Particle swarm optimization for design of insulators of distribution power system based on finite element method

Reliability in the supply of electricity depends on isolation from the electrical power system. Insulators are components that have the function of insulating and supporting the electrical grid. The design of electrical distribution network insulators can have a great influence on the distribution of the electric field over its surface. When there is a great intensity of electric field applied specifically in a location, there may be a greater chance of the development of a fault. An optimized insulator profile design can ensure that the network has better performance. In this paper, particle swarm optimization is applied to optimize the profile of an insulator of the conventional electric power grid, based on the electrical potential data obtained using the finite element method, defined in this paper as optimized finite element method. The component parameters are optimized to obtain a parametric model. The parametric model is evaluated and compared with the usually employed profiles to define an optimized design. The results show that the proposed method is a promising alternative for the design of electrical energy distribution insulators.