Laboratory Experiment 08

SUSPENSION INSULATOR STRING

INSRUCTED BY:-Miss. Priyanka Liyanarachchi

NAME: -V.I.P. Dasanayake

INDEX NO: -090075M

FIELD: -Electrical engineering

GROUP: - 3

Calculations
(a) String with identical insulator units:

C C′ V1
Ic1 I1

C′ V2
C V
Ic2 I2

C′ V3
C
Ic3 I3
C′ V4
I4

Figure 1

Let,

Capacitance per Insulator C '

m= =
Capacitance per Ground C

Let V be the operating voltage (line to ground)

∴ V = V1 + V2 + V3 + V4

Voltage Distributions

C' 6
m= = =6
C 1

V2 = V1 (1 + 1/ m) = V1 (1 + 1/ 6) = 1.17 V1

V3 = V1 (1 + 3/ m + 1/m2) = V1 (1 + 3/ 6 + 1/62) = 1.53 V1

V4 = V1 (1 + 6/m + 5/m2 + 1/m3) = V1 (1 + 6/6 + 5/62 + 1/63) = 2.14 V1

V= V1 + V2 + V3 + V4
100 = V1 + 1.17 V1 + 1.53 V1+ 2.14 V1
5.84 V1 = 100
V1 = 17.12 V
Voltage distribution

V1 V2 V3 V4
Theoretica 17.12 20.03 26.19 36.64
l
values
Practical 17.29 19.71 25.9 37.15
values
 (V ¿ ¿ 1+ V 2+ V 3+ V 4 )
Theoretical String Efficiency ¿
4V 4
4V4
¿
= 17.12+20.03+26.19+36.64 ¿ 4∗36.64
= 0.68

(V ¿ ¿ 1+ V 2+ V 3+ V 4 )
Practical String Efficiency = ¿
4V 4
(17.29+19.71+25.9+37.15)
=
4∗37.15

= 0.67

(b) String with Graded Units:

C C1 V
Ic1 I1

C2 V
C 100V
Ic2 I2

C3 V
C
Ic3 I3
C4 V
I4

Figure 2

Given that C1 = 6 μF and C = 1 μF

So,
C2 = C1 + C = 6 + 1= 7 μF

C3 = 3C + C1 =3*1 + 6= 9 μF

C4 = 6C + C1 =6*1 + 6= 12 μF

100
Theoretical voltage distribution across V1, V2, V3 &V4 capacitors = =25 V
4

Voltage distribution

V1 V2 V3 V4
Theoretica 25.6 24.82 24.93 24.48
l
values
Practical 25 25 25 25
values

(V ¿ ¿ 1+ V 2+ V 3+ V 4 )
∴Theoretical String Efficiency = ¿
4V 4
¿ 25+25+25+ 25 ¿ ¿
4∗25
 = 1.00

(V ¿ ¿ 1+ V 2+ V 3+ V 4 )
Practical String Efficiency = ¿
4V 4
(25.6+24.82+24.93+ 24.48)
=
4∗24.48

= 1.02

(C) String with identical units and Graded ring:

C C′ V
Ic1 I1

C′ Ix x
V
C (n-1)V 100V
Ic2 I2
y
C′ Iy V
C (n-2)V
Ic3 I3
z
IZ
C′ V
I4 (n-3)V

Figure 3

Given that C1 = 6 μF, C = 1 μF and n= 4

C 6
∴ x = (n−1) = 3 = 2

2∗C 2∗6
y = (n−2) = 2 = 6

3∗C 3∗6
z = (n−3) = 1 = 18

100
Theoretical voltage distribution across V1, V2, V3 &V4 capacitors = =25 V
4

Voltage distribution
V1 V2 V3 V4
Theoretica 24.78 24.00 24.99 26.40
l
values
Practical 25 25 25 25
values

(V ¿ ¿ 1+ V 2+ V 3+ V 4 )
∴Theoretical String Efficiency = ¿
4V 4
¿ 25+25+25+ 25 ¿ ¿
4∗25
= 1.00
 (V ¿ ¿ 1+ V 2+ V 3+ V 4 ) (24.78+24.00+ 24.99+ 26.40)
Practical String Efficiency = ¿= =0.95
4V 4 4∗26.4

DISCUSSION

(a) INSULATORS AND INSULATOR MATERIALS

Meaning of the terms electrical insulation and dielectric are very similar to each other that is
a material or object which does not contain any free electrons to permit as a current. In other
words when a voltage is placed across an insulator no current flows. Therefore we can put an
insulator to separate electrical conductors by each other without passing any current. These
objects are called insulators. There are several types of insulator such as pin type, suspension
type, strain type and shackle type, Post type insulators, Spool insulators
. Some of the well known insulator materials are silicon dioxide and Teflon. Although some
of the insulators like rubber-like polymers and most plastics are good enough to insulation
purposes. Normally these two types are used to electrical wirings and cables. Because those have
lower bulk resistively.
If we consider about the number of insulator plates and amount of voltage of the supply.
There is a relationship between above two factors. The number of plates is equal to the [amount
of voltage in kilo volts /11] or [(amount of voltage in kilo volts /11)-1]. It depends on the several
factors. The insulators are designed as plate shape due to the various technical reasons. A single
disc-shaped piece of porcelain, grooved on the under-surface to increase the surface leakage path,
a metal cap at the top and to a metal pin underneath. The cap is recessed so as to take the pin of
another unit, and in this way a string of any required number of units can be built up. The cap is
secured to the insulator by means of cement. And also it is designed to hang the above plate.
Those plates are made from glass, porcelain, or composite polymer materials. Porcelain insulators
are made from clay, quartz or alumina and feldspar, and are covered with a smooth glaze to shed
dirt. Insulators made from porcelain rich in alumina are used where high mechanical strength is a
criterion. Porcelain is the most frequently used material for insulators because it works as a good
insulator and it has strength to bare the wire tension. Porcelain insulators has smooth and shiny
surface which help in shedding the rain water. The cost for the porcelain is high so sometime
glass is also used because it is cheaper than the porcelain but glass insulator cannot use for
voltages higher than 11kV

Types of insulators

Pin-Type Insulators: -The pin-type insulator is secured to a cross-arm on the transmission pole
and attached to a steel bolt or pin. Two typical porcelain pin-type insulators are illustrated in the
following picture. The usual working voltage refers to insulators for use in an industrial
atmosphere in this country. Smaller insulators are used in clean conditions. These differ in
construction in that they consist of two or three pieces of porcelain cemented together. These
pieces form what are called petticoats. They are designed to shed rain and sleet easily.
Strain Insulators: -The strain insulator is a variation of the suspension insulator and is
designed to sustain extraordinary pulls. On a transmission line, this strain insulator often
consists of an assembly of suspension insulators. Because of its peculiarly important job, a
strain insulator must have considerable strength as well as the necessary electrical
properties. Although strain insulators come in many different sizes, they all share the same
principle; that is, they are constructed so that the cable will compress the porcelain

Post type insulators: - These are similar to pin type insulators and they are generally used for
higher voltage applications with the height and number of petticoats being greater for the
higher voltages. This type of insulators can be mounted horizontally or vertically. The
insulator is made of one piece of porcelain and its mounting bolt or bracket is an integral
part of the insulator.

Spool insulators: - these are usually used for low voltage distribution. The spool insulator
may be mounted on a secondary rack or in a service clamp. Use in mounting house service
wires.

Suspension type insulators: - This type of insulators are normally use in high voltage
transmission. The insulators are hanged in the cross arm and the transmission conductors are
mounted lower end of the insulator. The entire unit of suspension insulators is called a string. It
is important to note that in a string of suspension insulators one or more insulators can be
replaced without replacing the whole string . Each insulator is a large disc shape piece of
porcelain grooved on the undersurface to increase the surface leakage path between the
metal cap at the top and the metal pin at the bottom of the insulator. The cap at the top is
increased so that it can take the pin of another unit and in this way a string of any required
number of insulators can be built. There are several types of suspension insulators a one of
the type is shown on the following picture
(b) Comparing suspension insulator with a others

Suspension Insulators

The cost of pin-type insulator increases very rapidly when the working voltage is increased.
So these types of insulators are uneconomical. And also the replacements are expensive. Due to
the above mentioned reasons suspension insulators are used for high voltage lines. There are
several types of suspension insulators such as I-shape suspension insulators and V-shape
suspension insulators

ADVANTAGES:-

 If there any failure of an insulator then no need to replace whole string. Only particular unit
has to be replaced. .

 Because the line is suspended flexibly, the mechanical stresses are reduced. But we use pin-
type insulators, the rigid nature of the attachment results in fatigue and ultimate brittleness of
the wire. On the other hand the string is free to swing.

 In the situations like an increase in the operating voltage of the line. In suspension type it can
be met by adding the requisite number of units to each string without replacing all insulators
with pin type.

 Each insulator is designed for a comparatively low working voltage about 11kV. Then the
insulation for any required line voltage can be obtained with using a string of a suitable
number of suspension insulators.

DISADVANTAGES

 The suspension insulator suspends conductors below the cross-arm. So the suspension type
required a higher tower to get the same conductor height above the ground than the towers
which use pin or post types insulators. So cost for build the tower for suspension insulator
string would be high.

 Because of the free suspension, the amplitude of swing of the conductors may be large
compared with that on a pin-type insulated line so the spacing should be increased.

 Another disadvantage is that this construction associated with high electrostatic stresses in
the porcelain immediately between the links, so that the liability to puncture is greater than
with other types
 Suspension insulator strings are more expensive when compared to pin and post types.
(c) Advantages of The Insulator Grading Methods

For very high voltage lines the insulator grading method is very economical. This is
very easy and very simple method which uses in very high voltage transmission systems.

String with identical unit and graded ring method is very simple method. It can be
easily taken the same voltage distribution throughout the string accurately than string with
graded units method. Since there is an equal voltage distribution throughout the insulators in
the string, no insulator will be over stressed.

(d) Reasons for differences between practical and theoretical values

1) The capacitors which we used aren’t ideal so they may not be represented the actual values.
2) The components which we used for this practical can be worked with errors.
3) Human errors could be occurred when taking the readings
4) Errors could be occurred when reading from the meters with naked eyes.
5) Connecting Wire resistance wasn’t included in calculations
6) Errors caused due to internal resistance of the meters.
7) Internal capacitive components of used equipments may have affected to the readings.