What's up with porcelain insulators

Porcelain Insulators and Covered Conductors: Bridging the Dielectric Compatibility Gap

The evolution of electrical transmission networks has led to the innovative use of covered conductors in densely populated or environmentally sensitive areas. These conductors, while providing significant safety and reliability advantages, introduce a unique set of challenges, particularly in terms of dielectric compatibility with insulators. Historically, the use of porcelain insulators with covered conductors has been viewed skeptically, with concerns over compatibility leading many to favor polymeric alternatives. However, recent studies, including notable research by Eduardo Riani Hilsdorf and Manuel Luis Barreira Martinez, suggest that porcelain insulators not only are capable of meeting the demands of covered conductor applications but also offer unique advantages that deserve a closer look.

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The Capacitive Disparity

The initial resistance to adopting porcelain insulators in covered conductor configurations stemmed from early challenges. In the infancy of covered conductor usage, porcelain pin type insulators, whether radio-free or not, were prone to inducing punctures in the conductor&#;s insulation. This was largely attributed to an underestimation of the dielectric stresses these systems faced. With advancements in electrical engineering and material sciences, the dialogue has significantly shifted. Detailed computational simulations and field tests have illuminated a pathway to not only using porcelain insulators effectively but also leveraging their inherent benefits.

The Case for Porcelain: A Study in Compatibility

The comprehensive study undertaken by Hilsdorf and Martinez delves into the performance comparison between line post porcelain insulators and polymeric polyethylene pin-type insulators. By employing advanced computer simulation techniques using Comsol Multiphysics® software, alongside empirical assessments via corona camera visual inspections and rigorous dielectric compatibility testing, the researchers have put forward a compelling argument for the porcelain option. The key findings reveal that porcelain line post insulators demonstrate superior electric field distribution characteristics when compared to their polymeric counterparts. Such an advantage is crucial for enhancing the longevity and reliability of the covered conductor system. The compatibility tests further solidify porcelain&#;s position by confirming its efficacy and potential for application in compact lines, thereby dismantling the long-held belief in its incompatibility.

Overcoming Challenges and Harnessing Strength

One of the pivotal areas of improvement in making porcelain insulators viable for covered conductors has been the understanding and management of electric field distribution. Porcelain insulators, with their robust physical and chemical properties, offer remarkable resilience against environmental stressors and mechanical impacts. Furthermore, their lifespan often exceeds that of polymeric insulators, presenting a cost-effective solution over the long term.

However, ensuring dielectric compatibility requires meticulous design and precise application, including adequate spacing, correct installation practices, and the utilization of suitable covered conductor types. The successful integration of these elements can effectively mitigate the risk of dielectric puncture, arcing, or other failures.

The Future is Bright (and Insulated)

The research undertaken by Hilsdorf and Martinez stands as a testament to the ongoing innovation in the electric utility sector. By challenging the status quo and embracing a data-driven approach, the possibility of using solid core line post porcelain insulators in compact lines becomes not just a theory but a practical reality.

As electrical networks continue to evolve, the flexibility to use a wider range of insulating materials will be crucial. Porcelain insulators, with their capability duly demonstrated, are poised to play a significant role in the future of covered conductor applications. The journey towards dielectric compatibility, it seems, has found a promising path forward, with porcelain leading the charge.

Harnessing the true potential of porcelain insulators in covered conductor systems signifies a leap towards more reliable, efficient, and cost-effective electrical transmission networks. As we march towards a more electrified future, reevaluating the materials we&#;ve taken for granted might just be the key to unlocking unprecedented levels of performance and sustainability.

In conclusion, the problem of dielectric compatibility between porcelain insulators and covered conductors is not only solvable; it is an opportunity to redefine what&#;s possible in our pursuit of advancing electrical infrastructure. Through continued research, collaboration, and innovation, we can leverage the best of traditional materials like porcelain to meet the modern world&#;s demands.

A pin insulator is a device that isolates a wire from a physical support such as a pin (a wooden or metal dowel of about 3 cm diameter with screw threads) on a telegraph or utility pole. It is a formed, single layer shape that is made out of a non-conducting material, usually porcelain or glass. It is thought to be the earliest developed overhead insulator and is still popularly used in power networks up to 33 KV. Single or multiple pin insulators can be used on one physical support, however, the number of insulators used depends upon the application's voltage.[1]

Pin insulators are one of three types of overhead insulators, the others being strain insulators and suspension insulators. Unlike the others, pin insulators are directly connected to the physical support compared to being suspended from the wire. Pin insulators are shaped to allow the secure attachment of the conducting wire and avoid it coming adrift. The wire is usually attached to the insulator by being wrapped around it or in other circumstances, fixed into grooves on the insulator itself.[2]

When an insulator is wet, its outer surface becomes conductive making the insulator less effective. An insulator has an umbrella-like design so that it can protect the lower part of the insulator from rain. To keep the inner side of the insulator dry, ridges around the insulator, "rain sheds", are made. These increase the creepage distance from the energized wire to the mounting pin. [3]

Collecting

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Pin insulators have become collectible items. All glass pin insulators are assigned a Consolidated Design (CD) number, a system first implemented by hobbyist N.R. Woodward in , and widely introduced starting in by collector Helmer Turner. CD numbers first appeared in print in Woodward&#;s &#;Glass insulators in America, report&#;. Each CD number corresponds to a specific glass style, shape, or manufacturer. CD numbers are only hobby-specific for collectors, and are not used or recognised by insulator manufacturers.[4]

Insulators, at the time of manufacturing, were simply viewed as an engineering product and were not meant to be an entertainment product for spectators. This meant that the quality of the insulators was not a primary concern of the manufacturers that made them.[5] The finished product was usually discoloured from impurities and foreign objects diffused within the molten glass and metal molds. These impurities give the insulator a unique character and high value as collectors would rather obtain an imperfect product rather than a perfect, common product. Impurities in the glass can create amber swirls, milk swirls, graphite inclusions, and two or three-tone insulators. Foreign objects contained within the glass are known to be nails, pennies, and screws.[6]

Although glass insulators are the most popular for the majority of collectors, many people collect porcelain insulators as well. These also come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. They are classified in the U and M systems, primarily developed by Jack Tod and Elton Gish. [7]

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Manufacturers

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One of the major U.S. manufacturers that produced glass insulators during the 19th century and early 20th century in the USA was Brookfield Glass Company. It can be assumed that Brookfield may have had poor quality control as their insulators seem to be found with the most imperfections, however, this could be disputed.

Another major U.S. manufacturer that produced glass insulators was the Hemingray Glass Company. They were known for producing the most variety of colors. Some examples of colors that the company produced are yellow, golden yellow, butterscotch, glowing orange, amber, whiskey amber, "root beer" amber, orange-amber, red-amber, oxblood, green, lime green, sage green, depression green, emerald green, olive green, yellow-olive green, aqua, cornflower blue, electric blue, cobalt blue, sapphire blue, glowing peacock blue, and many others. Different colors were produced to allow two or more different utility companies to quickly identify which wires were theirs by the color of insulator if multiple wires were strung over the same utility pole. For example, one company may have a string of amber insulators, while another, on the same poles, might have their insulators in cobalt blue.

There are many manufacturers in the United States, Canada, and other countries that can be found embossed on all styles of insulators. A non-comprehensive list of these manufacturers is below:

United States

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• AT&T
• American Insulator Company
• Armstrong
• Brookfield Glass Company
• Beaver Falls Glass Company
• Baltimore glass manufacturing company
• Barclay
• Birmingham
• Boston bottle works
• Buzby
• California
• California Electric Works
• Chambers
• Chester
• Chicago Insulating Company
• Duquesne
• Electrical Construction and Maintenance Company
• Emminger&#;s
• Gayner
• Greeley
• Gregory
• Good
• Hawley
• Homer Brooks
• Hamilton
• Hemingray Glass Company
• King City Glass Works (K.C.G.W.)
• Kerr
• Knowles
• Kimble
• Luther G. Tillotson & Company
• Lefferts
• Locke
• Lynchburg
• McLaughlin
• Maydwell
• McKee & Co.
• McMicking
• Mulford & Biddle
• New England Glass Manufacturing Company (N.E.G.M.Co.)
• National Insulator Company
• Oakman Manufacturing Company
• Ohio Valley Glass Company (O.V.G.Co.)
• Owens Illinois
• Paisley
• Pyrex
• Sterling
• Seiler&#;s
• Standard Glass Insulator Company
• Thomas-Houston Electric Company
• Thames Glass Works
• Twiggs
• Western Electric Manufacturing Company
• Western Glass Manufacturing Company
• Western Flint Glass Company
• Whitall Tatum Company

Canada

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• Diamond
• Dominion
• Hamilton Glass Works
• G.N.W.. Co.

International

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• Agee (Australia)
• Isorex (France)
• Miva (Italy)
• Telgraficos Nacionales (Mexico)
• Zicme (South America)

References

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