TRANSMISSION LINE INSULATORS

WHAT IS AN INSULATOR ?
AN ELECTRICAL INSULATOR IS A MATERIAL WHOSE INTERNAL ELECTRIC
CHARGES DO NOT FLOW FREELY, AND WHICH THEREFORE DOES NOT
CONDUCT AN ELECTRIC CURRENT, UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF AN ELECTRIC
FIELD.
• A PERFECT INSULATOR DOES NOT EXIST, BUT SOME MATERIALS SUCH AS
GLASS, PAPER AND TEFLON, WHICH HAVE HIGH RESISTIVITY, ARE VERY
GOOD ELECTRICAL INSULATORS.
• INSULATORS ARE USED IN ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT TO SUPPORT AND
SEPARATE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS WITHOUT ALLOWING CURRENT
THROUGH THEMSELVES.
TYPES OF INSULATORS ~

 PIN TYPE INSULATORS.

 SUSPENSSION TYPE INSULATORS.
 STRAIN INSULATOR.
 SHACKLE INSULATOR.
PIN INSULATORS
 IT IS A CONICAL SHAPED HOLLOW FORGE.
 THIS INSULATOR IS FIXED TO THE CROSS ARM WITH A
METALLIC PIN.
 THERE IS A GROOVE ON THE TOP END OF THE
INSULATOR THROUGH WHICH THE CONDUCTOR PASSES
AND THE CONDUCTOR IS BOUND BY THE ANNEALED
WIRE OF SAME MATERIAL AS THE CONDUCTOR
 AS THE POTENTIAL OF THE WIRE INCREASES TO A CERTAIN LIMIT ,THE AIR INSIDE
THE INSULATOR GETS IONIZED AND THIS VOLTAGE IS CALLED “FLASH-OVER
VOLTAGE”.
IF THE OPERATING VOLTAGE IS MORE THAN THE “FLASH-OVER” VOLTAGE, THEN
DIELECTRIC BREAKDOWN OF AIR TAKES PLACE AND CRACKS OCCER ON THE
SURFACE OF THE INSULATOR AND THIS VOLTAGE IS CALLED THE “PUNCTURE
VOLTAGE” .
THE RATIO BETWEEN “PUNCTURE VOLTAGE” AND “FLASH-OVER VOLTAGE” IS
CALLED THE FACTOR OF SAFETY. THE FACTOR OF SAFETY IS KEPT NEARLY ABOUT
10.
PIN INSULATOR IS GENERALLY DESIGNED FOR 11KV AND 33KV TRANSMISSION
LINES. USAGE OF PIN INSULATOR IS UNECONOMICAL AS THE SIZE OF THE
INSULATOR BECOMES BULKY.
SUSPENSION TYPE INSULATOR
IN THIS TYPE OF INSULATOR CERTAIN NO.
OF DISCS ARE SUSPENDED VERTICALLY.
EACH DISC IS CAPABLE OF
WITHSTANDING 11KV PHASE VOLTAGE.
FUNDAMENTALLY IT’S APPLICATION
STARTS FROM 33KV PHASE VOLTAGE.
SO FOR 33KV PHASE VOLTAGE ,
(33/11)KV = 3 DISCS ARE NEEDED.
SIMILARLY FOR 132KV LINE ,
((132/30.5)/11)= 7 (APPROX). DISCS ARE
NEEDED.
 THE DISCS ARE INTERCONECTRD THROUGH METAL PINS. SO A POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE IS MADE
BETWEEN METAL PINS AND THE LINE SUPPORT. SO A CAPACITANCE IS CONFIGURED BETWEEN
THE LI SUPPORT AND THE METAL PINS AND THIS CAPACITANCE IS CALLED “SHUNT
CAPACITANCE”.
 DUE TO THIS “SHUNT CAPACITANCE” , SOME
CURRENTS ARE BYPASSED. SO THE CURRENT IS NOT
UNIFORM THROUGH EACH CAPACITOR.
 SO THE INSULATION STRING WILL EXPERIENCE EXCESS
VOLTAGE WHICH LEADS O INSULATION
BREAK-DOWN.
 SO SOME MODIFICATION IS NEEDED IN THE DESIGN
WHICH DEPENDS ON THE “STRING EFFICIENCY” OF
THE INSULATOR
STRING EFFICIENCY=
(VOLTAGE ACROSS THE STRING/VOLTAGE ACROSS THE NEARBY CONDUCTOR * NO OF DISCS)

MODIFICATION FOR INCREASING STRING EFFICIENCY---

• BY USING LONGER CROSS ARM ---
C = (2*PI*EPSILON)/(LN D/R) (AS D INCREASES SO C DECREASES)
• GRIDING OF THE INSULATOR ---
AS WE KNOW C = Q/V ; SO IF WE WANT LESSER V ACROSS THE TOP DISC THEN, THE
CAPACITANCE OF THE UPPER DISC SHOULD BE MORE, AS A RESULT THE UPPER CONDUCTOR
WILL BE MORE BULKIER.
• BY USING GUARD RING -
A CIRCULAR METALLIC RING ENCLOSING
THE STRING OF INSULATORS IS PROVIDED.
THIS RING IS DIRECTLY IN TOUCH WITH THE
CONDUCTOR. IT ALSO FORMS A CAPACTANCE
BETWEEN THE GUARD RING AND INSULATOR
PINS. SO A CURRENT ALSO FLOW THROUGH
THE CAPACITOR PATH WHICH BALANCES THE
SHUNT CAPACITOR CURRENT. AS A RESULT THE
CURRENT THROUGH THE CAPACITOR STRING
DO NOT GET BYPASSED. SO THE STRING
CURRENT REMAINS UNIFORM THROGH ALL
DISCS
STRAIN INSULATORS
STRAIN INSULATORS ARE JUST LIKE SUSPENSION TYPE INSULATORS , JUST
CONNECTED IN HORIZONTAL MANNER.
THEY ARE DESIGNED TO HANDLE MECHANICAL LOADS.
AS THE INSULATOR ARE SUBJECTED TO MORE MECHANICAL STRESS SO
SOME DISCS ARE EXTRA PROVIDED
DISCS CAN BE MADE OF GLASS, POLYMER AND PORCELAIN AS WELL.
SHACKLE INSULATORS
 HOWEVER, UNLIKE STRAIN INSULATORS, SHACKLE INSULATORS ARE DESIGNED TO
SUPPORT LOWER VOLTAGES.
 IN EARLY DAYS SHACKLE INSULATORS WERE USED AS STRAIN INSULATORS.
 BUT NOW A DAYS THEY ARE FREQUENTLY USED FOR LOW VOLTAGE DISTRIBUTION
LINES.
 THEY CAN BE DIRECTLY FIXED TO THE POLES IN HORIZONTAL OR VERTICAL MANNER.