8 th August 2019

To:
Chief Engineer (Legal),
Central Electricity Authority,
Sewa Bhawan (North Wing),
R. K. Puram, New
Delhi-110066
Sent by E-mail to: celegal-cea@gov.in

Ref: No. CEA/TETD/MP/R/01/2010: CEA Technical standards for Construction of

Electrical Plants and Electrical lines) Regulations 2010

Sub: Proposed Amendment to said regulation in light of effective and successful best
practices in the use of RTV Insulator Coatings

Dear Sir,
Silicone RTV High Voltage Insulator coating (HVIC) technology is a proven maintenance-
free method for reducing Partial Discharge (PD) and Corona to near-zero levels thereby
eliminating Flashovers in coastal, foggy and highly polluted areas. The technology is so
robust in its ability to combat flashovers that pollution mapping exercises can often be
made redundant.

Insulators are a fraction of the cost of Transmission Grids yet heavily impact grid reliability.
In some coastal locations, up to 32.5% of all outage faults are attributed to pollution and
insulator failures, hence performance enhancement of insulators is critical.

RTV HVIC success has been adequately established by:

A. Stringent Lab Testing
B. Field performance (100+ deployments in harsh Indian conditions)
C. Global Standardization of RTV HVICs
STRINGENT LAB TESTING

Further to the expansive testing already conducted worldwide, recent testing at CPRI BLR
has demonstrated that “Artificial Salt Fog Pollution Tests” (IEC 60507) on 400 kV insulator
stings coated with Gen-4 RTV Coating shows 40% better results that polymer insulators.

Insulator Type Max. Salinity (IEC 60507)

Composite Rubber Insulators 160 kg/m3
Gen-4 RTV Coated Insulators 224 kg/m3

FIELD PERFORMANCE IN INDIAN CONDITIONS

Electrical Properties
Performance has been confirmed by utilities (100+ projects in India) who faced several
outages despite insulator washing/greasing until they applied RTV Coating. Some are:
a. Adani Power, Mundra: 2010/2011
b. Udupi Power Corp. Ltd. 1200 MW TPP, Udupi: 2011
c. GMR Energy, 2012
d. TATA POWER CGPL 4,000 MW UMPP, Mundra, 2012
e. NTPC Kawas Gas Plant, Gujarat, 2014
f. POWERGRID: (40+ Locations incl. 765 kV AC, 800 kV HVC and 1200kV)
g. 80+ more projects incl. for ACC, TATA Steel, GMR, JSW, Reliance, etc.
Corona camera/UV footage has shown extremely unhealthy performance of uncoated
insulators in coastal environments, whereas performance of Gen-4 RTV Silicone RTV-
coated equipment at the same location and time has been excellent showing near-zero
corona levels.
All RTV HVIC installations have been in extremely polluted conditions severely prone to
flashovers. After RTV coating there has been a 100% reduction in flashovers.

Mechanical Properties
Despite good surface properties, polymer insulators are prone to failures like brittle-
fractures, flash-under problems, rod failures and are more vulnerable during line galloping.
Ceramic Insulators have displayed excellent mechanical strength for decades.
GLOBAL STANDARDIZATION

In light of the successful adoption of RTV HVICs, standardization efforts have been
underway by leading institutions as follow:
Bureau of Indian BIS, ETD 06 11310 “Guide for the Application, Maintenance, and
Standards (BIS) Evaluation of Room Temperature Vulcanizing (RTV) Silicone
Rubber Insulator Coatings”; drafting in progress
CIGRÉ RTV Insulator Coatings covered under WG B2.69 under
development
IEEE 1523: 2018 Guideline on RTV Coatings published in 2018
IEC Coordination with CIGRÉ to implement B2.69 work into a
proposed IEC standard for RTV Coatings
List of Proposed Amendments to CEA TS 2010
Existing Clause
Point No. 26
(j) Insulator Performance
Enhancement
Existing Text:
In highly polluted areas, coastal
areas, etc., composite insulators
or porcelain/glass insulators
coated with proven coating
material of long life shall be used
as a measure for further
improvement in insulator
performance.
Point No. 36
“(2) In the areas where problem
of insulator pollution is expected
(such as near sea or thermal
power station, railway station,
industrial area, etc.) special
insulators viz. semi conducting
glazed porcelain or polymer
insulators with higher leakage
resistance and creepage distance
shall be used to minimize the
flashover. The special coating like
Room Temperature Vulcanized
(RTV) coating may also be used
on the insulators in polluted
Proposed Amendment Remarks/Justification
In highly polluted areas (such as Various kinds of coatings
coastal locations, at thermal have been tried and used
power stations, railway stations, on insulators ranging from
industrial areas, highways, near polysiloxane-based
heavy industry like refineries, thixotropic greases to
cement factories, near water-soluble compounds.
agricultural belts where crop
burning occurs, etc.)., composite None have been successful
insulators or porcelain/glass like RTV Coatings and so
insulators coated with proven avoid any scope of
Silicone Rubber RTV High Voltage ambiguity or exploitation
Insulator Coatings of long life of this clause, Silicone RTV
shall be used as a measure for Coating should be
further improvement in insulator specified.
performance.
It was proposed at the
RTV-coated ceramic disc CBIP and CIGRÉ
insulators (fully or bottom-only Conference on
coated) shall be used on all “International Practices on
tension towers/angle towers. Usage of Insulators in
EHV/UHV Transmission
Systems” on 12-11-2018,
New Delhi that all RTV-
coated ceramic disc
insulators (fully or
bottom-only coated) shall
be made mandatory on all
tension towers/ angle
towers.
Point No. 36 RTV Silicone Rubber
Coatings to be stated
“(2) In the areas where problem explicitly to remove
of insulator pollution exists or is ambiguity and risk of
expected (such as coastal ineffective or incorrect
locations, thermal power stations, types of coatings to be
railway stations, industrial areas, used
highways, near heavy industry
like refineries, cement factories,
near agricultural belts where
crop burning occurs, etc.) special
insulators viz. semi conducting
glazed porcelain or polymer
insulators with higher leakage
resistance and creepage distance
shall be used to minimize the
areas as per requirement.
Point No. 65 (b), viii, iv
(page 56)
iv) For low, medium and heavy
pollution level areas,
porcelain/glass disc or long-rod
insulators shall generally be used.
In very heavily polluted areas,
coastal areas etc. composite
insulators or porcelain/glass
insulators (with or without RTV
coating) shall be used. To ensure
quality, the silicone content in
composite insulator or RTV
silicone coating shall be minimum
30%
The undersigned, as ascertained by his field experience and membership of global
committees on RTV Coatings (BIS, CIGRÉ, and IEEE) is a qualified consultant and expert on
RTV Coatings and is available for technical clarifications and details if and as required.
CV is attached.
Sincerely,
Neelesh Arora,
+91.98715.16222
Neelesh.arora@epsilonasia.com
flashover. Room Temperature
Vulcanized (RTV) coating shall be
used on ceramic insulators in
such areas.
Point No. 65 (b), viii, iv Mandating the use of RTV
Coatings in polluted
iv) For low, medium and heavy conditions guarantees
pollution level areas, ceramic disc long-term reliability of the
or long-rod insulators shall transmission network.
generally be used. In very heavily
polluted areas (such as coastal Composite insulators to be
locations, thermal power stations, used should also be
railway stations, industrial areas, specified as ‘high quality’
highways, near heavy industry as substandard products
like refineries, cement factories, have flooded the market.
near agricultural belts where
crop burning occurs, etc.), high If Simply specifying 30%
quality composite insulators or silicone is inadequate to
ceramic insulators coated with ensure quality.
RTV coating shall be used. To Furthermore, it is difficult
ensure quality, reputed, tried and to ascertain silicone
tested coatings to be used and content of coatings,
must comply with latest BIS whereas, compliance with
standard and/or IEEE 1523 relevant BIS or IEEE 1523
ensures good product
quality and manufacturing
processes.
CV of the Author
Neelesh Arora is a globally recognized expert on the development and field deployments of
RTV Insulator Coatings. He has been integral to the introduction, propagation and adoption
of this technology across India and was directly nominated by CIGRÉ Paris to WG B2.69
“Coatings for Power Networks” as a full voting member. He has authored numerous papers
and lectured on the subject of RTV Coatings and currently holds the following positions:

• Committee Member, BIS, ETD 06 “Insulator and Insulator Accessories”

• Member, CIGRÉ B2.69 “Coatings for Power Networks”, including RTV Insulator Coatings
• Industry Contributor to IEEE 1523:2018, “RTV Insulator Coatings”
• Director, Epsilon Asia Group

Recent Lectures, talks and contributions on RTV Coatings:

• CIGRE B2.69 Task Force meeting on RTV Coatings, Madrid (May 2019)
• GCCIA (Gulf Coordination Council Interconnection Authority), Dammam (Feb 2019)
• CPRI, ICHVET 2019, Hyderabad (Feb 2019)
• CBIP, CIGRÉ, Le Meridien, New Delhi (Nov 2018)
• EKD “RTV HVIC State of the Art & Future Developments” Conference, Italy (Oct 2019)
• CIGRÉ, WG Paris conclave, Paris (Aug 2018)
• IIT Delhi, IEEE, New Delhi (Nov 2018)
• CPRI, Bangalore (Feb 2018)
• CPRI ICHVET 2015, Hyderabad (2015)