Electrical Power

Transmission (EE-352)
3
Potential distribution over suspension
insulator string
 A string of suspension insulator consists of number of porcelain discs
connected in series through metallic links.

V1

V2

V3
V
V4
Potential distribution over suspension
insulator string
 The porcelain portion of each disc is
in between two metallic links.
Therefore each disc forms a
capacitor ”C” as shown in figure.
This is known as mutual capacitance
C
or self capacitance. V/4
I
 If there were mutual capacitance
C V/4
 Alone, then charging would have been
C V/4
the same through all the discs and
V
consequently voltages across each C V/4
unit would have been the same
i.e. V/4 as shown in figure
Potential distribution over suspension
insulator string
 However, in actual practice, capacitance
also exists between metal fitting of each disc
and tower or earth. This is known as shunt
capacitance C1. Due to shunt capacitance,
charging current is not the same through all
the discs of the string, therefore, voltages
across each disc will be different.
 Obviously, the disc nearest to the line
conductor will have the maximum voltage,
thus referring to figure, V3 will be much more
than V1 and V2.
Potential distribution over suspension
insulator string

1 m
Summary:
 The above description can be summarized as under

 The voltage impressed on string of suspension insulators does not

distribute itself uniformly across the individual disc due to the presence
of shunt capacitance.

 The disc nearest to the conductor has maximum voltage across it.

 The unit/disc nearest to the conductor is under maximum electrical

stress and is likely to be punctured.
Mathematical Expression:

Applying KCL to node A and node B:

Potential distribution over suspension
insulator string

The greater the string efficiency, the more uniform is the distribution
Potential distribution over suspension
insulator string

N N N
Here n=N+1
N

N
Potential distribution over suspension
insulator string

N
Examples:
Examples:
String Efficiency:
 The unequal potential distribution is undesirable
and is usually expressed in terms of string
efficiency.

 The greater the value of m (C1/C), the more non-

uniform is the potential across the disc and lesser
is the string efficiency.

 The inequality in voltage distribution increases

with the increase of number of disc in the string.
Methods of improving string efficiency:
 It has been seen that potential distribution in a
string of suspension insulators is not uniform.

 The maximum voltage appears across the

insulator nearest to the line conductor.

 This necessitates to equalize the potential across

the various units of string i.e. to improve the
string efficiency.
By using longer cross arms:
 The value of string efficiency depends on the value of m i.e. “ratio of
shunt capacitance to mutual capacitance”.

 The lesser the value of ”m”, the greater is the string efficiency. And more
uniform is the potential distribution.

 For n=3, Vmax= V3 and V3 = (1+3m+m2) V1

 The value of ”m” can be decreased by reducing the shunt capacitance.

𝑪𝟏
𝒎=
𝑪
By using longer cross arms:
 Inorder to reduce the shunt
capacitance, the distance of conductor
from tower must be increased i.e.
longer cross-arms should be used.
However, the limitations of cost and
strength of tower don't allow the use
of very long cross arms.
By grading the insulators:
 In this method, insulators of different dimension
are so chosen that each has a different
capacitance.

 The insulators are capacitance graded i.e. they

are assembled in the string in such a way that the
top unit has the minimum capacitance, increasing
progressively as the bottom unit is reached.

 Since voltage is inversely proportional to the

capacitance, this method tends to equalize the
potential distribution across the units in string.
By grading the insulators:

Disadvantages:
 Thismethod has the disadvantage that a
large number of different sized insulators
are required.

 This
requires large stocks of different units
which is uneconomical and impractical.
By using a Guard Ring:
 The potential across each unit in string can be equalized by using a
guard ring which is a metal ring electrically connected to the
conductor and surrounding the bottom insulator.
 The guard ring introduces capacitance between metal fittings and the
line conductor.
 The guard ring is contoured in such a way that shunt capacitance
currents i1, i2 etc are equal to the metal fitting line capacitance
currents i1, i1, etc. The result is that same charging current I flow
through each unit of the string.

 Guard ring (Arcing horn) serves two purposes:

 Equalizing the voltage drop across each insulator
unit.
 protects the insulator against flash over.
By using a Guard Ring:
By using a Guard Ring:
Examples:
Examples:
Example:
Solution:
Solution:
Solution:
Improvement of String Efficiency:
Methods of Equalizing Potential:
 1- Reducing the ground capacitance
relative to the capacitance of insulator
unit ( reduce k where k=C1/C):
 This can be done by increasing the
length of cross arm and hence taller
supporting tower which uneconomical.
Improvement of String Efficiency:
 Grading of insulator units:
It can be seen that the unequal distribution
of voltage is due to the leakage current from
the insulator pin to the tower structure. The
solution is to use insulator units with
different capacitances.

This requires that unit nearest the cross arm

should have minimum capacitance (maximum
Xc) and the capacitance should increase as
we go towards the power line.