Summary
This paper presents the theory, methodology and experimental results of accelerated thermal aging tests of the silicone rubber applied in the world’s first 550 kV single-tower dry-type aircore shunt reactor installed in Brazil. This innovation replaced the traditional RTV (Room
Read more Read lessTemperature Vulcanizing) silicone, enabling a single-tower design with a footprint reduction of 40% compared to traditional two-tower per-phase design.
In Brazil, shunt reactors are subject to a mandatory economical depreciation period of 36 years.
Therefore, accelerated thermal aging tests based on the Arrhenius model were performed in an innovative silicone rubber used at the external surface of the reactor. To address uncertainty associated with thermal degradation kinetic rates, aging tests were conducted at two distinct temperatures—200°C and 220°C—providing sensibility analysis.
After thermally accelerating the silicone rubber’s aging, mechanical and electric tests were periodically performed in accordance with relevant standards from International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
The results confirm that the material maintains its properties well above the end-of-life criteria, demonstrating equivalence to more than 36 years of continuous service. These findings support the technical maturity and long-term reliability of single-tower 550 kV dry-type air-core shunt reactor technology for modern transmission systems.
Additional informations
| Publication type | Session Materials |
|---|---|
| Reference | D1_11400_2026 |
| Publication year | |
| Publisher | CIGRE |
| Country | Brazil |
| Study committees | |
| File size | 1 MB |
| Price for non member | 30 € |
| Price for member | 30 € |
Authors
PEREIRA Leonardo N. - TEEE Brazil; WANG Jie - TEEE China; ASGEDOM Abraha - TEEE China; ZHOU Guangdong - TEEE China
Keywords
Accelerated aging, Arrhenius aging model, Silicon degradation, Thermal aging
