Effect of conductor high-temperature on porcelain suspension insulators

Porcelain insulators designed in the day of 75°C line thermal limits remain in service as the thermal ratings are increased. The new class of high-temperature conductor is also insulated using traditional porcelain suspension insulators. In 1999, Southern Company contracted with NEETRAC to run a series of experiments on fittings including porcelain insulators. Results indicate that porcelain insulators are thermally isolated from the extreme conductor temperatures, and are unlikely to degrade with line temperatures up to 250°C.