Development of a new polymer concrete insulator for distribution applications

This paper deals with the development and testing of a new post insulator design utilizing polymer concrete as the dielectric material. The basic dielectric and mechanical properties of the polymer concrete composite material are critically discussed in the context of the philosophy of design adopted for this insulator. Mechanical and electrical test data obtained from studies carried out on several insulators of this type at both Pennsylvania Power & Light Company and at the Institut de recherche d´Hydro Quebec (IREQ) are presented and discussed together with computer-aided analytical studies utilized for guiding the design. The potential for polymer concrete insulating systems in the electric power industry is briefly touched upon.