DC vs.

AC Insulators

Gary Sibilant
EPRI
July 25 25, 2012 IEEE HVDC Lines Working Group San Diego, CA

Purpose of Overhead Transmission Line Insulator Strings

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Electrical properties Isolate I l t energized i d conductor d t electrically from grounded structures under all environmental conditions
Wetting, contamination, lightning, temporary overvoltages, g , switching g surges, etc.

Mechanical properties To attach/support conductor to grounded structures under all conditions

Everyday y y loads Wind and ice loading, etc. Disconnect operations

I Insulator l t Material M t i l

Design Differences

Design Differences: What Drives AC and d DC I Insulation l ti Design D i

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Required S Striking Distanc ce (m)

Required S Striking Distanc ce (m)

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0 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200

0 300 400 500 600 700 800

Maximum System Voltage (kV)

Maximum System Voltage (kV)

1. 75

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1. 8

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Performance Differences

P f Performance Differences Diff

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Contamination Accumulation and Performance Flashover / Arcing g Mechanical Corrosion

Performance Differences: C t i ti A Contamination Accumulation l ti

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Constant E-field Electrostatic Catch Longer g Leakage g

Effects of Contamination on HVDC I Insulators: l t Long L T Term Aging A i Eff Effects t

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Polymer Insulators
Service experience gathered in the 1990s 1990 s has been good Severe erosion in areas of high contamination has been noted

Effects of Contamination on HVDC I Insulators: l t Contamination C t i ti D Deposition iti

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Aerodynamic Action Insulator shape

Precipitation by Gravity Polluted industrial areas (with dust laden air) Mining (especially open cast mines) Agriculture (plowing (plowing, irrigation etc.) etc ) Roads (road salt during winter, and soot from automobiles)

Performance Differences: Fl h Flashover/Arcing /A i

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Continuous current

Erosion due to arcing has also been observed

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Insulator drawings courtesy of NGK-Locke

DC fog type needed

Performance Differences: Fl h Flashover/Arcing /A i

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Single disk flashovers

HVDC Insulator Flashover Ch Characteristics t i ti

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Polarity of the applied voltage Negative lower for disk type insulators Negligible N li ibl diff difference f for l long rod, post and equipment insulators. Linearity y of flashover strength g with the length of the insulator
Broken B k di disks k at t energized end

DC I Insulators: l t C Corrosion i
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Porcelain Insulators In service failures have been related to corrosion of the zinc-alloy sleeve of the pin Solved using a pure zinc sleeve and coating the area of pin/cement contact with a polymer

Performance Differences M h i l Gl Mechanical: Glass

Pre 1988 insulators suffered from spontaneous shattering Ionic Migration Thermal runaway
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High Resistivity Toughened Glass (HRTG)

Vandalism
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Specific leakage p g length g reduced (depends on number of shattered disks

Source: Eskom