Automatic Pressure Gelation Analysis for Insulating Spacer of Gas Insulated Switchgear Manufactured by Bio-Based Epoxy Composite

In the case of the existing power equipment business, a variety of insulation and accessories is manufactured with petroleum-based epoxy resins. However, as petrochemical resources are gradually limited and concerns about the environment and economy grow, the power equipment industry has recently studied many insulating materials using bio-based epoxy to replace petroleum feedstock-based products in order to produce insulators using eco-friendly materials. In this paper, the simulation of the automatic pressure gelation process was performed by obtaining parameter values of curing kinetics and chemical rheology through physical properties analysis of bio-based epoxy complexes and applying them to Moldflow software. The simulation results were compared and analyzed according to the temperature control of each heater in the mold, while considering the total curing time, epoxy flow, and curing condition. A temperature condition of 140 °C/140 °C/135 °C/135 °C/130 °C/130 °C/120 °C/120 °C provided the optimal curing conditions. Based on the temperature conditions of the simulation results, the actual GIS spacer was manufactured, and x-ray inspection was performed to check the moldability.