Schiml, Thomas
Biography
Mr. Schiml finished his studies at the Friedrich-Alexander-University in Erlangen-Nuremberg with a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering where his thesis was on the topic of simulating generation and storage of renewable energy in private households. Currently, he works as an asset manager in the field of strategic maintenance at TenneT TSO, a transmission service operator in Germany and the Netherlands. His tasks include tracking grid health and developing maintenance strategies for onshore assets. Development of a new asset health index is currently his main project.
HTV silicone is the preferred material for composite insulators used on overhead lines due to its hydrophobicity, hydrophobicity recovery and hydrophobicity transfer. While these properties have been verified in standardized test procedures, resistance to ageing during operation is also critical since this can lead to insulator failure. TenneT, a cross-border TSO, applies a systematic approach to assess reliability using a ‘Health Index’ for each grid component. This presentation explains how this concept is applied to new lines being equipped with polymer insulators. It also discusses choice of samples as well as assessment of laboratory test results and provides specific examples showing the practicability and reliability of this process.