Overhead Power Lines
Contents Page
Introduction 92
Selection of line voltage 92
Selaction of conductors
and ground wires 913-94
Selection of insulators 914-915,
Selection and
design of supports 96-9710
Route selection and
tower spotting 910
Siomens’ activities and
‘experience sno Overhead Power Lines
Introduction
Singe the very beginning of alactic power
appleation overhead power ines have
‘constituted the most important compo-
nent for transmission and distribution of
‘lactic power Tho¥ portion of overall
length of electric ereuits depends on the
voltage level as well as on local conditions
‘and pracice. In dansoly populated areas
ike Cental Europe, underground cables
proval in the distrbution sector and over
head power ines inthe high-voltage see-
tor In other parts ofthe word, for example
in Noth America, overhead lines ae often
Used also for cistrbution purpases within
Cites, Siemens has planned, dasigned and
terectad overhead poser ines of all impor
‘ant voltage levels in many pats of the
world
Selection of line voltage
For distribution and trensmission of electric
Power standardized voltages according to
TEC 38 are used worldwide.
For three-phase AC appication three vot
age levels are cistingushod:
1 The low-voktage level upto 1 KV
|= The medumoltage level between 1 kV
and 36 KY and
15 The high-voitage level up 0-800 MV.
For DC transmission the voltages vary
from the montionad data
Low-voltage ines serve households and
small business consumers. Linas of the
‘medtumvoltage level suoply smal setie-
‘ments, individual industrial plants and
larger Consumers, he electric power being
typeally less than 10 MVA per curt
The highwolage circuits up 10145 kW
serve for subtransmission of the electic
power regionally and feed the medium
voltage network. This high-voltage level
Networks often adopted to support the
‘mediumvoltage level even i the elactne
power is below 10 MUA. Moreover, some
Of thess high-voltage lines alse transmit
the olectie power from mediunsized
power pants, such as hydraulic plants at
Sall and medium riers, and supoly 69
Consumers, such as big industil plants or
steel mils, They constitute the connection
‘between the interconnected high-voltage
Sid and the local distribution natworks
‘The bandwidth of electrical power trans
ported eovraspond tothe broad range
Of ullization, however, exceeds rarely
100 MVA per circuit, whl the surge im
pedance load is 35 MVA, appraximately
2000
Mw) Power per circuit
1000
2
10
10 2 50
Fa. Selecton of ated vote tr pone: tansassion
‘The 248 kY lines had been sed in Cental
Europe for interconnection of utity net
works before switching tothe 420 KY level
‘or this nurpose. Long-distance transmis:
sion, for example, between the hydraulic
powerplants inthe Alps and the Consum-
‘ets, W3s cared out by 245 RY lines.
Nowadays, the importance of 245
lings is decreasing due to the application
of A208,
Savane Pome
Transmission distance
100 200 500
im
‘The 420 KY level represents the highest
voltage used for AC transmission in
Cental Ewope wit the task of itercon-
‘necting the utlty networks and of tans
imitting the energy over long distances,
‘Some 420 KY lines connect the national
{ids ofthe individual European countries
enabling Europewide interconnected net
‘work operation. Large powerplants, such
‘3 nuclear stations, feed directly into the
4420 KV network. The thermal capacity of
the 420 KV circuits may reach 2000
with a surge impedence load of approx
mately 600 MVA and an economic tans.
mmission capacity upto 1200 MIVA, Overhead Power Lines
‘Nominal bundle bundle bundle bundle
erass-section mam’) 50120 150 900 425 24240 4x240 2560. 45560
Conductor diameter mm] 96 155 171 245 288 2019 Ho19 9022 42?
Ampacity at 0°
Seeronpesrc
210 410 470 740 900 1290 2580 2080 4160
‘Thomalcapacity IMA] 7 14 90 140 940 490
Resistance at 20°C [Oem] 052 0.24 0,190.10 00670059 0.020 0.028 D012
Roactanco atS0 Hz {c/km] 0.39 094 0.41038 04 082 025 027 028
capacitance faFfkm] 97 112 93 10 95 118 144 138 131
Capacitance
aground [oft] 34 35 40.42 48 63 65 64 61
Charging power (kVA) 1.2 14 95 28 125 175 680 625 2920
Ground fault current (Afkm] 0.0! 004 025025 058 076 1.5 132 248
Surgeimpedance 0} 360 310 375 350 365 300 240 750 260
‘Surge
impodanceload (MVA} - - 32 35135 160 600 5772170
ig. 2 Bec charactors of ACovrheed power es Oat reterto one cuit of dubleciu ne!
Overhead powerlines with vohtages high The voltage level has tobe selected based
er than 420.KV are needed to economically on the duty of the line within the network
transmit bulk electie power over long diss oF on results of network planning. Siemens.
tances, 2 task typically arising when wil has cared out such studies for utes al,
ing haul energy potemias far away over he worl,
from consumer centers. Fig. 1 depicts
schematically the range of application for
‘the individual vokage levels depending
on the dstance of transmission and the
power cating.
Siemans Power Ergraning G88 Honsmason 8 Drew
Selection of conductors
and ground wires
CConcisctors represont the most important
components ofan overhead powerline
since they have to ensure economical and
rolable transmission and contribute con.
siderobly 10 the Total ine costs
For many years aluminum ond its alloys
have been the prevaiing conducting mate-
rials for power lines due to tha favorabie
Price, the low welght and the necessity of
fertain minmum cross-sections,
The conductors are prane to corresion
Aluminum, in principle, is a vary corosive
ota. However, a dense oxide layers
formed which stops futher carrosive a
tacks, Therefore, aluminum conductors
ae wall suited also for corrosive areas, for
examale, « martime climate,
For sluminum conductors there isa mur
ber af afferant designe in use. Al alum
num eonduetors [ARC] have got the high-
est conductiviy fora given cfose-secton,
hhawever. possess only a ew mechanical
strength whieh limits their application to
short spans and low tensile forces, To
increase the mechanical sivength wires
mate of slurinum-magnesiom siicium
alloys are adopted, the strength of which
is twice thot of pure aluminum.
‘All aluminum and aiumioum alloy con-
Guctars have shown Susceptity against
‘eojan wirations. Compaund conductors,
witha stool core, socalled aluminum
abies, steel reinforced (ACSA), avoid this
‘disadvantage. The rato between aluminum
and stel reaches from 43'1 to 11:1. Expe:
‘once has demonstrated that ACSR has @
ong ite, too.
Conductors ae selected according to elec:
ttcal, thermal, mechanical and economic
aspocts. The electic resistance asa result
(of the conducting materal and ts erass-
‘ection isthe most important feature
affecting the voltage dtop and the energy
losses along the ine ana, therefore, the
transmission costs. The cross section as
tbe selected such that the permissible
temperatures wil not be exceeded during
‘orm operstion as well as undor short,
Creu. Wah increasing cross section the
Ine costs inroase, wvle the costs for
lasses decrease. Depending on the duty
Of @ line and its power, a cross-section an
be determined wien rosuits in lowest
twansmission costs. This eoss-section
shouldbe aimed for. The heat balance of
‘ohmic losses and sole radiation against
Convection and radiation determines the
‘onkuctor temperature. A cuent donsity
©f 0.5 to 1.0 A/mm? has proven to be an
‘economiesolution
98 Overhead Power Lines
High voltage results in correspondingly
high-voltage gradients at the conductors
and in coronavelated effects such 28 visi
ble discharges, radio interference, audble
noise and energy losses. When selecting
‘the conductors, the votage gradiont has
to be limited to values between 18 and
‘7 kMlem, This aspect is important for
lines with voltages of 245 kV and above
‘Therefore, unde conductors are adopted
for extrigholtage ines. Fig. 2 shows
‘ypieal candictor configurations
From the mechanical point of view the
‘conductors have to be designed for every-
day condtions and for maxrmum loads
‘exerted on the conductor by wind and ice.
'AS a rough figure, an everyday stress of
‘pproximately 20% ofthe conductor ul
mate tensile stress oan be adopted, resuit-
ing i limited risk of conductor damage.
‘Ground wires can protect a line against
lteet lightning strokes and improve the
‘system behavior in case of short circuits;
therefor, lines with single-phase voltages
‘of TO WV and above ate usually equipped
‘with ground wires. Ground wares made
‘of ACSF with a sufficiently high aluminum
{toss Section satsty both requirements
co
Selection of insulators
Overhead ine insulators are subject to
‘electrical and mechanical stress since they
have 19 insulate the conductors from po-
‘ental to ground and must provide physical
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Semis Pane ErrenegGao Terris sen Overhead Power Lines |
tt
¥
Fe, 5 Double terion insur sat or 245 WV elevton)
Pes b
oo eee =
Fp, Se Dosbl tension sutra for 48 Vian)
| Sime Fou Epes GueTanasond Debton = Overhead Power Lines
Selection and design of supports
ee
“Together with the ne voltage, number ot
circus and type of conductors the config
Lutation ofthe cuits determines the Go-
sign of overhead power ines. Adcitionaly,
lightning protection by ground wes, the
terrain and the avalabie space atthe tower
sites have to be consicerad. In densely :
Dpulated areas ike Central Europe, te
‘width of rightoFsvay and the space forthe
tower sites are limited In te casa of ex
trasigh voltages the conductor contigua-
tion affecs the electrical characteristics
{and the transmission capacty ofthe ine.
Very often there ara contrasting require
‘ments, such as a tower height 25 low as
pessitie and a narrow rghtolsway, which
‘an onl be met party by comoromises,
‘The mutual clearance ofthe conductors Fig. Canfgvatins of mum woke sppets
depends on the voltage and the conductor
59g, In ice-prone arees conductors should
not bo arranged verically inorder to avoid
ee
‘oncivctor clashing after ice shecaing,
For low and medium-witage lines horizon
tal conductor configurations preval which
feature ine post insulators a8 woh as us
pension insulators. Preferably poves made
‘of wood, concrete or steel te used,
Fig. 6 shows some typical line configura
tions. Ground wires are omites at ths
voltage lev.
For high: and extrahigh-votage power
lines a large vanity of configurations is
avaiable which depends on the number
‘of Grcuts and on focal conditions, Dus to
a
the very ited ightof way, mare or less
ali high-voltage ines im Cental Eurone:
Comprise at least wo cious, Fig. 7
shows a series of typical tower configu
fations. Avrangemente) is called the
“Danube” configuration and is mast often
adopted. It represents a fir comaromise.
‘th respect to width of rightatway, to
er height and tine costs
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