ACSR Conductor -Overview

About ACSR Conductor

Aluminium conductor steel-reinforced cable (ACSR) is a type of high-capacity,

high-strength stranded conductor typically used in overhead power lines. The outer
strands are high-purity aluminium, chosen for its good conductivity, low weight, low
cost, resistance to corrosion and decent mechanical stress resistance. The centre
strand is steel for additional strength to help support the weight of the conductor. Steel
is of higher strength than aluminium which allows for increased mechanical tension to
be applied on the conductor. Steel also has lower elastic and inelastic deformation
(permanent elongation) due to mechanical loading (e.g. wind and ice) as well as a
lower coefficient of thermal expansion under current loading. These properties allow
ACSR to sag significantly less than all-aluminium conductors. As per the International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and EN (European standard).
ACSR Manufacturing Process Flow chart

Supplier Customer

QC QC PDI
IGI QC
check check check
check

Receiving Rolling Drawing Conductor Inspection

Process Process Stranding- FG & packing
Dispatch
Steel
Steel wire stranding

QC
check
Reference International standards

IEC standard International Electrotechnical Commission.

EN Standard European Standard.
ASTM Standard American Society for Testing and Materials.
BS Standard- British Standard.
DIN Standard- German Standard.
CSA/CAN- Canadian standards associations.
NFC Standards- French standards
GOST Standard Gosstandart  Standard – Russian Standard
NBR/ABNT Standard Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas (ABNT) )

SS Standard Swedish standard

NEMA standard National Electrical Manufacturer associations
ANSI standards American National Standards Institute
IEEE Standards Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
EN Standard for ACSR Conductor

• European Committee for Standardization. (CEN in French Comité Européen de

Normalization)
• The CEN was founded in 1961. Its thirty national members work together to develop
European Standards (ENs) in various sectors to build a European internal market for
goods and services and to position Europe in the global economy. CEN is officially
recognized as a European standards body by the European Union; the other official
European standards bodies are the European Committee for Electrotechnical
Standardization (CENELEC) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute .

• EN 50182- Round wire concentric lay overhead electrical stranded conductors

• EN 50189- Zinc-coated steel wires for stranded conductors.
• EN-60889- Hard-drawn aluminium wire for overhead line conductors.
• EN 61232 - Aluminium-clad steel wires for electrical purposes.
• EN -50326- Overhead lines – Requirements for greases for aluminium, aluminium alloy

and steel bare conductors

Material Properties
Alumnium Grade in En standard
Grade Electrical Conductivity Mechanical strength
A1-EC 61% IACS 160 to 180 N/mm2

Steel Grade in En standard

Steel Grade Mechanical strength

ST1A Regular strength steel (1300 to 1400 N/mm2) with class A Zinc coating
ST2B Regular strength steel (1200 to 1300 N/mm2) with class B Zinc coating
ST3D High strength steel (1400 to 1500 N/mm2) with class D Zinc coating
ST4A Extra High strength steel (1620 to 1670 N/mm2) with class A Zinc coating
ST5E Extra High strength steel (1620 to 1670 N/mm2) with class E Zinc coating
ST6C Extra High strength steel (1700 to 1800 N/mm2) with class C Zinc coating
Cross sectional view and Configuration

6AL+1 steel 12Al+7steel 30Al+7steel

Example-
Example- Example- 1. ACSR106/25 SUURSAVO
1. ACSR34/6 SPARROW 1. ACSR89/52 DOTTEREL
2. ACSR54/9 RAVEN 2. ACSR42/25 SAVO
Cross sectional view and Configuration

26Al+19steel 54Al+7steel 54Al+19steel

Example- Example- Example-

1.ACSR152/25 OSTRICH. 1.ACSR305/39 DUCK
1.ACSR565/72 FINCH
Testing requirement
Testing Procedures

Test Procedure for Measurement of Lay Ratio and direction of lay

Take sample of Conductor having length at least 2 meter
Check the direction of Lay by following method-
If the individual strands on the layer leading away from the observer are pointing toward the left then
that particular layer has a "left hand lay". The strands have the same slant as the middle of the letter
"S", hence the other convention denoted as an "S" lay direction.
If the individual strands on the layer leading away from the observer are pointing toward the right
then that particular layer has a "right hand lay". The strands have the same slant as the middle of the
letter "Z", hence the other convention denoted as a
"Z" lay direction.
Make the Conductor straight and take lay impression by putting carbon paper.
Take the outer diameter of lay by verniar caliper.
Take mean of two measurements (diameter) taken at right angles at the same cross section.
Such mean reading should be taken at near end and in the center of the sample.
Measure lay length (Lay length is defined as the distance required to complete one revolution of the
strand around the diameter of the conductor.) by counting step of lay impression (e.g. for 24 layer
count 24 step.)
Calculate lay ratio (ratio between lay length and lay diameter) lay length divided by Lay diameter.
Testing Procedures
Test Procedure for Measurement of Diameter.
 
Test Procedure:-

Take sample of wire having length at least 250 mm.

Make the wire straight and measure the Diameter of wire by micrometer.
Take the mean of two measurements taken at right angles at the same cross section.
Such mean reading should be taken at near end and in the center and far end of the
sample.
Average of these three reading should be taken as a diameter of that wire.
Testing Procedures
Test Procedure for DC Resistance Test

Switch on the instrument by ON/OFF switch and allow 10 minutes warm up time.
For electrical connection, make all connections as per circuit diagram (Displayed on
workstation) Four terminal resistance measurement methods.
Example-
+I +V-------------------------- -V -I
1m
Take test piece of 1.5 meter long. Straight it.
Fix the Wire sample in terminal fixture/Hand. Before performing the test
ensure that the Wire attains room temp.
Take the reading on room temperature and convert to 20*c as per below
conversion factor:-

1 .
R20*c = Rt X
1 +  (t)
Where -
R20* - Resistance at 20 deg C
Rt- Resistance at room temp.
α - temp. coefficient for aluminium - 0.004
α - temp.coefficient for Al alloy – 0.0036
Δt- (room temp.-20*c)
Testing Procedures

Test Procedure for Breaking load and % Elongation Test.

 
Take a straight sample of sample to be tested of approximately 350-mm length.
Mark the initial gauge length on sample if elongation required and set the wire sample
between jaws.
Set required speed. it should be 25 to 100 mm/min
Start the machine and break the wire note the reading from computer in kN.
Take the reading of breaking load from computer and take elongation (if required)
manually as mention below

Percentage Elongation can be manually calculated as:

( L2 – L1 )
% Elongation = -------------- x 100
( L1 )
L1- gauge length or initial marking
L2- length after break
ACSR Conductor being used in Finland
THANK YOU