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2019 Experience with Non-Ceramic Insulators on Transmission Lines in Australia (Part 1 of 2) | INMR
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ARTICLE ARCHIVE Insulators
Experience with Non-Ceramic Insulators on

Transmission Lines in Australia (Part 1 of 2)
 November 30, 2019  Insulators, Transmission Lines  23 min read
   
Powerlink Queensland is a government owned network service provider that builds and operates the
extensive transmission network in Queensland, Australia. Approximately 30,000 non-ceramic insulators
(NCIs) are installed on this system that operates at 110 kV, 132 kV, 275 kV and 330 kV. This edited
contribution to INMR by J.A. (Tony) Gillespie of Gillespie Power Consultancy and Glenn Stapleton,
Principal Transmission Engineer at Powerlink, reviews experience with NCIs over more than two
decades and across the entire life cycle.
Electricity Environment
A high voltage AC network operated by the National Energy Market Operator interconnects the east
coast of Australia and stretches some 4500 km from Cairns in North Queensland to Port Augusta in
South Australia. About 1700 km of this network lies in coastal Queensland and is owned and operated
by Powerlink. Installed circuit kilometers of all Powerlink transmission lines are:
• 700 km of 330 kV;

• 9800 km of 275 kV;
• 4400 km of 132 kV;
• 400 km of 110 kV.
Maximum demand in Queensland is just over 10,000 MW with little annual load growth but increasing
reliance on renewable power sources. For example, about 1600 MW of renewable generation was
either connected or under construction during 2017 & 2018. Financial penalties can be imposed by the
Regulator should power ow become constrained, such as when lines have to be de-energized to
replace insulators. Such constraints e ectively raise market price for electricity. At present, a substantial
share of Powerlink’s total population of NCIs is nearing the end of expected service life yet replacement
will be di cult if lines have to be taken out of service in the process. Therefore, it is strategically
important to be able to change NCIs live.
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04.12.2019 Experience with Non-Ceramic Insulators on Transmission Lines in Australia (Part 1 of 2) | INMR
Background
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, small populations of NCIs were installed in Queensland on a trial
basis. Later, in 1992, approximately 1000 such units were installed on a new 275 kV transmission line
passing through an environmentally sensitive rainforest.
Composite insulators were selected for this strategic 275 kV line

passing rainforest. Best maintenance access to towers was
deemed by helicopter due to density of vegetation.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
Pin corrosion has been the dominant failure mechanism for disc insulation on lines located close to the
coast of northern Queensland. In extreme cases, service life has been less than 15 years. Fitting discs
with zinc sleeves on pins has been successful in extending service life in such extreme environments
exposed to onshore winds but by only about 20%, i.e. only 3 to 5 years. Given that NCIs experience
lower leakage current than porcelain or glass, these were initially seen as a good alternative for such
marine environments. Later, in 1997, Powerlink decided to adopt NCIs as standard insulation for all
new projects and about 22,000 units were installed on lines built over the following ve years. By 2002,
however, insulator selection policy was again reviewed with particular regard to:
1. service life of NCIs not being fully known;

2. high susceptibility of NCIs to damage from bird pecking, rst considered a threat before new lines are
energized but later discovered to occur in high-risk areas at all times;
3. insu cient understanding on how best to diagnose condition of NCIs.
Standard design build therefore reverted back to glass and ceramic discs while NCIs were adopted only
for speci c applications. This strategy has continued to the present. Current application conditions that
favour NCIs for new build or refurbishment projects include:
• assets situated near public areas for improved aesthetics;

• compact construction using insulated cross-arms;
• ‘like-for-like’ replacement as part of end-of-life refurbishments;
• areas with heavy to extreme pollution.
Impact of NCI Design Practices on End-of-Life

Insulator replacement typically makes up some 40% of transmission line maintenance budgets and the
quality of new insulation must therefore assure high reliability. All of Powerlink’s insulation assemblies
are designed to facilitate live maintenance.
Speci cation of NCIs
Prior to 1996, a range of early generation NCIs was installed in Queensland and this created logistical
and maintenance problems. To facilitate and streamline like-for-like replacement, independent of
supplier, and to reduce complexity in managing inventory of spares, speci cation of NCI long rods has
become increasingly standardized to include:
• standard mechanical rating of 160 kN;

• standardization to IEC ball-eye end ttings for all applications, including suspension, strain and
horizontal vee;
• one coupling length per voltage level with tolerance of ±75 mm for long rods and ± 25 mm for posts;
• two di erent creepage lengths, i.e. 23 mm/kV phase-to- phase for light and medium pollution and 31
mm/kV for heavy or very heavy pollution.
Powerlink requires all NCIs (both long rods and posts) be equipped with corona rings at 110 kV and
above. NCIs are speci ed as silicone rubber with minimum sheath thickness of 3 mm. Bridging posts
are used in strain positions to reduce jumper swing toward structures under high wind. A 63 mm
diameter core rod has been found su cient in the case of relatively light cantilever loading, e.g. up to
twin conductor horizontal or vertical bundles, yielding a low weight post that is easy to handle live.
Where possible, bridging posts are standardized and selected with shorter arcing distance than strain
long rods to ensure ashover occurs across the post rather than across the more critical strain
insulator. A universal post is used for line post and horizontal vee applications with associated increase
in core diameter up to 88 mm. Di erent fabricated ttings are bolted to the ends of standardized
anges on universal posts to produce di erent types of assemblies. Both pivoting and xed twin post,
horizontal vees have been installed.
Powerlink Queensland has several lines up to 330 km in distance, operating at 275 kV and 330 kV.
These long lines are subject to summer storms with high lightning activity and ground ash density in
some parts of the network can be up to 4 strikes/km2/yr. All faults are investigated and, if any ashed
insulators are discovered, the entire string is replaced. Arcing horns are not tted to NCIs or disc
insulator strings since these reduce arcing distance as well as lightning performance. Third generation
NCIs on Powerlink’s network have displayed high reliability and there have so far been only rare,
isolated failures. The conclusion is that the above design practices, combined with emphasis on
standardization of dimensions and ratings, has resulted in performance that has met expectations
during initial project design.
Impact of Construction Practices on End-of-Life

Construction Supervision & Quality Assurance
The high penetration of NCIs being installed over a relatively short time frame resulted in line
contractors being exposed to a step change in insulator technology. This impacted construction
methods and some initial problems attributed to contractor unfamiliarity with these insulators
occurred during transport and handling as well as rigging and lifting NCIs onto towers, especially longer
units for higher voltages. For example, torsional loading during termination of conductors into strain
assemblies needed to be better considered. Similarly, it was necessary to ensure that lines workers did
not walk on insulators to access conductors. To deal with these types of issues, a team of experienced
inspectors worked alongside construction contractors to ensure everything was being performed in
accordance with speci cations. Moreover, regular training sessions were o ered to inspectors on each
project, covering usual topics as well as refreshers on NCI design, handling and precautions when
erecting line materials. Indeed, the consistent reliable performance of Powerlink’s population of third
generation NCIs can be largely attributed to the role that quality inspection and site supervision played
during construction.
Bird Damage
Bird damage to NCIs has been well documented, starting with construction projects dating back to
1998. Such damage was observed on most types of NCIs, including post insulators and long rods, but
did not necessarily always occur during construction. Most a ected insulators were long rods although
a small quantity of bridging posts on tension structures were also a ected. In the case of vertical
suspension insulators, bird damage is almost exclusively at the tower end and at the live end adjacent
to the corona ring. By contrast, horizontal tension strings have typically su ered shed and sheath
damage all along the insulator, with greatest concern being those cases where the breglass core has
become exposed. Unfortunately, sheath damage to suspension insulators adjacent to the corona ring is
di cult to identify from helicopters or during ground-based inspection. Moreover, what caused
signi cant alarm was the speed at which bird-chewing damage was recorded following erection of
insulators. Ground surveys revealed that this problem was caused mostly by galahs and to a lesser
extent by sulphur crested cockatoos – both species having sharp hooked beaks. These birds are
prevalent mainly in areas where water is available, such as near creeks or dams, and also close to elds
of growing grain. Nesting sites in trees close to a transmission line are considered a factor that
increases local bird population.
Example of bird damage to tension insulators.

CLICK TO ENLARGE
Various bird surveys and related risk assessments were performed at the time to assess suitability of
NCIs on new transmission line assets. However, as highlighted by Fig. 1, deployment of large numbers
of NCIs reduced signi cantly starting 2001. Although failure modes speci cally attributed to bird
damage during construction have not yet been encountered, the issue of bird pecking remained a
concern. This was because it was di cult to detect such damage during aerial patrols aimed at
identifying and replacing damaged units prior to energization. A particular concern was potential
damage to the high electric eld region of an NCI but that could be hidden from view by the corona
ring.
Fig. 1: Penetration of NCIs (orange) into Powerlink’s transmission network.

CLICK TO ENLARGE
Observations During Operation & Maintenance Phases

Installation of NCIs
Bird Damage to Energized NCIs
In early 2005, it was con rmed that birds were chewing live insulators on 110 kV and 330 kV lines on
Darling Downs. For example, signi cant damage occurred to horizontal vee posts at 330 kV and 110 kV
as well as to 110 kV line posts due to their favourable orientation in terms of accommodating bird
perching. Damage was mainly in localized sections of these lines rather than on every structure and
most extreme cases were observed on insulators installed near sources of food and water.
Bird damage to 110 kV horizontal vee post.

CLICK TO ENLARGE
Birds appear to favour a horizontal perch for chewing and have also damaged the dead ends of 330 kV
horizontal line posts. By contrast, such damage has not been observed on the inclined long rods in
horizontal vee assemblies.
Bird behaviour seems to have changed, with increased incidence of chewing damage to live insulators
localized mostly in certain areas. As a result, Powerlink has become reluctant to install large numbers of
NCIs on its transmission network until a solution to the problem has been identi ed. In this regard,
porcelain posts have been investigated as replacement for chewed horizontal vee and line posts.
Indeed, prototype replacements were installed and considered for new lines but ultimately rejected due
to weight, poor aesthetics and risk of brittle failure under impact loading (e.g. from trees falling onto
lines). Instead, external outer-rib style porcelain discs were installed on a western line for connection to
a coal- red power station. Previously, such an environment would have favoured selection of NCIs due
to their superior contamination performance.
It has been found that aluminium sulphate dissolved in water and sprayed onto a structure and to the
ends of NCIs deters birds from chewing but this solution did not prove economical given the need re-
spray following rain. Field trials of various audible and ultrasonic devices to deter birds were also
carried out and, while these do keep birds away, this approach is only able to protect a single structure.
Modelling electric eld of chewed NCI assemblies was undertaken as well to determine maximum
comfortable eld perception values for perched birds.
Bird perched on damaged 110 330 kV bridging post damaged after

kV energized post. energization.
CLICK TO ENLARGE CLICK TO ENLARGE
The bird-chewing problem has changed over time and is now thought to correlate with seasonal
variations of climate. In particular, parrots have migrated closer to the coast during relatively dry years,
bringing them near those assets where NCIs are typically installed. Nonetheless, bird chewing of live
NCIs has reduced in frequency over recent years and there is now only occasional pecking damage
being reported in maintenance noti cations.
Mid-Life Service Experience

In October 2008, a lightning strike to a 275 kV line 1 km from Tarong Power Station caused a power
follow earth fault current of 29 kA that was cleared in 120 milliseconds. The a ected ashed NCI was
retrieved and following damage was noted:
• arc damage to the corona rings and metal end ttings;

• rust on top metal tting;
• whitening of sheds due to heat removal of silicone, leaving the aluminium trihydrate ller visible.
While none of this is considered serious and the insulator could well have remained in service,
whenever such damage is noted during feeder patrols to identify fault locations, such NCI units are
scheduled for eventual replacement with low to medium priority. The primary long-term concern for
NCIs with arc damage is risk of corrosion inception on end ttings due to loss of galvanization during
the ashover.
Live end arc ashover damage. Earthed end arc ashover damage.
Moreover, apart from these situations, a small number of other types of failures have been recorded
with third generation NCIs in service on Powerlink’s network. Predominant failure modes have included:
• mechanical failures during adverse weather due to dynamic loading from insulator cross-arm ip-over
events a ecting horizontal-vees;
• mechanical failures due to brittle fracture of the berglass rod resulting from inadvertently omitted or
improperly positioned corona grading devices at 275 kV and above;
• isolated incidents where corona rings have inadvertently been left o the live end, causing blackening
of nearby sheds.
NCI failure due to missing corona ring. Note blackening of long

rod in lower horizontal vee assembly Here, long rod of upper
horizontal vee assembly failed at live end. However inherent
mechanical redundancy of horizontal vee arrangement saw
twin posts hold conductor and prevent it falling to ground.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
Live Working Considerations

All live work on the Queensland transmission system is well controlled. Methods are developed and
practiced dead and, only when proven safe and e ective, are prescribed in operating procedures.
Visual inspection continues to be the primary method for assessing the condition of NCIs prior to any
particular live working task. This represents a di erent mindset to condition and risk assessment of disc
insulation and lines workers must therefore be suitably trained.
Di erent visual and risk assessment tools have been tried at di erent times over the service life of 3rd
generation NCI units. These have included the prototype EPRI live working NCI tester as well as
equipment to measure electric eld pro le along in service units. Even with advancement and evolution
of these technologies, risk assessment is still based mainly on visual assessment by trained live line and
bare hand workers. Energized insulators are examined visually to check for shed, sheath and end tting
damage. Seals at the triple point, where sheath, rod and end tting meet, are checked for damage and
for rust that may indicate moisture has penetrated within. Insulation defects are classi ed based on
EPRI’s Insulator Visual Inspection Guide. Only insulators having defects with certain classi cations can
be changed live. Should assessment identify some uncertainty in ranking risk on insulator condition,
more advanced site-speci c techniques are adopted to better quantify risk. These include thermal
scans to check for hot spots as an indicator of heating from excessive leakage current or use of a
corona camera to identify possible partial discharge issues.
Population Assessment for Estimating End-of-Life & Prioritizing

Replacement
As of 2019, all early generation, prototype and trial NCIs have been removed from service such that
only third generation NCIs remain on Powerlink’s network. There are three predominant suppliers for
this remaining population, of which a signi cant proportion are now approaching 20 years of service.
Fleet Strategy
Fig. 2 provides a comparison of the relative proportions of di erent insulator types in the Powerlink
eet. In the case of NCIs, 99% of this population are made from silicone rubber with only a small
number of EPDM and ESP materials still in service. The majority of this NCI population entered service
within a compressed time frame between the late 1990s to mid 2000s. This population has displayed
high reliability and there have been only rare, isolated instances of failures.
Fig. 2: Total in-service insulator strings by

type.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
Environmental conditions vary across the network and speci c regions are classi ed broadly in terms of
average annual rainfall (most applicable for NCIs) or exposure to corrosion (most applicable to ceramic
and glass insulators). Annual average rainfall is considered as correlating directly to corona
performance and lifetime expectations for NCIs. This is due to the numbers of hours insulators remain
wetted and associated possible degradation from water drop corona. Table 1 summarizes Powerlink’s
regional classi cations and typical service life expectations for application of both disc insulators and
NCIs. A eet management approach for the NCI population uses primarily condition assessment data
from scheduled climbing inspections as well as helicopter patrols. This information becomes the
primary input into an iterative derivation of a Health Index for any particular asset. Information from
routine inspections can also assist in predicting whether degradation of any particular NCIs is
progressing in-line with expectations from Table 1 or at an accelerated rate due to other site-speci c
factors such as bird chewing damage, microclimates, pollution sources, etc.
Fig. 3 highlights a typical Health Index representation for one particular sub-population of NCIs,
showing the extrapolated trend for Health Index over time. These can be expressed as a box and
whisker plot to represent the measure of spread for the particular population of interest. Business
intelligence software tools are then used to visualize asset data repositories and provide a valuable
means to better understand population performance for the time period of interest. Projecting health
indices into the future assists better de ning inspection protocols as well as prioritizing timing for
replacement if necessary.
Periodic assessment of the condition of NCIs mainly takes the form of visual assessment, especially
during the rst half of their projected service life. Structures equipped with NCIs are patrolled
predominantly by helicopter, supplemented by less frequent climbing and ground-based inspection.
Climbing and aerial patrols are tasked with identifying visual indicators of condition including:
• shed and sheath cracking, with particular focus on the area close to the corona ring or in the high E-
eld region if there is no corona ring;
• darkening of rubber in the high E- eld region;
• chalking and whitening;

• corrosion of end ttings, especially close to the metal/rubber interface;
• loss of rubber or erosion of housing material, with targeted focus near end ttings;
• qualitative assessment of integrity of seal interface between metal end ttings and rubber.
Fig. 3: Health Index representation for NCI populations.

CLICK TO ENLARGE
As its NCI population has continued to age past anticipated half-life and towards end-of-life, Powerlink
has employed a number of additional sampling and inspection measures to complement visual
inspection data and help re ne estimates for remaining service life. Such approaches are warranted to
better prioritize and plan for replacement given nite labour resources to undertake the work as well as
budget constraints linked to regulated operational expenses for transmission utilities in Australia. Such
prioritization for replacement and eet management has used predictive approaches to assess and
rank the combined e ects of:
• severity of installation location and environmental stresses (area classi cation as in Table 1);
• electrical and mechanical stresses in-service;
• predicted performance by supplier and material formulation, with the development of time to
degradation and time to failure models on a per-supplier basis;
• development of health indices by supplier, taking the sensitivity of the above factors into account.
Replacement sequence and prioritization determined this way aims to implement replacement of all
NCIs just in time and before progression of degradation (with su cient safety margin) would reach the
point that would no longer permit undertaking replacement live. Such an approach results in some sub-
populations being removed from service before condition-based assessments would normally conclude
that these have reached end-of-life.
Table 1: Regional Classi cations & Typical Insulator Service

Life.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
Population Assessment Phase 1: Onset of Degradation &

Predicting End-of-Life
Powerlink has used detailed input both from EPRI for NCI insulator research delivered by Overhead
Transmission Target 35 and from CIGRE publications by Working Group B2. For example, EPRI condition
assessment tools, ageing chamber performance data, electric eld calculation software and population
assessment software tools have all supplemented Powerlink’s own observations from testing and
inspection data. Combining these inputs, Powerlink was able to develop a speci c population and NCI
supplier assessment framework and methodology to identify:
• likely degradation modes by supplier, also looking at the year the NCIs entered service;
• types of failure modes associated with a range of degradation conditions observed during periodic
inspection;
• typical times to onset of degradation, based on applicable environmental conditions, regional
classi cation, corrosion region and design electrical and mechanical stresses;
• projected time between onset of degradation and in-service failure, to enable suitable timing and
prioritization of NCI replacement projects.
The Phase 1 desktop study also enabled a sensitivity study to be undertaken to better understand
in uence on degradation onset and time to failure from such factors as:
• impact of increased or decreased creepage distance on all NCI types in the eet;
• omission or incorrect installation of corona rings;
• variation in electric eld stresses on end ttings, rod and sheath, based on particular installation
con guration;
• variations in isokeraunic levels for di erent line locations;
• increased or decreased electromechanical loads in-service for various applications and con gurations;
• contamination hot spots and local microclimates, e.g. by comparing ratio between estimated pollution
deposition level and NCI design pollution level.
Fig. 4: NCI E- eld stress assessment for speci c

installed NCI con guration. CLICK TO ENLARGE
CLICK TO ENLARGE
Population Assessment Phase 2: Model Enhancement &

Calibration by Sampling & EHV Laboratory Testing
For each insulator sub-population, the Phase 1 desktop study provided an indication of relative
probability of failure, associated timing for onset of potential degradation modes and corresponding
time to failure following onset of such degradation. This o ered a nominal time window to dictate ideal
timing for replacement once initial degradation conditions are noted. Actual stresses, such as degree of
surface contamination (leakage current), pollution sources and time of wetting are all subjective
assumptions in the desktop assessment – especially when allowing for the e ects of micro versus
macroclimatic conditions. Therefore, a structured inspection, sampling and testing regime is required to
assess actual condition versus estimated condition. Fig. 5 summarizes the typical investigation
framework that combines Phase 1 and Phase 2 to allow ranking end-of-life and prioritizing need for
replacement.
Fig. 5: Framework for end of life prioritization for NCI replacements,

(customized and adapted from [3]).
CLICK TO ENLARGE
When undertaking a review of the impact of these di erent conditions, there is also bene t in
assessing the sensitivity of population performance to variations in these parameters. For
example, whenever Powerlink undertakes condition-based or routine live-line/bare hand
maintenance on assets equipped with NCI insulators, all items associated with routine visual
inspections and live-line insulator testing prior to live work are recorded in a structured data
system. This includes test results, site observations and photographs of units. Results when
testing NCI assets with a ‘go/no-go’ device such as the prototype EPRI Live Working NCI tester or
other device could also be included in this data bank to supplement visual observations and to
formalize historical performance observations for the units. Targeted helicopter patrol ights
have also been scheduled to conduct corona camera scans of those NCI sub-populations
identi ed during the Phase 1 investigation as being likely candidates for replacement. This
proved an e cient and cost-e ective means to benchmark condition of these units and to
increase con dence and calibration of the desktop model and was particularly important for
those NCIs where Phase 1 desktop assessment agged serious potential degradation modes, e.g.
those involving nite risk of internal voids between rod and sheath with associated destructive
partial discharge activity.
Sub-population corona scanning from

Field trial of E- eld polymer insulator testers.
helicopter.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
CLICK TO ENLARGE
A number of units were also removed from service for targeted EHV testing in a laboratory. Such testing
also included a number of additional strings changed out in the past due to identi ed lightning
https://www.inmr.com/experience-non-ceramic-insulators-transmission-lines-australia/?utm_source=INMR+WEEKLY+TECHNICAL+REVIEW&… 10/12
ashover activity or minor cosmetic damage in order to maximize sample size.
Routine visual inspection performed in service as well as on recovered samples for laboratory testing
did not ag heightened concern. These inspections focused primarily on integrity of the triple point
seals versus time in service and compared results for all key NCI suppliers. Laboratory inspection and
testing was then developed to focus on acceleration of potential failure modes internal to the samples
recovered, based on the condition these seals displayed given their years in service. Tests were also
scheduled to directly compare insulators recovered from the eld to these same insulators that were
kept in storage. These never used spares were of a similar age pro le and manufacturing vintage but
never energized. Performance testing in the laboratory therefore also aimed to compare ‘new’ units to
units recovered from the eld. Three primary types of laboratory tests were undertaken:
a. Power frequency test performed on complete insulator to measure resistive and capacitive
components of leakage current: These were carried out on each unit at maximum phase-to-earth
system voltage. Tests were undertaken dry to simplify set-up and to assist in interpretation and
repeatability of results. These were non-destructive and done at the start of the test sequence and as a
follow-up check following the more destructive tests considered below. Such testing was used to
provide a qualitative comparison of units by voltage and supplier, noting variation between new units
and eld-aged units. Pass/fail criteria of this test were subjective;
b. Steep front impulse tests on complete insulator units but performed sequentially along discrete
500 mm sections, given limitations in impulse voltage test set capability: This test, performed in
accordance with AS 62217 and with steepness of at least 1000 kV/µs, was mainly to assess internal
condition of the insulator. It focused on adherence of sheath to rod and whether testing could lead to
internal voids within this interface and resulting ashunder. Tests were conducted on both ‘new’ and
recovered insulators.
c. Steep front impulse tests on cut and pre-conditioned units: This test also involved steep fronted
tests on units but applied this instead to cut 500 mm sections of NCIs that had been pre-conditioned by
boiling in salt water in accordance with the CIGRE approach. The severity of this test was again looking
to promote ashunder by arti cially ageing the sample compared to the unconditioned tests described
in b.
d. E-Field Pro ling: During energization of test samples in part a, described above, voltage pro le was
taken along each insulator. Pro les were also taken before and after steep fronted impulse tests in part
b, but only on complete and intact samples.
Steep-front impulse
testing on recovered
pre-conditioned E-Field Polymer Insulator Tester trial during
sample. laboratory testing.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Part 2 of this Article will appear in next week’s INMR WEEKLY TECHNICAL REVIEW and
o er a case history of how Powerlink has applied its NCI condition monitoring and replacement
prioritization strategy. It will also o er the Key Conclusions arising from two decades of experience with
composite insulators on its transmission system.
   
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04.12.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019     

 ARTICLES BY CATEGORY  GALLERY CONTACT US ADVERTISE + 

ARTICLE ARCHIVE Insulators

Experience with Non-Ceramic Insulators on

• 700 km of 330 kV;

Composite insulators were selected for this strategic 275 kV line

1. service life of NCIs not being fully known;

• assets situated near public areas for improved aesthetics;

Impact of NCI Design Practices on End-of-Life

Speci cation of NCIs

• standard mechanical rating of 160 kN;

Impact of Construction Practices on End-of-Life

Example of bird damage to tension insulators.

Fig. 1: Penetration of NCIs (orange) into Powerlink’s transmission network.

Observations During Operation & Maintenance Phases

Bird damage to 110 kV horizontal vee post.

Bird perched on damaged 110 330 kV bridging post damaged after

Mid-Life Service Experience

• arc damage to the corona rings and metal end ttings;

NCI failure due to missing corona ring. Note blackening of long

Live Working Considerations

Population Assessment for Estimating End-of-Life & Prioritizing

Fig. 2: Total in-service insulator strings by

• chalking and whitening;

Fig. 3: Health Index representation for NCI populations.

Table 1: Regional Classi cations & Typical Insulator Service

Population Assessment Phase 1: Onset of Degradation &

Fig. 4: NCI E- eld stress assessment for speci c

Population Assessment Phase 2: Model Enhancement &

Fig. 5: Framework for end of life prioritization for NCI replacements,

Sub-population corona scanning from

ashover activity or minor cosmetic damage in order to maximize sample size.

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Infrared & UV Inspection of Overhead Transmission Lines: Experience in Florida, USA →

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