“Insulators”

Introduction

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What Is an Insulator?

 An insulator is a “dam***” poor conductor!

And more, technically speaking!

 An insulator is a mechanical support!

 Primary function - support the “line” mechanically
 Secondary function– electrical
Air is the insulator
Outer shells/surfaces are designed to increase
leakage distance and strike distance

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What Does an Insulator Do?

Maintains an Air Gap

 Separates Line from Ground
length of air gap depends primarily on system voltage,
modified by desired safety margin, contamination, etc.
 Resists Mechanical Stresses
“everyday” loads, extreme loads
 Resists Electrical Stresses
system voltage/fields, overvoltages
 Resists Environmental Stresses
heat, cold, UV, contamination, etc.

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Where Did Insulators Come From?

Basically grew out of the needs of the telegraph

industry – starting in the late 1700s, early 1800s

Early history centers around what today we would

consider very low DC voltages

Gradually technical needs increased as AC

voltages grew with the development of the electric
power industry

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History

Glass plates used to insulate telegraph line DC to

Baltimore

Glass insulators became the ”norm” soon

thereafter – typical collector’s items today

Many, many trials with different materials – wood –

cement – porcelain - beeswax soaked rag wrapped
around the wire, etc.

Ultimately porcelain and glass prevailed

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History

 Wet process porcelain developed for high voltage

applications
 Porcelain insulator industry started

 Application voltages increased

 Insulator designs became larger, more complex
Ceramics (porcelain, glass) still only choices at
high voltages

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History

 US trials of first “NCIs” – cycloaliphatic based

 Not successful, but others soon became interested
and a new industry started up

 Europeans develop “modern” style NCI – fiberglass

rod with various polymeric sheds
 Now considered “First generation”

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History

 NCI insulator industry really begins in US with field

trials of insulators
 Since that time - new manufacturers, new designs,
new materials
NCIs at “generation X” – there have been so many
improvements in materials, end fitting designs, etc.
Change in materials have meant changes in line
design practices, maintenance practices, etc.
Ceramic manufacturers have not been idle either
with development of higher strength porcelains, RG
glazes, etc.

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History

 Domestic manufacturing of insulators decreases,

shift to offshore (all types)

 Engineers need to develop knowledge and skills

necessary to evaluate and compare suppliers and
products from many different countries

An understanding of the basics of insulator

manufacturing, design and application is more
essential than ever before

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Insulator Types

 For simplicity will discuss in terms of three broad

applications:

 Distribution lines (thru 69 kV)

 Transmission lines (69 kV and up)

 Substations (all voltages)

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Insulator Types

 Distribution lines

 Pin type insulators -mainly porcelain, growing use

of polymeric (HDPE – high density polyethylene),
limited use of glass (in US at least)
 Line post insulators – porcelain, polymeric
 Dead end insulators – polymeric, porcelain, glass
 Spool insulators – porcelain, polymeric
 Strain insulators, polymeric, porcelain

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Types of Insulators – Distribution

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Insulator Types

 Transmission lines

 Suspension insulators - new installations mainly

NCIs, porcelain and glass now used less frequently

 Line post insulators – mainly NCIs for new lines and

installations, porcelain much less frequent now

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Types of Insulators – Transmission

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Insulator Types

 Substations

 Post insulators – porcelain primarily, NCIs growing

in use at lower voltages (~161 kV and below)

 Suspension insulators –NCIs (primarily), ceramic

 Cap and Pin insulators – “legacy” type

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Types of Insulators – Substation

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Insulator Types - Comparisons

Ceramic Non Ceramic

• Porcelain or toughened glass • Typically fiberglass rod with
• Metal components fixed with rubber (EPDM or Silicone)
cement sheath and weather sheds
• ANSI Standards C29.1 • HDPE line insulator
through C29.10 applications
• Cycloaliphatic (epoxies)
station applications, some
line applications
• Metal components normally
crimped
• ANSI Standards C29.11 –
C29.19

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Insulator Types - Comparisons

Ceramic Non Ceramic

• Materials very resistant to • Hydrophobic materials
UV, contaminant degradation, improve contamination
electric field degradation performance
• Strong in tension, weaker in
• Materials strong in
compression
compression, weaker in
• Deflection under load can be
tension an issue
• High modulus of elasticity - • Lighter – easier to handle
stiff • Electric field stresses must
• Brittle, require more careful be considered
handling
• Heavier than NCIs

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Insulator Types - Comparisons

Ceramic Non Ceramic

• Generally designs are • “Material properties have
“mature” been improved – UV
resistance much improved for
• Limited flexibility of example
dimensions • Standardized product lines
• Process limitations on sizes now exist
and shapes • Balancing act - leakage
• Applications/handling distance/field stress – take
methods generally well advantage of hydrophobicity
understood • Application parameters still
being developed
• Line design implications
(lighter weight, improved
shock resistance)

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Design Criteria - Mechanical

An insulator is a mechanical support!

• Its primary function is to support the line

mechanically

• Electrical Characteristics are an afterthought.

• Will the insulator support your line?

• Determine The Maximum Load the Insulator Will

Ever See Including NESC Overload Factors.

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Design Criteria - Mechanical
Suspension Insulators

• Porcelain
- M&E (Mechanical & Electrical) Rating
Represents a mechanical test of the unit while energized.
When the porcelain begins to crack, it electrically punctures.
Average ultimate strength will exceed the M&E Rating when new.
- Never Exceed 50% of the M&E Rating

• NCIs (Polymer Insulators)

- S.M.L. – Specified Mechanical Load
Guaranteed minimum ultimate strength when new.
R.T.L. – Routine Test Load – Proof test applied to each NCI.
- Never Load beyond the R.T.L.

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Design Criteria - Mechanical
Line Post insulators

• Porcelain
- Cantilever Rating
Represents the Average Ultimate Strength in Cantilever – when new.
 Minimum Ultimate Cantilever of a single unit may be as low as 85%.
- Never Exceed 40% of the Cantilever Rating – Proof Test Load

• NCIs (Polymer Insulators)

- S.C.L. (Specified Cantilever Load)
 Not based upon lot testing
 Based upon manufacturer testing
- R.C.L. (Rated Cantilever Load) or MDC or MDCL (Maximum Design
Cantilever Load) or MCWL or WCL (Working Cantilever Load)
- Never Exceed RCL or MDC or MDCL or MCWL or WCL
- S.T.L. (Specified Tensile Load)
- Tensile Proof Test=(STL/2)

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Design Criteria - Mechanical

Other Considerations

• Suspensions and Deadends – Only apply tension loads

• Line Posts –
- Cantilever is only one load
- Transverse (tension or compression) on line post – loading
transverse to the direction of the line.
- Longitudinal – in the direction of travel of the line
- Combined Loading Curve –
Contour curves representing various Longitudinal loads
Available Vertical load as a function of Transverse loading
Manufacturers have different safety factors!!!

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Design Criteria - Electrical

An Insulator is a mechanical support!

Air imparts Electrical Characteristics
Strike Distance (Dry Arcing Distance) is the
principal constituent to electrical values.
• Dry 60 Hz F/O and Impulse F/O – based on strike distance.
• Wet 60 Hz F/O
- Some would argue leakage distance as a principal factor.
- At the extremes that argument fails – although it does play a role.
- Leakage distance helps to maintain the surface resistance of the
strike distance.
Leakage Requirements do play a role!!!

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Design Criteria - Electrical

Dry Arcing Distance –

(Strike Distance) – “The
shortest distance through
the surrounding medium
between terminal
electrodes….” 1

1 – IEEE Std 100 - 1992

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Design Criteria – Leakage Distance

What is Leakage Distance?

“The sum of the shortest
distances measured along
the insulating surfaces
between the conductive
parts, as arranged for dry
flashover test.” 1

 1 – IEEE Std 100 - 1992

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Design Criteria - Electrical

What’s an appropriate Leakage Distance?

• Empirical Determination
- What’s been used successfully?
- If Flashovers occur – add more leak?

• ESDD (Equivalent Salt Deposit Density) Determination

- Measure ESDD
Pollution Monitors
Dummy Insulators
Remove in-service insulators
- Evaluate ESDD and select appropriate Leakage Distance

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Design Criteria - Electrical
“Application Guide for Insulators in a Contaminated Environment”
by K. C. Holte et al – F77 639-8
Leakage Distance
ESDD (mg/cm2) Site Severity I-string/V-string
(“/kV l-g)

0 – 0.03 Very Light 0.94/0.8

0.03 – 0.06 Light 1.18/0.97

0.06 – 0.1 Moderate 1.34/1.05

>0.1 Heavy 1.59/1.19

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Design Criteria - Electrical

IEC 60815 Standards

Leakage Distance
ESDD (mg/cm2) Site Severity
(“/kV l-g)

<0.01 Very Light 0.87

0.01 – 0.04 Light 1.09

0.04 – 0.15 Medium 1.37

0.15 – 0.40 Heavy 1.70

>0.40 Very Heavy 2.11

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Design Criteria - Electrical

Leakage Distance Recommendations

2.5

2
IEEE V
Leak ("/kV l-g)

1.5 IEEE I
IEC
Poly. (IEC)
1
Poly. (IEEE V)
Poly. (IEEE I)
0.5

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
ESDD (mg/cm^2)

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Improved Contamination Performance
Flashover Vs ESDD

300

250

200
Flashover Voltage

Porcelain
New EPDM
150 Aged EPDM
New SR
Aged SR

100
CEA 280 T 621
SR units - leakage equal to porcelain
EPDM Units - leakage 1.3 X Porcelain

50

0
0.01 0.1

ESDD (mg/cm^2)
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Improved Contamination Performance

Polymer insulators offer better contamination

flashover performance than porcelain?

Smaller core and weathershed diameter increase

leakage current density.

Higher leakage current density means more Ohmic

Heating.

Ohmic Heating helps to dry the contaminant layer

and reduce leakage currents.

In addition, hydrophobicity helps to minimize

filming
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Improved Contamination Performance

“the contamination performance of composite

insulators exceeds that of their porcelain counterparts”

“the contamination flashover performance of silicone

insulators exceeds that of EPDM units”

“the V50 of polymer insulators increases in proportion

to the leakage distance”

CEA 280 T 621, “Leakage Distance Requirements for Composite Insulators Designed for Transmission Lines”

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Insulator Selection
Where do I get these values?

Leakage Distance or Creepage Distance

• Manufacturer’s Catalog

Switching Surge
• Wet W/S
• ((Wet Switching Surge W/S)/√2) ≥ 60 Hz Wet Flashover (r.m.s.)
• Peak Wet 60 Hz value will be lower than Switching Surge Wet W/S

Impulse Withstand
• Take Positive or Negative Polarity, whichever is lower
• If only Critical Impulse Flashover is available – assume 90%
(safe estimate for withstand)

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Insulator Selection
PICKING A SUITABLE INSULATOR

Select the 69 kV Insulator ELECTRICAL PARAMETERS

A. NOMINAL SYSTEM LINE-TO-LINE VOLTAGE 69 kV (rms)

shown at right. B. MAXIMUM SYSTEM LINE-TO-GROUND VOLTAGE

(line A/1.732)*1.05
41.8 kV (rms)

C. MAXIMUM PEAK LINE-TO-GROUND VOLTAGE (e) 59.1 kV (peak)

e=(line B * 1.414)

LEAKAGE DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

I-string – Mechanical CONTAMINATION LEVEL

D. ZERO
(typical values)
SUGGESTED LEAKAGE
(inches/(kV line-to-ground))
UP TO 1.00

• Worst Case – 6,000 lbs

E. LIGHT 1.00 - 1.25
F. MODERATE 1.50 - 1.75
G. HEAVY 2.00 - 2.50
Enter inches/kV - 1

• Suspension: ≥ 12k min ultimate H. INSULATOR LEAKAGE (MIN.)

(line B)*(inches/kV) = 41.8 inches

SWITCHING OVERVOLTAGE REQUIREMENTS

Leakage Distance ≥ 42” I. SSV = (line B) * 3.0 125 kV (peak)

IMPULSE OVERVOLTAGE REQUIREMENTS

J. PEAK IMPULSE WITHSTAND = (I(t) * R(f))+e

I(t) = 20 kA (typical value = 50 kA)
R(f) = 15 ohm (typical value = 10 - 20 ohm)

Switching Surge ≥ 125 kV e=

K. IMPULSE WITHSTAND =
59.1 (line C)

359 kV

SELECT INSULATOR BASED ON REQUIREMENTS:

SYSTEM VALUE FROM NUMBER OF

Impulse Withstand ≥359 kV

REQUIREMENT PAGE 1 POLYMER VALUES PORCELAIN BELLS
H. LEAKAGE
DISTANCE 41.8
I. SWITCHING
SURGE VOLTAGE 125
K. IMPULSE
WITHSTAND 359
T. SELECT
INSULATOR

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Insulator Selection
Porcelain – 5-3/4 X 10” bells X 4 units

Characteristic Required Available

Leakage
42” 46”
Distance

Wet Switching
125 kV 240 kV
Surge W/S

Impulse W/S 359 kV 374 kV

M&E 12,000 lbs 15,000 lbs

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Grading Rings
Simulate a larger, more spherical object

Reduce the gradients associated with the shielded object

Reduction in gradients helps to minimize RIV & TVI

Porcelain or Glass –

• Inorganic – breaks down very slowly

NCIs
• Polymers are more susceptible to scissioning due to corona
• UV – short wavelength range – attacks polymer bonds.
• Most short wavelength UV is filtered by the environment
• UV due to corona is not filtered
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NCIs and Rings

Grading (Corona) Rings

• Due to “corona cutting” and water droplet corona – NCIs may

require the application of rings to grade the field on the
polymer material of the weathershed housing.

• Rings must be:

- Properly positioned relative to the end fitting on which they are
mounted.
- Oriented to provide grading to the polymer material.

• Consult the manufacturer for appropriate instructions.

• As a general rule – rings should be over the polymer –

brackets should be on the hardware.

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