title: Remote laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for the detection and removal of salt on metal and polymeric surfaces.
abstract: The detection of contamination such as salt in outdoor high-voltage insulator systems and its subsequent removal are vital for a reliable transmission of electric power. Remote detection of salt on a copper metal surface was carried out by using a mobile laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) Lidar system with a laser wavelength of 355 nm. Detection of salt on a polymeric high-voltage insulator was obtained when an additional lens was inserted into the beam path, and the number of photons that was detected could be calculated by using a calibrated white light source. Ablative cleaning could readily be carried out with LIBS and was verified by observing the disappearance of the sodium D-line emission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Lund Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 118, SE-22100, Lund, Sweden. magnus.bengtsson@lan.se
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bengtsson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grönlund
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lundqvist
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kröll
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Svanberg