24) What are causes of insulator failure?

Electrical field intensity producing corona on contaminated areas, water droplets, icicles, corona rings, This corona activity then contributes nitric acid to form a chemical soup to change the bonding cements and to create carbon tracks, along with ozone and ultraviolet light to change the properties of NCI insulator coverings. Other detrimental effects include water on the surface or sub-surface freezing and expanding when thawing, as a liquid penetrating into a material and then a sudden temperature change causes change of state to a gas and rapid expansion causing fracture or rupture of the material.

What is insulator pollution? Dust, acid, salts and other pollutants in the atmosphere settle on insulators. This is called insulator pollution and it reduces the insulating property of insulators. Insulator pollution may produce short-circuit during storms or under momentary overvoltage conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to clean insulators periodically. Why string efficiency for a d.c. system is 100%? If d.c. voltage is applied across a string of suspension insulators, then voltage across each unit will be the same. It is because insulator capacitances are ineffective for d.c. Therefore string efficiency for a d.c. system is 100%.