performances. To achieve this, one needs to understand and control these properties, in particular, by evaluating material morphologies together with electrical characterization.