‫كلية تكنولوجيا الصناعة والطاقة‬

ETD 415
Overhead Transmission line Technology

OVERHEAD LINE INSULATORS

Prof. Dr. Mansour A. Mohamed

2025
Construction of Overhead Lines Supports
Construction of Overhead Lines Supports
Construction of Overhead Lines Supports

(a) Spacers (b) Dampers (c) Corona rings (d) Arcing horns
(grading rings)
 Insulators
The insulation of an electric system is divided into internal insulation and
external insulation. Electrical equipment has mostly internal insulation. External
insulation is exposed to the environment. Typical external insulation is the
insulators supporting transmission line conductors.

Properties of insulators
 High mechanical strength in order to withstand conductor load, wind load
etc.
 High electrical resistance of insulator material in order to avoid leakage
currents to earth.
 High relative permittivity of insulator material in order that dielectric
strength is high.
 The insulator material should be non-porous, free from impurities and
cracks otherwise the permittivity will be lowered.
 High ratio of puncture strength to flashover.
 Ceramic (Porcelain and Glass) Insulators

Porcelain
 Porcelain is the most frequently used material for insulators.
 Insulators are made of wet, processed porcelain.
 a mixture of feldspar (35%), china clay (28%), flint (25%), ball clay
(10%), and talc (2%). The ingredients are mixed with water and then
it is pressed into a mold to form a shell of the desired shape. The
shells are dried and dipped into a glaze material. The glaze
improves the mechanical strength and provides a smooth, shiny
surface.

Glass
 Toughened glass is also frequently used for insulators.
 The melted glass is poured into a mold to form the shell. Dipping
into hot and cold baths cools the shells. This thermal treatment
shrinks the surface of the glass and produces pressure on the body,
which increases the mechanical strength of the glass.
Ceramic (Porcelain and Glass) Insulators

Pin type insulators

(a) Porcelain insulator. (b) Glass insulator.

(c) A string of suspension type glass

(d) Vertical string insulator.
insulators.

Suspension type insulators.

Ceramic (Porcelain and Glass) Insulators

Figure 5.5. Cross-section of a standard suspension type insulator.

Ceramic (Porcelain and Glass) Insulators

Figure 5.7. Typical post-type insulators.

 Nonceramic (Composite) Insulators
 Nonceramic insulators use polymers instead of porcelain.
 Lightweight, which lowers construction and transportation costs.
 More vandalism resistant.
 Higher strength-to-weight ratio, allowing longer design spans.
 Better contamination performance.
 Improved transmission line aesthetics, resulting in better public
acceptance of a new line.
Drawback
- Tracking and erosion of the shed material, which led to pollution and caused
flashover.
- Chalking and crazing of the insulator’s surface, which resulted in increased
contaminant collection, arcing, and flashover.
- Reduction of contamination flashover strength and subsequent increased
contamination-induced flashover.
- Deterioration of mechanical strength, which resulted in confusion in the
selection of mechanical line loading.
- Loosening of end fittings.
- Bonding failures and breakdowns along the rod-shed interface.
- Water penetration followed by electrical failure.
 Nonceramic (Composite) Insulators
Composite suspension insulators
The major components are:
 End fittings
 Corona ring(s)
 Fiberglass-reinforced plastic rod
 Interface between shed and sleeve
 Weather shed

(b) 500 kV composite (c)132 kV composite

(a) Cross-section of a typical
insulator insulator
composite insulator,
 Potential Distribution over Insulator String
C is the self-capacitance.
A capacitance is formed between the metal part of the insulator and tower
structure is known as shunt capacitance 𝐶1 .

(a) String of suspension insulators. (b) Potential distribution across

string units.
Figure 5.9. String insulators.
 Potential Distribution over Insulator String
𝑉 = 𝑉1 + 𝑉2 + 𝑉3

Applying Kirchhoff's current law (KCL) at point d,

𝐼2 = 𝐼1 + 𝐼𝐶1

𝑉2 𝜔𝐶 = 𝑉1 𝜔𝐶 + 𝑉1 𝜔𝐶1 = 𝑉1 𝜔𝐶 + 𝑉1 𝜔𝑚𝐶 = 𝑉1 𝜔𝐶(1 + 𝑚)

𝑉2 = 𝑉1 (1 + 𝑚

Applying Kirchhoff's current law (KCL) at point h,

𝐼3 = 𝐼2 + 𝐼𝐶2

𝑉3 𝜔𝐶 = 𝑉2 𝜔𝐶 + 𝑉1 + 𝑉2 𝜔𝐶1

𝑉3 𝜔𝐶 = 𝑉2 𝜔𝐶 + 𝑉1 + 𝑉2 𝜔𝑚𝐶

𝑉3 = 𝑉2 1 + 𝑚 + 𝑚 𝑉1

𝑉3 = 𝑉1 1 + 𝑚 2 + 𝑚 𝑉1 = 𝑉3 = 𝑉1 1 + 3𝑚 + 𝑚2
𝑉 = 𝑉1 + 𝑉2 + 𝑉3
 Potential Distribution over Insulator String

𝑉 = 𝑉1 + 𝑉1 (1 + 𝑚) + 𝑉1 1 + 3𝑚 + 𝑚2

𝑉 = 𝑉1 3 + 4𝑚 + 𝑚2

𝑉1 𝑉2 𝑉3 𝑉
= = =
1 1+𝑚 1 + 3𝑚 + 𝑚2 3 + 4𝑚 + 𝑚2

𝑉
𝑉1 =
3 + 4𝑚 + 𝑚2
In general, the potential distribution across the nth unit can
be obtained in terms of the potential distribution across the
previous units. Apply KCL at point 𝑛 in Figure 5.10,

𝑛−2

𝑉𝑛 = 1 + 𝑚 𝑉𝑛−1 + 𝑚 𝑉𝑘
𝑘=1
 String efficiency

Voltage across the string

String efficiency =
𝑛 × 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑎𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟
Example 5.1
Find the voltage distribution of an insulator of three identical units, if the
voltage across the unit nearest to the conductor is 17kV, and the capacitance to
ground is 20% of unit capacitance, also find the line voltage and insulator
efficiency.

Example 5.2
An insulator string for 66 kV line has four identical units. The shunt capacitance
is10% of the self capacitance of each unit. Find the voltage across each unit and the
string efficiency.
 Methods of improving string efficiency
 Longer cross-arms.
 Grading the insulators.
 Guard ring.

Guard ring.
 Methods of improving string efficiency

Example 5.3
Find the voltage distribution of an insulator of three identical units with guard
ring. The capacitance to ground and to guard ring are 25% and 10% of unit
capaciance. Also find the insulator efficiency.
′
𝐼2 + 𝐼𝐶1 = 𝐼1 + 𝐼𝐶1
𝜔𝐶𝑉2 + 𝜔𝐶1′ 𝑉2 + 𝑉3 = 𝜔𝐶 𝑉1 + 𝜔𝐶1 𝑉1

𝑉2 + 0.1 𝑉2 + 𝑉3 = 𝑉1 + 0.25 𝑉1

1.25𝑉1 − 1.1𝑉2 − 0.1𝑉3 = 0 (𝑖)

At point h
′
𝐼3 + 𝐼𝐶2 = 𝐼2 + 𝐼𝐶2

𝜔𝐶𝑉3 + 𝜔𝐶1′ 𝑉3 = 𝜔𝐶 𝑉2 + 𝜔𝐶1 (𝑉1 + 𝑉2 )

𝑉3 + 0.1𝑉3 = 𝑉2 + 0.25 (𝑉1 + 𝑉2 )

0.25𝑉1 + 1.25𝑉2 − 1.1𝑉3 = 0 (𝑖𝑖)

But 𝑉1 + 𝑉2 + 𝑉3 = 𝑉 (𝑖𝑖𝑖)
 Methods of improving string efficiency

Solve (i), (ii), and (iii) in terms of V

𝑉1 = 0.295𝑉 𝑉

𝑉2 = 0.2985𝑉 (𝑉)
𝑉3 = 0.406𝑉 (𝑉)
V V
String efficiency, η = = = 82.1%
3 × 𝑉3 3 × 0.406𝑉
 Potential Distribution using Long Line Theory

A string of large number of unit up to n can be analyzed using the same approach
of analyzing long transmission lines.
Long insulator string can be considered as a long line short-circuited at the
receiving end, the line conductor end being considered as the sending end.
 Potential Distribution using Long Line Theory

If the unit to conductor capacitance neglected because it is usually very small,

then the voltage at the 𝑘𝑡ℎ unit with respect to earth is expressed by

sinh(𝑘 𝑚)
𝑉𝑘 = 𝑉
𝑠𝑖𝑛ℎ 𝑛 𝑚

The voltage across the 𝑘𝑡ℎ unit with respect to earth is

sinh 𝑘 𝑚 − sinh( 𝑘 − 1 𝑚)
𝑉𝑘 = 𝑉
𝑠𝑖𝑛ℎ 𝑛 𝑚
The string efficiency is given by

sinh(𝑛 𝑚)
𝜂=
𝑛 sinh 𝑛 𝑚 − sinh( 𝑛 − 1 𝑚)