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CHAPTER 4 : 
INSULATION CO‐‐ORDINATION
INSULATION CO

When any over voltage appears in the electrical system , then there may
be a chance of failure of its insulation system.

Probability of failure of insulation, is high at the weakest insulation point

nearest to the source of over voltage.

Insulators in some points are easily replaceable and repairable compared

to other.

In some points are not so easily replaceable and repairable and the
replacement and repairing may be highly expensive and require long
interruption of power.

Therefore failure of insulator at these points may causes bigger part of

electrical network to be out of service.

So it is desirable that in situation of insulator failure, only the easily

replaceable and repairable insulator fails.

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To arrange the electrical insulation levels of different components in

the electrical system in such a manner, that the failure of insulator, if
occurs, confides to the place where it would result in the least damage
of the system, easy to repair and replace, and results least disturbance
to the power supply.

Insulation level - An insulation strength expressed in

terms of a withstand voltage

To ensure that the probability of insulation breakdown is

limited to an acceptable value and that any breakdown is
restricted to self-restoring insulation

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Self--Restoring
Self Non--
Non--Self
Self—
—Restoring

– Once the arc clears – Insulation failure results in damage

completely, insulation
back at full strength
– Insulator string in air (or
other p
path in air))
to insulation
– Will need to be isolated and repaired
- Examples:
• Underground cable
• Transformers
• Rotating Machines

• Dielectric Strength of
• Voltage Stress:
i
insulation
l ti
– Magnitude of Surge
– Duration of surge
• Surge protective
– Distribution of stress
devices
– Device characteristics
• Current Stress:
– Device placement
– Magnitude of surge
- Duration of surge
• Cost
– Length of surge

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1. Selection of the reliability criteria

2. Determine the electrical stress placed on the equipment or the

air clearance

3. This stress is then compared to the insulation strength

characteristic, from which a strength is selected

4. If the insulation strength or the clearance is considered to be

excessive, then the stress can be reduced by use of
ameliorating (improved) measures such as surge arresters,
protective gaps, shield wires and closing resistors in the circuit
breakers.

Nominal System Voltage – phase to phase voltage of the system for

which the system is normally designed

Maximum System Voltage – the maximum allowable power frequency

voltage which can occurs may be for long time during no load or low
load condition of the power system.

Factor of Earth – ratio of highest Vrms phase-earth (during fault) to

Vrms phase-phase (no fault)

Insulation Level (insulation strength)– Lightning Impulse and short

duration power frequency withstand voltage (<300 kV), Switching
Impulse (>300 kV)

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Statistical Impulse Withstand Voltage - The peak value of a switching or

lightning impulse test voltage at which insulation exhibits, under the specified
conditions, a 90% probability of withstand.

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CONVENTIONAL
OR STATISTICAL
DETERMINISTIC METHOD
METHOD

The conventional insulation

coordination approach seeks the
impulse voltage level at which the
equipment insulation will not show any
disruptive discharge

For unknown probability of failure, i.e.

non-self restoring

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The maximum amplitude of transient over voltages reach the

components, can be limited by using protecting device like lightning
arrestor in the system.

To avoid insulation failure, insulation level of different types of

equipment connected to the system has to be higher than magnitude of
transient over voltages appeared on the system.

Usually insulation level is above protective level (safe margin 15 – 20%

higher)

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Based on knowledge of overvoltage occurrence and flashover

probability statistics – not the highest overvoltage possible.

Design based on acceptable risk of flashover

Risk of failure diminishes as the insulation is strengthened (larger gap or

longer insulation string)

To
T quantifytif the
th risk
i k off failure
f il off insulation
i l ti through
th h numerical
i l analysis
l i
of the statistical nature of the overvoltage magnitudes and of electrical
withstand strength of insulation.

P
1.0 r(V) = P(V) * f(V)
(A
(Area under
d curve))

r(V) = risk of failure

P(V) = Probability of
failure at level V

f(V) = Frequency of
surge at level V

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CONVENTIONAL

STATISTICAL

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Choice of methods is depending on the characteristics of the

insulation

Refers to the ability of electric equipment such as

transformers to withstand lightning surges. Transformers with
a rating of 600 volts and below are designed to have a BIL of
10 kV.
kV

Expresses the insulation withstand under a standard impulse

of 1.2/50 µs

The BIL is tied to a specific waveshape in addition bring tied to

standard atmospheric
conditions.

The BIL may be either a statistical BIL or a conventional BIL.

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Th crestt value
The l off standard
t d d lightning
li ht i iimpulsel ffor which
hi h
the insulation exhibits 90% probability of withstand, a
10% probability of failure.

The
Th crestt value
l off a standard
t d d lightning
li ht i impulse
i l for
f
which the insulation does not
exhibit distruptive

Note : Crest value ‐ The maximum value attained by the peak of a wave, surge or impulse

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BASIC SWITCHING IMPULSE INSULATION

LEVEL (BSL)

BSL is the electrical strength of insulation expressed in

terms of the crest value of the standard switching impulse.

Expresses the insulation withstand under a standard switching

impulse of 250/2500 µs

The BSL may be either a statistical BSL or a conventional BSL.

Statistical BSL is applicable only to self-restoring insulations.

Conventional BSL is applicable to non-selfrestoring insulations.

CONVENTIONAL BSL

The crest value of a standard switching impulse

withstand for which the insulation does not exhibit
disruptive discharge when subjected to a specific
number of applications of this impulse.

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Statistical vs. Conventional

BIL & BSL

The statistical BIL or BSL is

defined statistically or
probabilistically

Probability of F.O. (failure) for

application of an standard impulse
( with crest of BIL or BSL) is 10%

Insulation strength characteristic

may be represented by a
cumulative Gaussian Distribution

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CFO – Critical flashover voltage

CFO = A voltage
lt level
l l att the
th condition
diti off the
th
insulation results in a 50% probability of flashover (half
the impulse flashover)

Locating the BIL or BSL at the 10% point results in the

definition that the BIL or BSL is 1.28 standard
deviations,
deviations

CFO – Critical flashover voltage

BIL= CFO(1 – 1.28 σf /CFO)

BSL= CFO(1 – 1.28 σf /CFO)

The standard deviation (σ) is the voltage

difference between the 16% and 50% points or
between the 50% and 84% points

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CFO – Critical flashover voltage

Coefficient of variation, σpv = σf/CFO

Statistical withstand voltage =(1 - 3 σpv )V50

Statistical flashover voltage =(1 + 3 σpv )V50

CFO – Critical flashover voltage

Sigma in per unit of the CFO is properly called the

coefficient of variation.
variation

Thus a sigma of 5% is interpreted as a standard

deviation of 5% of the CFO.

The standard deviation or sigma is 2%to 3% for

lightning
g g

For switching impulse, sigma ranges from about 5% for

tower insulation to about 7% for station type insulations.

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EXAMPLE
FINAL EXAM 2011/2012 – I
Q4(C)

In a laboratory, switching impulses are applied to a post insulator in order to 
determine the basic switching impulse insulation level (BSL) of the post 
insulator. The results of the test are shown in Table 1. These test results 
are then plotted on a linear graph paper as in Figure 1.

i.    Determine the critical flashover (CFO)
ii.   Calculate the BSL using statistical equation
iii.  Show in the graph of Figure 1the value of BSL and what is the percentage 
of flashover at this condition?

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Example 

Results of BIL test is shown in

Results of BIL test is shown in 
Table 5c . Determine the BIL 
of the string insulator

Conventional BIL or BSL

Simply defined but has less meaning as regards

insulation strength. One or more impulses having the
standard wave shape and having a crest value equal to
the BIL or BSL are to applied to the insulations. If no
flashover occur, the insulation is stated to possess a BIL
or BSL.

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Risk Failure calculation

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