Hello friends. You must have seen in your village or your city or power station that big poles are installed, and the transmission line passes over it.
You must have seen the insulator in that transmission line.
According to the application, size and material, there are different types of insulators and they are also used in different applications.
That is why today in this article we will understand what is insulator, types and uses of insulator.
So let's understand in detail -
An insulator is a material that does not conduct electric current.
In other words an electrical insulator is a material that does not allow the flow of electricity easily through an electrical current.
Usually the insulating material is made of plastic, rubber, glass etc.
Generally, electric current flows easily in semiconductor and conductor materials, but this is not the case in insulators.
Because you know free electrons are required to conduct electric current which is not there in the insulator that is why the insulator does not conduct electric current.
Insulators have higher resistivity than semiconductors and conductors, the best example of which is non-metals.
Insulators are mostly used in electrical equipment such as electrical wiring, circuit boards, overhead transmission lines, etc.
properties of a good insulator A good insulator should have high resistivity. Good insulator should have high air permeability as air itself is a good insulator. A good insulator should have high mechanical strength because heat is generated when electricity is conducted at high voltage. A good insulator should have high thermal strength. A good insulator should have resistance to oils or liquids, gas fumes, acids and alkalis. A good insulator should have less weight.
type of insulator Although there are many types of insulators, but the insulators are divided on two basis which are as follows –
pin insulator Pin insulators are the first overhead insulators, which are mostly used in power network systems from 11kV to 33 kV. Pin type insulator is mounted on a pin on the cross-arm on the pole.
Pin insulators are single layer shaped and made of a non conducting material such as porcelain or glass.
Depending upon the voltage application single or multiple pin insulators are used.
Pin insulator is mostly useful for straight transmission line.
The use of pin insulators is not useful for voltages above 33 kV because of the large size and weight of pin insulators. Due to which it becomes very difficult to handle and change it.
Post insulator and pin insulator are same but it is mostly used for high voltage.
We can easily mount this type of insulator on pole horizontally and vertically. Which are mostly made of porcelain.
The post insulator is more compact than the pin insulator, which makes it easier to install.
Post insulators can be used in power network systems up to 115kV.
suspension insulator Suspension insulators are used for power network systems with voltage above 33kv.
Suspension insulators consist of a number of glass or porcelain discs in series in the form of a string.
The number of discs in a suspension insulator depends on the voltage, the number of discs may be less or more in different voltage power network systems.
The special thing about suspension insulators is that if one of the disc insulators in the string gets damaged, it can be replaced very easily.
In strain insulators the suspension string is used to sustain the extraordinary tensile load of the conductor.
It is mostly used at the beginning or end of the transmission line.
Strain insulators are most useful where transmission lines have more than one branch or when the lines are subjected to very high tensile loads, such as in long river stretches.
The special thing about strain insulator is that its mechanical strength is very high.
shackle insulator Shackle insulators are also called spool insulators which are generally used for the same purpose as earlier strain insulators.
But nowadays shackle insulators are used for low voltage power network systems.
Shackle insulators can usually be bolted or mounted directly to a pole with a cross arm.
Shackle insulators can be used either in horizontal position or in vertical position with ease.
disc insulatorDisc insulator is the most widely used type of insulator because disc insulator has high efficient features like corrosion proof, robust design.
Generally disc insulators are made of high grade raw material which can be used in power network system with voltage above 120kV.
The shape of stay insulator is rectangular, which is mostly used in low voltage distribution lines.
Its main function is to protect the equipment which gets damaged suddenly due to voltage change.
That's why stay insulator conductor is used between line and earth.
Stay insulators are mostly made of porcelain.
Usually polymer insulators are made of fiberglass rods or epoxy polymers.
Polymer insulators are lighter in weight than insulators made of porcelain.
Polymer insulators are useful where there is a polluted area.
glass insulator Glass insulators have been in use since the 18th century, first used in telephone lines.
The life of glass insulator is longer than other insulators.
Nowadays, ceramic or earthenware insulators are used in place of glass insulators.
Glass insulators can be used in high voltage or low voltage transmission lines.
porcelain insulator Porcelain insulators, also known as china clay insulators, are made of china clay.
Porcelain insulators are commonly used in both high and low voltage transmission lines.
use of insulators Insulators are used at many places but mainly where they are as follows
In electric board or circuit board for safety in overhead transmission line cable sheathing and In high voltage equipment for heat resistance etc.
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Conclusion: Friends, today we understood what is isolator, types of isolator and use of isolator.
If you have any other questions or suggestions related to insulators, then do share with us.
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