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Insulators in Australia

Arthur McPheeElectrical Engineer - Retired

Dip Eng MIE-Aust CPeng

Insulators in Australia

Western Australia330kV – 132kV

ACT

Tasmania

New South Wales330kV 132/66kV

Queensland220/275kV 110/132kV

Northern Territory

South Australia

Victoria220/500kV – 66kV

Insulators in Australia

– Air break isolators up to 330 kV

• Local porcelain shells up to 33kV

• Above Station posts from NGK & Doulton

– Oil filled current transformers up to 132 kV & Minimum oil circuit breakers up to 33 kV

• Hollow porcelain shells from NGK

1966 to 1985 – Stanger Switchgear

Insulators in Australia

– Porcelain line posts and station posts up to 66 kV

– Porcelain line posts and station posts 66 kV and above (Made under licence to NGK)

– Glass discs (Made under licence to Sediver)

– Composite line posts and long rods up to 500 kV (Sourced from Sediver)

– Composite long rods for distribution (Sourced from Volteck/GLP/Sediver)

– Instrument transformers (Sourced from Arteche)

• Zibo Dulmison Joint Venture in China (1996)

1985 to 2001 – Morlynn Insulators / Dulmison

Insulators in Australia

– Stanger line sold off

– Insulator manufacture in Australia ceased

– Global team sourcing insulators around world

– Raychem - Insulators and surge arresters

– Bowthorpe - Surge arresters

2001 - Tyco Electronics

Insulators in Australia

Distribution – 11/22kV

Porcelain Line Pins

•Local manufacture

virtually ceased

•Cheap (Chinese)

•Poor reliability

•Low Puncture

•RIV

•Pole fires

Porcelain Line Posts

•Reliable

•High Strength

•Non puncturable

•Low RIV

•Good axial strength

•Weight

Victoria & WA

Insulators in Australia

Distribution – 11/22kV

Discs (70kN)

•Local manufactureceases

•Chinese cheap

•Chinese reliability ??

•Sediver/NGK expensive

•Heavy

•RIV

Composite Long Rods

•Pollution Performance

•Light Weight

•Non Puncturable

•Cost effective !!!

•Life/reliability ??

Insulators in Australia

Transmission Lines 66kV up

Traditionally Discs – porcelain & glass

Some porcelain posts at 66 & 132kV

•Late 70’s utilities started evaluating composites•High failure rate of Chinese discs

•High failure rate of Australian made discs

•Field trials and research

•Sediver & NGK discs dominate

•Late 80’s composite sales starting to grow

•1996 Powerlink policy change to use composites on all new lines & consider for changeouts

•2000 Interconnection project – NSW to QLD

Insulators in Australia

NSW – Queensland Interconnection

$369/197m Project

330/275kV

Mostly lightly polluted areas

20mm/kV (362kV)

10600 Insulators

Bird damage acknowledged

Insulators in Australia

NSW – Queensland Interconnection

Insulator issues

•Manufacturing defectsMostly moulding and finishing

•On site handlingPlacement on ground and in lattice towers

Bending moments on LRs

•Installation proceduresRope cuts

Fitting of grading rings

Insulators in Australia

Bird Attack

•Culprits are two varieties of parrot

•Accumulate in large mobs

•Particularly in rural areas around grain crops

•Like to chew the rubber

•Thought was major problem in specific areas only

Stay with ceramics in these areas

•Thought was problem was only before energisation

Use temporary covers

Insulators in Australia

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

Rose-breasted Cockatoo - Galah

The Culprits !!

Insulators in Australia

The Culprits !!

Insulators in Australia

What They Can Do

Insulators in Australia

Concerns With Composites

– Manufacturing defects

• Visible

• Others – can be disastrous

• What tests are effective

– Design issues• Stress grading – grading rings

• Performance of the rubber – what is the rubber

• Crimping control

• Do certification tests reflect performance in the field

Insulators in Australia

Current Position For Transmission Insulators

– Composites are well established

– Some utilities reverting back to porcelain

– Conservatives staying with ceramic

– Where total life is important ceramic wins

• 50+ years compared with 20 years ??

– Quality and certification are still major issues

Insulators in Australia

Thank You

Ceramic versus Composite ?

Evaluate carefully and make a considered choice that best suits your requirements

Insulators in Australia

Transmission Lines 66kV up

The drivers for composites

•Lower cost !!!

•Superior pollution performance

•Lighter weight:-

•Lower installation and maintenance costs

•Lower tower costs

•Compact designs

•Lower visual profile

•Less prone to vandalism - Shooters

•Better shock resistance – Line posts

Insulators in Australia

– Explosive failure of hollow porcelains

– Surge arresters and instrument transformers now almost entirely composite.

– Oil attack on Silicone rubber

– Tracking on EPDM arresters (EPDM no longer offered)

Substation Equipment