ATTRIBUTE EXTRACTION FOR AUTOMATIC CLASSIFICATION OF POLYMERIC INSULATORS BASED ON ULTRAVIOLET IMAGING

Polymeric insulators are more susceptible to damage caused by corona and surface discharges, when compared to ceramic insulators. These phenomena can cause reduction in mechanical strength, erosion of the polymer surface and creation of various chemical substances, which lead in the long term, to progressive deterioration and possible equipment failure. However, surface corona discharge and electrical field are also concentration indicators, and can provide good indicators of the insulating operating condition. In this work, a computational routine based on digital image processing was developed, which was obtained with the aid of a camera sensitive to ultraviolet radiation. The computer algorithm is capable of quantifying the number of discharges present in the video frame, areas of…