Electricity production is a complex process. The essence of this technology is to convert one form of energy into another. So, at thermal stations, water or steam heated to a certain temperature rotate the generator turbine, as a result of which electric current is generated. But producing energy is still not enough. It must be delivered to the final consumer. For this purpose, power lines are used - power lines. An important role in the design of elements is played by supporting insulators. In simple terms, their task is to separate the current-carrying wire and the support.
In order to isolate them from each other, suspension and support insulators are used. The design of the product is selected depending on the power of the line. On overhead power lines with a capacity of 110 kV and above, only suspended options are used. In any case, until recently, the relevant standard was in force. The fact is that traditional materials for the manufacture of insulators are
tempered glass and porcelain. In accordance with their physical characteristics, they withstand high tensile and compression loads. However, when bending, their strength is not enough.
On
overhead power lines with a power of 35 kV and below, support insulators can be used. They can always be seen on wooden and
reinforced concrete pillars. According to current norms and rules, the distribution of electricity to specific consumers is carried out using power lines with a capacity of 0.4 kV. In Russia, in the Soviet Union and today in the Russian Federation, this standard is invariable. In the usual outlet, which is in every apartment, the network voltage is 220 V. All household appliances and a significant part of industrial equipment are calculated for this indicator.
By their design, support insulators are more convenient to use than suspended. However, at high voltages, their technical characteristics do not provide the necessary parameters. This has already been mentioned above. In order to achieve the appropriate qualities, systematic work is underway to create new materials and a more perfect configuration of the insulator. In this context, it is important to note that it must reliably perform its functions under all given operating conditions. This refers to the fact that with high humidity there is no
short circuit of the line to the ground.
Currently,
polymeric materials have been used to make insulators
. Compared with traditional ones - glass and porcelain - they have higher technological and structural parameters. Due to this, the cost of products decreased and their technical characteristics improved. Currently, when designing 110 kV transmission lines, a comparative analysis can be done to determine which insulators are more profitable to use. It should be noted the fact that design development requires a lot of time and resources. Each new sample must be tested in actual use.