IEC 62223:2009

IEC 62223


®

Edition 1.0 2009-06



INTERNATIONAL



STANDARD



NORME
INTERNATIONALE


Insulators – Glossary of terms and definitions

Isolateurs – Lexique de termes et définitions


IEC 62223:2009

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IEC 62223


®

Edition 1.0 2009-06



INTERNATIONAL



STANDARD



NORME
INTERNATIONALE


Insulators – Glossary of terms and definitions

Isolateurs – Lexique de termes et définitions


INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
PRICE CODE
INTERNATIONALE
R
CODE PRIX
ICS 29.080.10 ISBN 978-2-88910-644-8
® Registered trademark of the International Electrotechnical Commission
Marque déposée de la Commission Electrotechnique Internationale

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– 2 – 62223 © IEC:2009


CONTENTS


FOREWORD.3

1 Scope.5


2 Normative references .5

3 Terms and definitions .5

Bibliography.18

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62223 © IEC:2009 – 3 –


INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION

____________



INSULATORS –

GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND DEFINITIONS





FOREWORD

1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote

international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
this end and in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications,
Technical Reports, Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as “IEC
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with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by
agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
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3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
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8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
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9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of
patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
International Standard IEC 62223 has been prepared by subcommittee 36: Insulators.
The text of this standard is based on the following documents:

FDIS Report on voting
36/287/FDIS 36/289/RVD

Full information on the voting for the approval of this standard can be found in the report on
voting indicated in the above table.
This publication has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.

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– 4 – 62223 © IEC:2009


The committee has decided that the contents of this publication will remain unchanged until
the maintenance result date indicated on the IEC web site under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in

the data related to the specific publication. At this date, the publication will be


• reconfirmed,

• withdrawn,

• replaced by a revised edition, or

• amended.

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62223 © IEC:2009 – 5 –


INSULATORS –

GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND DEFINITIONS







1 Scope


This International Standard specifies terms defined in standards that fall under the scope of
technical committee TC 36: Insulators. It covers terms that can be found in IEC 60050-471 as
well as terms not appropriate for inclusion in IEC 60050-471 but used widely in the standards

of IEC TC 36.
IEC 60050-471 is not intended to cover all the terms used in the various IEC standards but
provides rather a general purpose vocabulary giving the basic terms and reference terms to
be used by all technical committees. This glossary is intended to harmonize terms not listed in
IEC 60050-471 but used in the publications of committee TC 36.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document.
For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition
of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
IEC 60050-471, International Electrotechnical Vocabulary – Part 471: Insulators
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
angular deviation of fixing holes
rotational displacement, expressed as an angle, between corresponding fixing holes in the
end fittings at the top and bottom of a hollow insulator or a post insulator
3.2
annealed glass
glass which has been treated to eliminate internal stresses

[IEV 471-01-25]
3.3
antipollution-type insulator
insulator which has the external profile designed for use in polluted areas
[IEV 471-01-23]
3.4
arcing distance
shortest distance in air external to the insulator between the metallic parts which normally
have the operating voltage between them
[IEV 471-01-01]

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– 6 – 62223 © IEC:2009


3.5

ball and socket coupling

coupling consisting of a ball, a socket and a locking device, and providing flexibility


[IEV 471-03-11]


3.6

bushing

device that enables one or several conductors to pass through a partition such as a wall or a
tank, and insulate the conductors from it


NOTE 1 The means of attachment (flange or fixing device) to the partition forms part of the bushing. The

conductor may form an integral part of the bushing or be drawn into the central tube of the bushing.
NOTE 2 The bushings may be of the following types:
– liquid-filled bushing;
– liquid-insulated bushing;
– gas-filled bushing;
– gas- insulated bushing;
– oil-impregnated paper bushing;
– resin-bonded paper bushing;
– resin-impregnated paper bushing;
– ceramic, glass or analogous inorganic material bushing;
– cast or moulded resin-insulated bushing;
– combined insulation bushing;
– compound-filled bushing;
– gas-impregnated bushing.

[IEV 471-02-01]
3.7
camber (of an insulator)
maximum distance between the theoretical axis of an insulator and the curved line being the
locus of the centres of all the transverse cross-sections of the unloaded insulator
[IEV 471-01-26]
3.8
cap and pin insulator
insulator comprising an insulating part, usually having the form of a disk or bell, with or

without ribs on its surface, and end fittings consisting of an outside cap and an inside pin
attached axially
[IEV 471-03-07]
3.9
capacitance graded bushing
condenser bushing
bushing in which a desired voltage grading is obtained by an arrangement of conducting or
semiconducting layers incorporated into the insulating material
[IEV 471-02-03]

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62223 © IEC:2009 – 7 –


3.10

chalking

flouring

appearance of some particles of the filler of the housing material forming a rough or powdery

surface


3.11

clevis

female part of a clevis and tongue coupling with a U-shaped opening into which the tongue

can be fitted

NOTE A clevis contains two holes through which the coupling pin may pass to couple the two components.
3.12
clevis and tongue coupling
coupling consisting of a clevis, a tongue and a coupling-pin, and providing limited flexibility
[IEV 471-03-01]
3.13
completely immersed bushing
bushing, both ends of which are intended to be immersed in insulating media other than
ambient air (e.g. oil or gas)
[IEV 471-02-04]
3.14
composite bushing
bushing with an insulating envelope consisting of a resin-impregnated fibre tube with or
without a rubber compound covering
3.15
composite insulator
insulator made of at least two insulating parts, namely a core and a housing equipped with
metal fittings
NOTE Composite insulators, for example, can consist either of individual sheds mounted on the core, with or
without an intermediate sheath, or alternatively, of a housing directly moulded or cast in one or several pieces onto
the core.
[IEV 471-01-02]
3.16
connection zone

zone where the mechanical load is transmitted between the insulating body and the end fitting
3.17
core diameter
either the geometric diameter of a core of circular cross section or 2 A π , for a core with
non-circular cross-section of area A
3.18
core (of an insulator)
central insulating part of an insulator, which provides the mechanical characteristics
NOTE The housing and sheds are not part of the core.
[IEV 471-01-03]

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– 8 – 62223 © IEC:2009


3.19

coupling length

distance between the end fittings


NOTE For post insulators the coupling length is the distance from flange face to flange face.

3.20
coupling (of an insulator)

part of the end fitting which transmits load to the hardware external to the insulator


3.21
coupling pin

rigid pin which passes through the holes in the clevis and tongue to couple them together
NOTE On one end, the coupling pin has a stud head and on the other a security device (e.g. split pin) is placed to
hold the pin in its place
3.22
crack
any internal fracture or surface fissure of depth greater than 0,1 mm
3.23
crazing
surface micro-fractures of depths approximately 0,01 mm to 0,1 mm
3.24
creepage distance
shortest distance or the sum of the shortest distances along the surface on an insulator
between two conductive parts which normally have the operating voltage between them
NOTE 1 The surface of cement or of any other non-insulating jointing material is not considered as forming part of
the creepage distance.
NOTE 2 If a high-resistance coating is applied to parts of the insulating part of an insulator, such parts are
considered to be effective insulating surfaces and the distance over them is included in the creepage distance.
[IEV 471-01-04]
3.25
cylindrical post insulator
post insulator of approximately cylindrical shape consisting of one or more insulating
components with a metal fitting attached to each end; the metal fitting may consist of a cap,
insert or flange with plain or tapped holes for attachment by bolts or screws

[IEV 471-04-06]
3.26
deflection under bending load
displacement of a point on an insulator, measured perpendicularly to its axis, under the effect
of a load applied perpendicularly to this axis
[IEV 471-01-05]
3.27
displacements
3.27.1
axial displacement
maximum positional variation, parallel to the insulator axis, of a definite point on the
circumference of the considered insulator during one complete revolution about the insulator axis

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62223 © IEC:2009 – 9 –


3.27.2

radial displacement

maximum positional variation, perpendicular to the insulator axis, of a definite point on the

circumference of the considered insulator during one complete revolution about the insulator

axis


3.27.3

angular displacement

angular deviation about the insulator axis between corresponding planes of the two coupling

pieces


3.28
draw lead bushing
bushing not having an integral current-carrying conductor; a cable or other conductor may be
drawn through the bushing and attached to it at one end so that it may subsequently be
detached to allow the bushing to be withdrawn
[IEV 471-02-11]
3.29
dust deposit gauge index – non-soluble
DDGIN
mass of non-soluble residue collected by a dust deposit gauge over a given period of time
generally expressed in mg
3.30
dust deposit gauge index – soluble
DDGIS
volume conductivity, generally expressed in μS/cm, of the pollutants collected by a dust
deposit gauge over a given period of time when dissolved in a standard quantity of
demineralized water
3.31
eccentricity
displacement, perpendicular to the axis of the hollow insulator or post insulator, between the
centres of the pitch circles of the fixing holes in the top and bottom metal fittings
3.32
equivalent salt deposit density
ESDD
amount of sodium chloride (NaCl) that, when dissolved in demineralized water, gives the
same conductance as that of the natural deposit removed from a given surface of the insulator
2
divided by the area of this surface; generally expressed in mg/cm
3.33
erosion
irreversible and non-conducting degradation of the surface of the insulator that occurs by loss
of material which can be uniform, localized or tree-shaped
NOTE Light surface traces, commonly tree-shaped, can occur on composite insulators as on ceramic insulators,
after partial flashover. These traces are not considered to be objectionable as long as they are non-conductive.
When they are conductive they are classified as tracking.
3.34
end fitting
integral component or formed part of an insulator, intended to connect it to a supporting
structure, or to a conductor, or to an item of equipment, or to another insulator
NOTE Where the end fitting is metallic, the term “metal fitting” is normally used.

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– 10 – 62223 © IEC:2009


[IEV 471-01-06]


3.35

flashover (of an insulator)

disruptive discharge external to the insulator, and over its surface, connecting those parts

which normally have the operating voltage between them


[IEV 471-01-07]


3.36

glaze

glassy surface layer on the insulating part of a ceramic insulator
[IEV 471-01-17]
3.37
highest voltage for equipment
U
m
highest r.m.s. value of line-to-line voltage for which the equipment is designed in respect of its
insulation as well as other characteristics which relate to this voltage in the relevant
equipment standards
[IEV 604-03-01]
3.38
hollow insulator
insulator which is open from end to end, with or without sheds, including end fittings
NOTE A hollow insulator can be made from one or more permanently assembled insulating elements.
[IEV 471-01-08]
3.39
housing
external insulating part of composite insulator providing necessary creepage distance and
protects the core from the environment
NOTE An intermediate sheath made of insulating material may be part of the housing.
[IEV 471-01-09]
3.40
indoor bushing
bushing both ends of which are intended to be in ambient air at atmospheric pressure but not

exposed to outdoor atmospheric conditions
[IEV 471-02-05]
3.41
indoor-immersed bushing
bushing, one end of which is intended to be in ambient air but not exposed to outdoor
atmospheric conditions and the other end to be immersed in an insulating medium other than
ambient air (e.g. oil or gas)
NOTE This definition includes bushings operating in air at temperatures above ambient, such as occur with air-
insulated ducting.
[IEV 471-02-06]

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62223 © IEC:2009 – 11 –


3.42

indoor post insulator

post insulator not intended to be exposed to outdoor atmospheric conditions


[IEV 471-04-04]


3.43

insulator

device intended for electrical insulation and mechanical fixing of equipment or conductors
which are subject to electric potential differences


[IEV 471-01-10]

3.44
insulator set
assembly of one or more insulator strings suitably connected together, complete with end
fittings and protective devices as required in service
[IEV 471-03-02]
3.45
insulator string
one or more string insulator units coupled together and intended to give flexible support to
conductors and stressed mainly in tension
[IEV 471-03-03]
3.46
insulator trunk
central insulating part of an insulator from which the sheds project
NOTE Also known as shank on smaller insulators.
[IEV 471-01-11]
3.47
interface
surface between different materials
NOTE Various interfaces occur in most composite insulators, e.g.
– between housing and end fittings,
– between various parts of the housing; e.g. between sheds, or between sheath and sheds,
– between core and housing.

3.48
leakage current (of an insulator)
electric current in an unwanted conductive path other than a short circuit
3.49
line-post insulator
rigid insulator intended to be subjected to cantilever, tensile and compressive loads,
constructed with one or more insulating materials and assembled on a metal base that is
intended to be mounted rigidly on a supporting structure
[IEV 471-03-04]

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– 12 – 62223 © IEC:2009


3.50

long rod insulator

rigid insulator intended to be subjected to tensile loads, comprising an insulating part having

an approximately circular cylindrical shank, with or without sheds, and external or internal end

fittings attached to each end

[IEV 471-03-05, modified]



3.51
mechanical failing load

maximum load reached when an insulator is tested under the prescribed conditions of test


[IEV 471-01-12]
3.52
multi-element insulator
insulator which has an insulating body consisting of two or more disc or bell-shaped insulating
elements permanently assembled together and to the end fitting(s)
NOTE The term “multiple cone insulator” is included in this definition.
[IEV 471-01-22]
3.53
non-soluble deposit density
NSDD
amount of non-soluble residue removed from a given surface of the insulator, divided by the
area of this surface, generally expressed in mg/cm²
3.54
outdoor bushing
bushing, both ends of which are intended to be in ambient air at atmospheric pressure and
exposed to outdoor atmospheric conditions
[IEV 471-02-07]
3.55
outdoor-immersed bushing
bushing one end of which is intended to be in ambient air at atmospheric pressure and
exposed to outdoor atmospheric conditions and the other end to be immersed in an insulating
medium other than ambient air (e.g. oil or gas)
[IEV 471-02-08]

3.56
outdoor-indoor bushing
bushing both ends of which are intended to be in ambient air at atmospheric pressure. One
end is intended to be exposed to outdoor atmospheric conditions and the other end not to be
exposed to outdoor atmospheric conditions
[IEV 471-02-09]
3.57
outdoor post insulator
post insulator intended to be exposed to outdoor atmospheric conditions
[IEV 471-04-03]

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62223 © IEC:2009 – 13 –


3.58

parallelism of the end faces

maximum difference between the lengths of an insulator which are measured in parallel to the

longitudinal axis of the insulator between opposite points of the surfaces of the end fittings at

each end


NOTE The difference between the lengths is usually related to imaginary end fittings with a circular surface
having a diameter of 250 mm.


3.59

pedestal post insulator

post insulator having two metal parts, a cap partly embracing an insulating component and a

pedestal cemented into a recess in the insulating component; the cap normally has tapped
holes and the pedestal a flange with plain holes for attachment by bolts or screws
[IEV 471-04-05]
3.60
pin insulator
rigid insulator consisting of an insulating component intended to be mounted rigidly on a
supporting structure by means of a pin passing up inside the insulating component which
consists of one or more pieces of insulating material permanently connected together
[IEV 471-03-06]
3.61
plug-in type bushing
bushing, one end of which is immersed in an insulating medium and the other end designed to
receive a separable insulated cable connector, without which the bushing cannot function
[IEV 471-02-02]
3.62
pollution layer
deposited layer that under certain conditions may influence the electrical characteristics of an
insulator
3.63
polymeric insulator
insulator whose insulating body consists of at least one organic based material
NOTE 1 Polymeric insulators are also known as non-ceramic insulators.
NOTE 2 Coupling devices may be attached to the ends of the insulating body.

[IEV 471-01-13]
3.64
post insulator
insulator intended to give rigid support to a live part which is to be insulated from earth or
from another live part
NOTE 1 A post insulator may be an assembly of a number of post insulator units.
NOTE 2 Post insulators for substations are also known as station post insulators.
[IEV 471-04-01]
3.65
post insulator unit
constituent part of a post insulator consisting of a permanent assembly of one or more
insulating parts complete with end fittings

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– 14 – 62223 © IEC:2009


[IEV 471-04-02]


3.66

protected creepage distance

part of the creepage distance on the illuminated side of the insulator which would lie in

shadow if light were projected on to the insulator at 90° (or 45° in special cases) to the

longitudinal axis of the insulator


[IEV 471-01-19]


3.67

puncture (of an insulator)
disruptive discharge passing through the solid insulating material of the insulator, which
produces a permanent loss of dielectric strength
[IEV 471-01-14]
3.68
residual mechanical strength
maximum mechanical load that can be reached when an insulator unit, which has had its
insulating part mechanically damaged in the prescribed manner, is tested under the
prescribed conditions
3.69
resin insulator
polymeric insulator whose insulating body consists of a solid shank and sheds protruding from
the shank made from only one organic-based housing material (e.g. cycloaliphatic epoxy)
3.70
rigid insulator
insulator intended to give rigid support to an overhead line conductor and to be stressed
mainly by bending and compressive loads
[IEV 471-03-12]
3.71
routine test load
RTL
load applied to insulators during a routine mechanical test
3.72
salinity

S
a
concentration of the solution of salt in tap water, expressed by the amount of salt divided by
3
the volume of solution; it is generally expressed in kg/m
3.73
salt deposit density
SDD
amount of sodium chloride in an artificial deposit on a given surface of the insulator (metal
parts and assembling materials are not included in this surface) divided by the area of this
surface; generally expressed in mg/cm²
3.74
sealed bushing
bushing in which the insulating medium is self-contained and not allowed to communicate with
the filling media of the apparatus on which it is used

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62223 © IEC:2009 – 15 –


3.75

self-filling bushing

bushing in which the insulating medium is designed to communicate with the filling media of

the apparatus on which it is used


3.76

semiconducting glaze

glaze having a volume resisti
...