Initial Investigation in the Effect of Elevated

Conductor Temperature Operation on

Non-Ceramic Insulator

000000000001000033

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9808304
Initial Investigation in the Effect of Elevated
Conductor Temperature Operation on
Non-Ceramic Insulator

000000000001000033

Technical Progress, April 2000

EPRI Project Manager

R. Lings

EPRI • 3412 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94304 • PO Box 10412, Palo Alto, California 94303 • USA
800.313.3774 • 650.855.2121 • askepri@epri.com • www.epri.com

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DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITIES
THIS DOCUMENT WAS PREPARED BY THE ORGANIZATION(S) NAMED BELOW AS AN ACCOUNT OF
WORK SPONSORED OR COSPONSORED BY THE ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC. (EPRI).
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ORGANIZATION(S) THAT PREPARED THIS DOCUMENT

EPRIsolutions

This is an EPRI Level 2 report. A Level 2 report is intended as an informal report of continuing research, a
meeting, or a topical study. It is not a final EPRI technical report.

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EPRI. POWERING PROGRESS is a service mark of the Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.

Copyright © 2000 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 CITATIONS
This document was prepared by
EPRIsolutions
115 East New Lenox Road
Lenox, MA 01240
Principal Investigator
A. Phillips

This document describes research sponsored by EPRI.

The publication is a corporate document that should be cited in the literature in the following
manner:
Initial Investigation in the Effect of Elevated Conductor Temperature Operation on Non-
Ceramic Insulator, EPRI, Palo Alto, CA: 2000. 000000000001000033.

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9808304
REPORT SUMMARY

Utilities confronted with increasing demands for power from a growing customer base have three
options: build new lines, increase the voltage on existing lines, or increase the current on existing
lines.
While utilities may find the last option the least expensive, they need to examine a number of
factors before taking any action. For instance, increasing the current on their lines will also
increase I2R losses. That, in turn, will translate into higher conductor temperatures, which means
other components connected to the conductor may be affected, including non-ceramic insulators
(NCI).
NCI are generally constructed of three or more different types of material, some polymeric,
others metallic. As such, not only is there a question about the ability of polymeric materials to
withstand elevated temperatures, but the different thermal coefficients of the various materials
raise a number interface concerns.
The first step in addressing all of these issues is to determine what temperatures NCI end fittings
will be subjected to if a conductor is operated at elevated temperatures. This report describes
tests that were conducted at the EPRIsolutions Engineering and Test Center in Lenox, MA,
(ETC-L) to resolve this issue.
This report discusses tests that were performed to ascertain the temperature of NCI end fittings
when the transmission line cable to which it they are connected is operated at 200 oC. 200oC is
considerably higher than the temperatures at which conductors typically operated. Then, with
the NCI end fitting temperature established, it would be possible to ascertain the minimum
temperature at which NCI must be able to operate in order to withstand elevated conductor
temperatures. Based on this information further research maybe performed to ascertain whether
the materials and interfaces can withstand these elevated temperatures.
Finally, the measured temperature increases are compared against previously published
literature, industry standards, and manufacturers’ recommendations. The last chapter
summarizes the test results and presents some conclusions.

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9808304
CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1-1

2 TEST SETUP....................................................................................................................... 2-1

3 RESULTS ............................................................................................................................ 3-1

4 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS....................................................................................... 4-1

5 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 5-1

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9808304
1
INTRODUCTION

Utilities that are faced with demands for additional power from a growing customer base have
three options: build new lines, increase the voltage on existing lines, or increase the current on
existing lines.

The last option may be the least expensive for utilities, but there are many considerations that
need to be examined before they increase the current on their lines. For instance, increasing the
current will also increase I2R losses, and that will translate into higher conductor temperatures,
which means other components connected to the conductor may be affected.

The typical maximum conductor temperature on existing transmission lines is in the range of 115
o
C to 125 oC [1], but new composite conductor technology is pushing that limit up to 200 oC.

While ceramic insulators may be considered to be unaffected by such high temperatures, the
effect of the elevated temperatures on non-ceramic insulator (NCI) end fittings seals and rod
must be considered. ANSI C29.11 suggests a Thermal Mechanical Test that checks for a change
in the length of an NCI after cycling the temperature between -35 oC and 50 oC while under 50%
of Specified Mechanical Load (SML) [2]. IEEE and the EPRI Application Guide for
Transmission Line NCI suggest an operation temperature of –35 to +50 oC [3, 4]. Presumably,
this is the highest temperature at which insulators are tested. Recommendations for the highest
temperature at which NCI may be operated safely was not found in manufacturer-supplied data,
but research has shown that the glass transition temperature (Tg) to be about 81 oC to 117 oC [5].
The operation temperature should be kept below the Tg of the glass.

Tests were conducted at the EPRI Energy Delivery and Utilization Center in Lenox, MA
(EDUC-L) to determine the temperature of an NCI end fitting when the transmission line cable
to which it is connected is operated at a temperature of 200 oC. Once that end fitting temperature
is established, one may ascertain the maximum temperature at which NCI must be able to
operate.

1-1
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9808304
2 TEST SETUP
The test was designed to determine the temperature an NCI must be able to withstand if the
conductor is operated at high temperatures, i.e., 200 oC. The test setup consisted of a piece of
Ibis cable – 4.57 m long with a cross-sectional area of 234 mm2 – looped between the secondary
terminals of a high-current transformer, as shown in Figure 2-1 and Figure 2-2. The appropriate
suspension clamp was chosen for the cable, and the minimal amount of hardware that would be
used in the field to attach the cable to the NCI was used (See Figure 2-3). To ensure there was a
good mechanical contact between the cable and the insulator, the setup was tested under three
different tensile loads, and to minimize the cooling effect of the wind, the test was run indoors.

Calculations performed at the EDUC-L determined that 866 A would be required to heat the
cable to 200 oC. To account for errors in the calculations, the transformer was configured to
supply between 1 – 1200 A. Current was applied through the cable until the cable hardware and
the NCI end fitting reached thermal equilibrium. The temperature of the NCI and end fitting
could then be analyzed to determine the necessary operation temperature.

Thermocouples, placed as shown in Figure 2-3, were used to monitor the ambient temperature as
well as the temperature of the conductor and the NCI end fitting. The conductor temperature and
the end fitting were also monitored with an infrared camera, which provided a convenient way of
showing the relative difference in temperatures between the hardware components.

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test setup

Primary

Transformer
Secondary

Insulator and
shoe assembly

Ibis cable

Figure 2-1
A schematic of the test setup (top view).

Figure 2-2
A photograph of the test transformer, insulators under test, conductors and hardware.

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 test setup

Rubber Sheath

End Fitting
Thermocouple air
Thermocouple Socket Eye
End Fitting

Suspension Clamp
Thermocouple cable

Weight
Figure 2-3
A cut-away view of end fitting.

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3 RESULTS
A number of tests were conducted to determine the effect a high-temperature conductor would
have on the temperature of a NCI end fitting. A high-current transformer was used to supply
over 1000 A to the test cable. The precise current needed to heat the cable up to 200 °C was first
calculated and later refined by trial and error. The effect a good mechanical contact would have
on the test was explored by using weights to add tension to the connection hardware, thereby
improving contact between components. The temperature of the cable, end fitting and ambient
air temperature were recorded as a function of time.

Figure 3-1 presents the raw data from the initial test run, which was performed to determine the
appropriate current magnitudes. The figure shows that after a little more than 1.5 hours the
temperature of the conductor was settling at about 193 oC. The current was then increased from
1000 amps to 1100 A, and the temperature overshot the target temperature of 200 oC. In this
way, a current level of 1050 A was established as the current necessary to obtain the target
temperature.

3-1
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 250 45

Cable

Temperature of Air and End Fitting ( C)

40
End Fitting

o
200 Air
35
Temperature of Cable ( C)
o

30

150
25

20
100
15

10
50
5

0 0

1:55 PM 2:24 PM 2:52 PM 3:21 PM 3:50 PM 4:19 PM 4:48 PM

Time of Day

Figure 3-1
Raw data from the initial test run performed to establish the necessary current magnitude.
This graph shows cable temperature, end fitting temperature, and ambient air temperature.
o
The average air temperature is 19 C.

Note: The left-hand axis denotes the temperature of the cable and the right hand axis
denotes the temperature of the end fitting and air.

As mentioned above, the effect a good mechanical contact would have on the test was explored
by attaching weight to the suspension clamp. The test was run first with no weight, then with
weights of 11.3 kg (25 lbs.) and 235.9 kg (520 lbs.).

Figure 3-2 shows the change in temperature due to the current in the cable for the
11.3 kg (25 lb.) test. The ambient air temperature has been subtracted from both the cable
temperature and the end fitting temperature. This graph shows that thermal equilibrium was
established and that the temperature increase was limited to 27 oC above ambient.

3-2
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 30 200
Change of End Fitting Temperature ( C)

180
o

25
160
End Fitting
140

Temperature ( C)
Change of Cable
20 Cable

o
120

15 100

80
10
60
40
5
20
0 0
0 60 120 180 240
Time (min)

Figure 3-2
Normalized end fitting temperature increase with a 11.3 kg (25 lb.) load. The average air
o
temperature was 17 C.

Note: The left-hand axis denotes the temperature of the end fitting and the right hand axis
denotes the temperature of the cable.

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Figure 3-3 is an IR image of the test setup taken during the initial test run. The figure shows that
there is a relatively large difference in temperature between each of the components used to
attach the insulator to the cable.

Figure 3-3
An IR photograph showing the large temperature difference between the end fitting and
the conductor.

Tests performed by Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. verify this large difference in temperature
between the cable and the end fitting [6]. Although Sumitomo’s tests used an additional shackle,
and it is not known from the paper whether tension was applied to the assembly to ensure good
contact between components, the temperature of the end fitting increased 8.6 oC above ambient,
when the conductor temperature was 210oC [6]. The result is different to those found in the
EPRI tests where the temperature increase in the end fitting was 19 oC or greater, see table 3-1.
The difference between the two tests can be attributed to the additional shackle and mechanical
contact. If the temperature of the shackle in the Sumitomo test is compared to the end fitting in
the EPRI test, and it is assumed that no mechanical load is applied to the Sumitomo test, there is
only a 2 oC difference between the two tests.

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Table 3-1 presents a summary of the tests with the three different weights. It can be seen that a
minimal amount of weight was needed to achieve a good mechanical contact between the cable
and the insulator. This table shows an 8 oC temperature difference between the test with no
additional weight and those in which weight was added. With a good mechanical contact, the
end fitting increased 27 oC over ambient temperature when the conductor temperature was
200oC.
Table 3-1
Summary of results.

Weight Conductor End Fitting Air Temp Increase of

kg (lb.) Temp oC Temp C
o o
C Fitting Temp
o
C

0 (0) 204 38 19 19

11.3 (25) 207 45 18 27

235.9 (520) 205 46 19 27

3-5
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9808304
4 SUMMARY AN D CONCLUSIONS
The test results can be summarized as follows:

When the temperature of the cable was 200oC, the maximum temperature increase of the NCI
end fitting over ambient was 27oC. This occurred with no airflow across the end fitting,
connection hardware or conductor.

A small load of 11.3 kg (25 lbs.) had to be applied to the suspension clamp to ensure a good
connection between the conductor and the NCI. Increasing the load further did not improve the
heat transfer characteristics of the connection.

If hardware were added between the conductor and NCI, the temperature of the NCI end fitting
would decrease significantly. Since the minimum amount of hardware was used in this test, it
represented a worst-case scenario [6].

The following may be concluded from these results:

If the ambient air temperature exceeds 22oC on a perfectly calm day, and the conductor
temperature is 200oC, the end fitting temperature of the NCI will exceed the recommended
maximum operating temperature of 50oC for the units [3, 4]. For simplicity, heating due to solar
radiation was not considered in these tests.

Extra hardware will reduce the temperature increase in the NCI end fitting [6].

Any future tests should include some tensile load to ensure a good connection between the
conductor and the NCI end fitting. Omitting this may result in unrepresentative results.

It has been shown that it is possible for the temperature of the NCI end fitting to exceed 50oC
when the conductor temperature is 200oC. However, this is unlikely to occur because conductors
generally are not operated at or above 200oC. Further, there is usually more hardware between
the conductor and the NCI end fitting than was the case in this test, which would tend to reduce
the temperature of the end fitting.

In addition, although the temperature range generally recommended for NCI operation is –35 oC
to +50 oC, the actual temperature at which NCI may be operated safely is most probably higher.
A limit greater than 70 oC initially appears possible, however, further research is required to
establish the long-term effects of operating a NCI at high temperatures. These tests would
provide insight into the maximum temperature that an NCI may be operated at without
accelerated degradation of the polymer rod and rubber materials.

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9808304
5 REFERENCES
1. S. Foss, S. Lin and R. Fernandes, “Dynamic Thermal Line Ratings, Part 1: Dynamic
Ampacity Rating Algorithm,” Paper No. 82 SM 377-0, presented at IEEE Power Engineering
Society Summer Meeting, San Francisco, CA (July 1982).
2. American National Standards Institute. “Tests to Composite Suspension Insulation for
Overhead Transmission Lines,” ANSI C29.11 (R1996).
3. IEEE Guide for Application of Composite Insulators, ANSI/IEEE 987-1998, March 1998.
4. Application Guide for Transmission Line Non-Ceramic Insulators. EPRI, Palo Alto, CA:
November 1998. Report TR 111-566.
5. M. Kumosa, “Micro-Fracture Mechanisms in Glass/Polymer Insulator Materials under the
Combined Effect of Mechanical, Electrical and Environmental Stresses,” Update Report,
University of Denver, June 30, 1998.
6. Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., “ZTACIR Insulator Test Result.”

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9808304
 About EPRI
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solutions for the global energy and energy
services industry. U.S. electric utilities
established the Electric Power Research
Institute in 1973 as a nonprofit research
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EPRI. Powering Progress

© 2000 Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Inc. All

rights reserved. Electric Power Research Institute and EPRI
are registered service marks of the Electric Power Research
Institute, Inc. EPRI. POWERING PROGRESS is a service
mark of the Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.

000000000001000033

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EPRI • 3412 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94304 • PO Box 10412, Palo Alto, California 94303 • USA
800.313.3774 • 650.855.2121 • askepri@epri.com • www.epri.com

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