Chapter-6

over head transmission lines

Power Transmission Lines
The most common methods for transfer of electric power are:
Overhead AC; Underground AC; Overhead DC; Underground DC
Types of Conductors
Aluminum has replaced copper as the most common
conductor metal for overhead transmission (Why?). In
general, the types of conductors are: solid; stranded;
and hollow conductors.
Over head insulator
The overhead line conductors should be supported on the poles or towers in
such a way that currents from conductors do not flow to earth through
supports i.e., line conductors must be properly insulated from supports. This
is achieved by securing line conductors to supports with the help of
insulators.
The insulators provide necessary insulation between line conductors and
supports and thus prevent any leakage current from conductors to earth.

*The function of the insulators are :.

1- Insulate the conductors from each other and from the towers under highest
voltage and under bad air estimate circumstance
2-Carry the conductors under the bad estimate mechanical stresses.
*The materials that used for made the insulators of
overhead line are
1- porcelain : having dielectric strength of 120-280 KV/cm.
. 2-Tougheneed glass :having dielectric strength of 1200 KV/cm.

Although the two above materials are brittle and inelastic but are the
best materials that used to insulate the conductors.
Rating of insulators
The insulators are rated by three voltages.
1. Working voltage ( rated voltage): is the voltage at which the
insulator is designed to bear the steady state voltage stress.
If the line voltage VLL , the working voltage will be the phase voltage.
2. Flash over voltage
The voltage at which flash over occurs through air surrounding insulator.

3.puncture voltage:

the voltage at which the insulator breaks through between conductor

and pin. it destroy the insulator. this rating determine by applying the
voltage while insulator emerged in oil. this is done because before the
puncture , there will be a flash over voltage. Flash over voltage is higher
than the working voltage and less than the puncture voltage of the
insulator.

Safety factor: is defined as the ratio of the over voltage to working voltage.
Safety factor = flash over voltage
working voltage
Testing of insulators
There are three categories
1. Flash over test: are design tests taken( to three ) insulators only
to prove the corrections of the design.
2. Sample tests: are taken to prove the quality of manufacturing
process (2% of the insulator).
3. Routine test: are carried out on all insulators.

[ use lecture-5 as reference]

Types of insulator:
1-Pin type insulators:
Pin type insulators are used for transmission and distribution of
electric power at voltages up to 11 Kv and 33 kV lines. Beyond
operating voltage of 33 kV, the pin type insulators become too
bulky and hence uneconomical.
String insulators
For higher voltage the string type insulators are used.
they are subdivided in to two , depending on the position

2-Suspension- type insulator: insulator discs are used vertically.

The cost of pin type insulator increases rapidly as the working voltage is
increased. Therefore, this type of insulator is not economical beyond 33 kV.
For high voltages (>33 kV), it is a usual practice to use suspension type
insulators consist of a number of porcelain discs connected in series by
metal links in the form of a string.
The conductor is suspended at the bottom end of this string while the other
end of the string is secured to the cross-arm of the tower.
Each unit or disc is designed for low voltage, say 11 kV. The
number of discs in series would obviously depend upon the
working voltage. For instance, if the working voltage is 66 kV,
then six discs in series will be provided on the string.
3. Strain insulators:
insulator discs are used in horizontal position.

When there is a dead end of the line or there is corner or sharp

curve, the line is subjected to greater tension. In order to relieve the
line of excessive tension, strain insulators are used. For low voltage
lines (< 11 kV), shackle insulators are used as strain insulators.
However, for high voltage transmission lines, strain insulator
consists of an assembly of suspension insulators as shown in Fig. The
discs of strain insulators are used in the vertical plane. When the
tension in lines is exceedingly high, as at long river spans, two or
more strings are used in parallel.
 Number of separate discs are joined with each other by using
metal links to form a string. The insulator string is
suspended from the cross arm of the support.
4. Shackle insulators:
for low voltage applications( 230-440 v lines).
- Looks like damply shaped and used in one unit.
In early days, the shackle insulators were used as strain insulators. But now a
days, they are frequently used for low voltage distribution lines. Such
insulators can be used either in a horizontal position or in a vertical position.

They can be directly fixed to the pole with a bolt or to the cross arm. The
conductor in the groove is fixed with a soft binding wire.
 In addition to these there are other types of electrical insulations.

a) Post type insulators: are similar to pin insulators, and are

suitable for high voltage applications.

- used as support structures in substation.

b) Stay insulators.

[ use lecture-5 as reference]

Suspension type insulators
Suspension type insulators consists of one or more insulating discs. It is hung
from cross arms and currying current power conductors at the lowest extremity. it
is free to swing and therefore long cross is required than the pin type
insulator.
The main advantages are:
Economical for voltage above 33KV.
Each insulator is designed for 11KV and hence for any operating voltage a string
can be made.
Failure of any unit can be replaced without changing the whole string .
Since it is allowed to swing in the air , mechanical stress at a point of attachment
is reduced.
Since the conductor lay below the cross arm , line voltage due to lightening
stroke are reduced.
 Voltage distribution across suspension insulators
A thumb rule for finding the number of insulator disc for a particular insulators
disc for a particular operating voltage is to have one disc for every 11 KV. This
does not mean that the voltage across the disc of the string is uniformly
distributed. This is because the capacitance formed between the metal port of
the insulator and the tower structure. (air capacitance Ce)

Normally, the string units are similar in shape and size, the capacitance of
each unit ( self capacitance C) can be taken as the same. The conductance
between metal part and the structure ( at the earth potential ) is formed which
is not negligible because cross arm is not longer. If the cross arm length is long
enough, then the capacitance between metal structure and the earth can be
neglected, under this condition, the current flow in each unit of string will be
the same, and the potential distribution will also be the same in each insulator.
Let capacitance of each unit ( also called mutual capacitance ) is mc , where c-
capacitance between each link and earth.
m= mutual capacitance( self capacitance C)
capacitance between each link and the earth ( structure Ce)

OR
1-C ( self capacitance ): Between the cap of insulator and the pin in the bottom of
insulator and its value of about 30 pf.

2- Ce ( air capacitance )

*There is another capacitance ( air capacitance ) between the conductor and the
connection point between the pin of each insulator and the cap of the next insulator and is
very little and it can be neglected.
Also there is another method (general method ) to solve this problem, where
*Methods of increasing the string efficiency
 The voltage across the capacitors ( insulator) are equally ( uniformly). But this
case is a theoretical case because of the air capacitance (ce) that make the
voltage across the insulator are not uniformly. Also the string efficiency
decrease if the number of insulator (n) increase because of the not equally
Distribution voltage across the insulators.

Many method are used to increase the string efficiency such as :.

1-Reducing the value of k :.

2.Grading of units :.
This method depend on the change Of the self capacitance where The
capacitance that near to the conductor is greater than the others due to the
location Of insulator in the string and the capacitance (self capacitance) that
near to the cross-arm is less than the others.
And so on This method is difficult in practical application
because of different value of the capacitance .
3) Guard Ring :.
It is possible to make the voltage distribution across the units of string
of insulator uniformly by a guard ring which is a ring of conductor put
or placed across or around the nearest insulator to the conductor .
The main reason of different the Voltage across the insulator of the
string is the air capacitance (ce) and so that the guarding reduce Ce by
adding a number of Air capacitance between the Conductor or guard
ring and Metal point of insulator and these air capacitances are in
opposite by the effect with Ce and make the voltage across the
insulators more uniformly .
Do not touch over head lines without any safety gourds.