%0 Journal Article %1 papailiou1999composite %A Papailiou, K. O. %D 1999 %K Composite Insulator %T COMPOSITE INSULATORS ARE GAINING GROUND 25 YEARS OF SWISS EXPERIENCE %X This paper presents the newest applications of sillcone composite insulators such insulators which are finding increasing use not only in Switzerland, but also in the power industry worldwide. These applications include interesting designs for railway overhead lines, medium voltage lines, and 400 kV high voltage overhead transmission lines. Moreover, solutions are presented for high-voltage outdoor equipment, which have recently been conceived and manufactured with housings made of silicone hollow core composite insulators and 400 kV compact lines. The concept of the composite insulator was actually developed in the USA around 1948. This technology was not really taken seriously until the seventies, when great advantages were achieved in fibreglass-reinforced materials, which form the load-bearing core of the composite insulators and in the polymers of which the weathersheds are made. The superior insulation behaviour of the silicone in the presence of pollution I and the insensitivity of the composite insulators to breakage when subjected to impact loads during operation, have made a particular contribution to the wide acceptance composite insulators ha~e gained. It was these factors that enabled the initial hesitance of many users to be rapidly overcome. As far as can be reconstructed, the first composite insulators manufactured in Switzerland around 1970 were hollow core insulators with a silicone weathershed and were used as housings for cable terminations. A short time later these were followed by solid core composite insulators based on the same concept, which were used as line post insulators in the newlydeveloped catenary support structures in the Ultschberg railway tunnel. It wasn't long until further applications appeared. Some of these were, for example, long-rod composite insulators for overhead lines up to the highest voltage levels and interphase spacers, primarily on medium voltage lines. Hollow core insulators for current and voltage transformers as well as for bushings and test capacitors were also realized in this period, albeit in modest quantities. At the beginning of the nineties the composite insulator industry experienced a "quantum leap". Positive long-term service experience, well supported and widely distributed research results, well-founded standardization efforts, a favourable trend in the material prices, but also the closing down of local facilities for the production of porcelain insulators were the main contributors to this development. These events led to the fact that today in this area, there is an innovative, upcoming and internationally successful industry in Switzerland, making considerable investments in order to be able to play a major role in the expanding composite insulator business worldwide.

@article{papailiou1999composite, abstract = {This paper presents the newest applications of sillcone composite insulators such insulators which are finding increasing use not only in Switzerland, but also in the power industry worldwide. These applications include interesting designs for railway overhead lines, medium voltage lines, and 400 kV high voltage overhead transmission lines. Moreover, solutions are presented for high-voltage outdoor equipment, which have recently been conceived and manufactured with housings made of silicone hollow core composite insulators and 400 kV compact lines. The concept of the composite insulator was actually developed in the USA around 1948. This technology was not really taken seriously until the seventies, when great advantages were achieved in fibreglass-reinforced materials, which form the load-bearing core of the composite insulators and in the polymers of which the weathersheds are made. The superior insulation behaviour of the silicone in the presence of pollution [I] and the insensitivity of the composite insulators to breakage when subjected to impact loads during operation, have made a particular contribution to the wide acceptance composite insulators ha~e gained. It was these factors that enabled the initial hesitance of many users to be rapidly overcome. As far as can be reconstructed, the first composite insulators manufactured in Switzerland around 1970 were hollow core insulators with a silicone weathershed and were used as housings for cable terminations. A short time later these were followed by solid core composite insulators based on the same concept, which were used as line post insulators in the newlydeveloped catenary support structures in the Ultschberg railway tunnel. It wasn't long until further applications appeared. Some of these were, for example, long-rod composite insulators for overhead lines up to the highest voltage levels and interphase spacers, primarily on medium voltage lines. Hollow core insulators for current and voltage transformers as well as for bushings and test capacitors were also realized in this period, albeit in modest quantities. At the beginning of the nineties the composite insulator industry experienced a "quantum leap". Positive long-term service experience, well supported and widely distributed research results, well-founded standardization efforts, a favourable trend in the material prices, but also the closing down of local facilities for the production of porcelain insulators were the main contributors to this development. These events led to the fact that today in this area, there is an innovative, upcoming and internationally successful industry in Switzerland, making considerable investments in order to be able to play a major role in the expanding composite insulator business worldwide.}, added-at = {2021-03-23T23:26:03.000+0100}, author = {Papailiou, K. O.}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/22f708351a132e9af18f07cda0ca4ed81/ceps}, interhash = {675f352bdbdf79b6364d102d2d2a87a8}, intrahash = {2f708351a132e9af18f07cda0ca4ed81}, keywords = {Composite Insulator}, timestamp = {2023-12-21T08:22:49.000+0100}, title = {COMPOSITE INSULATORS ARE GAINING GROUND 25 YEARS OF SWISS EXPERIENCE}, year = 1999 }