Micro research

CeEx Program
Laboratory for tracking and erosion tests on composite insulators

Contract: CEEX Module IV C126/10.08.2006
Contracting authority: Romanian Accreditation Association – RENAR Bucharest

Contractor: RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING - ICMET CRAIOVA

Project Manager: eng. Adrian VINTILA

Program: CEEX- Excellence research
Project class /Project type: Module IV – P-CONFORM
Project Acronym: LIUE

Period of project development: 10.08.2006 - 30.01.2008

Project total value 895,347 lei, of which - State budget: 671,500 lei
- Co-financing: 223,847 lei

Partners involved in the project:
Project Leader/Partner 1: Research, Development and Testing National Institute for Electrical Engineering – ICMET Craiova
Project manager: eng. Adrian VINTILA

Topics: Energy efficiency and energy saving
Purposes:
The main objectives of the project are:
- construction of the tracking and erosion test laboratory;
- accreditation of the tracking and erosion test laboratory
Measurable objectives:
- tracking and erosion test laboratory
- Accreditation Certificate for the laboratory, issued by RENAR

Project finalizing way:
Accreditation of the tracking and erosion test laboratory, according to the European Norm
EN 62217.

Schedule for project achievement /Time table:

2006- Stage I
Study on the European Norm requirements with a view to drawing up the laboratory’s technical documents
Period: 10.08.2006 - 30.11.2006
Total value of the stage: 44,670 lei

2007- Stage II
Drawing up the technical project of the functional model
Period: 1.12.2006 – 30.05.2007
Total value of the stage: 145,270 lei

2007 – Stage III
Manufacture of testing equipment
Commissioning and experiments
Drawing up the documents of the Quality Management System and submitting to RENAR the documentation for accreditation
Period: 31.05.2007 – 15.10.2007
Total value of the stage: 653,407 lei

2008 – Stage IV
Dissemination of project results and laboratory accreditation
Period: 16.10.2007 – 30.01.2008
Total value of the stage: 52,000 lei

Potential users:

SC IPROEB SA Bistrita
SC EXIMPROD GRUP SA Buzau
SC RECOMPLAST SA Buzau
MAIRA MONTAJ Bucharest

Technical, economic and social impact

Technical impact
After the stage of composite insulator design, the test stage is absolutely necessary, according to the European Norm 62217. During this stage the product qualities and drawbacks are identified.
The achievement of an accredited laboratory for tracking and erosion test will provide the conditions for the development of some conforming products.

Economic impact
The Romanian companies which manufacture composite insulators cannot technically and commercially afford to develop, each of them, a tracking and erosion test laboratory. That is why the existence of such laboratory is a necessity for the operation and development of the composite insulator manufacturing companies. This necessity will become a critical one when wanting to certify the product conformity with the European Norms taken over also in Romania, because without test reports issued by an accredited laboratory, it is not possible to apply the CE marking, and without CE marking it is not possible to penetrate the EU market

Social impact
The development of the tracking and erosion test laboratory supporting technically and logistically the Romanian economic agents which manufacture composite insulators provides new investments and jobs for these economic agents, by diversifying the range of insulators, surge arresters and composite insulation switchgear.
At the level of ICMET Craiova, the existence of the laboratory for tracking and erosion tests on composite insulators will lead to the increase of the number of researchers and their capabilities to get involved in projects with high technical level.