sediver 4) Lu > Wu “ Sediver composite line post insulator: application guideCOMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES TABLE OF CONTENTS Tables, figures, charts Tables ‘State of the art of composite insulators, 5 Available standards for composite insulators, 7 Comparison of composite and porcelain line posts, 14 Summary of operating conditions, possible failure modes and SEDIVER's solutions, 15 5. Spectrum of applications for the ARMOURLITE post ‘ype insulator, 16 6. Deflection of ARMOURLITE line posts under "ma. working” cantilever loads, 17 7. Mechanical evaluation ofthe line post 620 HX 1310 under combined loadings, 28 8. Maximum compression load on braced line posts assemblies, 31 9, Examples of braced line posts applicable to 115,161 and 230 KV, 33 10. Required and supplied characteristics of the 230 KV ‘braced line post, 35 see Figures 1. Concept of the flexible line post, 9 1a. Comparison of porcelain and composite line posts: case 1, 11 1b. Comparison of porcelain and composite line posts: case 2, 12 2. Variation of the apparent “creep” rate versus stress, 19 3. Load-time to failure curve under cantilever load, 20 4. Deflection of ARMOURLITE line posts under "withstand" cantilever loads, 21 5. Combined loads as seen by a line post on overhead lines, 22 6. Schematic representation of the max. moment domain, 23 7. Application domain and curves for a 138 KV line post, 24 8 Application curves for @ typical 230 KV braced line post, 25 9. Application example with line post model 620 HX 1310 , 27 10. Application example with a 230 KV line post ,32. AL. Dimensions of an actual 230 KV braced line post assembly, 34 Charts 1. Distribution of composite ine post and suspension insulators, 26COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES INTRODUCTION " Composite Line Posts for Transmission Lines " Line Post insulators are favored in the construction of “compact type” lines or for upgrading voltage levels on existing structures, When Line Posts were first introduced, they were made of porcelain, However, more and more applications now require the use of Line Posts made of "composite materials" to benefit from their inherent characteristics namely lighter weight, flexibility, r- sistance to vandalism and shocks, pollution performance... In this document, Part A will cover: + the rationale of using the Line Post insulator on lines with Pole type structures or on lines of "compact design” + the advantages of using composite Line Post solutions over the porcelain ones. Part B will cover: + the performance of the A@MOURUTE composite Line Posts with emphasis on their design, characteristics and bounda- ries of application + examples of application at 138 and 230 kV PAGE iCOMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES EXPLANATION OF TERMS " RAILING LOAD " (Bending ) Poca ones | coe ‘The failure mechanism of the porcelain line post leaves no room for interpretation when the failing load is reached. The " brittle” nature of the porcelain core {induces a rapid break and separa- tion from its support. This failing Joad determines the basis for the ‘mechanical characteristics of porcelain line posts. ‘The elastic deformation followed by the plastic deformation under increasing cantilever loading renders the failing load dificult to assess and thus becomes a matter of intepreta- tion, There exists no international Aefinition of failing load for compos- ite line posts; composite post manu- facturers do not provide this value. /——" MAXIMUM WORKING LOAD " or " MAXIMUM DESIGN CANTILEVER LOAD" The ARMOURLITE composite line post is deemed to have failed when it ‘cannot assume its electrical or me- chanical functions. When the load lead- ing tothe failure mode described above is reached, the rod is not broken {in two nor has it separated from its ‘metal fittings. ak we ee tis usually defined in terms of the failing load. It generally corre- sponds to 40 % of the minimum failing load, It is understood as the ‘maximum load seen in service. It docs not appear specifically in ‘The manufacturers have retained this term to characterize the cantilever performance of their line post. ‘The Maximum Design Cantilever Loads seen in ARMOURLITE catalogs corre- spond to 40 % of thei failing loads. This choice was brought upon by the custom- ary porcelain working load practice and not by the actual permissible working catalogs but itis universally load of the unit. SEDIVER is thus accepted by both manufacturers proposing a "withstand load”. and users. " WITHSTAND LOAD" ee This load corresponds to the maxi- ‘mum stress the unit can sustain for years without degradation. Since the ‘actual loads seen in the field are not re cantilever, SEDIVER provides withstand application curves" that include compression loads combined with vertical and longitudinal cantilever loads. NOTE: PAGE ii ‘These clarifications can help the user compare the mechanical performances of different line posts and also apply with better insight the proper safety actors applicable to his region or imposed by national rulings.COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES PART A: ADVANTAGES OF COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES OF COMPACT DESIGN §1. Compact lines § 2. Line post concept §3. Porcelain line post §4. Composite line post § 5. Line post : Porcelain vs CompositeCOMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES [eae OF CONTENTS Introduction & Explanation of terms PART A: 14, Compact lines . Line P Advantages of ape Composite Line Posts | 3 3. Porcelain line post for Transmission lines | 4 4, Composite line post of Compact Design 8 5. Line post : composite versus porcelain PART B: 15. 1. Armourlite : composite insulator design 16 2. Armourlite : line post Performance az 17 3. Mechanical performance Armourlite line post jchatecteristios 3.1 Deflection under loud, 17 3.2 Mechanical behavior, 18 ARMOURLUTE 3.3 Withstand load and damage limit concept, 18 Composite line posts Sa eae careers 3.5 Cantilever loads, 21 3.6 Combined loadings, 22 26 4. 138 KV single line post application 4.1 Introduction, 26 4.2 Description of the 138 kV line, 27 4.3 Mechanical evaluation of the chosen line post, 27 4.4 Comments on the evaluation, 29 30 5. 230 kV braced line post application 5.1 Introduction, 30 5.2 Calculation of tensile and compressive forces, 30 5.3 Compressive strength of the braced line post, 31 5.4 Application curve: 230 KV braced line post, 32 5.5 Models of braced line posts, 33 5.6 Test results of a 230 KV braced line post, 34 36 Conclusion & ReferencesCOMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 1, COMPACT LINES Efficient use of transmission right-of-way with minimal envi- ronmental impact has become one of the primary objectives of transmission system planners in virtually all industrialized : qj | countries. ‘Transmission lines of voltages typically of 115, 138and230KV are or will be built in urban or residential areas which are sensitive to environmental impact. Attention was focused in the last 25 years on EHV lines while the lower voltages were not MORIZONTAL UNSHHELOED subject of research of new designs. But, consideration to the appearance of overhead lines brought upon new structure concepts and innovations in the 115 to 230 KV range: * prefabricated steel poles * laminated structures * ammless structures. Ce Moreover, the same environmental pressures that prompted innovation in appearance also made new right-of-way increasingly difficult to acquire and led a good number of utilities to upgrade circuits from 69 to 138 KV, from 138 to 230 KV. This type of conversion led to severe dimensional constraints. Loo HORIZONTAL SHIELDED The field of compact lines, because of reduced design margins, requires more rigorous analysis of insulation and mechanical Parameters to ensure adequate reliability than the field of conventional lines. The past research on the subject of compact, lines has now given us a clear vision on their electrical and mechanical requirements. The typical configurations that are found today can be seen on this and following pages, tll SEDIVER ii PAGE 1COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES Inherentto these configurations, is the fact that the conductors are mounted on post type insulators or otherwise restrained, permitting no significant movement of the conductor at the structure. In the case where the load conditions are too severe for a single line post, braces are used on the horizontal line posts. 2. LINE POST CONCEPT Post has a long history in rural electrification at distribution voltage. The introduction of the line post concept in transmission is related directly to the environmental aspects of overhead transmission lines and to the pressures toupgrade lines voltages on the same right-of-way when new corridors are 100 expensive or simply not available. The key reasons for the use of line posts are: + reduced phase-phase spacing, thus compaction + minimum visual impact + more public acceptance + possibility to upgrade + less radio noise + no punctures + well adapted to steel, concrete or wood poles. PAGE 2‘VERTICAL DELTA COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 3. PORCELAIN LINE POST ‘The line posts, that were initially used, were made of porcelain either of solid or hollow core designs. The techniques and standards concerning their use were necessarily developed around the characteristics of porcelain. Contrary to suspension insulators where all the loads generate tensile stresses, the line post must withstand compressive, bending and tensile stresses when subjected to vertical, longi- tudinal and compression loads, ‘The porcelain line posts have important drawbacks which have appeared with use on distribution or transmission lines: > heavy to handle ( from 1 10 3 pieces ) > subject to vandalism > somewhat limited in leakage distance. Moreover the porcelain line posts show no resiliency under sudden or impact loads such as broken conductor, vehicle hitting the structure, wind gusts, ice unloading...). This lack of resiliency had led to cases of cascading failures of transmission fines over many kilometers. oe Porcelain Post max. working load Transmission line practice in the use of porcelain line post limits the use of cantilever load 10 40 % of the ultimate failing load of the unit. This practice need not be the case for all types of composite line posts when it can be shown that lone term loads higher than 40 % of the failing. load can be withstood without damage. PAGE 3COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES COMPOSITE LINE POST The composite line post is.a flexible insulator that responds to the expectations required of the line post concept and ad- 4resses all the drawbacks found in the porcelain line posts. In arecent survey published in IERE { Ref.1 ], the line post user has chosen the composite solution for one or several of the following reasons : > lighter weight, > improved impact loading, > resistance to vandalism, > cost effectiveness, > betier contamination performance, > aesthetics. Furthermore, itis estimated that in the United States for 1990, composite line posts represent 60 10 65 % of all line posts supplied for transmission lines. Note : with the introduction of line posts made of composite materials, technical task ‘forces are in the process of developing Standards more adapted to the composite insulator technology. The composite insulator concept and prototypes appeared in the beginning of the 70's and were intended primarily for the high voltage transmission line market. The composite products which initially covered only the sus- pension insulators now cover a wide spectrum of applications: from distribution to transmission, from tension units to posts Cine post, station post, tie-top ) plus a variety of special applications such as railway electrification, spacers, switches. PAGE 4COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES ‘The basic design has attained high electrical performance and ong term stability. Manufacturing improvements like the high ressure injection, lead to impenetrability of water or of other contaminants. ‘Arrecent study sponsored by the Canadian Electrical Association has described the state of the art of composite insulators. The composite insulator's application can vary but the following items of Table 1 have to be present in order toachieve the highest Injection molded EPDM or Silicone nubber covering and weathersheds POST TYPE INSULATOR long term performance. STATE OF THE ART COMPOSITE INSULATORS ‘9 1 PIECE WEATHERSHED Elimination of intrfaces "+ MOLDED FROM TRACK-FREE ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL, Nolockedin stresses Good for iow temperatures Filled with AL,O,tihydrate ‘= BONDED To A FIBERGLASS ROD ‘AND FITTINGS. ‘Toprotect rod against penetration of water or of pollutants Can withstand high pressure washing '= COMPRESSION END FITTINGS Can alow some torsion Does nat induce cracks inthe rod Table 1 State of the art of composite insulators PAGE 5COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 4.1 Sraxpanos There is no complete standard available for the purchase and AND RECOMMENDATIONS | testing of composite line post insulators. At this time, an ANSI FOR COMPOSITE LINE POSTS. | task force committee has been set up under C 29. to write Standards for tests on the composite line post. Inwriting specifications, ithas been recognized thatitisessential to deal with the long term cantilever performance and the combined load effects. These two subjects will be given consid- eration in the agenda the ANSI task force. Fortunately, there are standards available or in their final stage of approval ( ANSI and IEC ) dedicated to suspension composite insulators. ‘These standards (found on the next page ) can be referred to for their common items shared with the composite line post insulator: weathershed (housing ), core, electrical and some me- ‘chanical characteristics and fittings. Table? lists the available composite Standards that can be used for the line post and enhances the subjects where no standard exists up to now. 4.2, Maximum Desicn AAs seen in the "Explanation of terms", the usual practice with (CANTILEVER Loap porcelain line postsis using 40 % of the failing load as the maxi- oR mum design or working load .With the lack of a practice tuned ‘Worxine Loap specifically tocomposite materials (see gray zone in Table 2),the porcelain post practice still prevails. The "working load" ap- roach can be used as a basis of primary comparison between porcelain and composite. Nonetheless, recent research by SEDIVER ( part B, section 3) has evidenced a "damage limit’. When stressed below this limit, the composite line post can sustain the load without loss of strength with time. This "damage limit” is higher than the suggested "working load” found in the porcelain post practice. PAGE 64.2 (continued...) | List of available standards or recommendation reports for composite COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES insulators: ‘+ Tests to Composite Suspension Insulators for Overhead Trans- ‘mission Lines ANSIC.29,11 + Tests of composite insulators for A.C. overhead ‘nominal voltage greater than 1000 V TEC 36 sec.71 ( under the 2 month approval ) + IEEE Guide for Cleaning Insulators IEEE Std 957-1987 + IEEE Recommended Practice for specifying Distribution Com- posite Insulators ( Suspension Type ) IBEE Std 1024-1988 + IEEE Guide for Application of Composite Insulators ANSVIEEE Std 987 -1985 + Application of composite insulators to transmission lines IEEE 82 SM 337-4 ines with a cal] Mater eehaniont ong tm mechani svanoaros |Eietiea]_Materiat Meech Long te ical ing Gae —| Twse Tonin Searg Corned Gonpanoon] Tonio caminer ‘a ANSIC29.11 v|vle le < jv ce casera | v lv |v |v le = IEEE std957-1968 ’ ecesureztse) v fv |v |v |v cane sa wresoerss| COMMENTS ON SUBJECTS | td ieee) Table 2 Available standards for composite insulators, Gray zone for line post PAGE 7COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 5. LINE POST : COMPOSITE VS PORCELAIN $1 Line Post concert J As seen in Secriow 2, the line post was introduced to solve some transmission line problems and to optimize transmission line design. With the line post concept, we are able to : + achieve better ground clearance without in- creasing tower height or reducing spans, + control the phase to phase clearance and not take into account the swing angle of the normal vertical strings, thus reducing the right-of-way require- ments, + upgrade the line voltage without changing or modifying greatly the existing structures, + minimize the visual impact through elimination of the cross-arms. Conceming the electrical characteristics, + radio noise is virtually eliminated when using the proper hardware, + the units are unpuncturable, 5.2. Inreopuction oF tHe | When first used, the line posts were made of porcelain (solid or COMPOSITE LINE PosT. hollow core ), ‘The porcelain line postbeing brittle in nature does not allow any deflection. When it fails, it snaps in two and allows the conductor tofall. This phenomenon has led tocases of cascadingstructure failures, where the next line post, subjected to the impact of a collapsing conductor, would also fail, leading the next assembly to fail also... with the final result of having kilometers of trans- ‘mission or distribution line ori the ground. PAGE 8COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 5.2 InrRopuction To THE | This phenomenon has led transmission line engineers to review their CcompostTe LINE Post... | line loads , introduce the notion of longitudinal loads into the concepts of transmission line design and recognize the need for insulator resiliency. Figure 1 shows why the composite line post can ease the load on the structures and protect the line against cascading failures. Asymmetrical Load Asymmetrical Load Rigid Porcelain Line Post Rigid Structure Figure 1 Concept of the flexible line post ‘The composite line post maintains the original characteristics of the line post concept and introduces the notion of flexibility which can protect the transmission ( or distribution ) lines against sudden im- pacts, line drops, high longitudinal loads, wind gusts, vehicules hitting the structures... PAGE 95.3 PORCELAIN AND ‘COMPOSITE LINE POSTS [UNDER LONGITUDINAL LOADS COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES Simulation tests done by Electricité De France, using their own transmission line study software "Camelia", are reported in Ref. [4]. The load evaluations were done with asymmetrical ice loadings and respectively with porcelain and composite line post insulators. Case 1: ++ 138 KV single line post, length = 1,31 m, model 620 HX 1310 + Flexibility of the composite line post = 0,018mm /N + Conductor Aster 148, 0.407 kg/m, modulus 60 KN/mm? + Spans = 100m + The loadings are described in Figure 1a. ‘The most dramatic effect induced by the flexibility of the com- Posite line post is found on tower no.2, where the computed lon- gitudinal load is approximately 50 % of the load found with the rigid porcelain line post. The resulting reduction of torsion on the structure is quite noticeable. Furthermore, we can verify later on with the "combined loads application curves” of Figure 7, that the allowable compression oad on the composite unit is still higher than 25 KN. Case no. 2: + 230 KV braced line post, length = 2,12 m, model 335 HX 2120 + Conductor Aster 288, 0.794 kg/m, modulus 57 KN/mm? + Spans = 250m + The loadings are described in Figure 1b. On tower2, the longitudinal loads using the composite braced line posts are found to be respectively 70%, 54% and 43% of the computed longitudinal loads using the rigid porcelain posts with asymmetrical loads of 1/3, 3/5 and 5/8 kg/in. With these loads, the allowable compression load is 4 KN (using the "combined loads application curves” of Figure 10), Conclusion: ‘The preceding examples quantify the advantage the composite line post has over the porcelain line post in terms of reduction of Jongitudinal load transferred to the structure in a situation of asymmetrical loading. The same behavior is true with impact or sudden loads ( break of a conductor, wind gusts, seismic activity), PAGE 10sod oun pups ay ger 1 2500 :posn sisod ou fo adG 40d s0 51260} uo poo eras, wo ct | oct | Sve au & 00 v0 00 v0 oo vO re £0 | TWWHON 1SOd"1 3L1S0dWO9, zo ce | eo ce | BB ove | eno bara CC 480d-1 NIVIZOHOd| FS ee wimavor | wrwavot | ximavot | somwares | mwavot | wtwovo’ | oats. tae SANIT NOISSINSNVL HOF S1SOd JNIT 3LISOdNOD PAGE 112809 piSts Yim s1sod ou pa00Lg AY OES 72809 :posn sisod 1 fo ads 10d s13W01 Uo poy ‘Dandi OW ey £0 ve £0 v6 tL v6 9% OL +9E ce 301) er ort | co sz | 0 iz | oo 2 | oo te | en tt | Smuce 480d" 3LISOdMOD ew en | zo re | co ce | ve ce | BeBe oo se zx les ers = clea || 70) = shit | col ewe lbeve cn || oor 6% oF [sie ry sy | to 6 | zo ve | ot one | ce ve ez [e/i 307m ee ort | oo ie | oo tz | oo te | oo eat | aymon 4804-1 nnrtaouo TA 7 a faa pan 7A 1a | wose= was NX NIGYOT NANI VOT NANLGVOT NONI CYOT NXNIGYOT NXNIGYOT ‘OO=L' ez WaISY 238v9 Nowenadsns S3NIT NOISSINSNVUL HOt SLSOd 3NIT 3LISOdNOD PAGE 12COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 5.4 More ADVANTAGES Table 3 ( on the next page ) gives a comparison of a typical oF THE composite line post with a porcelain solid core line post. The ‘COMPOSITE LINE PosT. comparison, inthis case, is made on the basis of B.LL. It could have been on the basis of other criteria ( phase clearances...); the conclusions would have been the same. NOTE : Porcelain line posts are rated in terms of ” Cantilever strength” or " Failing load " in porcelain insulator catalogs but it is always recommended that only 40% of this rating be used as the Working Load for insulator selection purposes. The figures in the comparison table reflect this recommendation. ‘The working load rating for the composite post insulator used in the comparison chart also comes from the value of 40% of the " failing load" . In Part 2, section 3.3, we will see that itis possible to consider a higher working load for composite line post insulators provided long term research and evaluation has been done. The term used is withstand load defined as being " the maximum mechanical stress which the insulator is designed to withstand for long periods of time’, ‘This stress can come from single loads or a combina- tion of cantilever, compressive and longitudinal loads. ‘More details on combined loads are found in Part 2, section 3.6. PAGE 13COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES PAGE 14 cHanacrenisrics | _ 15K tony sonny | ovisKY roxy $61KV ssonveL —sSORVDLL —sonvouL. | ASOKVELL — OSDKVBIL, —_TSORVELL SANTLEVER Toa 198 oo ae fae g fox Working toes Pex or racine Loap= | ener em 18 182 1909 tos 100 80 LEAKAGE (om) 00 won ‘on 00s 2202 x10 FLasiovEn (ii ary” eee & Bs Cag a. sl = ee PULSE) + 0 9 1000 Pa 10 us : & = i ee 00 ‘oo KPULSE WITHSTAND: a0 6. as. 0 0 0 (eet ss NET WET) 2 2 2 a4 * vo WEIGHT RATIO cas oa oat 22 225 aa No. oF ELEMENTS 1 1 1 1 1 2 Table 3 Comparison of composite and porcelain line posts. ‘able 3 highlights more advantages for the composite line post to which a transmission line designer should be sensitive : + for the same B.LL, (and / or length ) the cantilever oad capability of the Composite line posts exceeds or practically equals that of the Porcelain line posts, and may therefore be used interchangeably with Porcelain posts. + the lesser weight of the composite line posts (2.23 to 4.24 times in the example) gives added ease of con- struction and lower loads on existing structures. + there is an increase of leakage distance for a given are distance, In this example +21,+28 and +35 %.COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES PART B: PERFORMANCE & CHARACTERISTICS ARMOURLTE COMPOSITE LINE POSTS §1. ARMOURLITE composite insulator design $2, ARMOURLITE line post §3. Mechanical performance of the ARMOURLITE line post $4. 138 kV single line post application $5. Braced line post 230 kV applicationCOMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 1. ARMOURLITE : COMPOSITE INSULATOR DESIGN Every type of ARMOURLITE insulator share the following components: core, weathershed (housing) and end fittings. ‘The secret of SEDIVER’s success over 15 years lies in its insulator design, in the choice of raw materials, in its manufac- turing techniques and quality control. Table 4 summarizes the operating conditions of composite insulators, the possible failure modes and the solutions adopted by SEDIVER for its own ARMOURLITE insulators, gue of hosting, Fagus ond reap tthe fod ae Te asemby proses Meting of me meta tings | ponte tttngs re ato ovatebe, [800 To power ort, Contote swag on tinge Soned to prevent corona, [corona cctvy nanigh [Adon ofan tgs above. ovoiot RIV. "ZOKV won foes. [Danoge ofthe core which | Rod dedgned tough Research [con ood tole of macran’- | -tmesproven quay toot and ealstengin ond Ractao | tedne ore cove Perfect bonding between los rictre ce: fore and ean fo poot fansvose detectc| Techolee ads rong fo good hanevene dotcitc - to me prornce ot detects | svengmh ome poor bondng the | -fo ow exeop under combined fthergiasondresh notte | Tinelocc-emaorohe sewes Tho oitpoved DOM wah an ‘oon tion & pov eee Rganaoroton Scone ose oval when swag WeSbegetenotmese: |p cepoa hecton mang {eee ihe Uae hgh pose pose 0 ; Suton _| sive veal oondn echt oe toe ee oe Peventon of wat botuton Tecing ofthe weche shed |ponehonon Ine tovgnos of ho EPOM cow ting prevents comage roncing tom gant ioral ‘Table 4 Summary of operating conditions, possible failure modes and SEDIVER’s solutions. PAGE 15| COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES i 2. ARMOURLITE : LINE POST ‘The ARMOURLITE post type insulator is a SEDIVER composite | insulator ( as described in Table 4) with the exception that it has a largercore. Table S shows the ARMOURLITE spectrum of post type composite insulators and their applications, ‘The stresses involved vary greatly from the suspension insulator (tensile ) to the line post configuration ( compressive, bending). Within the post family of insulators, the station post is subjected to compressive stress most of the time, while the single line post can be subjected simultaneously to bending ( vertical and longitudinal ) and compressive stresses. Within the braced VEE configuration, the pivoted assembly produces only compressive stress on the line post while the fixed pedestal type produces both compression and bending ( due to longitudinal forces) . == ae Lf an a ‘Spectrum of applications for the ARMOURLITE. post type insulators, PAGE 16COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 3. MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE ARMOURLITE LINE POST 3.1 Devincrion uNpeR Loan As mentionned earlier, the flexibility of the composite line post gives the added qualities to the line post concept. Table6 gives the deflection and angle of deflection which occurs when ARMOURLITE Line Posts are loaded to their "Maximum Design Cantilever Load" *. These values should be taken into account by the line designer when determining clearances to ground. * Please refer to the explanation Where the need to withstand unbalanced ( assymetrical ) hori- ‘af terms section on page ii for the | zontal load is concerned, the deflection values are an indication notions of = of the ability of the ARMOURLITE line posts to compensate for this condition without damage. ‘max.desien cantilever load and withstand cantilever Load, ARMOURLITE, LINE POST ** Deflections are linear in this range. To evaluate the deflection of units ata lower value, the propor- tionality rule is valid. Pra sss¥x2%20 Prasosixanio: Pra20si240 Table 6 Deflection of ARMOURLITE line posts under "Max. Design Cantilever Load” PAGE 17COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 3.2 MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR | During the research projects which preceded the development of the ARMOURLITE Line Post, SEDIVER performed tests to study the mechanical behavior of the glass reinforced resin rod used for the load bearing component of the Line Post. ‘The study of the rupture mechanism of fiberglass rods subjected to bending stress has highlighted two fondamental parameters: + Deformation characteristics of the rod under bending + Long term mechanical behavior of the rod under bending ‘The " Withstand " Cantilever Load was determined from the results of these tests. Application curves were developed to help line designers determine how the combined loads of an application compare with the cantilever strength capability of a particular ARMOURLITE Line Post. 3.3 Wirnstanp Loan | As with every material based on organic resins, a visible “creepage” & phenomenon has been noticed on composite insulator post: when a Damace timer concerr | bending stress is applied on a rod, it deflects. When this stress is maintained , the deflection increases( AF ) with time t. ‘The experimental variations of deflections ( AF) with time t and bending stresses ( MPa ) plot as a family of straight lines ( semi-log diagram ) following this general equation: Ar= Atlog t (minutes.) To attain this knowledge, 63 mm. fiberglass-resin rods ( used for the line posts ) were loaded with dead weights for several weeks. The coefficient A is the deflection variation with time for a given applied stress; as the stress increases, so does the coefficient A. Figure? gives the evolution of A versus the applied stress on the rod, There are three zones of interest: elastic type behavior: for ow stresses, (below the damage lint) where the rod returns tots original position after afew days, without measurable deflection and shows no degradation plastic type behavior : for high stresses (above the damage limit and below the {nstantancous flare sues of approximately 800MPa),threisamorerapidevoli- tionofdfletion anda failurcean occur ina few days fr stesss close o 800 MPa and to decades for loads clos othe damage lit. At these high deflections, the load changes from bending to enile stress; i is hus dificult o evaluate the rupre vale amage limit: the “damage limit” was chosen at 450 MPa "Above te damage limit, some fibers ae broken, Below the damage limit, no fibers ae broken. PAGE 183.3 Wimastanp Loap & DAMAGE LIMIT ..., 3.4 Lona TeRM PERFORMANCE COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES Apparent "creep" rate coefficient versus Stress ‘4 Done outside | ~108 to +30 20) = § # = 400-200 300 400 500 600 700 Applied Stress ( MPa ) }00 $00 1900 Figure 2 Variation ofthe apparent" creep” rate coefficient A versus the stress inthe embedded cross-section ‘The long term performance above the damage limit can be de- scribed as a" creep " phenomena although the mechanisms involved are completely different from the known " creep " ‘mechanisms foundin metals . Attached to the notion of creep ( permanent deformation under stress, time and temperature ) now described as "damage" for fiber reinforced resin rod, there is the notion of long term performance. Load-time curves for line posts under cantilever loads are ob- tained through years of carefully controlled tests. In fact, some units will stay under relatively high loads for more years to come in order to plot a few more points on the curve. Figure3 gives the status of the long term mechanical tests on line posts used for transmission lines. Confusion has arisen on the interpretation to give to these load-time curves. A word of caution. is necessary: | PAGE 19COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 3.4 Lone TERM. for instance, it does not mean thataline post unit, after2 years inservice, will retin only a residual strength approximately equal to 80 % of its original strength. it means that a Tine post unit, subjected to a "permanent" load of approximately 80 % of its original strength, is likely to fail after 2 years. Tests on suspension units, subjected to long term loads above the damage limit, have shown residual strengths very close to their original value, when taken outof the tests before the expected failure. ‘When the load is below the damage limit, no fibers are broken, thus the strength of the material is not affected by the duration of the load application. Bending moment in N-m Stress in core in Mpa stn a © tes steed Atiower stress vono “Damage limit & Withstand” 10000 Sat Tio Thers broken utog toad appieation 02 1E+03 LetO4 1E-01 1E+00LE+OT E+07 LE+08 Time in hours Figure 3 Load-time to failure curve for the 63 mm dia. fiberglass-resin core stressed under cantilever load. Conclusion : Itis required that mo load in service exceed the suggested "damage limit". Provided this requirement is followed, permanent loads up to the "damage limit" can be sustained by the line post without any decrease of strength with time. PAGE 20COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 3.5 CANTILEVER LOADS ‘The research on the mechanical behavior of the ARMOURLITE line post { ref. 1 ] has enabled SEDIVER : 1) to seta "withstand value" above which one can expect some damage to the rod, 2) to determine that a given load applied on a given length of line post can be sustained a large numberof years provided it docs not induce a siress larger that the set "withstand" stress. Figured summarizes the status of line posts using the 63 mmrod by giving the deflection for the *withstand' load for each catalog model. The cantilever loads specified are to be considered as "single loads". To avoid confusion on the selection of its line posts in terms of mechanical strength, SEDIVER does not relate to terms such as everyday load or exceptional loads but rather suggests that the user not exceed the stated "damage limit" values. ‘As mentioned in section 3.3, when stressed above the "damage limit” level, the rod_can likely be damaged: some broken fibers, localized delaminaton.. Deflection In mm. ARMOURLITE LINE POSTS Canttlever loads “withstand” Cantilever toads (N) as per model Deflection of ARMOURLITE catalog line posts at the "withstand value” stress level. Figure PAGE 21COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 3.6 Combined LoapiNcs Inthe last section, the cantilever loads stated were for cantileverloads applied in one axis only. On the overhead line, the post insulator can be simultaneously subjected to vertical, longitudinal and compres- sion loads. ( Figure 5 ). Thus the unidirectional loads referred to in Figure 4 cannot be used as sole limits, ‘LONGITUDINAL, COMPRESSION Figure Combined loads as seen by a ine post on overhead lines. ‘The criterion for the limit is not the load itself but rather the total moment applied to the cross-section of the rod. Composite line post insulators, with or without bracing , have been modeled by the finite clement method to further study their me- chanical behavior. [ Ref. 2 J. This allowed to find the mechanical strength limits of the composite ‘materials when subjected to loads applied simultaneously in the three perpendicular axes. During the computation, the criterion taken to decide the failure was when the total moment on the rod reached a value of 18 000 N-m or the equivalent of approximately 800 MPa of stress on the material Note : During ful scale tests, the failure is not easily defined and is subjected to interpretation because of the large displacement and deformation involved and because ofthe absence of a clear cut separation as seen with porcelain PAGE 22COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LIt 3.6 Compiven Loapines...._ | Because of the extreme flexibility of the composite materials, calculations were carried out using the large displacement tech- nique. This means that the loads were applied gradually and the structural data were updated periodically to take into account the deformations during the upward loading. ‘The mathematical simulation was compared to actual full scale testing. The results were found to be in full accordance with the original mathematical approach. Figure 6 gives the schematic representation of the withstand domain of the 63 mm dia. fiberglass-resin rod used in the ARMOURLITE line post. SURFACE WHERE THE MAXMRAL MOMENT INTHE UNEFOSTRO 16» 18 600 Nan ___wmistann cue POR > Figure 6 ‘Schematic representation of the max. moment domain of the 63 mm dia. ‘Fiberslass-resin rod used in the ARMOURLITE line post, If one were to used the value of 18 000 N-m as the maximum moment value to use, one would find a rod failure in a relatively short time (refer to Figure 4 ...long term performance ). Composite line post “application curves”(for each length of in- sulator) were thus derived using the validated combined loading approach and the "withstand" level of 450 MPa = 10530 N-m, PAGE 23COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 3.6 Comminen Loapincs.. J Figure7 gives an example of application curves for a typical 138 KV | single line post. SURFACE WHERE THE MAOWUM MOMENT INTHE UNEFOSTROD IS = 10530Km {ONEIDA LOAD see LcATO CURVE font, VERTICAL LOAD IN KN 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 COMPRESSION LOAD IN KN Figure 7 Application domain and curves for atypical 138 KV single line post under the 50 MPa " withstand value” criterion PAGE 24COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 3.6 Comping Loapinas., ‘The same mathematical approach validated by full scale testing ‘was applied to the braced line post concept. [Ref. 2]. Figure 8 gives a sct of application curves for a typical 230 KV braced line post system. 60 LONGITUDINAL LOAD 2220 KN & 50 2B z 1 ATA KN S280 kN @ aol $ 2 g 5 3 4 20 + 5 10 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 COMPRESSION IN KN Figure 8 Application curves for a typical 230 KV braced line post PAGE 25COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 4, 138 KV SINGLE LINE POST APPLICATION 4.1 Ivreopuction This level of voltage has been been the prime market for line posts generally and more recently for the composite line posts. 1n1990, ‘composite line posts occupy 60 to 65 % of the line post market. Recent surveys [ Ref-1 and Ref.3] have shown that within the composite ine post market, the 138 KV level accounts for 41.5%. Also of interest to explain the popularity of composite line posts onthe 138KV class linesis the fact that a large quantity of voltage upgrades are done from 69 KV to 138 KV, either on the same corridor and/or the same structures.The typical configurations used for the 138 KV were shown in the introduction, Chart 1 gives the distribution of line posts and suspension insu- Jators within the composite insulator applications. ltis interesting to note that 88.4% of composite line post sales occupy the 11510 230 KV bracket. Distribution of composite « posts & suspension insulators 454 aie 403 35.7] asd sey 22.2 243 264 3.7 zal 204 154 104 bo wal aa 54 Jo.1 0.1120. Beg Paral 0 0-9] 9 0.6] ° 94.5 46° 69 115" 138| 161' 230° 948° 500 765° DC LUNE VOLTAGE IN KY POST — SUSPENSION Chart 1 Distribution of line post and suspension insulators within the family of composite insulator applications PAGE 26COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 4.2 Descrirrion B.LL.: 550 KV or Tae 138 KV Line- diameter: 25.1 mm Span : 200 m, flat country Loads: 1. every day : conductor weight 2, Max. wind: 192 krivh (120 mph ) 8. ice ( 12.7mm ) + wind 64 knvh (40 mph ) 43 Mecuantca. The chosen line post is Catalog no.: 620 HX 1310 ee Itis the shortest unit to assure the 550 KV B.LL. (CHOSEN LINE Post ‘Asmentionned earlier, the" withstand’ values should be understood not as maximum vertical oF maximum compression but rather as f Moment or ftal stress on the rod obtained through ‘contributions of the vertical, longitudinal and trans- verse loadings, Using the "Application curve for the line post 620 HX 1310" in Figure 9, itis possible to fill in Table 7. 10 9+ SS spd NN 7 VERTICAL LOAD IN KN \ 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 COMPRESSION LOAD IN KN Figure 9 Application curve for the line post 620 HX 1310 under the "Withstand" Cantilever load criterion PAGE 27COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 4.3 MecHantcat With the the set of curves "A (every day ),"B" (max. wind) and "C Cice + wind), drawn on the application curve of Figure 9, it EVALUATION... is now possible to derive the allowable mechanical values for the line post under the Withstand Cantilever criterion. These values are found in Table 7. LOADS: EVERY DAY | MAX. WIND | ICE + WIND] VERTICAL 255KN | 255KN | S45KN TRANSVERSE - B68KN | 1.99KN LOADS ON LINE POSTS DAMAGE LIMIT CANTILEVER | 9.1 KN 94KN | SKN VERTICAL 2.55KN 255KN | 545KN COMPRESSION - BesKN | 1.93KN ALLOWABLE COMPRESSION Without longituinal > 25KN >25KN | 222 KN ‘ALLOWABLE COMPRESSION ‘With 2 KN longitunal > 25KN >25KN | 20KN ALLOWABLE LONGITUDINAL With actual vertical and ‘compression 87 KN 74KN | 69KN Table 7 Mechanical evaluation of the Line Post 620 HX 1310 under combined loadings. "Withstand" Cantilever Criterion-- PAGE 28COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 4.4 ComMENtS ON THE Every day loads EVALUATION + Since the allowed compression is high, itis possible to use the | post with asmall ineangle. For instance, ata conductor tension of 20% ‘and a line angle of 5*, the added compression would be 2 KN. + The tensile strength ofthe line post is always 33.3 KN which means that the limit is always on the compression side. TThis is valid for the wind loads also, + It would be possible to allow an increased weight span.tn this case itamountto 1.27 KN/100m of span.{fthisis done, the other valueshave to be re-evaluated according to the application chart, Maximum wind: + ILis still possible o increase the weight and wind spans, + There is ample reserve of the longitudinal load capacity, + With the same approach, itis possible to have a line angle. Care should be taken to include the possible increase of wind span when choosing the line angle, Tee + wind: + With this case, the effect of combined loading become more apparent. There is @ reduction in the allowable compression and longitudinal values. Still, the possible increases of line angle or spans ‘that were Suggested with the everyday case should be verified against this case. + The vertical deflection of the line post is given in Figure 4, The increase of sag of the conductor + deflection of the line post should be ineluded in the ground clearance check. + The evaluation of this line post was done on the assumption of the ithstand” Cantilever criterion, + There are no suggested “safety factors". The criterion is simply not to exceed the "Damage limit" loads. See Figure 2. PAGE 29COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 230 KV BRACED LINE POST APPLICATION 5.1 Intropucrion Athigher voltages, the use ofthe single line postis complicated by two problems: + the required insulation length increases + the cantilever capacity decreases with length while the cantilever ‘equirement increases because of either the use of longer spans or the use of bundle conductors or because of both factors, With these factors, the chosen limits ofthe single line post are reached Quite rapidly and therefore the use of the brace is mandatory. 5.2 CatcuLation or tut | The use of a brace implies that the vertical loading imposes no ‘Tensite & commatssive | cantilever on the horizontal line post but also means that the line post FoRcES must bear the compressive forces brought upon by the vectorial horizontal component of the tensile forcespresent in the angled brace. One must calculate the tensile forces in the brace and the compressive forces in the horizontal line post with the following equations: Ts Tensile load in the brace T: sin (a+) (Transverse load towards pole ) Teh Ess sin (+B) Fe (Transverse load away trom pole ) C= Compressive load on the post o Fv C= Fvcos i+ Fesin§ sin(a+B) (Transverse load towards pole ) Ce, - sin (a+) (Transverse load away from pole ) PAGE 30COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 5.3 Compressive ‘The controlling factor in the braced line post is found to be the ‘STRENGTH OF THE BRACED compressive strength or the line post which is proportional to LINE Post the inverse of its length. Note: Itis important to note immediately that there are two types of base fittings for the line post: * Rigid base, * Pivoting base. With the rigid base, the presence of a longitudinal load has a great effect on the application domain of the assembly. The pivoting base does not impose a longitudinal load on the post insulator and its geometry permits a buckling capacity 4 times that of the rigid base ( Table 8 ). LOAD INKN PIVOTING BASE ee | BRA DR.V| HORIZONTAL VEE PT 620 HX 1310 8 190 PT 465 HX 1660 2 at PT.395 HX 1890 7 62 PT 335 HX 2120 13 49 PT 305 HX 2310 "1 a PT 285 HX 2430 10 a7 PT 265 HX 2620 8 32 Table 8 ‘Maximum Compression Load on Braced Line Post Assemblies PAGE 31COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES The following application curve ( Figure 10 ) is for the model 5.4 APPLICATION CURVE. 335 HX 2120. It has been prepared with the following criteria: BRACED LINE Post 230 KV ‘ Braced line post, rigid base = Angle a= 5° = Angle B= 62° ~ Allowed bending moment = 10530N-m (equiv. 10450 MPa stress) ‘~The upper limit of 55 KN comes from the use of a 120 KN rated composite suspension insulator brace. ‘The computations to obtain these curves are complicated by the fact we are dealing with large displacements under load. How- ever, the computations were validated by full scale testing [Ref.2}. This type of application curve facilitates the verification of the Jimits of the insulator assembly since one has only to use the line loads and not get involved in the force vectors or correlations with single line post curves . Assuming 20 KN of vertical load and 4.5 KN of compression, the longitudinal load allowed under the mentioned criteria is 3.0 KN. z 60 z foot ays SOA? Py 220 9 528 St 8 S 3288 iv 40 < a f- ‘ : 2» 5 0 ie a ° 2 4 ‘ a 10 (COMPRESSION IN KN. Figure 10 “Withstand” application curve for a 230 KV braced line post, PAGE 32COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 5.5 Mopets oF BRACED LINE POSTS Table9 gives the dimensions and mechanical values for braced line Posts that can be used for 115, 161 and 230 KV compact lines. In the table, the shaded areas refer to "Horizontal Vee" or "Pivoted Horizon- tal Vee", Itis interesting to know that the "Pivoted" assembly allows 4 times more compression load than the other assemblies. PN elU MLM aera} ewaceo WORZONTAL VEE PIVOTED HORIZONTAL VEE PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS: 115Kv 161 KV. 230 KV BAL. 550 KY BL 750 KV BL. 1050 KV ‘Aimm) [9969708 |) are 2000 | aata bare Binm) |} teeta | arse arse asia ate comm) 1076158 |) 20501016 |) au t008 Dim) || zor tase |] ance 2920 || 2500 24s ‘MECHANICAL LOADS (KN) RACED oF wonzonral Vertical (pure) |} 50 || 0 50 so 80 compen ze) || 36 ss a | on "1 poRGONTAL V A corres 8) 120, 53 4 Table 9 Examples of Braced line posts applicable to 115,161 and 230 KV PAGE 33COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 5.6 Test RESULTS: ‘The objective of the Utility's Engineering Design group was to 230 KV prace Line post | upgrade a 115 KV line to 230 KV in the same right-of-way and structures having thus to replace the existing metallic cross-arms by insulated cross-arms. An ideal application for composite line posts. The lin has been in operation at its new voltage for more than I year (ref. to visuals on some contruction aspects ofthe line and on the completed project ). The braced line post assembly dimensions are shown on Figure 11. ‘SUSPENSION INSULATOR, 6 2280 : 2610 COMPOSITE LINE POST Figure 11 Dimensions of an actual 230 KV braced line post assembly PAGE 34COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES 5.6 Test RESULTS... ‘The electrical and mechanical requirements and the respective values of the supplied braced line posts are given in Table 10. PIVOTING HORIZONTAL VEE BRACED LINE POST ‘Supplied Mechanical Requirements | (guaranteed) Max. Design vertical load 40 KN 55.5 KN Max.Design Tranverse load towards the pole 41 KN 41.8 KN away from pole 41 KN 68 KN Max, Longitudinal load 44a KN 68 KN Electrical Low frequency flashover 785 KV 795 KV(" 944) 565 KV 685 KV(" 763) pos. 4265KV 1270 KV(* 1350) eg 1265 KV 1355 KV Power frequency withstand dry 760 KV OK. wet 540 KV OK Lightning impulse withstand pos. 1080 KV OK, eg. 1160 KV Ok. Short circuit 15KA, 0.25 Ox, +15 KN vertical * lab. results . Table 10 Required and supplied characteristics ofthe 230 KV braced line post PAGE 35COMPOSITE LINE POSTS FOR TRANSMISSION LINES CONCLUSION The line post concept permits the efficient use of right-of-ways and better visual aspect of lines through the compact line design. However, porcelain line posts have drawbacks: heavy to handle, subject to vandalism, somewhat limited in leakage distance and not resilient under impact loading. The introduction of the composite tine post has eliminated these weaknesses mainly through its resiliency when subjected to impact loading, its resistance to vandalism and better contamina- tion performance. SEDIVER, having developed the ARMOURLITE composite line post, has gained an even better knowledge with its research on the mechanical behavior ofthe line post, mainly in the areas of time- load characteristics and load related damage to the fiberglass rod. With these assets, it was possible to develop and validate the combined loading application curves with full scale testing. ‘The application curves are easy to use as it was demonstrated with examples for 138 and 230 KV transmission lines. The user knows exactly where he stands when using the ARMOURLITE line posts. REFERENCES [Ref.1 ]: Nonceramic Insulators for Transmission lines HM. Schneider, J.F. Hall, G. Karady, J. Rendowden IEEE 69 WM 118. [ Ref 2]: Mechanical Behavior of flexurally Stressed Composite Insulators. . Dumora, D. Feldmann, M.Gaudry IEEE 89 TD 407-8 PWRD [ Ref 3]: Report on "Worldwide Experience With HV Composi Insulators” Cigre Committee 22 : 22-89 (SWG 03-01) IWD 22 July 89 [ Ref 4] : Critéres d'utilisation de structures isolantes ‘composites sous contraintes complexes de flexion. D. Dumora, R. Parraud, D. Feldmann, M.Gaudry Journées d'Etudes de la Société des Electriciens et Electroniciens “Lignes aériennes: cables, conducteurs, isolateurs et acces- soires", No. D-11, Paris, 21-22 mars 1990. PAGE 36