INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE

EEN-206: Power Transmission and Distribution

Lecture -07

Chapter 2: Overhead Transmission Lines

• Mechanical Design
• Conductor Vibrations
Calculation of Sag and Tension

Towers at same height Towers at different height

Conductor length at x Equation of catenary curve Equation of tension at x

Support at Same Heights
If the towers at same height and span is 2l, i.e. half span is x = l

Half Conductor length

Sag with respect to B

T at Ends

Tension at point B
Approximate Formulae for Sag and Tension

Short Spans

and Short Spans

and
Supports at Different Heights

For tower B

For tower A

Therefore, difference in tower

heights
Effect of Ice Covering and Wind
 If the ice thickness is more than 0.5 cm then it is considered.
 Effect of ice covering (wi) is to increase the weight of conductor (wc) , and thus increases the vertical sag.
 If r is radius of conductor and t is thickness of ice layer.

Vi    r  t    r 2
2

   r 2  t 2  2rt  r 2 
   t 2  2rt  m3
If  is the density of ice
Wi    t 2  2rt  kg/m
Therefore,
Total weight (WT )
WT  Wc  Wi
ρ =915 kg/m3
 Effect of Ice Covering and Wind
• The wind pressure acts on the conductor in horizontal 2r
direction. Assume that wind blows uniformly. 1m 1m

• If p is the wind pressure, wind loading (ww)

2 r  t 
Conductor alone ww  2 r p kg/m

Conductor + Ice ww  2 r  t  p kg/m

• The wind pressure depends on the velocity of the wind.

p  0.006v2 kg/m2
 Effect of Ice Covering and Wind
ww

ϕ
wc or
(wc + wi) wT

• The resultant weight of the conductor is:

Conductor alone wT  wc2  ww2 kg/m

Conductor + Ice wT  wc  wi 2  ww2 kg/m

• The angle at which loading is acting is:

Conductor alone   tan 1 ww wc 

Conductor + Ice   tan 1 ww wc  wi 

Ruling or Equivalent Span

• There are several situations span length is not same. Therefore, tension in each span
will be different.  w Li 2 
Ti  H i 1  
 2 H i 

• This is not possible in case of suspension type insulator, because it will swing to equalize the tension.
• Therefore, the uniform tension in each span is calculated by defining the equivalent span (or ruling span).
– Le is the equivalent or ruling span L31  L32  L32    L3n  w Le 2 
Le  T  H e 1  
– Li is the each individual span in line L1  L2  L3    Ln  2 H e 
Ruling or Equivalent Span

• Also approximate ruling span is:

– Lavg is the average span in line

Le  Lavg 
2
Lmax  Lavg 
– Lmax is the maximum span in line 3
• The ruling span is then used to calculate the horizontal component of tension, which is to be applied to all the
spans between the anchor points. Then the sag at each span is computed using

 w Le 2  wli 2
T  H e 1  
 di 
 2 H e  2H e
• Span should not be more than twice the ruling span or less than half the ruling span.
Stringing Chart
The curves of sag and tension with
temperature variation are called
the Stringing Charts.

Stringing chart is helpful in

providing sag and tension at any
temperature, if the sag and tension
is know at any particular
temperature.

They are useful in erecting line

conductors at specified
temperature and loading
conditions.

At high temperature, sag is more

and tension is less whereas at low
temperature sag is less but tension
is more.
Sag Template
 Conductor Vibrations
• Aeolian or resonant vibrations:
– It is caused by vortex phenomena in light winds.
– Low magnitude (up to 5 cm), loop length 1-10 m, and high frequency (5-40 Hz)
– Less harmful because of small magnitude
– These vibrations are common in conductor and more or less always present.
– The Armour rods or dampers are used to damp these vibrations.

Armour rods Stock-bridge dampers

Stock-Bridge Dampers

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 Conductor Vibrations
• Galloping (or dancing conductors):
– Generally happened due to asymmetrical layer
of ice formation.
– When this asymmetrical ice coated conductor
exposed to light winds (particularly when the
slope of ground is higher).
– High magnitude (up to 6 m) and low frequency
(0.25-2 Hz).
– These vibration may cause flashover between
the conductors.
– To avoid this flashover horizontal configuration
is preferred.
– Also if conductor is perfectly circular the effect
can be minimized.
– The stranded conductors can be wrapped up
with PVC to make conductor perfectly circular.
Galloping (or Dancing Conductors)

Vertical conductors.

Horizontal conductor

16
TUTORIAL- 02
Ques-01
An overhead transmission line conductor weighs 0.7 kg/m and has an ultimate tensile strength of 5000 kg. Calculate
the sag in still air condition for a span length of 225 m. Assume a factor of safety of 2 and support at same level.

Explanation and Hints:

Given: Tensile Strength =5000; Span=2l

Safety Factor =2; Sag
Span Length =225 m ;
w =0.7 kg/m
l
l= = 112.5 m
T= = = 2500

T= H 1 +

Sag = d =

18
Ques-02
A transmission line conductor consists of a conductor (weighs 214 kg/km) of 250 mm cross section (61/2.24 mm)
and has a span of 200 m, the supporting structure being level. The conductor has an ultimate tensile stress of 40
kg/mm and safety factor is 5. Ice density is 931.0 kg/m . Find
(a) the sag in still air,
(b) the sag with wind pressure of 1 kg/m and ice loading of 1 cm, and
(c) vertical sag in (b).

Explanation and Hints:

Given: Span =200 m;
w= 214 kg/km = 0.214 kg/m
Ultimate Tensile Stress = 40 kg/mm ; Actual area of conductor (AC)= ᴨr *n
Safety Factor =2;
Span Length =200 m ; Ultimate Stress = 40 * AC = 9616 kg
Cross Sectional Area= 250 mm
Ice Density = 931.0 kg/m Ultimate Stress with safety factor =
Strands = 61/2.24 mm
l= = 100 m
T= H 1 +
Sag = d =
Ques-02: Continued
b) Cross section area of conductor = 250 mm = ᴨr ∴ r = 8.92 mm = 0.892 cm
Thickness of ice = 1cm
Cross sectional area of ice and volume of ice
Weight of ice = Volume of ice* Ice Density
𝑤 𝑤 =1
𝑤 = 1 kg/m
𝑤 = 0.214 kg/m 𝑤
𝛳
 
𝑤 = (𝑤 + 𝑤 ) +(𝑤 )

tan 𝜃 = 𝑤
+
𝑤 +𝑤
𝑤
T= H 1 +

Sag = d =

c). Vertical Sag = d* cos 𝜃

20
Ques-03
An overhead transmission line has following data:
Weight= 0.35 kg/m, Maximum allowable strength = 800 kg, Safety factor = 2, Span length = 160 m. Supports are at
different levels where one support is at 70 m from the ground. Find minimum clearance from the ground and minimum
point of the catenary from the supports when the second support is at 65m.

Explanation and Hints: 160

w = 0.35 kg/m
160 - x
Maximum allowable strength = 800 kg A
Safety Factor = 2 x
B h
Tension, T = = = 400 kg 𝑑
𝑑
Span Length = 160
ℎ = 70 m; ℎ = 65 m

w( ) w( )
ℎ = 70 m
𝑑 = ;𝑑 = ℎ = 65 m
Since, 𝑑 - 𝑑 = h = 5
∴𝑥=?

Ground Clearance = ℎ - 𝑑 1 𝑂𝑅 ℎ − 𝑑

21
 Innovative Designs

Thank
You

Ref: Jaoa B. G. Silva, “Innovative solutions for overhead line supports,” Cigre Meeting, SC B2, Iceland, July 2011.