The production of electricity is a complex technological process. The essence of this technology is to convert one type of energy into another. So, at thermal stations, water or steam heated to a certain temperature rotates the turbine of the generator, as a result of which an electric current is produced. But to produce energy is still not enough. It is necessary to deliver it to the end user. For this purpose, power lines are used - power lines. An important role in the construction of elements is played by supporting insulators. In simpler terms, their task is to separate the current carrying wire and the support.
Hanging and supporting insulators are used to isolate them from each other. The design of the product is chosen depending on the line capacity. Only overhead variants are used for overhead power lines with a capacity of 110 kV and higher. 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 large loads of tension and compression. However, when bending, their strength is not enough.
Overhead power lines with a power of 35 kV and below may be used as support insulators. They can always be seen on wooden and reinforced concrete pillars. According to the current norms and rules, the distribution of electricity for specific consumers is carried out using power transmission lines with a capacity of 0.4 kV. In Russia, in the Soviet Union and today in the Russian Federation, this standard acts unchanged. In the usual outlet, which is in each apartment, the voltage of the network is 220 V. Under this indicator, all household appliances and a significant part of industrial equipment are calculated.
By its design, the supporting insulators are more convenient to use than pendant insulators. However, at high voltages their technical characteristics do not provide the necessary parameters. This has already been discussed above. In order to achieve the relevant qualities, systematic work is underway to create new materials and a more advanced insulator configuration. In this context, it is important to note that it must reliably perform its functions under all specified operating conditions. It means that if there is high humidity, there is no short circuit of the line to the "ground".
At present, polymer materials are used for the manufacture of insulators . Compared with the traditional - glass and porcelain - they have higher technological and design parameters. Due to this, the cost of products decreased and their technical characteristics increased. At present, when designing a 110 kV transmission line, you can do a comparative analysis to determine which insulators are more profitable to use. It should also be noted that the development of the design requires a great deal of time and resources. Each new sample must be tested in real operating conditions.