2017 International Conference on Industrial Engineering, Applications and Manufacturing (ICIEAM)
Thermal Calculation of Covered Conductor for
Overhead Lines
Vikharev Ⱥ.P., Repkin D.Ⱥ., Repkina N.G.
Vyatka State University
Kirov, Russian Federation
usr00061@vyatsu.ru, repkin@vyatsu.ru, usr00353@vyatsu.ru
Abstract—The subject under study is urgent because of a wide
use of covered conductors for constructing and reconstructing
overhead high-voltage lines. The aim of the research is the
analysis of thermal mode of covered conductors under different
weather conditions: air temperature, wind speed and direction,
as well as solar heating. The research uses the analytical method
solving the equation of the thermal balance of covered wires. The
paper provides the procedure for calculation of temperature and
continuous allowable current for covered wires in overhead high-
voltage lines taking into account different weather conditions and
based on the thermal balance equation. The research outcome
may be applied at designing, constructing and reconstructing
overhead high-voltage lines of covered wires.
Keywords—overhead lines; covered conductor; temperature
wire; equation of wire thermal state; allowable current.
I. INTRODUCTION
In recent years, when constructing and reconstructing 6-35
kV overhead lines, covered wires have become widely spread.
They have some operational advantages compared to
uncovered wires. Covered wires for 110 kW overhead lines
have been designed and are available in Russia and abroad
[1,2]. Transmission route length is increasing every year.
Transition to using covered wires when constructing and
reconstructing transmission lines is reflected in the engineering
policy of Federal Grid Company [3]. Considerable operating
experience in 6-35 kV transmission lines using covered wires
in Russia and abroad shows the reduction of single-phase short
circuit and short circuit between phases and the enhancement
of safety when in operation [4-16]. Cutting down the number
of switching outs in transmission lines caused by phase
wire/conductor crossing is one of advantages of covered wires
compared to uncovered ones. Polymeric enclosure in covered
wires insulates current-carrying parts of electrical equipment
and significantly enhances the operational safety of
transmission lines compared to uncovered ones [6]. When
using covered wires, transmission line construction costs are
decreasing due to cutting down narrower forest swaths and are
conserving natural landscape. Constructing transmission lines
in green belts prevents ground fires. Quality of electrical power
is improving because of decreasing reactive resistance
compared to uncovered wires.
978-1-5090-5648-417$31.00 ©2017 IEEE
A. Topicality.
Continuous allowable current is one of the most important
operational properties in overhead power transmission lines. A
series of studies in Russia and abroad on developing techniques
calculating continuous allowable current in uncovered wires in
overhead power transmission lines has been conducted. [17-
20]. Some specification documents are based on the research
results [17-19]. But there is no proper technique for covered
wires. Therefore, developing techniques calculating
continuous allowable current for covered wires is a crucial
task. The peculiarity is that insulation of covered wires is made
of crossed linked polyethylene with low conductivity. It
worsens heat removal from current-carrying parts of the wire
and reduces continuous allowable current compared to
uncovered wires.
B. Setting the Task.
The task of the research is developing the technique
calculating the temperature at various values of currents and
continuous allowable current for covered wires in transmission
lines taking into account air temperature, wind speed and
direction and solar radiation heating.
II. THEORY
Under the steady temperature condition all active power
generated from the conductor is transformed into heat. Heat
passes through the insulation and radiates or convects into the
environment. The additional source of heat release in a covered
wire is solar radiation heating. That's why the thermal
condition of the wire with passing alternating current can be
described by the heat-balance equation of the wire
Ps.r. + Pc.p. = Ph.r. + Pc , (1)
where Ps.r– solar radiation power level of the wire, W/mK;
Pc.p. – electric current power level of the wire, W/mK; Ph.r.
– power losses of the wire due to thermal radiation , W/mK;
Pc – power losses of the wire due to convection, W/mK.
When considering the heat-balance equation, we assume
that heat radiates from the wire only radially. So, all the
components of the heat-balance equation do not depend on the
wire length and can be calculated per 1 meter of its length.
 2017 International Conference on Industrial Engineering, Applications and Manufacturing (ICIEAM)
Figure 1 gives the design heat balance diagram of the covered 1
wire. R ta =
(α c + α h .r . ) π d w , (6)

where α c – convection coefficient, W/(m2·degree); α h .r .

Fig. 1. Design heat balance diagram of the covered wire
The main source of heat release in the wire is power losses
in the conductive part and may be calculated as follows:
Ɋc. p. = I c.2 p. ⋅ Rc. p.
(2)
– radiant heat-transfer coefficient, W/(m2·degree).
Accurate calculation of the convection coefficient of the
wire surface is a hard task. The coefficient depends on the wire
diameter, flow modes, speed and air temperature and some
other values. [22] proposes the formulae to calculate the radiant
heat-transfer coefficient of an average circumferentially mean
wire:
at 5 < Re ≤1000

where Ic.p. – electrical current in the conductive part of the 0, 43 ⋅ Ʉϕ ⋅ λ ( ta ) V

αc = 0 ,5
wire, Ⱥ; Rc.p. – active resistance of 1 meter of the conductive ª¬ν ( ta ) º¼ dw
part at a temperature of tc.p., Ohm/m. , (7)

at 1000 < Re ≤ 2 ⋅105

Rc. p. = R20 ª¬1 + ɚ ( tc. p. − 20 ) º¼ , (3)
0 , 216 ⋅ Ʉϕ ⋅ λ ( ta ) ⋅ V 0 ,6
αc =
where R20 – electrical current in the conductive part at a ª¬ν ( ta ) º¼
0 ,6
d w0 ,4
temperature of +200 ɋ, Ohm/m; ɚ – temperature coefficient , (8)
(for aluminium a = 0,000403 1/0ɋ).
where Re – Reynolds number;
The additional source of heat in a covered wire is solar
radiation heating. Power level of the wire surface caused by
solar radiation depends on many factors. The developed V ⋅ dw
technique takes into account the highest power value of solar Re =
ν ( ta ) , (9)
radiation calculated according to the formula

Ʉϕ = 1 − 0 ,5 cos 2 ϕ - the coefficient, taking into account air

Ɋ s .r . = Ʉ s ⋅ Fw ⋅ β ⋅ q s , (4)
where Fw – the wire surface area, exposed to solar radiation
(when calculating per unit length of the wire Fw = dw); qs –
total power of solar radiation per level surface unit, W/m2
(when calculating it equals 1000 W/m2); β – solar
radiation absorption coefficient on the wire surface (for black
crossed linked polyethylene it may equal 0,9…0,92); Ks –
total solar radiation coefficient on the level surface under a
clear sky, relative unit. [21].
Radiated heat passes through the insulation into air
overcoming their thermal resistances. The thermal resistance of
the wire insulation can be calculated according to the formula
1 dw
R ti = ln
2π λ d c.p.
(5)
where λ – insulation thermal conductivity, W/mK; dc.p. –
conductor diameter, m; d w – wire diameter, m.
The thermal resistance of air can be calculated as follows:
flow angle of attack; V - average speed of air flow, m/s;
ν ( t ) - kinematic air viscosity coefficient, m /s; λ ta - air
a
2
( )
thermal conductivity, W/(m ·degree); ta - air temperature, ° ɋ.
2
Air thermal conductivity and kinematic air viscosity
coefficient depend on its temperature. At the range of
temperatures from -50 to +50 0ɋ these functional connections
may be approximated as follows:
λ ( ta ) = ( 0,0079 ⋅ ta + 2, 4364 ) ⋅10−2
; (10)
ν ( ta ) = ( 0,0868 ⋅ ta + 13,411) ⋅10−6
. (11)
Heat transfer coefficient can be worked out according to the
formula [22]
λɥ = ε ⋅ ɋ0 ª¬10−8 (Ɍ a3 + Ɍ a2 ⋅ Ɍ w + Ɍ a ⋅ Ɍ w2 + Ɍ w3 ) º¼
, (12)
 2017 International Conference on Industrial Engineering, Applications and Manufacturing (ICIEAM)

where ε – the emissivity factor of the wire radiating; ɋ 0 =

on the continuous allowable current value reduces dramatically
because of high convection heat loss.
5,67 – blackbody coefficient; Ɍ a , Ɍ w – Kelvin temperatures
of the wire and air, Ʉ. The industry standard [19] gives the values of continuous
allowable currents for the uncovered wire Ⱥɋ-240 at the wind
Using the diagram in Fig.1 may work out the heat-balance speed of 0.6 m/s blowing along the line with and without
equation for the conductor temperature: accounting solar radiation. Comparisons of these values with
those in Table 1 show that for covered wires continuous
allowable currents are less by 20...25%.
tc. p. − ta = Ɋc. p. ( Rti + Rta ) + Ɋs .r . ⋅ Rta
; (13) The industry standard [19] gives the values of continuous
allowable currents for the uncovered wire Ⱥɋ-240 at the wind
for the wire temperature speed of 0.6 m/s blowing along the line with and without
accounting solar radiation. Comparisons of these values with
tw − ta = Ɋc. p. ⋅ Rta + Ɋs .r . ⋅ Rta those in Table 1 show that for covered wires continuous
. (14) allowable currents are less by 20...25%.

The method of successive approximations solves equations TABLE I. CONTINUOUS ALLOWABLE CURRENT FOR SIW -3 1×240
(13) and (14). To calculate the continuous allowable current the 35KV AT THE WIND SPEED OF 0.6 M/S BLOWING ALONG THE LINES
conductor temperature in equation (13) is to be assumed equal
Air temperature, ° ɋ Continuous allowable
to continuous heating temperature according to mechanical
current, Ⱥ
resistance. Continuous allowable current in the wire is worked With solar radiation
out as follows –20 719
–10 690
0 640
tc . p . per − ta − Ɋs .r . ⋅ Rta 10 558
I per = 20 512
Rc. p. ( Rti + Rta ) 25 491
(15)
30 466
40 413
To calculate the wire temperature at the given current and Without solar radiation
under other external conditions equation (13) must be solved –20 728
for the conductor temperature –10 700
0 671
10 640
tc. p. = I c.2 p. ⋅ Rc. p. ⋅ ( Rti + Rta ) + Ɋs .r . ⋅ Rta − ta 20 603
(16) 25 585
30 565
The obtained temperature value may be applied to calculate 40 522
the amount of deflection and to estimate the distance from the
wire to the ground or a building crossed. TABLE II. CONTINUOUS ALLOWABLE CURRENT FOR SIW -3 1×240
35KV AT THE WIND SPEED OF 6 M/S BLOWING CROSS THE LINES
Air temperature, ° ɋ Continuous allowable
current, Ⱥ
III. RESULTS With solar radiation

The calculation data of continuous allowable currents for –20 1270

covered wires of rated voltage to 35 kV (SIW-3 1×240 35kV) –10 1208
0 1138
are given to demonstrate how the developed technique works.
10 1062
The calculations were made at different air speeds and 20 983
temperatures with and without accounting wire heating from
25 944
the sun. The wire parameters are taken in accordance with 30 906
GOST P 52373-2005. The thermal conductivity coefficient of
40 822
crossed linked polyethylene is assumed equal 0.3 W/māɄ, the Without solar radiation
emissivity factor of the wire surface is assumed equal 0.95.
Table 1 and 2 show the calculation data. –20 1273
–10 1214
The analysis of the calculation data shows that at the 0 1152
minimal wind speed of 0.6 m/s blowing along the line 10 1086
accounting solar radiation results is reducing continuous 20 1016
allowable current in summer by 21...26%. In winter this 25 980
reduction is not significant and is about 1%. At the wind speed 30 942
of 6 m/s blowing cross the lines the influence of solar radiation 40 861
 2017 International Conference on Industrial Engineering, Applications and Manufacturing (ICIEAM)
A. Practical relevance
Practical application of the developed technique determines
significant operational properties of covered wires: the wire
temperature at different currents and continuous allowable
current at various air temperatures, the wind speed and
direction, and solar radiation heating. The results of the paper
may be applied in electrical power engineering when designing
and calculating operational modes of overhead power
transmission lines made from covered wires. Moreover, the
technique may be used to work out the standard values of
continuous allowable currents for the whole range of wires of
different nominal voltages.
IV. CONCLUSIONS
Based on the results of the research conducted the
following conclusions may be drawn.
1. The technique calculating continuous allowable current
for covered wires taking into account weather conditions has
been developed.
2. The technique calculating the temperature for covered
wires at different current loads taking into account weather
conditions has been developed.
3. Cross-linked polyethylene insulation in covered wires
reduces current carrying capacity by 20-25% compared to
uncovered wires.
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