Scientists at IBM and ABB are using supercomputers to study and potentially
develop a new type of high-voltage insulator that will improve the efficiency
of transmitting electricity. An improved insulator has the potential to
transform the power grid by reducing energy loss and outages caused by material
deterioration when exposed to weather.
Once electricity is generated it is transmitted from the power station to
the end user via underground cables or overhead power lines. Up to 7% of energy
loss during transmission can be attributed to the insulation system. This waste
happens for a number of reasons including the quality conditions of the grid as
well as by environmental influences such as humidity, high winds, and/or
pollution.
“It’s like going to the market and buying a full container of milk and
then arriving at home to see a glassful has disappeared,” explains Philip
Shemella, PhD, at IBM Research – Zurich. “Using supercomputers we can
simulate at the molecular level how the insulators are damaged by the
environment and design them to be more efficient and reliable.”
A collaboration of expertise
Started more than two years ago, IBM and ABB scientists in Switzerland
formed a joint project to simulate the molecular dynamics of the insulators,
which are made of silicon rubber, scientifically known as
Polymethylhydrosiloxane or PDMS. The goal of the project was to better
understand the physical processes and potential for improved design methods of
high-voltage insulation materials.
“IBM brings its extensive expertise in complex computer simulation and
we bring over 125 years of experience with electricity,” says Oliver
Fritz, PhD, ABB researcher, based in Baden-Dattwil,
Switzerland.
Using an IBM Blue Gene/P supercomputer and massively parallel algorithms,
the scientists were able to simulate and study the individual molecules used in
the silicon rubber to better understand how it reacts to damage caused by the
environment. With advanced simulations and the computing power available, the
scientists were able to simulate realistic models of the material comprising
approximately one million atoms. These simulations will lead to testing new
materials in the silicon rubber composition to improve their resiliency to
damage.
The findings were published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, in
a paper titled Surface Dynamics of Amorphous Polymers Used for High-Voltage
Insulators helps to unravel the mechanism of water repulsion on the
insulator surface.
“Currently, we are running simulations to study how a drop of water
affects the reliability of the insulating material. Surprisingly, this is very
significant, particularly when it is extrapolated across the entire power
grid,” adds Shemella.
The initial findings were published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry B, as “Molecular Motion of Amorphous
Silicone Polymers.”
