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Lecture 21

Overhead line insulators are used to electrically isolate power line conductors from each other and supporting structures. They provide insulation to prevent leakage currents from the conductors to earth. Insulators must have high mechanical strength, electrical resistance, and dielectric strength to withstand electrical stresses like lightning. They must also withstand normal operating voltages and over voltages during severe weather. Commonly used insulator materials include porcelain, glass, and synthetic resins, with porcelain being the most widely used. Insulator failure can occur through puncture when an arc passes through the insulator body, or flashover when an arc forms through air between the conductor and earth. Insulators are designed to prevent failure from both puncture and flashover.

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46 views

Lecture 21

Overhead line insulators are used to electrically isolate power line conductors from each other and supporting structures. They provide insulation to prevent leakage currents from the conductors to earth. Insulators must have high mechanical strength, electrical resistance, and dielectric strength to withstand electrical stresses like lightning. They must also withstand normal operating voltages and over voltages during severe weather. Commonly used insulator materials include porcelain, glass, and synthetic resins, with porcelain being the most widely used. Insulator failure can occur through puncture when an arc passes through the insulator body, or flashover when an arc forms through air between the conductor and earth. Insulators are designed to prevent failure from both puncture and flashover.

Uploaded by

Anas Sheikh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Electrical Power

Transmission Course

Why Line Insulators


are Used in Overhead
Transmission Line ?
By Dr. J. A. Laghari

Power Transmission Made Easy


 Overhead Line Insulators:
Def: “The insulators used to separate the line conductors
from each other & from the supporting structures
electrically are known as Overhead Line Insulators”.

The insulators provide necessary insulation between


line conductors and supports and thus prevent any
leakage current from conductors to earth.

In general, the insulators should


have the following properties:

1. High mechanical strength in order to


withstand conductor load and wind load.
 Overhead Line Insulators:
2. High electrical resistance of insulator material
in order to avoid leakage currents to earth.

3. High relative permittivity of insulator material


in order that dielectric strength is high.

It is necessary so that it can withstand high electrical stresses.

The insulators should be able to withstand the over voltages


due to lightning, switching, or other causes under severe weather
conditions in addition to the normal voltage.
 Overhead Line Insulators:
4. The insulator material should be non-porous, free from
impurities and cracks otherwise the permittivity will be lowered.

5. High ratio of puncture strength to flashover.

All above properties are not found in a single material.

Therefore, while selecting a line support for a


particular case, a compromise is made between
the cost and the required mechanical properties.
 Overhead Line Insulators:
The most commonly used material for insulators of
overhead line is porcelain but glass, steatite, Synthetic
Resin and special composition materials are also
used to a limited extent.

Porcelain is stronger mechanically than glass, gives less trouble


from leakage and is less effected by changes of temperature.
 How Insulation Failure Occurs:
The electric failure of insulation occurs either by puncture or flashover.

In the case of a puncture, the arc passes through the body of the
insulator whereas flashover is caused by an arc discharge between the
conductor and earth through air surrounding the insulator.

It is either due to line surges or due to the formation


of wet conducting layer over the insulator surface.

Normally the insulator is not damaged by a flashover


but it becomes useless after the puncture.
 How Insulation Failure Occurs:
Sufficient thickness of material is provided in the insulator
to prevent the puncture under surges conditions.

Flashover are reduced by increasing the resistance to leakage currents.

The length of the leakage path is made large by


constructing several layers called petticoats or rain sheds.

They keep the inner surfaces relatively dry in wet weather and
thus provide sufficient leakage resistance to prevent a flashover.

For satisfactory operation, the flashover should occur before puncture.


THANK YOU VERY MUCH

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