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Types and Functions of Electrical Insulators

Insulators are materials that resist the flow of electric current. They have tightly bonded valence electrons that do not allow electrons to flow freely. Insulators are used in electrical equipment to support conductors without conducting current themselves. Common insulator materials include glass, plastic, rubber, air, and wood. There are three main types of insulators used for overhead power lines: pin insulators, suspension insulators, and strain insulators, with pin insulators typically used up to 33kV. Insulators protect people and equipment from the dangerous effects of electricity by shielding conductors carrying high voltages.

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170 views2 pages

Types and Functions of Electrical Insulators

Insulators are materials that resist the flow of electric current. They have tightly bonded valence electrons that do not allow electrons to flow freely. Insulators are used in electrical equipment to support conductors without conducting current themselves. Common insulator materials include glass, plastic, rubber, air, and wood. There are three main types of insulators used for overhead power lines: pin insulators, suspension insulators, and strain insulators, with pin insulators typically used up to 33kV. Insulators protect people and equipment from the dangerous effects of electricity by shielding conductors carrying high voltages.

Uploaded by

srikanthgajjala
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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An insulator, also called a dielectric, is a material that resists the flow of electric current.

An
insulating material has atoms with tightly bonded valence electrons. These materials are used in
parts of electrical equipment, also called insulators or insulation, intended to support or separate
electrical conductors without passing current through themselves. The term is also used more
specifically to refer to insulating supports that attach electric power transmission wires to utility
poles or pylons.

Some common insulator materials are glass, plastic, rubber, air, and wood.

Types of insulators:
There are three types of insulators used for overhead lines
 Pin type
 Suspension type
 Strain type

. The pin type insulator is normally used up to 33Kv


The suspension insulators, in addition to being economical as compared to
pin type for voltage more than 33kV.

Insulators are used to protect us from the dangerous effects of electricity


flowing through conductors. Sometimes the voltage in an electrical circuit can be
quite high and dangerous. If the voltage is high enough, electric current can be
made to flow through even materials that are generally not considered to be good
conductors. Our bodies will conduct electricity and you may have experienced this
when you received an electrical shock. Generally, electricity flowing through the
body is not pleasant and can cause injuries. The function of our heart can be
disrupted by a strong electrical shock and the current can cause burns. Therefore,
we need to shield our bodies from the conductors that carry electricity. The
rubbery coating on wires is an insulating material that shields us from the
conductor inside. Look at any lamp cord and you will see the insulator. If you see
the conductor, it is probably time to replace the cord.

Some materials such as glass, paper or Teflon are very good electrical insulators. A much larger
class of materials, for example rubber-like polymers and most plastics are still "good enough" to
insulate electrical wiring and cables even though they may have lower bulk resistivity. These
materials can serve as practical and safe insulators for low to moderate voltages (hundreds, or
even thousands, of volts).

Insulators used for high-voltage power transmission are made from glass, porcelain, or composite
polymer materials
The electrical breakdown of an insulator due to excessive voltage can occur in one of two ways:

 Puncture voltage is the voltage across the insulator (when installed in its normal manner)
which causes a breakdown and conduction through the interior of the insulator. The heat
resulting from the puncture arc usually damages the insulator irreparably.
 Flashover voltage is the voltage which causes the air around or along the surface of the
insulator to break down and conduct, causing a 'flashover' arc along the outside of the
insulator. They are usually designed to withstand this without damage.s

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