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HighTemperature,LowSagTransmissionConductors
ProductID: 1001811
DatePublished: 12Jun2002
Pages: 60

SectorName: PowerDelivery&Utilization
DocumentType: TechnicalResults
Abstract

Anattractivemethodofincreasingtransmissionlinethermalrating(uprating)involvesreplacingtheoriginal(typically)
steelreinforcedaluminumconductor(ACSR)withahightemperature,lowsag(HTLS)conductorwithapproximately
thesamediameterastheoriginalconductor.Theincreaseinthermalratingofexistinglinesreconductoredwithoneof
theseHTLSconductorsvariesfrom20percentto80percent,dependingonwhetherthereplacementHTLSconductor
isabletoreachitsmaximumoperatingtemperaturewithinelectricalclearancelimits.

Background
TheoverwhelmingmajorityofoverheadtransmissionlinesuseACSR.Onacontinuousbasis,ACSRmaybeoperated
attemperaturesupto100degreesCelsiusand,forlimitedtimeemergencies,attemperaturesashighas125degrees
Celsiuswithoutanysignificantchangeintheconductor'sphysicalproperties.Thesetemperaturelimitsconstrainthe
thermalratingofatypical230kVlinetoabout400MVA.Giventhemanychangesinthewaythepowertransmission
systemisbeingplannedandoperated,thereisaneedtoreachhighercurrentdensitiesinexistingtransmissionlines.
ReplacingoriginalACSRconductorswithHTLSconductorswithapproximatelythesamediameterisonemethodof
increasingtransmissionlinethermalrating.HTLSconductorsareeffectivebecausetheyarecapableof(1)high
temperature,continuousoperationabove100degreesCelsiuswithoutlossoftensilestrengthorpermanentsag
increase(sothatlinecurrentcanbeincreased),and(2)lowsagathightemperature(sothatgroundandunderbuild
clearancescanstillbemetwithoutraisingorrebuildingstructures).

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SupportServices

TodescribeHTLSconductorsinvariousstagesofdevelopmentandcommercialization.

EPRICustomerAssistanceCenter(CAC):
8003133774or6508552121Option4
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Approach

HoursofOperation:
8:00AM7:00PMEasternTime(GMT5)

Objective

ThefollowingHTLSconductorsareconsideredinthereport:
oACSSandACSS/TW[AluminumConductorSteelSupported]Annealedaluminumstrandsoveraconventional
steelstrandedcore.Operationto200degreesCelsius.
o(Z)TACIR[ZirconiumalloyAluminumConductorInvarsteelReinforced]Hightemperaturealuminumstrandsover
alowthermalelongationsteelcore.Operationto150degreesCelsius(Tal)and210degreesCelsius(ZTAl).
oGTACSR["Gapped"TALalloyAluminumConductorSteelReinforced]Hightemperaturealuminum,greasefilled
gapbetweencore/innerlayer.Operatesto150degreesCelsius.
oACCR[AluminumConductorCompositeReinforced]Hightemperaturealloyaluminumoverancompositecore
madefromaluminafibersembeddedinamatrixofpurealuminum.Operationto210degreesCelsius.
oCRAC[CompositeReinforcedAluminumConductor]Annealedaluminumoverfiberglas/thermoplasticcomposite
segmentedcore.Probableoperationto150degreesCelsius.
oACCFR[AluminumConductorCompositeCarbonFiberReinforced]Annealedorhightemperaturealuminum
alloyoveracoreofstrandswithcarbonfibermaterialinamatrixofaluminum.Probableoperationto210degrees
Celsius.

Results
TheHTLSconductorsdescribedinthisreportareatvariouspointsinthisdevelopmentprocess:
oACSSiscommerciallyavailableandneedslittleadditionalresearchordevelopment.Themanufacturerhas
performedallnecessarylaboratoryteststoallowsagtensioncalculations.ACSShasbeenusedextensivelyinline
upgradingatmanyutilities.
oTheJapanesedevelopersofhightemperaturealloyconductorswithInvarsteelcores(ZTACIRandTACIR)andthe
gappedconductor(GTACSR)haveperformedmanylaboratorytests,andstressstrainandcreepdataisavailablefor
sagtensioncalculations.Theseconductorshavenotbeenused,however,inactualU.S.installations.Fieldtesting
mightbeusefultomembersinacceleratingtheiracceptanceorrejection.
oThe3Mconductor,ACCR,hasbeenlaboratorytestedaspartofitsdevelopmentprocess,butithasonlybeenfield
testedinasinglespanatXcelEnergy.Fieldtestswouldbeusefulinidentifyingthisconductor'sstrengthsand
weaknesses.
oCRACandACCFRarecomposedofmaterials(fiberglassandcarbonfibercomposite)thathavenotbeendefinednor
laboratorytested.Researchontheseconductorsshoulddefinematerialproperties,includingconductivity,tensileand
creepelongationpropertiesathightemperature,andcorrosionresistance.Untilpropertiesofthereinforcingmaterials
arewelldefined,thereisnoneedfornorisitpossibletoexecutefieldtests.

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EPRIPerspective
HTLSconductorsdiscussedinthisreportareinvariousstagesofresearchorcommercialdevelopment.The
documentisnotanattempttofinda"best"conductorforallhightemperatureapplications.Thereisnotenoughdataon
someconductorstomakethisdecision.ThisissimplyareviewoftheknownHTLSconductortraits,anassessmentof
theircommercialstate,andalimitedcomparisonoftheireffectivenessasreplacementconductorsinexistinglines.
Thereportcanserveasthebasisforfieldtestplanningandforevaluatingtheneedforlaboratorytesting.

Program
2002Program
Keywords
Conductors
PowerTransmissionPlanning
ElectricCables
TransmissionSystems
HighTemperature
PowerSystemEngineering
Report
000000000001001811
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