Properties And Behavior Of Composite & Solid Insulating Materials

By Sachin Bhandari (EE03-64) Tanmay Adke (EE03-67)

Classifications Of Insulators

Classes of Insulation

Following are the different classes of insulation

Y class (up to 90o C) A class(up to 105o C) E class (up to 120o C) B class (up to 130o C) F class (up to 155o C) H class (up to 180o C) C class (above 180o C)

Solid Insulators

Following are the solid insulators

Glass Insulator

Egg shaped strain insulators

Ceramic insulator

Composite Insulators

Two commonly used elastomeric materials are silicon rubber & EDPM (Ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubber

A continuous strand of glass fiber is wetted in a controlled manner in a liquid resin bath, and then wound between and around bushings. The shield layer and weather sheds, both made of a polymer are then injection molded over the body.

Characteristics of Insulating Materials

Good insulating materials shall have the following characteristics

Good mechanical strength. Good heat conductivity. Non-hygroscopic Must have the ability to withstand the allowable temperature without any change in the physical and chemical properties. Composite insulators are less costly, lighter in weight, and have excellent hydrophobic capability.

Behavior of solid insulating materials

The highest breakdown strength obtained under carefully controlled conditions is known as the "intrinsic strength" of the dielectric.

Dielectrics usually fail at stresses well below the intrinsic strength due usually to one of the following

Causes

electro-mechanical breakdown breakdown due to internal discharges surface breakdown (tracking and erosion) thermal breakdown electro-chemical breakdown chemical deterioration

Behaviour Of Different Insulating Materials

Fig. The switching impulse voltage is generated with a marx generator.

Electro-mechanical breakdown
When an electric field is applied to a dielectric between two electrodes, a mechanical force will be exerted on the dielectric due to the force of attraction between the surface charges. This compression decreases the dielectric thickness thus increasing the effective stress.

Breakdown due to internal discharges

the electric field strength in the voids is higher than that across the dielectric. Thus even under normal working voltages, the field in the voids may exceed their breakdown value and breakdown may occur.

Applications:
In over head Transmission lines Power Transformers Rotating Machines Circuit Breakers Cables Power Capacitors Electronic Equipments