The 2050 carbon‐neutral vision spawns a novel energy structure revolution, and the construction of the future energy structure is based on equipment innovation. Insulating material, as the core of electrical power equipment and electrified transportation asset, faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities. The goal of carbon neutral and the urgent need for innovation in electric power equipment and electrification assets are first discussed. The engineering challenges constrained by the insulation system in future electric power equipment/devices and electrified transportation assets are investigated. Insulating materials, including intelligent insulating material, high thermal conductivity insulating material, high energy storage density insulating material, extreme environment resistant insulating material, and environmental‐friendly insulating material, are categorised with their scientific issues, opportunities and challenges under the goal of carbon neutrality being discussed. In the context of carbon neutrality, not only improves the understanding of the insulation problems from a macro level, that is, electrical power equipment and electrified transportation asset, but also offers opportunities, remaining issues and challenges from the insulating material level. It is hoped that this paper envisions the challenges regarding design and reliability of insulations in electrical equipment and electric vehicles in the context of policies towards carbon neutrality rules. The authors also hope that this paper can be helpful in future development and research of novel insulating materials, which promote the realisation of the carbon‐neutral vision.

Spacers are key components that are used to support high voltage conductors in gas-insulated substations or gas-insulated lines. The analysis of the surface charge patterns on spacers remains a difficult task, which requires a comprehensive understanding of the physical mechanism of the gas-solid interface charging phenomenon. In this letter, we reported a field dependent property of surface charge accumulation patterns on spacers under DC stress. We verified this finding through experiment, and further, we put forward a field-dependent charging model based on dominant charge transport behavior under different electric fields. It was found that the charging characteristics of the spacer are dominated by the Ohmic conduction from the volume below an electric field of 2.5 kV/mm. When the electric field stress is higher than 2.5 kV/mm, the charging property of spacers is dominated by the enhanced gas ionization according to Townsend's law. The correctness of this model was verified by surface charge measurement results in literature studies, and a method for determining the dominant mechanism of charge accumulation under different electric fields was proposed.

This paper reports an unpredictable insulation surface flashover phenomenon triggered by surface charge clusters under DC electric field, which is experimentally revealed by a donut-shaped dust cluster figure, presenting the outline of these surface charge clusters and showing a hollow donut-shaped structure interestingly. The charge cluster is randomly formed when ions originating from local micro-protrusions accumulate on the insulation surface, the edge of which produces a strong electrical field to induce local streamers. These local streamers provide an inducing factor, unpredictably triggering surface flashover. An in-depth illustration of how the dust phase transition depicts surface charge cluster evolution is proposed. This uncovered phenomenon has significant physical implications in revealing unpredictable insulation surface flashover and has great significance in further developing of HVDC gas insulated power transmission systems and other fields, such as microelectronics and space aircrafts.

Surface charge accumulation on the spacers is one of the key issues restraining the development of HVDC GIS/GIL. The precise measurement of surface charge properties provides the basis for further study of the surface charge transport mechanism as well as the charge‐induced flashover mechanism under DC voltage. In this study, the authors discuss their perspective on the current status, development needs and potential developing orientation of surface charge characterisation techniques. Different surface potential measurement methods and charge inversion algorithms are reviewed regarding the previous studies and future research needs. Drawbacks and outlooks of surface charge measurement techniques are also discussed with the background of laboratory experiment results and on‐site measurements. It is hopefully that this study can serve as a useful guide reference for researchers within the same research field. More importantly, it is authors’ hope that this study can inspire some novel ideas for readers into developing of more accurate and scientific interface charge characterisation techniques.

The gas‐insulated switchgear (GIS) has been widely used in modern ultra‐high voltage systems. However, once it fails, its fully enclosed feature brings challenges in its diagnosis and maintenance. As the failure rate of GIS due to insulator failure has been increasing in recent years, it is necessary and important to understand the commonly existing defects presented in the insulator. First, the manufacturing process of GIS insulators is introduced here. The defect types commonly existing in the insulator are categorised. The failure of GIS due to insulator defects that occurred in recent years are reviewed and discussed. The content in this study is useful for engineers and scientists to study on the GIS solid insulation defects and their failure mechanisms.

Partial discharge (PD) as one of well-known signatures of defects in the insulation system of high voltage equipment has been studied over eight decades. It is of a great interest to power grid operators and owners to identify and distinguish local weak spots in insulation system of the key components of power system by using the obtained PD information to make timely decision thus to avoid any unexpected failures in the system. This article reviews the research progress of PD in high voltage apparatus, including motors and generators, cables, transformers and gas insulated equipment, with attempts to assess the severity of different types of PD initiating defects as well as key PD features that can be selected for classifying defects. Experimental and on-site test results for each type of discharge and defect associated are summarized and discussed. Also, development of these defects during operation of equipment caused by changes in physical and chemical parameters of defect and/or insulation, and its impact on phase-resolved PD pattern variation are thoroughly explained. It is expected that this paper can provide a comprehensive guideline for PD data analysis of available PD information extracted by conventional PD acquisition instruments for both engineers and asset managers of high voltage apparatus.