INSULATION CO-ORDINATION

Insulation Coordination in Power System was introduced to arrange the electrical insulation levels of
different components in the electrical power system including transmission network, in such a manner,
that the failure of insulator, if it occurs, confides to the place where it would result in the least damage of
the system, easy to repair and replace, and results into least disturbance to the power system.
When any over voltage appears in the electrical power system, there may be a chance of failure of its
insulation system. Probability of failure of insulation is high at the weakest insulation point nearest to the
source of over voltage. In power system and transmission networks, insulation is provided to the all
equipment and components.

Insulators in some points are easily replaceable and repairable compared to other. Insulation in some
points are not so easily replaceable and repairable and the replacement and repairing may be highly
expensive and require long interruption of power. Moreover failure of insulator at these points may
cause a bigger part of electrical network to be out of service. So, it is desirable that in situation of
insulator failure, only the easily replaceable and repairable insulator fails.

The overall aim of insulation coordination is to reduce to an economically and operationally acceptable
level the cost and disturbance caused by insulation failure. In insulation coordination method, the
insulation of the various parts of the system must be so graded that flash over if occurs it must be at
intended points.
For proper understanding the insulation coordination we have to understand first, some basic
terminologies of the electrical power system. Let us have a discussion.

Nominal System Voltage

Nominal System Voltage is the phase to phase voltage of the system for which the system is normally
designed. Such as 11 KV, 33 KV, 132 KV, 220 KV, 400 KV systems.

Maximum System Voltage

Maximum System Voltage is the maximum allowable power frequency voltage which can occur for long
hours during no load or low load condition of the power system. It is also measured in phase to phase
manner.
List of different nominal system voltage and their corresponding maximum system voltage is given
below for reference,

Nominal System Voltage in KV 11 33 66 132 220 400

Maximum System Voltage in KV 12 36 72.5 145 245 420

NB – It is observed from above table that generally maximum system voltage is 110 % of corresponding
nominal system voltage up to voltage level of 220 KV, and for 400 KV and above it is 105 %.
Factor of Earthing

This is the ratio of the highest rms phase to earth power frequency voltage on a sound phase during an
earth fault to the rms phase to phase power frequency voltage which would be obtained at the
selected location without the fault.
This ratio characterizes, in general terms, the earthing conditions of a system as viewed from the
selected fault location.

Effectively Earthed System

A system is said to be effectively earthed if the factor of earthing does not exceed 80 % and non-
effectively earthed if it does.
Factor of earthing is 100 % for an isolated neutral system, while it is 57.7 % (1/√3 = 0.577) for solidly
earthed system.

Insulation Level

Every electrical equipment has to undergo different abnormal transient over voltage situation in
different times during its total service life period. The equipment may have to withstand lightning
impulses, switching impulses and/or short duration power frequency over voltages. Depending upon
the maximum level of impulse voltages and short duration power frequency over voltages that one
power system component can withstand, the insulation level of high voltage power system is
determined.
In determining the insulation level of the system rated less than 300 KV, the lightning impulse withstand
voltage and short duration power frequency withstand voltage are considered. For equipment rated
more or equal 300 KV, switching impulse withstand voltage and short duration power frequency
withstand voltage are considered.

Lightning Impulse Voltage

The system disturbances occur due to natural lightning, can be represented by three different basic wave
shapes. If a lightning impulse voltage travels some distance along the transmission line before it reaches
to an insulator its wave shaped approaches to full wave, and this wave is referred as 1.2/50 wave. If
during travelling, the lightning disturbance wave causes flash over across an insulator the shape of the
wave becomes chopped wave. If a lightning stroke hits directly on the insulator then the lightning
impulse voltage may rise steep until it is relieved by flash over, causing sudden, very steep collapse in
voltage. These three waves are quite different in duration and in shapes.

Switching Impulse

During switching operation there may be uni-polar voltage appears in the system. The wave form of
which may be periodically damped or an oscillating one. Switching impulse wave form has steep front
and long damped oscillating tale.

Short Duration Power Frequency Withstand Voltage

Short duration power frequency withstand voltage is the prescribed rms value of sinusoidal power
frequency voltage that the electrical equipment shall withstand for a specific period of time normally 60
seconds.
Protection Level Voltage of Protective Device

Over voltage protective device like surge arrestors or lightning arrestors are designed to withstand a
certain level of transient over voltage beyond which the devices drain the surge energy to the ground
and therefore maintain the level of transient over voltage up to a specific level. Thus transient over
voltage cannot exceed that level. The protection level of over voltage protective device is the highest
peak voltage value which should not be exceeded at the terminals of over voltage protective device
when switching impulses and lightening impulses are applied.

Below are the insulation coordination methods

1. Using Shield Wire or Earth Wire

Lightning surge in overhead transmission line may be caused due to direct hits of lightening strokes. It
can be protected by providing a shield wire or earth wire at a suitable height from the top conductor of
transmission line. If the conducting shield wire is properly connected to transmission tower body and the
tower is properly earthed then direct lightning strokes can be avoided from all the conductors come
under the protective angle of earth wire. Overhead earth wire or ground wire or shield wire is also used
to over the electrical substation to protect different electrical equipment from lightning strokes.

2. Conventional Method of Insulation Coordination

As we discussed above that a component of electrical power system may suffer from different level of
transient voltage stresses, switching impulse voltage and lightning impulse voltage. The maximum
amplitude of transient over voltages reach the components, can be limited by using protecting device
like lightning arrestors in the system. If we maintain the insulation level of the entire power system
component above the protection level of protective device, then ideally there will be no chance of
breakdown of insulation of any component. Since the transient over voltage reaches at the insulation
after crossing the surge protective devices will have amplitude equals to protection level voltage and
protection level voltage impulse insulation level of the components.
Generally, the impulse insulation level is established at 15 to 25 % above the protective level voltage of
protective devices.

3. Statistical Methods of Insulation Coordination

At higher transmission voltages, the length of the insulator strings and the clearance in air do not
increase linearly with voltage but approximately to V1.6. The required number of insulator disc in
suspension string for different over voltages is shown below. It is seen that increase in the number of
disc is only slight for 220 KV system, with the increase in the over voltage factor from 2 to 3.5 but that
there is a rapid increase in the 750 kV system. Thus, while it may be economically feasible to protect the
lower voltage lines up to an over voltage factor of 3.5(say), it is definitely not economically feasible to
have an over voltage factor of more than about 2 to 2.5 on the higher voltage lines. In the higher voltage
systems, it is the switching over voltages that is predominant. However, these may be controlled by
proper design of switching devices.