EN 50151:2003

SLOVENSKI SIST EN 50151:2004
STANDARD
oct 2004
Železniške naprave – Stabilne naprave električne vleke – Posebne zahteve za
kompozitne izolatorje
Railway applications – Fixed installations – Electric traction – Special requirements
for composite insulators
ICS 29.080.10; 29.280 Referenčna številka
©  Standard je založil in izdal Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje ali kopiranje celote ali delov tega dokumenta ni dovoljeno

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN 50151
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM November 2003

ICS 29.080.10; 29.280
English version
Railway applications –
Fixed installations –
Electric traction –
Special requirements for composite insulators

Applications ferroviaires –  Bahnanwendungen –
Installations fixes – Ortsfeste Anlagen –
Traction électrique – Zugförderung –
Prescriptions particulières pour Besondere Anforderungen an
les isolateurs en matière composite Verbundisolatoren

This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2003-10-01. CENELEC members are bound to
comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European
Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on
application to the Central Secretariat or to any CENELEC member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and
notified to the Central Secretariat has the same status as the official versions.

CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

CENELEC
European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung

Central Secretariat: rue de Stassart 35, B - 1050 Brussels

© 2003 CENELEC - All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC members.

Ref. No. EN 50151:2003 E
Foreword
This European Standard was prepared by SC 9XC, Electric supply and earthing systems for public transport
equipment and ancillary apparatus (fixed installations), of Technical Committee CENELEC TC 9X, Electrical
and electronic applications for railways.
The text of the draft was submitted to the formal vote and was approved by CENELEC as EN 50151 on
2003-10-01.
The following dates were fixed:

- latest date by which the EN has to be implemented
at national level by publication of an identical
national standard or by endorsement (dop) 2004-10-01

- latest date by which the national standards conflicting
with the EN have to be withdrawn (dow) 2006-10-01

Annexes designated "informative" are given for information only.
In this standard, Annexes A, B and C are informative.
This European Standard has been prepared under a mandate given to CENELEC by the European
Commission and the European Free Trade Association and supports the Public Procurement Directive
93/38/EEC.
__________
– 3 – EN 50151:2003
Contents
Page
Introduction.4
1 Scope.5
2 Normative references.5
3 Definitions .6
4 Characteristics of insulators .6
4.1 General.6
4.2 Target life.7
4.3 Purchaser requirements.7
4.4 In-running contact insulators.7
4.5 Electrical requirements .8
4.6 Mechanical requirements.9
4.7 Corrosion.10
4.8 Fire safety.10
4.9 Anti-vandalism .10
5 Design, manufacture and workmanship .10
6 Testing.11
6.1 Design tests.11
6.2 Type tests.12
6.3 Sample tests.13
6.4 Routine tests.13
7 Verification of compliance.13
7.1 Certification of compliance and test results .13
7.2 Inspection and testing .13
7.3 Test certificates.14
8 Maintenance instructions .14
9 Identification of the insulator .14
10 Delivery and packaging .14
Annex A (informative) Load time withstand curve.15
Annex B (informative) Pendulum impact test.16
Annex C (informative) Further reading list .17
Bibliography.20
Figure A.1 – A typical load-time withstand curve.15
Table 1 - System voltages.8
Table 2 - Design re-qualification tests.11
Table C.1 - Overview of publications from 1970 dealing with long-term experience
and selection criteria of composite insulators.17

Introduction
This standard specifies requirements for the design and testing of composite insulators used on railway
electrification overhead contact systems. The insulators, which are installed at relatively low heights in the
harsh environment of the railway infrastructure, require special consideration during design to reduce the
effects of vandalism and environmental pollution from railway operations, especially when combined with
a lack of natural washing. Insulators may be included in arrangements in tunnels and over bridges or be in
contact with traction unit pantographs where mechanical combined loading (tension, bending and torsion)
may require special consideration.
The standard is intended to allow the user to comply with local working practices, to ensure compatibility
with existing electrification systems, and provide an insulator which will give reliable service over its target
life span with minimum maintenance.
Insulators in overhead lines are predominately designed to resist tension and/or bending loads and are not
designed to resist torsional loads. Mitigating measures to reduce torsional loading are generally introduced
by the contact systems design engineer. Some combined loading (tension, compression and torsion) can
be experienced and this is represented in the testing procedure specified in this document.
The testing procedures given for railway applications in this standard are predominately referenced from
IEC 61109 and EN 61952.
– 5 – EN 50151:2003
1 Scope
This European Standard specifies characteristics for composite insulators for use in electric traction
overhead contact lines for railways and tramways, as defined in EN 50119. Specific applications where
high torsional loads can occur are outside the scope of this standard and particular tests should be agreed
between the supplier and purchaser, to represent the critical loading arrangements.
The provisions contained in this European Standard are for the new construction of electric traction
overhead contact lines using insulators or when complete refurbishment of existing lines takes place.
This standard provides the purchaser and manufacturer with a range of tests which are used to evaluate
the suitability of an insulator product for a given railway environment. Additional tests may be specified by
the client to measure the compliance of the insulator under particular operating conditions.
The standard establishes the product characteristics, the test methods and acceptance criteria.
The object of this European Standard is to stipulate the provisions for the design and provision of the
service indicated by the manufacturer to the purchaser or informed buyer for application on the railway
infrastructure.
2 Normative references
This European Standard incorporates, by dated or undated reference, provisions from other publications.
These normative references are cited at the appropriate places in the text and the publications are listed
hereafter. For dated references, subsequent amendments to or revisions of any of these publications
apply to this European Standard only when incorporated in it by amendment or revision. For undated
references, the latest edition of the publication referred to applies (including amendments).
EN 50119 Railway applications - Fixed installatios - Electric traction overhead contact lines
EN 50124 series Railway applications - Insulation coordination
EN 50163 Railway applications - Supply voltages of traction systems
EN 60707 Flammability of solid non-metallic materials when exposed to flame sources -
List of test methods (IEC 60707)
EN 61952 Insulators for overhead lines - Composite line post insulators for alternative
current with a nominal voltage > 1 000 V (IEC 61952)
HD 405 series Test on electric cables under fire conditions (IEC 60332 series)
HD 602 Test on gases evolved during combustion of materials from cables -
Determination of degree of acidity (corrosivity) of gases by measuring pH and
conductivity (IEC 60754, mod.)
HD 606 series Measurement of smoke density of electric cables burning under defined
conditions (IEC 61034 series, mod.)
IEC 61109 Composite insulators for a.c. overhead lines with a nominal voltage greater than
1 000 V - Definitions, test methods and acceptance criteria
IEC 61467 Insulators for overhead lines with a nominal voltage above 1 000 V - AC power
arc tests on insulator sets
3 Definitions
For the purposes of this European Standard, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
composite insulator
unit based on a core which usually consists of glass fibres positioned in a resin matrix protected with an
polymer housing and equipped with end fittings for attachment within the overhead contact line system
3.2
failing load
maximum load that is reached when testing under the prescribed conditions, when major cracking or
parting of the core occurs
3.3
specified mechanical load (SML)
short term load which can be withstood by the insulator when tested under the prescribed conditions
NOTE 1  The term SML can be prefixed by the loading type ( tension, bending or torsion).
NOTE 2  A typical load–time withstand curve diagram is given in Annex A.
3.4
maximum design load (MDL)
load above which irreversible damage to the core begins to occur
NOTE 1  The MDL should not be exceeded in service.
NOTE 2  The term MDL can be prefixed by the loading type, for example tension, bending or torsion.
3.5
nominal design load
load corresponding to the normal every day permanent and dynamic loads in the overhead line equipment
4 Characteristics of insulators
4.1 General
Composite materials and modern elastomers permit the manufacture of insulators for use on outdoor
overhead contact line systems. The insulators consist of a insulating core, bearing the mechanical load
protected by a polymeric housing, the load being transmitted to the core by end fittings. These materials
allow new and specialist applications in overhead contact line (including in-running section insulation and
flexible supports) and are also use
...