Sag Tensions for OHT Lines

and Stringing Issues

Live Wires
 The selection of a conductor
• Lower electrical resistance
• Lower thermal elongation
• Higher annealing temperatures
• Reduced susceptibility to aeolian vibration and galloping
 AAC & AAAC/Al59 Conductors
• Good Conductivity - 61.2% IACS
• Good Corrosion Resistance
• High Conductivity to Weight Ratio
• Moderate Strength
• IS 398 part 1 is the Indian standard for this conductor
• The more commonly used stranding are 7, 19, 37, 61 and 91
AAC
• Distribution lines mostly on poles on short spans

• Moderate Conductivity –52.5% IACS

• Higher Tensile Strength than AAC
• Excellent Corrosion Resistance
• Good Strength to Weight Ratio
• IS:398 Part 4 Is India Standard

AAAC
AAAC conductor
• Moderate Conductivity –52.5% IACS
• Higher Tensile Strength than AAC
• Excellent Corrosion Resistance
• Good Strength to Weight Ratio
• Lower Electrical Losses
• IS:398 Part 4 Is India Standard
• ASTM B399 the US Standard
• Code names US cities ..eg AKRON

AAAC Typical Application

– Transmission and Distribution applications in
corrosive environments, ACSR replacement
 ACSS (Aluminum Conductor Steel Supported)
• ACSR has a continuous operating temperature rating of
85°C, with a limited time emergency rating of
100°C. Because ACSR depends heavily on its
aluminum strands for strength, operation at temperatures
above the annealing point of aluminum (approximately
94°C) can result in loss of strength.
• ACSS is designed such that it can be continuously
operated up to 200°C. To accomplish this, ACSS is
ACSS constructed with fully annealed 1350-O aluminum
strands and a thermally resistant steel core, usually
either a zinc-5% aluminum-mischmetal alloy-coated
(Galfan) or aluminum coated (AW) steel core wire.
• Since ACSS is designed to be primarily supported by its
steel core, its thermal coefficient of expansion is much
lower than that of ACSR,
• The cost of this conductor is about 4 times that of ACSR
conductor
• Requires special hardware as ACSR hardware cant be
used for this conductor at elevated temperatures.
 ACCC (Aluminium Conductor Composite Core)
• The ACCC® (trademark or CTC global) is conductor consists of a
hybrid carbon and glass fiber core which is stranded with trapezoidal
shaped aluminum strands.
• the ACCC conductor has annealed Aluminium strands of trapezoidal
shape and has a hybrid carbon and glass fiber core embedded in a
high-performance thermoset epoxy matrix. The central carbon fiber
core consists of tens of thousands of high-strength, high-modulus
unidirectional carbon fibers that are surrounded by a protective layer of
glass fibers. The outer glass fibers improve toughness and flexibility
while also providing a galvanic
• barrier to prevent corrosion with the conductive Aluminium strands.
The ACCC conductor has very little creep over the period even when
operated at higher temperatures like 180oC.
• This conductor is now being used for enhancing the existing
transmission lines capacity and in Karnataka and in Telangana, many
of the new re-conductoring projects are being executed for almost
doubling the power in the existing lines by replacing ACSR
Zebra/ACSR Drake with ACCC Drake. Live Wires studied for a project
during November 2018 the maximum current carrying Capacity and
noted that a double circuit 220kv line can be loaded upto 1400Amps by
using ACCC Drake at 154oC. For evacuating 2500MW double circuit
400kv line, Quad ACCC Mumbai was estimated to reach operating
temperature of 120oC.
 Goal of sag tension calculations
• Predicting the catenary sags and the conductor tensions under all design conditions of conductor temperature and
ice and/or wind loads.
• Maximum conductor tension is an important factor in structure design.
• Maximum conductor sag largely determines structure heights and locations in order to maintain electrical
clearances throughout the life of the line.
• Thus both the mechanical and electrical integrity of an overhead transmission or distribution line is directly
dependent on the accuracy of sag-tension calculations.
• This is especially important when many utilities are no longer able to support in-house experts in the subject and
when new types of conductors are becoming commercially available.
• Furthermore, given the trends in many countries toward deregulation of utilities, increased utilization of existing
assets, and the often fierce opposition to building new lines, there is a need for increased accuracy in such
calculations to avoid the possibility of electrical clearance violations
 Conductor Sag

bare conductor, when subjected to

uniform loading per unit length, takes
the form of a catenary between
support points. The shape of the
catenary curve, changes with
temperature (thermal elongation), ice
and wind loading (design loading
plastic elongation), and time (creep
plastic elongation), as shown in Figure
Initial and final tensions and conditions
• Sags and tensions after plastic elongation of the conductor due to occasional severe ice and/or wind loads and to long-term
creep elongation of Aluminium strand layers under normal everyday tension (difference in sag between the Initial and Final
Sag at 32oC in earlier slide).
• Sags and tensions for all foreseen temperatures, over the life of the line, including those (above 75oC) which may result
from high electrical current loads (sag at maximum electrical load in earlier slide).
• The maximum conductor tension under ice and wind loads which “strain” structures (i.e. dead-end and angle) must
withstand and the corresponding maximum sag which must not infringe on minimum electrical clearances.
• Conductor tensions during the coldest periods of winter to allow for sufficient self-damping to prevent aeolian vibration-
induced fatigue over the life of the line
Conductor elongation
 Conductor Catenary Profile
(S p an ) l

ry
Where s=sag in m

na
2
te
Th = horizontal component

d/
(S a g ) s

Ca
of tension in kg

h)
of
gt
alf
w = vertical component of the

le n
y (x)

(H
vertical weight if conductor
including ice and wind loads
x l = span in meters
( T e n s io n ) Th

a = Th / w

x - A x is
−
= ℎ −1 ≅
2
2
ℎ ℎ = × ℎ
= × ℎ −1 2
2
≅ × 1+
24
 Catenary or parabola?
• Th/w is termed as catenary constant
• Catenary equation treats that the conductor tension is constant per unit length of conductor
• Parabola treats that conductor tension is constant for unit span length
• Sag formula as per catenary = = × ℎ −1
2
 wl 2 
• Sag formula as per parabola s   
 8Th 

• The formula of parabola is valid upto w2l2/48Th2<1

• This formula is also accurate till the sag is 5% of span
• Conductor Sag is the difference between the length of the conductor and its span i.e. d-l and is specified
as percentage of span 100*(d-l)/l
Conductor slack and its effect on sag and tensions
• With smaller spans (less than say 350m ) we would consider the slack in relation to the sag and tensions considering
the profile to be parabola
× ×( )
• =

×
• = ×
×( )

• This implies that as slack reduces, tension becomes high and sag would reduce.
• A line with 300m span with ACSR Drake was given 28.7 kN tension had resulted in sag of 7.241m. By giving 100mm
additional length of 100 mm, resulted in increase of sag by 800mm and tension reduced by 13% (3.2kN)
• The slack concept is thus very useful in explaining how very small changes in conductor length – such as those
caused by thermal, elastic or plastic elongation, have major effects on the sag of overhead line spans
 Tension limits as per IEC 60826
• The maximum conductor and structure tension loads increase with increasing initial installed tension, while the sag
decreases. To avoid conductor tensile failure under high ice and wind loads, the conductor tension under maximum ice and
wind is usually limited to 50% - 60% of RTS.
• Typical values accepted internationally, as well as in IEC 60826, are:
 50 to 75% RTS under maximum climatic heavy load conditions;
 20 to 30% RTS with no ice or wind at 15oC when the conductor is initially installed under tension;
 15 to 25% RTS with no ice or wind at 15oC the conductor being in its final condition (after the conductor has been
exposed to a heavy ice and wind loading event or has been in place for many years.)
• Notice that, while limiting the initial unloaded conductor tension limits subsequent maximum conductor and structure loads ,
unloaded tension constraints are primarily imposed to limit aeolian vibration to manageable levels. While limiting initial and
final unloaded tensions to certain ranges of %RTS is common as a means of vibration control, CIGRE WG B2.11 suggests
that limiting the catenary constant (Th/w) for the coldest month is better.
 Errors in the sag tension calculations
1. Conductor Mass:
o Nominal wt and actual wt varies from 0.2% to 0.6%
o Over life of a line wt of conductor slightly increases due to tarnishing
o During rainy season or humid condition. A wet conductor would weight 1.5% to 2.% of a dry conductor.
2. End of span effect
o The catenary equations assume that the conductor is fully flexible. If the bending stiffness of the conductor is taken into
account, the actual sag in spans supported in suspension clamps is found to be less than that of catenary calculations. If
the ends of the span consist of 30 cm long suspension clamps, the effect of the suspension clamp and the bending
stiffness changes the length of the effective catenary to 299.37 m and reduces the sag from 6.41 m to 6.38 m, i.e. a
reduction of 0.4%. If the suspension clamps are equipped with armor rods, the sag reduces to 6.35 m, i.e. a reduction of
0.9%.
o Conversely, if both ends of the span are terminated into dead-end insulator strings, the sags increase. If both ends of the
example span are terminated in 2m long insulator strings, with a total mass of 100 kg each, the sag increases from 6.41 m
to 6.45 m (i.e. a sag increase of 0.5%). The use of composite insulators would yield a smaller sag increase.
3. Flexibility of structures
o Changes in conductor tension at angle and dead-end strain structures causes elastic and inelastic structure
deflections. If the resulting deflection of a dead-end structure in the preceding example is 1 cm, the sag increases
from 6.41 m to 6.49 m, i.e. a change of 1.2%. Pole structures may deflect considerably more than steel lattice.
Other lesser effects, such as survey errors, also occur. In combination with those cited above, such uncertainties yield
a typical sag calculation error of 1% to 2% for even the simplest single span line.
 Creep in conductors
• The stringing requires that the creep is taken into consideration while giving
tensions. The creep compensation, therefore is to be estimated before the charts
are prepared. Many utilities gives 26oC compensation for quad bundle conductor
and 32oC for hexa-sub conductor bundle conductor as creep compensation.
• Creep is time as well as temperature dependant. As such it is advisable the
estimation of creep is done by proper calculations
• However, this practice needs revision and the field staff to be educated about the
creep phenomenon. Following the present practice of 26oC or 32oC without
taking into consideration of the short term creep would result in giving higher
tensions that would overload the structures
• While paying out a double circuit line usually takes considerable time. For
example of a quad conductor 400kv line of a section length of 3000m requires at
least 5 days for paying out. Once the conductor is payed out, it is given a tension
about 50 to 70% of tension to be strung. The duration of the conductors that is
rough sagged in the field and the time of giving the final tensioning would be
significant as the conductor would have developed elastic tensile strain which is
very significant.
 Determining the creep for ACSR conductors
• First sept is assessing the final tension after the creep is set in usually which is considered to be 10 years or 87600 hrs
• Calculate the length of the conductor by the formula earlier
• creep after t number of hours = Ԑt=1.4*(%RBS)1.3*t0.16
• with this creep calculations, the length of the conductor at the time of initial stringing can be arrived at by reducing creep
from the length of the conductor. This reduced length of conductor would result in the calculated creep after 10 years.
• Now the initial tension can be calculated by arriving at the reduced length of conductor and the required tension
• The creep compensation can be arrived at by reverse calculation by arriving at what reduced temperature this initial tension
can be achieved
• + + ∝ − − = Where T1 is the initial tension condition for the calculation
at temperature condition t1 and load condition P1; = + is the resultant load on the conductor where
ww1 is the initial wind load considered for arriving at the initial tension while weight of cable is taken as w and ww1 is the wind
load per meter length. In case of scenario where there is ice loading, the w in this equation is to be substituted with the
weight of conductor with ice and ww1 is wind load on conductor with ice thickness. For these calculations ice density is
taken as 916.7 kg per cu.m; T2 is the calculation of tension at Temperature t2 and load condition P2; A is the area of the
conductor in sq.mm; l is the span in m, E is the Modulus of Elasticity of the conductor in kg/sq.mm, α is the linear coefficient
of conductor, w is the weight of conductor in kg per m, = + is the resultant load on the conductor at the
required wind condition; t1 is the initial temperature condition for sag tension calculations and t2 is the required temperature
condition for sag tension calculations
 Overhead power Transmission Line Survey
• The issues of present methods of overhead power transmission line survey are
• Using the Total Stations without checking its accuracy and precision
• Using Hand Held GPS which has an inherent error
• With DEGP, while Doing Static Survey not giving enough time for the capturing the Base-Station coordinates
• Tower spotting using Sag Templates
• While using PLSCADD for tower spotting not assessing the weather and criteria conditions
• While using PLSCADD using single tension for the entire line