NEW TECHNOLOGY CONDUCTORS

1.0 Indian Power Transmission Scenario

 PRESENT SCENARIO (as on 31/12/2017):-

 Installed generation capacity: 330,860 MW
 Transmission network: 384,000 circuit km

 13th Plan (2017-22) TARGETS:-

 Additional Generation Capacity: 1,85,000 MW
 Additional Transmission network: 1,00,000 ckt kms.

2.0 Indian Power Transmission Challenges

 ROW constraints:-
 High Population Density
 Utilization of Land for infrastructure development
 Forest/ Ecology conservation

 Time constraints:-
 Rate of growth of demand is at an all-time-high
 Meteoric rise in the number of independent power producers/ renewable
generation projects

 Resource constraints :- India, being a developing country, needs to plan effective

utilization of the available financial & non-financial resources.

3.0 New Strategies/Technologies To Meet The Challenges

 Bulk Power transmission systems:-

 High Capacity (Quad/Triple bundle) 400 kV Transmission Lines
 400 kV Multi-circuit lines
 500 kV HVDC & 765 kV transmission systems
 800 kV UHVDC & 1200 kV UHVAC systems

 Capacity Enhancement of Existing facilities

 Uprating
 Upgrading

4.0 High Capacity Conductors

 Characteristics:-
 High temperature operation ̴ 150-250 deg C
 Current Carrying capacity: 2 - 4 times
  No appreciable increase in Sag beyond a certain temperature called Knee
Point temperature. Knee point temperature in such conductors, lie within their
operating range.

 Utility & Advantages:-

 Uprating of existing lines so as to enhance power transfer capacity of existing
corridor.
 Construction of new high capacity lines
 Reduction in conductor bundle size so as to reduce tower weight & associated
complexities- esp. in case of Pole structures & Multicircuit towers.

5.0 High Capacity Conductor Types

 High Temperature Conductors

i) TACSR (Thermal resistant Aluminium alloy Conductor Steel Reinforced)-
 Outer layers: Thermal resistant aluminium alloy
 Can be operated upto 150 deg C

ii) Higher conductivity AAAC (AL59 or eqvt)

 AL59 alloy (Sweden, Norway), 1120 alloy (Australia), EHC alloy
(UK)
 59% conductivity (in place of 53% for AAAC)

 High Temperature Low Sag Conductors

i) Aluminium Conductor Steel Supported Conductor (ACSS)

 Fully annealed Aluminium strands

 Can be operated at 200-250 deg C without loss of strength
 Improved Conductivity
 Better self damping characteristics
 Used extensively in some countries such as in USA
 Require special care during handling & suitable tools & tackles recommended
during stringing

ii) INVAR Conductor (STACIR)

 Aluminium strands of thermal resistant aluminium alloy

 Core is made of alloy Iron – Nickel having low coefficient of
thermal expansion
 Can be operated up to 210degC
 Handling & stringing similar to conventional ACSR
 iii) GAP Conductor
 Aluminium strands of thermal resistant aluminium alloy
 Small gap maintained between steel and Aluminium layer
 Can be operated at temperatures up to 210degC
 Require special stringing techniques

iv) Metal-matrix composite reinforced conductor

 Aluminium strands of thermal resistant aluminium alloy
 Core is made of metal matrix (Aluminium – Aluminium
oxide fibers)
 Can be operated up to 210degC

v) Carbon-fibre Composite Core Conductor

 Outer layers may either consist of thermal resistant
Aluminium Alloy or fully annealed Aluminium strands
 Core made of composite material (glass fiber & carbon)
and may be single or stranded
 Low coefficient of thermal expansion
 Can be operated up to 150- 180 degC
 Require special care during handling & suitable tools & tackles recommended
during stringing

6.0 Selection Criteria & Design Aspects

i) Current carrying capacity requirements:-

 Maximum under Normal Conditions
 Contingency requirement
 Load Factor

ii) Design Limiting conditions:-

New lines: - i) Max. conductor tension < 70% of UTS of conductor
ii)Everyday conductor tension < 25% of UTS of conductor
iii)Tension at kneepoint < 40% of UTS of conductor core
iv)Conductor Surface gradient < Corona onset gradient

Uprating of existing lines:- In addition to above, conductor selection is guided by

conductor diameter, maximum conductor tension, maximum conductor sag, etc.
of existing line.

iii) Type tests:-

 Should generally be in line with International guidelines/ standards such as
CIGRE, IEC, ASTM etc.
 Should validate conductor design for use upto the maximum conductor
temperature corresponding to power flow during contingency conditions
  Procedure should be customized based on the construction & constituent
materials of the HTLS conductor type

iv) Installation/Stringing:-
 Generally as per Instruction manual of conductor manufacturer
 Conductor manufacturer should be associated during stringing
 Stringing charts, etc. prepared on the basis of stress-strain & creep
characteristics obtained in type tests
 Special tools/ tackles to be employed wherever applicable.

7.0 Future Prospects

 Right-of-Way being a major constraint on the development of transmission

system, uprating of existing transmission lines may be preferred over
construction of new lines in the same corridor.

 Since, power flow upto thermal limits are allowable in short transmission
lines, there is a possibility of constructing such lines with HTLS conductor.

 Further, in lines where adequate compensation is available, twin HTLS

conductor may be used instead of Quad ACSR conductor.

 Use of Twin HTLS conductors in place of Triple/ Quad conductor can also be
explored for transmission lines or line sections where multicircuit towers or
pole structures are envisaged.