Epsilon E-Insulation Sleeves & Insulating Tape
Mitigating risks caused by:
Inadequate Conductor Clearance
Flora, Fauna and Kite-induced Electrical Tripping
Contents
■ The Challenges
■ A Two-Component Solution
■ Installation Procedure
■ Lab and Field Experience
■ Clearance Requirements
■ FAQ
■ Other Transmission Network Solutions
THE CHALLENGES…
Inadequate Conductor
Clearance
■ Various Standards specify Minimum Electrical
Clearance (MEC)
■ Often uncontrollable infringement by trees, third
party conductors & structures, sag, etc. cause MEC
violations
■ No known insulating material applied in-situ on OH
HV/EHV conductors can viably provide full
insulation, but partial insulation is possible
Animal Induced
Outages
■
Monkeys, reptiles and large
birds often cause phase-tophase and phase-to-ground
failures
■
Along with threat to animals
and birds, this causes severe
disruption in power
transmission and distribution
Kite-String Induced
Outages
■
Kite Strings are often metallic
and very good conductors
■
Kite flying is deeply ingrained
into Indian culture and kiteflying laws are rarely a
deterrent
■
Independence Day, Makar
Sankranti, and various other
festivals are celebrated with
kite flying across India
■
Line trippings spike during
these festivals
A TWO-COMPONENT SOLUTION
A TWO-Component Solution
E-INS Insulation Sleeve reinforced with
E-FTP Self-Fusing Tape
(1) “SplitSeam” E-INS
Sleeve applied
in-situ on
conductor
(2) One or
more layers of
E-FTP on top
of E-INS
Sleeve
Additional layers of tape enhance dielectric strength
One to three layers recommended
No need for heat-shrinking, any special tools or waiting
for gumming to dry
First Protection:
E/Insulation Wraparound Sleeve
Flame, Arc, UV & Ozone
Resistant
Multiple Size Options
25-year+ outdoor life
Stable from -20°C to 180°C
Fastest Application time
Split seam permits easy in-situ application
The hose is simply pulled apart allowing it to be quickly slipped
over the cable or bus being protected
No heat shrinking, gumming or specialized tools required
Second Protection:
E-FTP Self-Fusing Tape
762-micron or 2,000-micron thick
tape applied on the sleeve
762 µ tape: 15kV with first wrap
2,000 µ tape: 35kV with first wrap
Addl. Wraps possible
UV-Proof & Weather-proof, Stable
from -20°C to 180°C
Contact Epsilon for tape usage
recommendation and calculation
Multiple Width options:
1” (25.4 mm)*
2.5” (635 mm)*
4” (101.6 mm)
*Recommended tape width for in-situ use.
All rolls are 36 feet (11 meters) long
Sleeve Insulation Checklist
Wash hands before
handling sleeves
Part the pre-slit sleeve and
wrap around bus or
Conductor
For applications above
25kV, one or more layers
of E-FTP Self-Fusing Tape
to be applied ON the
installed sleeve
Ensure there is no dust,
dirt or moisture on the
sleeve before applying
tape
For horizontal installations,
face the slit downwards to
prevent water ingress
Tape Insulation Checklist
Wash hands before
handling tape
Must overlap 100%
at start and end,
extending 3cm on
either side of sleeve
Use a 10% stretch
with a 2/3 overlap
•Second overlap to
be wrapped in
opposite direction
Ensure there is no
dust, dirt or
moisture on the
tape
Press down on the
tape to prevent air
pockets
Tech
Specs
Color: International Grey
Cylindrical polysilox sleeve with split seam for in-situ
installation on conductor of ____ mm
Hardness Shore A: 25-85
Sleeve Durometer ASTM D2240: 65 +/- 5
Sleeve Tensile Strength (psi) ASTM D412: 600
Weather-resilient and UV-resistant from -20°C to 180°C
Chemical Resistance: Excellent
Flame, Arc, UV & Ozone Resistant
Sleeve and Tape
Tape to self-fuse upon auto-contact at ambient temperature
without the use of adhesives, resins or external heating or
cooling
Sleeve/Tape Combo passed Power Frequency Voltage
Withstand Test with one layer of tape at 42 kV r m s and with
three layers of tape at 66 kV r m s
Financials: Total Cost of
Ownership
■ Sleeve Cost distributed over 25 years
■ A single outage prevented usually achieves ‘breakeven/ROI’
■ Shortest Downtime: Fastest application time of any
insulating system
■ Insulation Sleeves are Reusable
LAB AND FIELD EXPERIENCE
Two-Component
Solution Tested
■
Power Frequency Voltage Withstand Test
for E-INS reinforced with ONE layer of EFTP (762 µ) passed at 42 kV r m s
■
Power Frequency Voltage Withstand Test
for E-INS reinforced with THREE layers of
E-FTP (762 µ) passed at 66 kV r m s
Specifically Tested on
Metallic Kite Strings
■
Triple-wound metallic kite
string tested on E-INS sleeve
(without reinforcement with
tape) till 198kV
Insulation Pilot Project
Fatehpur-Mainpuri 400 kV D/C Line, 2016
■ Installed in 2016 as a pilot project
■ Impingement by trees and third-party 132kV
conductor caused frequent tripping
■ Despite heavy rains and high-wind conditions,
installation is successful
POWERGRID
400 kV and 765 kV Lines
Fatehpur-Mainpuri
Bina
Dadri
Bassi
Angul
Subhasgram (Kolkata)
Bihar-Sharif
Navsari
Nasik
Bhachau
Panipat
Jhatikara (Powertel)
Ballabgarh
Bhiwani
Sikar
■ In some cases, Third-party Transmission Lines
reduced available clearance to under 2 meters
■ Summertime clearance is even less due to
conductor sag
■ Epsilon Sleeves and Tapes applied on multiples
sections of lines to considerably decrease risk of
electrical injuries and failures
POWERTEL
■ Specially designed insulation for PGCIL
Powertel with sleeve + 2,000µ tape
■ 2.5x Dielectric Strength compared to
762 µ tape
■ Multiple wraps provide additional
protection
INDIAN RAILWAYS
RAOTI
Clearance is a widespread Challenge for Rail Transport
1500 V to DC to 25kV AC Conversion created Further
challenges
INDIAN RAILWAYS
SADAR BAZAR
■ Inadequate Clearance can prove fatal
Reliance Power TL
Mumbai 220 kV Line
■ History of Kite-string caused outages during the
annual festival of Makar Sankranti
■ Reliance Power used Epsilon E-Insulation for:
– Eliminating Kite-string related failures
– Moral responsibility towards citizen safety
– Reducing Criminal Liability in case of accident
ANRAK Aluminium
Visakhapatnam
■ ANRAK: JV between UAE's Ras Al Khaimah
Investment Authority (RAKIA) & Penna Group
■ Inadequate Clearance. Various options considered
but finally Epsilon E-INS and E-FTP used as the
fastest and most economical method for insulation
Suzlon: Preventing Peacock
Electrocution
Morbi, Gujarat
■ Peacocks unfortunately cause outages
■ Widespread electrocution of revered bird caused
public outrage
■ Similar problems faced with pelicans, flamingos and
other large birds (native and migrating)
■ Two-component solution being installed in photo
BIRD CLAWS WILL NOT
DAMAGE SLEEVES
TAPE CAN BE USED ON
IRREGULAR-SHAPED
JOINTS
Monkey Menace
Area around Parliament attracts
Monkeys
Monkeys cause tripping
Sleeves used by NDMC on
66kV/33kV equipment to
successfully end ‘monkeyoutages’
Coatings on Braided
Conductors?
Perhaps not!
■
Coating is absorbed by
Braided Conductors,
degrading conductor
ampacity (ability to carry
current)
■
Coating thickness is uneven
and usually too low to impart
meaningful dielectric
strength
■
Coatings scratch off due to
conductor geometry
CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS
AND FAQS
Minimum Ground Clearance
IE-1956 (Rule 77)
Voltage in kV
To ground
(in meters)
132 kV
6.10
220 kV
7.00
400 kV
8.84
800 kV
12.40
Minimum Clearance (in meters) between Lines Crossing Each Other
(IE-1957)
System Voltage
132 kV
220 kV
400 kV
800 kV
Low & Medium
3.05
4.58
5.49
7.94
11-66 kV
3.05
4.58
5.49
7.94
132 kV
3.05
4.58
5.49
7.94
220 kV
4.58
4.58
5.49
7.94
400 kV
5.49
5.49
5.49
7.94
800 kV
7.94
7.94
7.94
7.94
Minimum Height above Railway
As per IE-1957
Voltage
Broad Meter & Narrow Gauges
Above 66KV up to 132KV
14.60 meters
Above 132KV up to 220KV
15.40 meters
Above 220KV up to 400KV
17.90 meters
Above 400KV up to 500KV
19.30 meters
Above 500KV up to 800KV
23.40 meters
Epsilon Insulating Sleeve Selection Chart
Insulating Sleeves:
Shapes and Sizes
For Cylindrical Conductors
Sleeves For Flat and T-shape Bus bars also
available
½” to 4” sizes
Conductor
Group Zero
Group 1
Squirrel
Ghopher
Weasel
Farret
Rabbit
Mink
Group 2
Otter
Skunk
Cat
Horse
Dog
Dingo
caracal
Wolf
Group 3
Panther
Lion
Bear
Bating
Group 4
Goat
Bison
Sheep
Zebra
Deer
Camel
Group 5
Elk
Moose
Group 6
Group 7
Conductor
OD (mm)
5.03
5.03
6.33 to 11.4
6.33
7.08
7.77
9
10.05
10.98
12.6 to 18.8
12.64
12.95
13.48
13.95
14.15
16.75
18.05
18.13
20.47 to 25.4
21
22.22
23.45
24.16
25.6 to 30.40
25.97
27
27.68
28.62
29.87
30.15
31.5 to 36.25
31.51
31.77
38.2 to 44.07
44.7 to 50.29
Cross
Section
(mm²)
20
25
30
40
50
60
80
60
90
70
100
150
175
150
200
200
250
300
300
350
350
400
400
450
450
500
Sleeve
Model #
Roll
Length
E-025
15 m
E-050
15 m
E-075
15 m
E-100
15 m
E-125
15 m
E-150
15 m
E-175
E-200
7.6 m
7.6 m
Sleeves and Tape FAQ
Is heat-shrinking required?
No
Do I need tape along with the sleeve?
Yes. Each wrap of tape on the sleeve enhances dielectric strength of the sleeve
Can the sleeves be installed in-situ or does the conductor need to be removed first?
Sleeves can be installed in-situ without disconnecting conductors
Who will install the sleeves?
The local linesperson/maintenance contractor can install the sleeves and tape. On-the-ground training will be provided
Are the sleeves and tape reusable?
Sleeves are reusable, tape is not because tape permanently fuses with itself upon installation
Is a shutdown required?
Usually, yes. However, utilities in India have applied our solution on live 220 kV transmission lines
Do we need to install the sleeve on the entire conductor?
Only in problem areas of clearance infringement. A few additional meters of sleeve/tape on either side is recommended
Will this solution result in structural stress?
Sleeves and tape are light in weight, therefore impact on structural stress is insignificant
What about heat dissipation?
Conductor temperature increases by about 3°C, which is well within the allowed specification of such conductors
OTHER SOLUTIONS FOR T&D
EPSILON RTV COATING PROJECT CREW
POWER GRID GAJUWAKA 400 KV AND HVDC STATION
EPSILON RTV COATING ON
TRENCH 765KV BUSHINGS
■ Only Indian RTV company to be technically
approved by SIEMENS/Trench China
■ All 765kV Trench bushings in India being coated
■ 35+ PGCIL substations
EPSILON RTV COATING ON
TRENCH AIR CORE
REACTORS
(INCLUDING 800 KV HVDC)
Epsilon Gen-4 RTV HVIC
at 1200 kV
Epsilon is proud to be associated with the
PGCIL Bina 1200 kV Test Station
Marine-Grade RTV
Corrosion Protection
■
IPxx ratings often violated
due to rusting hinges
■
Epsilon SilproCOAT® RTV is
the most effective of all
coatings as was found by a
leading coastal utility
■
Transformer life and
efficiency degrades due to
oil leakages
■
Junction Boxes and metallic
structures become
dangerous
Epsilon Asia Group
X29 Hauz Khas, New Delhi, India
+91. 11. 4101.4888
M: +91.98715.16222
Level 29, Offices at CentralWorld, Bangkok, Thailand
www.epsilonasia.com
Just-ask@epsilonasia.com