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Going Full Circle – Why Porcelain Insulators are Making a Comeback in Asia
Hello and thanks for joining. Today we are covering an interesting topic called RTV coated porcelain long rod insulators used in marine desert environments.
Porcelain long rod insulators were widely used in transmission lines for decades, but when composite insulators rose in popularity in the early 2000s, some utilities chose to switch due to the superior pollution performance offered by those insulators hydrophobic surfaces.
Unlike glass and porcelain, which are hydrophilic in nature and prone to contamination that results in the conductivity, silicon surface of composite insulators encapsulate pollution and that prevents conductivity under wet conditions.
One region that switched over to composite insulators is a country in West Asia that has more than 3,000 kilometers of coastline.
The salt fog contamination coming from the sea combined with humid daytime conditions are a significant insulation challenge.
The humidity causes moisture to accumulate on the surface of the insulator, forming a conductivity and a conductive layer of any existing kind of contamination.
For this reason, the country decided to switch to composite insulators, as they felt the pollution performance would greatly improve.
Unfortunately, at the time, because composite insulators were such a new product, its aging behavior under extreme conditions was not fully studied.
Along with this, Composite insulator testing is mainly based on European conditions, which do not account for the harsh solar radiation experienced in countries, for example, the Middle East.
Composites are especially vulnerable to solar radiation, and that could cause immediate degradation of the compound.
Within 15 years, the country began to experience issues with composite insulator failures. And now they've decided to switch back, specifying that only porcelain long run insulators should be used in any place close to 100 kilometers to the sea.
Thankfully, those solutions can be retrofitted into existing installations due to its design advantages.
The decision to switch back to porcelain was also supported by the widespread availability of RTV coatings, which at that time originally were not fully available.
Today, there is a big service experience with RTV coatings in surrounding countries like Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, where for 15 years excellent pollution performance was experienced.
RTV at that time was a relatively new product. Today it is mainly used in those countries experiencing contamination issues on porcelain or glass surfaces and is a big countermeasure to help any kind of pollution issues.
There are other countries in the region that are facing similar issues and are in the verge of deciding to also switch back to porcelain insulators.
In case you are concerned about this issue or have an issue with your existing installation, please reach out to any of your ITG experts around you.
We'll be happy to help you. Thanks a lot for joining. Have a good day.
Porcelain long rod insulators were widely used in transmission lines for decades, but when composite insulators rose in popularity in the early 2000s, some utilities chose to switch due to the superior pollution performance offered by those insulators hydrophobic surfaces.
Unlike glass and porcelain, which are hydrophilic in nature and prone to contamination that results in the conductivity, silicon surface of composite insulators encapsulate pollution and that prevents conductivity under wet conditions.
One region that switched over to composite insulators is a country in West Asia that has more than 3,000 kilometers of coastline.
The salt fog contamination coming from the sea combined with humid daytime conditions are a significant insulation challenge.
The humidity causes moisture to accumulate on the surface of the insulator, forming a conductivity and a conductive layer of any existing kind of contamination.
For this reason, the country decided to switch to composite insulators, as they felt the pollution performance would greatly improve.
Unfortunately, at the time, because composite insulators were such a new product, its aging behavior under extreme conditions was not fully studied.
Along with this, Composite insulator testing is mainly based on European conditions, which do not account for the harsh solar radiation experienced in countries, for example, the Middle East.
Composites are especially vulnerable to solar radiation, and that could cause immediate degradation of the compound.
Within 15 years, the country began to experience issues with composite insulator failures. And now they've decided to switch back, specifying that only porcelain long run insulators should be used in any place close to 100 kilometers to the sea.
Thankfully, those solutions can be retrofitted into existing installations due to its design advantages.
The decision to switch back to porcelain was also supported by the widespread availability of RTV coatings, which at that time originally were not fully available.
Today, there is a big service experience with RTV coatings in surrounding countries like Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, where for 15 years excellent pollution performance was experienced.
RTV at that time was a relatively new product. Today it is mainly used in those countries experiencing contamination issues on porcelain or glass surfaces and is a big countermeasure to help any kind of pollution issues.
There are other countries in the region that are facing similar issues and are in the verge of deciding to also switch back to porcelain insulators.
In case you are concerned about this issue or have an issue with your existing installation, please reach out to any of your ITG experts around you.
We'll be happy to help you. Thanks a lot for joining. Have a good day.
Background
For decades, porcelain long rods were the first choice in transmission line insulation. In the early 2000s, however, composite insulators gained popularity due to their superior pollution performance, particularly their hydrophobic silicone surfaces, which resist moisture and prevent conductivity in humid, polluted environments.
In this video, ITG’s Expert Contributor Thomas Zembsch explores why some countries chose to switch to composite insulators and the subsequent fallout of this choice, which only came to light after 15 years.
Finally, Thomas explains why countries across Asia are now making the move back to porcelain long rods, and how they are benefitting from enhanced pollution performance.
