Both the ceramic and the composite insulators have their own advantages and disadvantages when compared with each other. It is a reasonable idea to combine their merits together to design a novel insulator. The key measure of the novel insulator suggested in this paper is to add an annular metal sheet coated with high temperature vulcanisation (HTV) silicone rubber (SIR) at the base of the traditional ceramic insulator cap. The HTVSIR covering on the exterior of the metal sheet can lengthen the creepage distance. The metal sheet can uniform the electric stress, reduce its maximum value and modify its direction on one insulator unit and acts as equalizing ring on an insulator string. The factors stated above are the main reasons why the novel insulator has better insulating performance, including lower leakage current and flashover voltage, especially under polluted conditions. Simultaneously, the novel insulator can overcome the disadvantages of the ordinary remedies which have been widely used to improve the performance of ceramic insulators against pollution. The experimental results obtained in the laboratory were in good agreement with the theoretical analysis and demonstrated the novel insulator's effectiveness.
