Development and application experience with composite insulators for overhead lines

Traditional overhead line suspension and tension insulators in porcelain or glass have given many years of generally satisfactory service and will undoubtedly continue to do so. However, over the last 25 years or so there has been a increasing use of alternative insulators largely based on a fibre glass core for mechanical strength inside a rubber housing with sheds for electrical performance i.e. composite insulators. Here, the author describes these developments and gives examples of their application, along with the experiences gained