CALCULATING STRING EFFICIENCY FOR A GIVEN STRING OF

INUSLATORS USING MATLAB

Abdul Wahab Nasir (02), BSEE 16-20

Abstract

The main objective of this lab experiment is to understand and observe the criterion for string efficiency
and how to improve it. String efficiency is an important consideration since it decides the potential
distribution along the string. The greater the string efficiency, the more uniform is the voltage distribution.
String efficiency becomes 100% if the voltage across each disc is exactly the same, but this is an ideal case
and impossible in practical scenario. However, for DC voltages, insulator capacitances are ineffective and
voltage across each unit would be the same. A MATLAB code was written to calculate the string
efficiency, which decides the potential distribution along the string.

Index terms --- String Efficiency, Demonstration String Efficiency using MATLAB.

I. INTRODUCTION[2] the equivalent circuit of a 3-disc suspension

A suspension type string insulator consists of a
number of porcelain discs connected in series through
metallic links. Suspension insulators or string
insulators are very widely used in electrical overhead
transmission system.
The figure below shows a 3-disc string of suspension
insulator. As each porcelain disc lies in between two
metal links, it forms a capacitor. This capacitance is
known as self-capacitance or mutual capacitance.
Moreover, air capacitance is also present between
metal links and the earthed tower. This is known
as shunt capacitance. The figure below illustrates
insulator (assuming that shunt capacitance is some
fraction of self-capacitance i.e shunt capacitance = k
* self-capacitance).
If there were only mutual capacitances, then the
charging current would have been the same through
all the discs. In this case, the voltage would have
been uniformly distributed across the string, i.e.
voltage across each disc would have been the same.
But, due to the shut capacitances, charging current is
not the same through all the discs.
As we move towards the cross arm, voltage across
the disc goes on decreasing. Due to this non-uniform
voltage distribution across the string, the unit nearest
to the conductor is under maximum electrical stress
and is likely to be punctured.

String Efficiency

As explained above, voltage is not uniformly

distributed over a suspension insulator string. The
disc nearest to the conductor has maximum voltage
across it and, hence, it will be under maximum
electrical stress. Due to this, the disc nearest to the
conductor is likely to be punctured and subsequently,
other discs may puncture successively. Therefore,

Figure 1: Potential distribution across and insulator string

this unequal voltage distribution is undesirable and
usually expressed in terms of string efficiency.
The ratio of voltage across the whole string to the
product of number of discs and the voltage across the
disc nearest to the conductor is called as string
efficiency
String efficiency=Voltage across the string/(number
of discs X voltage across the disc nearest to the
conductor).
Greater the string efficiency, more uniform is the
voltage distribution. String efficiency becomes 100%
if the voltage across each disc is exactly the same, but
this is an ideal case and impossible in practical
scenario. However, for DC voltages, insulator
capacitances are ineffective and voltage across each
unit would be the same. This is why string efficiency
for DC system is 100%.
The equations used are as follow:
Methods of Improving String Efficiency
Following are the few methods of improving string
efficiency:
1. Using Longer Cross Arms
It is clear from the above mathematical expression of
string efficiency that the value of string efficiency
depends upon the value of k. Lesser the value of k,
the greater is the string efficiency. As the value
of k approaches to zero, the string efficiency
approaches to 100%. The value of k can be decreased
by reducing the shunt capacitance. In order to
decrease the shunt capacitance, the distance between
the insulator string and the tower should be increased,
i.e. longer cross-arms should be used. However, there
is a limit in increasing the length of cross-arms due to
economic considerations.
2. Grading Of Insulator Discs
In this method, voltage across each disc can be
equailized by using discs with different capacitances.
For equalizing the voltage distribution, the top unit of
the string must have minimum capacitance, while the
disc nearest to the conductor must have maximum
capacitance. The insulator discs of different
dimensions are so chosen that the each disc has a
different capacitance. They are arranged in such a
way that the capacitance increases progressively
towards the bottom. As voltage is inversely
proportional to capacitance, this method tends to
equalize the voltage distribution across each disc.
3. By Using A Guard Or Grading Ring
A guard ring or grading ring is basically a metal ring
which is electrically connected to the conductor
surrounding the bottom unit of the string insulator.
The guard ring introduces capacitance between metal
links and the line conductor which tends to cancel out
the shunt capacitances. As a result, nearly same
charging current flows through each disc and, hence,
improving the string efficiecy. Grading rings are
sometimes similar to corona rings, but they encircle
insulators rather than conductors.
II. PROCEDURE
We are required to perform calculations for different
tasks. Any method can be used to obtain results.
Later these results are verified using MATLAB as
per given in Lab manual.
III. LAB TASKS
Task 1
In task 1, we wrote a MATLAB Code for finding
voltage stress across each insulator as well as finding
string efficiency without taking into account any line
capacitance or guard ring for an insulator string
consisting of four discs. The MATLAB code is as
follow:
Code:
% Task 1 PTDU Lab 4
function [vol1, vol2, vol3, vol4,eff] =
wahab(k,vol)
vol=input('Enter value of Total V1*(12.5/
voltage;') 13.25);
k=input('Enter value of k;'); V3 =
% Equation 1 (14.8/13.
vol1=(vol/((1+k)*(3+k))); 25)*V1;
fprintf('The value of first voltage is string_efficiency = (V*100)/(n*V3);
%f',vol1); fprintf('String Efficiency =
%f\n',string_efficiency)
% Equation 2 fprintf('V1 = %f V\n',V1)
vol2=(vol1)*(1+k); fprintf('V2
fprintf('\nThe value of second voltage = %f
is %f',vol2); V\n',V2)
fprintf('V3
% Equation 3 = %f
vol3=(vol1)*(1+(3*k)+(k*k)); V\n',V3)
fprintf('\nThe value of third voltage
is %f',vol3); end

% Equation 4 The Outputs are as follow:

vol4=(vol1)*(1+(6*k)+(5*k*k)+(k*k*k)); V1 = 21565.967 V
fprintf('\nThe value of fourth voltage V2 = 20345.252 V
is %f',vol4); V3 = 24088.779 V
String efficiency = 91.32
eff= vol/(4*vol4);
fprintf('\nThe Efficiency is %f',eff); Code: (With Guard Ring)
end function [] = _voltage(V)
V = input('Enter Voltage
across String ') n=3;
The outputs were as follow:
V1 =
V/3.0
V1= 10993.918 V 7; V2
=
V2 = 13192.389 V 0.993
*V1;
V3 = 18030.939 V V3 =
1.077
V4 =26473.849 V *V1;
string_efficiency = (V*100)/(n*V3);
Efficiency = 64.86 fprintf('String Efficiency =

%f\n',string_efficiency)
Task 2 fprintf('V1 = %f V\n',vV1)
fprintf('V2
In task 2, a separate .m function file was made to = %f
solve the example 8.10 given in text book. The V\n',V2)
fprintf('V3
comparison was observed and string efficiency was = %f
improved. V\n',V3)

Code: (Without Guard Ring) end

The Results are as follow:

function [] = _voltage(V)
V = input('Enter vlue
of Voltage across V1 = 21489.288 V
String ') n=3; V2 = 21347.389 V
V1 = V3 = 23178.300 V
(V*13.25) Efficiency = 95.012
/40.55;
V2 =
Task 3

As given in lab manual task 3 was performed by

writing the following MATLAB code.

Code:

% Task 3 PTDU Lab 4

function [effi] = wahab2(n,Vt,k)

n=input('Enter total number of

Voltages;');
k=input('Enter value of k;');
Vt=input('Enter value of Total
Voltage;');
V=zeros(n,1);
for i= n:1
V(i)=((Vt)*(2*sinh(sqrt(k)*0.5))*(cosh(
n-i+0.5)*sqrt(k)))/sinh(n*sqrt(k));
fprintf('\nThe value of Voltage
V%f;',i,'is%f',V(i));

end
effi = (Vt/(n*V(n))*100);
end

The results are as follow:

V1= 1.09203e+04 V

V2 = 1.3142e+04 V

V3 = 1.8034e+04 V

V4 =2.6594e+04 V

IV. DISCUSSION

V. CONCLUSION

VI. REFRENCES

[1]. Lab Manual for PTDU, by Sir Abubakar,

DEE PIEAS, Nilore, Islamabad.

[2]. https://www.electricaleasy.com/2016/11/string-
efficiency.html

[3]. https://www.electricaleasy.com/2016/11/string-
efficiency.html