Winter can stress the strength and integrity of each component in an electrical system, especially insulators. Glass insulators are a preference because of their unique characteristics, but how do they perform in extreme winter conditions? Below are responses to common questions about the strength and efficiency of glass insulators in winter.

Winter can stress the strength and integrity of each component in an electrical system, especially insulators. Glass insulators are a preference because of their unique characteristics, but how do they perform in extreme winter conditions? Below are responses to common questions about the strength and efficiency of glass insulators in winter.

What Makes Glass Insulators Strong in Winter?

Glass insulators are designed to operate under severe environmental conditions, such as ice, snow, and frozen rain. Their smooth surface is resistant to ice formation, and thus, they remain capable of performing their insulation function even at sub-freezing temperatures. That is why they are most suitable for high-voltage transmission lines and other safety-critical electrical applications.

Do Glass Insulators Prevent Short Circuits During Winter Storms?

Glass insulators perform exceptionally well in suppressing short circuits under challenging conditions. Blizzards can drop contaminants such as salt, factory dust, or particulates, or chemicals onto electric systems that act as conductivity pathways for electricity, causing faults. Glass insulators are a superior technology for shedding these contaminants away from electrical faults.

Are Glass Insulators able to resist Large Ice or Wind Loads?

Yes, glass insulators are made with superior mechanical strength, allowing them to withstand the weight of power cables when subjected to added stress due to heavy ice or strong winds. Their durability enables them to withstand mechanical loads without breaking, even under severe winter weather conditions.

How Do Glass Insulators Compare to Polymer or Porcelain during Winter?

Polymer insulators are lightweight, while porcelain insulators are known for their long-lasting properties. Glass insulators, on the other hand, offer special advantages in terms of mechanical strength, dielectric properties, and longevity. Glass insulators resist surface degradation over time and are therefore more suitable in environments with high contamination or rigorous winter conditions. Furthermore, semi-conducted glaze glass insulators are specially designed for improved performance in salt spray, crop dust, or industrial pollution conditions common in the winter season.

Do Glass Insulators Have a Long Service Life?

Glass insulators are extremely durable. They retain their mechanical and electrical performance for decades, even under the harshest environmental conditions. It is this durability that makes them an economic solution for power systems that need constant maintenance throughout the year.

Why Are Glass Insulators Suitable for High Voltage Systems During Winter?

Glass insulators have greater dielectric strength, or the ability to withstand high voltage without allowing electricity to flow through any route other than the intended one. It is crucial during winter when power demand is higher and lines are put under greater stress. Being capable of continuous service under high voltage translates to uninterrupted service.

Where Are Glass Insulators Used During Winter?

Glass insulators have better dielectric strength, meaning they can carry high voltages without allowing electricity to flow in undesired paths. This is particularly necessary in winter, when the electrical load is higher and the power transmission lines are under more stress. Their efficiency at high voltage facilitates the smooth supply of service. Their flexibility and reliability make them a first selection for mission-critical applications.

Why Select Newell for Glass Insulators

Newell is committed to manufacturing and maintaining premium glass insulators that resist the toughest environmental conditions. One of the few companies to offer semi-conducted glaze glass insulators, Newell offers quick delivery with reduced lead times, even in winter emergencies. Our ISO 9001 certification ensures the highest quality and performance within the industry.

Ready to Winterize Your Electrical System?

Whether you are looking for winterproof glass insulators or another product, Newell has your requirements covered. Discover more today by calling our experts to discuss high-performance glass insulators that keep power systems up and running throughout the year.

Winter storm season comes at a critical time for powering a reliable electrical grid, especially in coastal areas where salt air, high humidity, and strong winds can create unique challenges. Semi-conductive glaze insulators represent a new generation concept to protect power infrastructure in the harshest of environments. Let us explore the unrivaled strength and performance these custom-built insulators offer, providing for the safety and reliability of electrical systems.

Winter storm season comes at a critical time for powering a reliable electrical grid, especially in coastal areas where salt air, high humidity, and strong winds can create unique challenges. Semi-conductive glaze insulators represent a new generation concept to protect power infrastructure in the harshest of environments. Let us explore the unrivaled strength and performance these custom-built insulators offer, providing for the safety and reliability of electrical systems.

Engineered for Contaminated Environments

Coastal sites may be more prone to contamination due to high levels of sea salt, fog, and pollution from industry. Under these conditions, traditional insulators are more likely to break down due to leakage currents caused by conducting particles. Semi-conductive glaze insulators are manufactured with additional dopants, such as tin oxide and antimony oxide, to make them more impervious to environmental contaminants. This glaze minimizes the risk of flashover and provides superior performance in high-salinity and particulate-laden environments.

Unmatched Performance in Winter Storms

Winter storms also come with their own distinct risks, including potential icing and snow bridging that could disrupt electrical systems. Semi-conductive glaze insulators address these challenges. Thanks to their advanced surface treatments, controlled leakage current prevents the formation of ice plugs and guarantees performance in extreme weather conditions.

Specific Benefits:

• Anti-Icing Properties: Prevents the formation of thick ice layers.
• Snow Bridging Prevention: Prevents electrical shorts from occurring due to snow packing.

Tested to the Highest Standards

Reliability is critical for utility deployments. Newell’s semi-conductive glaze insulators are thoroughly tested to meet or exceed ANSI, IEC, and IEEE standards. Artificial pollution testing has shown the ability to withstand extreme salinity environments, outperforming standard insulating glaze & silicone-coated substitutes.

• Salinity resistance of up to 224 kg/m³ in artificial pollution tests.
• 100% Solid Core provides superior mechanical strength.

These tests prove their capability to operate without failure in the most adverse operational environments.

Rapid Availability for Critical Needs

One of Newell’s market-leading advantages is its fully stocked Distribution Center for fast deliveries. Coastal areas are prone to rapidly changing weather, so do not waste a single moment. Newell is stocked and ready for customer needs, so purchasing managers and procurement specialists won’t have to worry about delays in insulator shipments.

Versatile Solutions for Diverse Applications

Semi-conductive glaze insulators cover a wide range of applications, including:

• Substations: Maintaining station post and line post reliability in coastal substations.
• Industrial and Agricultural Zones: Handling pollution from crops, dust, and chemicals.

With vertical, horizontal, and underhung installation options, Newell’s insulators meet various environmental demands.

Why Choose Newell for Semi-Conductive Glaze Insulators?

Newell differentiatesitself  from competitors with its dedication to performance, innovation, and customer service:

• Achieved Results / Professional Experience: Proven track record, actual field experience spanning years.
• Comprehensive Quality System: Guarantees product consistency far surpassing industry performance.
• US-Based Inventory: Multiple warehouse locations for fast delivery.

Prepare Your Electrical Systems Today

Winter storms don’t get a day off, and neither do you. Protect your electrical infrastructure with Newell’s semi-conductive glaze insulators as the preferred choice for contaminated and coastal applications. Contact us now to find out more about our comprehensive product portfolio and find the perfect solution for you.

Don’t get caught with your utility in the dark when the storm hits – count on Newell for the ultimate in dependability and performance.

Insulator reliability and lifespan are critical for high-voltage power systems in freezing weather conditions. Semi-conductive glaze Insulators are designed to meet extreme cold climate conditions with ice, ensuring effective performance and long-term stability even under adverse weather conditions. They have proven themselves worthy for over 50 years of service in industry and utility environments where freezing conditions and contamination exist as actual realities. So, what distinguishes Semi-Conductive Glaze Insulators as especially valuable under these circumstances? Let’s find out the topmost reasons.

Insulator reliability and lifespan are critical for high-voltage power systems in freezing weather conditions. Semi-conductive glaze Insulators are designed to meet extreme cold climate conditions with ice, ensuring effective performance and long-term stability even under adverse weather conditions. They have proven themselves worthy for over 50 years of service in industry and utility environments where freezing conditions and contamination exist as actual realities. So, what distinguishes Semi-Conductive Glaze Insulators as especially valuable under these circumstances? Let’s find out the topmost reasons.

Resilience Against Ice Accretion

Under cold temperatures, ice quickly forms on insulators, leading to ice accretion. This impairs their operation by creating a water film, which enhances electric stress. However, Semi-Conductive Glaze Insulators have overcome this issue. Dopants like Tin and Antimony transform the unique glaze into a semi-conductive surface that inhibits static charges from accumulating. Thus, ice formation and electric stress is reduced. Field testing at sub-freezing temperatures showed that semi-conductive glaze insulators consistently outperformed the performance of standard insulating glaze and silicone-coated insulators.

Designed for Contaminated Environments

Colder climates generally accompany other environmental issues, such as sea salt contamination, industrial facilities, or even agricultural practices. Semi-conductive glaze insulators have been designed to endure all these polluted environments. These insulators demonstrate maximum performance when exposed to salt spray, industrial fog, or urban pollution. Pollution tests following IEC 60507 standards demonstrated that Newell’s Semi-Conductive Glaze units are resistant to salinity; this, in turn, reduces the probability of failure through contamination and ice formation.

Proven Field Experience and Standards Compliance

Semi-conductive glaze insulators have been employed in the industry for over 50 years with a near-error-free record of field performance. They are superior or equal to the ANSI, IEC, and IEEE standards, guaranteeing that they are extensively tested for harsh environments. Each unit is extensively tested to ensure leakage current levels and resistive performance to ensure that it can withstand the highest degree of pollution and ice accretion.

Short Lead Times and Ready-to-Ship Inventory

At Newell, one of our greatest advantages over our competitors is that we can stock and ship insulators quickly, with short lead times. To procurement managers and purchasing specialists, such reliability may be a key difference, especially in some markets where unpredictable weather and supply chains can delay schedules. Our deep inventory of high-voltage insulators in our Locust Grove, Georgia Distribution Center allows us to meet the demand for them on time. This is a tremendous asset when fulfilling emergency installation or replacement orders in cold environments.

Equip Your Systems for the Cold with Newell’s Semi-Conductive Glaze Insulators

When you require reliable, long-term insulators that easily handle freezing temperatures and dirty environments, turn to Newell’s Semi-Conductive Glaze Insulators. Our company delivers reliable high-voltage insulator solutions while providing quick lead times with over 35 years of operational success. Connect with us now to learn about how our insulators protect your system operation at all temperatures.

When you think of the critical components of an electrical substation, transformers, circuit breakers, and switches might come to mind. However, one key element often overlooked is the station post insulator. These unsung heroes ensure the safety and reliability of the entire system by insulating high-voltage components and supporting mechanical loads. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the importance of station post insulators, explore the various types available, and discuss how they’re tailored for different operational conditions in industrial and utility applications.

When you think of the critical components of an electrical substation, transformers, circuit breakers, and switches might come to mind. However, one key element often overlooked is the station post insulator. These unsung heroes ensure the safety and reliability of the entire system by insulating high-voltage components and supporting mechanical loads. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the importance of station post insulators, explore the various types available, and discuss how they’re tailored for different operational conditions in industrial and utility applications.

What Are Station Post Insulators?

Station post insulators are essential components used to mechanically support and electrically isolate other equipment in substations. Typically made of porcelain and covered with a protective glaze, these insulators are designed to withstand high voltages while preventing electrical currents from flowing to unwanted parts of the substation. Their primary function is to maintain the structural integrity and safety of the substation, even under severe stress or environmental conditions. The glaze used on these insulators also resists the accumulation of contaminants, allowing for easy cleaning through rain or artificial methods.

How Station Post Insulators Ensure Substation Safety and Efficiency

One of the primary roles of station post insulators is to prevent electrical currents from short-circuiting or grounding in areas where they shouldn’t. Substations are complex environments with numerous high-voltage components. Electrical currents could flow along unintended paths without proper insulation, causing system malfunctions, potential hazards, or equipment failures. The insulators keep everything running smoothly, ensuring electrical systems operate efficiently and safely.

Station post insulators must endure mechanical stress in addition to electrical isolation. They support the weight of electrical components while withstanding environmental factors such as wind, earthquakes, and temperature fluctuations. This dual functionality makes them indispensable in any substation setup.

Different Types of Station Post Insulators and Their Applications

Several types of station post insulators are suited for specific substation needs. Here’s a breakdown of the most common types:

1. Non-Stacking Units: These are single-piece insulators that don’t require stacking, making them ideal for lower-voltage applications. Their typical sizes range from TR202 to TR295. They are often used in smaller substations where voltage requirements are lower and complex support structures are less needed.
2. Uniform Diameter Stacks: Uniform diameter stacks are commonly used for higher voltage applications. These insulators have a consistent diameter throughout their length and are stacked to achieve the required insulation level. Sizes for these insulators typically range from TR304 and above. They’re perfect for larger substations where high-voltage insulation is crucial.
3. Tapered Stacks: Tapered stack insulators save weight and cost while still providing adequate insulation. These stacks comprise posts with varying diameters, offering identical electrical and cantilever ratings as their uniform diameter counterparts but lower tension and torsion ratings. This makes them an economical option without compromising performance in many applications.
4. Cap-Pin Replacement: Traditional cap-and-pin insulators have design flaws that make them more susceptible to failure than modern station post insulators. As a result, cap-pin replacement units are often used to retrofit older substations with more reliable station posts. This helps improve overall system reliability and reduces the risk of outages.
5. High-Leak Units: In polluted environments, such as industrial areas or coastal regions, insulators are exposed to contaminants like salt spray or chemical particles. High-leakage station post insulators have extended leakage distances achieved through more or larger shed profiles, improving performance and reducing the likelihood of flashovers in these harsh environments.

Tailoring Station Post Insulators to Operational Conditions

Not all substations are the same, and neither are their insulation needs. Depending on the environment, station post insulators are tailored to meet specific electrical and mechanical requirements. For instance, high-leak units with larger shed profiles are used in areas prone to pollution. In coastal regions, insulators with semi-conducting glaze may be necessary to resist the effects of salt spray and airborne particles. These premium insulators are designed for use in contaminated environments, making them invaluable in specific locations.

Additionally, insulators’ strength, material composition, and shed design can be customized to meet the demands of different operational conditions. This ensures that whether a substation is located in an industrial zone, rural farmland, or near the coast, there is an insulator that fits the bill.

Choosing the Right Insulator for Your Needs

Understanding the role of station post insulators in a substation’s operation is crucial to maintaining safety and efficiency. Whether you’re looking for a non-stacking unit for a low-voltage application or a high-leak unit for a coastal substation, Newell’s wide range of insulators is stocked and ready to ship, minimizing lead times and ensuring your projects stay on track. As a trusted provider of high-quality insulators, Newell offers tailored solutions to meet the most demanding electrical and mechanical requirements.

Do you need help selecting the right insulator for your project? Contact Newell today to learn how we can support your substation needs.

Wind-powered offshore electricity is becoming an essential source of renewable energy for millions of homes. However, transmitting this energy to the onshore grid presents a unique set of challenges due to the harsh marine environment. To overcome these hurdles, high-voltage insulators, specifically engineered for offshore conditions, play a critical role in ensuring reliable and uninterrupted energy transmission. These advanced solutions are helping to support and strengthen the next generation of offshore wind infrastructure.

Wind-powered offshore electricity is becoming an essential source of renewable energy for millions of homes. However, transmitting this energy to the onshore grid presents a unique set of challenges due to the harsh marine environment. To overcome these hurdles, high-voltage insulators, specifically engineered for offshore conditions, play a critical role in ensuring reliable and uninterrupted energy transmission. These advanced solutions are helping to support and strengthen the next generation of offshore wind infrastructure.

Tackling Contaminated Environments with Advanced Materials

Adverse to the marine environment, power transmission equipment must contend with the internal limitations of salt fogs and sea mist, which can conduct high currents and lead to short-circuiting in normal insulators. Semi-conductive glaze insulators by Newell are specifically designed for such an environment. With the use of advanced dopants like those of tin and antimony, the glaze converts itself from an insulating to a semi-conductive property, thereby minimizing leakage currents of any kind and performing with operational stability. These insulators meet artificial pollution tests as defined by IEC and perform better than conventional insulators at salinities up to 224 kg/m³. High-voltage insulators protect against clean contamination failure for faultless operation at offshore wind farms.

Solid Core Construction to Counteract Adverse Weather

Harsh weather conditions, such as icing, snow bridging, or gusts, are the usual conditions offshore. Insulation material, therefore, used in such weather conditions needs to have superiority in resilience. All this has led to cutting-edge technology where Newell’s solid core construction eliminates all the limitations of hollow-core designs and offers unparalleled mechanical strength and reliability.

Built with durability in mind, these insulators are engineered to endure substantial mechanical stress while withstanding the corrosive effects of the offshore environment. This resilience translates to fewer maintenance demands and less unplanned downtime—key advantages for operators managing remote wind installations.

Enhanced Performance in High-Voltage Applications

High voltage transmission requires insulators that are capable of withstanding gargantuan electrical stresses without a compromise to either the safety or the efficiency of operations conducted. Newell insulators are tested to meet even the most demanding standards of ANSI, IEC, and IEEE specifications. Accordingly, for instance, semiconductive glaze systems undergo 100 percent leakage current testing, thereby ensuring ultimate performance when used at high voltages.

Maintaining the necessary level of capacitance and reducing resistive leakage enables efficient energy transfer occurring from the turbines to the onshore grid, and therefore reduces energy losses while delivering maximum output.

Short Lead Times to Enable Significant Infrastructure Projects

One of the best advantages that Newell offers is its commitment to holding a robust supply of high-voltage insulators in stock. Unlike its rivals, a hands-on stock indicates insulators are almost always available for shipment. For offshore wind farm developers, this equates to shorter program durations and lower incurred costs related to delays.

Newell’s quick response to the market assures that it is a dependable ally in this speed-of-light system of renewable power, whether utilities, contractors, or distributors are being supplied.

Proven Reliability Backed by Decades of Expertise

With years of experience, Newell’s semiconductive glaze technology has been demonstrated to be nearly flawless. These extensive years of experience, coupled with stringent quality control of insulators, ensure all insulators are being produced to the highest standards of reliability and endurance.

Newell’s insulators undergo performance testing under the most extreme conditions through ANSI/IEEE tests and artificial pollution testing. Consequently, they become a necessity in offshore wind farm power transmission.

A Commitment to American Manufacturing and Support

With an extensive network of warehouses across the U.S. and strategic international partnerships, Newell is well-positioned to meet the high-voltage insulator demands of its global customer base. Backed by a skilled and experienced team, the company is known for delivering industry-leading lead times and has become a trusted partner for renewable energy projects nationwide.

Its strong local presence also ensures full compliance with U.S. standards and enables fast, dependable customer service.

Partner with Newell for Offshore Wind Power Reliability

High-voltage insulators are not merely components but the structural framework of any serious offshore wind power transmission project. With the latest materials and innovative ideas in design, and with proven commitment to the highest quality and punctual deliveries, Newell’s insulators are the best of the best in the industry and the ideal choice. Whether you’re a utility manager, contractor, or procurement specialist, Newell offers comprehensive solutions essential to maintaining reliable power delivery.

Are you ready to take your renewable energy projects to a whole new level? Get in touch with Newell for more information about our high-voltage insulator solutions!