Overhead Line Design Notes

16/11/2016
Overhead
Line
Design
PreparedbyIsmaelEssackjee
IsmaelEssackjee
11Nov2016
16/11/2016
Transmission&DistributionNetwork
Overhead
1. Cost
2. Aesthetics
3. Bare/Insulated
4. Faultfinding
5. Flexibility
6. Lightning
Underground
1. Safety/Clearance
2. Cyclone/Weather
3. Servitude
4. Topology
5. Maintenance
OverheadLineDesign
MechanicalDesign
ElectricalDesign
1. Support
2. Xarms
3. Stay
4. Hardwares
1. Conductor
2. Insulator
3. LightningArresters
4. Earthing
5. etc
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LineSupports
Conductors need supports to get from
one place to another.
Supports may be towers, poles, or other
structures.
The latter may be made of steel,
concrete, or wood.
To support conductors to keep them at a
safe clearance above ground
DesiredCharacteristics
HighMechanicalStrength
LightinWeight
CheaperinCost
LowMaintenanceCost
LongerLife
GoodLooking
Woodenpole11m=Rs 6,803.35
Concretepole11m8.0kN =Rs 11,990.00
Conrete pole14m21.6kN =Rs 32,044.88
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Metal poles, towers, and structures are subject to

rust and corrosion.
They must be maintained (painted, parts
renewed) periodically.
Wood poles and structures decay and are

affected by birds and insects, weather, etc all
of which tend to affect their strength,
integrity and appearance.
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Woodpreservatives
3majorchemicalwoodpreservatives:
1. Pentachlorophenol(Penta)
2. Creosote
3. Arsenicals(copperchromium
arsenate,orCCA).
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WoodenPole CreosoteTreatment
Creosotes are a category of
carbonaceous chemicals formed
by the distillation of various tars.
They are typically used as
preservatives or antiseptics.
Some creosote types were used
historically as a treatment for
components of seagoing and
outdoor wood structures to
prevent rot.
Life span = 2530 years
WoodenPole CCA
The chromium acts as a chemical fixing

agent and has little or no preserving
properties; it helps the other chemicals
to fix in the timber, binding them
through chemical complexes to the
wood's cellulose and lignin.
The copper acts primarily to protect
the wood against decay fungi and
bacteria, while the arsenic is the main
insecticidal component of CCA,
providing protection from wood
attacking insects including termites and
marine borers. It also improves the
weatherresistance of treated timber
and may assist paint adherence in the
long term.
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PoleHeight
Two factors must be considered in choosing poles: Height and Strength
The Height of poles depends mainly on the required clearance above ground.
Pole strength is determined by the weight of crossarms, insulators,
conductors, transformers, and other equipment it must carry, as well as by ice
and wind loadings. All these forces tend to break a pole at the ground line.
WhatarethedifferentlengthsofpolesusedattheCEB?
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Poledepth
Thebasisofallgoodconstructionisthefoundation.
Thefoundationhastosupportthepoleunderallcircumstanceswithin
thedesignparametersoftheline.
To work out what forces the foundation must withstand we must know
about the resistance or holding strength of the soil that the pole is to be
planted in.
If a tower is to be erected, it is normal for a geotechnical survey to be
carried out and the actual value of this strength determined.
This is not economically viable for wood pole lines and so some typical
values of resistivity are used when designing a foundation.
It is known that a pole will pivot about some point below ground level.
There are two formulae, one representing the parabolic form of stress
distribution with the fulcrum point taken at (2/3)h from ground level:
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where D is the average diameter of pole below ground level in m, h is the

depth of planting in m, k is the maximum rupturing intensity in N/m2/m depth
and Mg is the moment of resistance of soil/ground in Nm.
Theformularepresentingthestraightlineformofstressdistributionwhere
thefulcrumistakenash/2
Thestraightlineformulaistheoneusedbymostengineers.
GroundClearance
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SafetyFactors
MetalSupports=2.0
Mechanicallyprocessedconcrete=2.5
Concrete=3.0
WoodSupports=3.5
StayWire=2.5
Conductors=2.0(basedonUTS)
Initialunloadedtension=35%
Finalunloadedtension=25%
Crossarm
To support insulators
and conductors at a
safe distance from each
other and from the
structure
Types(singleordouble)
Material
Length
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ConductorSpacing
Spacing=sqrt (S)+V/150m
S=Saginmetres
V=LineVoltageinkV
Stays
Atangleorterminalpositions
Totakethepullduetoconductors
Theoreticalanglebetweenpoleandstayshouldbe45deg
Inpractice,upto aminimumof30deg isacceptable
Stayarrangement
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Staysandstayloading
Maximumworkingtensionofstaywire
Where a traditional stay arrangement is used, then the weakest item
in the stay assembly is the stay wire, assuming that the soil is of
adequate property to resist the load in the staywire.
If 7/4.00mm grade 700 wire is used then the ultimate tensile strength
(UTS) is 61.6 kN. The factor of safety normally used with stays is 2.5.
This gives a normal maximum working load of 24.64 kN.
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Hardwares
Preforms
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ElectricalDesignofPowerLines
Insulators
Line conductors are electrically insulated from
each other as well as from the pole or tower by
nonconductors which are called insulators.
Be mechanically strong enough to carry tension
and weight of conductors.
Have very high dielectric strength to withstand
the voltage stresses.
Possess high Insulation Resistance to prevent
leakage current to the earth.
Surface should be smooth/glaze.
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InsulatorMaterials Porcelain,Glass,Polymer
TypesofInsulators
PinInsulator
Strain/DiscInsulator
Suspension
Tietop
PostInsulator
Spool
StayInsulator
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Parameters
Arcingdistance(dry,wet)
Puncturedistance
Creepage distance
PinTypeInsulators
Insulators, in compression, supporting
conductors may be classified as pin type and
post type.
The pintype insulator is designed to be
mounted on a pin which in turn is installed
on the crossarm of the pole.
The insulator is screwed on the pin and the
electrical conductor is mounted on the
insulator
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Strain/Disc
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(1)DamagefromPowerArc
A flashover leading to a power arc of extended
duration can also bring about the failure of the
dielectric or of the fittings.
http://www.inmr.com/examplesinsulatorfailure/
(2)RadialCracking
Thistypeoffailurecan
beattributedtothe
phenomenonof
cementgrowthand
appliesmainlyto
porcelaininsulators
thathavebeen
assembledusing
overlyexpansive
cement.
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(3)PinCorrosion
Problemsofpincorrosion could
occurinplaceswithsevere
contamination andarebasically
independentofbulkdielectric.
Useofnewerdesignswithsacrificial
zincsleevesforcorrosionprotection
hasbeenproventolimitonsetof
corrosionbutofcoursehasno
impactonageingofanyexisting
discsfromearliergenerations.
(4)BrittleFracture
Brittlefractureofacompositeinsulator
leadstomechanicalseparationofthe
fiberglasscorerod
Ischaracterizedbythepresenceofsome
smoothfracturesurfaces.
Whilethereisevidencethatelectrical
stressisnotrequiredforbrittlefractureto
occur,itcanacceleratetheprocess.
Effectivesealingoftherodfromthe
environmentandtheuseofcorrosion
resistantrodsisthemosteffectivewayto
minimizeriskofsuchfailure.
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(5)DamagetoBulkDielectric
Thetypeoffailureshowninthese
breakerbushingsaffectsmostly
porcelaininsulatorsandismost
typicallycausedbyvandalism.
Unliketoughenedglassinsulators
thatcandisintegrateundersharp
externalstress,onlysectionsof
porcelainshedsarebrokenoff.
Whiletheinsulatorscontinueto
operate,theyshouldideallybe
replacedassoonaspossiblesince
anyrelatedinternalcrackingcannot
easilybedetermined.
(6)SpontaneousShattering
This failure mode applies only to glass disc
insulators and is due to sudden release of
internal stresses induced in the shell
during the toughening process.
The incidence of the problem is linked to
inferior quality control such as the
presence of inclusions (hard particles that
have not fully melted in the furnace) or
impurities (less than 100 microns) in the
tensile zone of the glass body.
Statistics reveal that typical annual rates
of spontaneous shattering are on the
order of up to 1 per 10,000 units and will
depend on the manufacturer.
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(7)Flashunder
Unlike porcelain disc insulators, composite insulators are not normally at risk of internal
puncture since the electrodes of different potential are separated by a long fiberglass core rod.
However, punctures in the housing have been detected or occur due to possible mishandling or
other factors such as bird pecking and these can provide access for moisture into the core.
Tracking along the rod under the housing material has then been known to occur, possibly
resulting in permanent loss of electrical strength just as in the case of puncture of a porcelain
dielectric. If internal tracking is considerable, the insulator will not be able to support the
electrical stress and the rod will carbonize along its length.
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(8)NonBrittleTypeFracture
Thisfailuremechanismhas
appearedonsomecomposite
insulatordesignsinrecentyearsand
hasbeenlinkedtomoisture
penetrationintothecorealongwith
poorbondingalongtherodto
housinginterface.Whileitmaybe
termedbrittlefractureatfirst
glance,itisactuallyquitedistinct
sincethereisanabsenceofany
planarfracturesurfaces.
(9)ExplosiveShattering
Asapressurizedhousing,porcelain
hasawellknownfailuremodethat
representsapotentialsafetythreatto
workersandthepublicaswellasarisk
factortoanynearbyequipment.
Herebushingshaverupturedviolently
fromflashovershocktriggeredby
contactwithwildlife.Explosivefailures
ofthistypearealsoduetointernal
failuresthatcausesuddenheatingand
expansionofgasvolume.
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(10)ShedTearing
Thistypeoffailurewasfirst
reportedinnorthwestern
Chinawhereconstantsheer
bywindscausedlarger
diametershedstotear.
Thesolution,stillbeing
researched,isensuring
compositeinsulator
geometriesareadaptedfor
serviceinareasoffrequent
highwind.
(11)Erosion
Insulatorsthatarenotproperly
specifiedintermsofgeometryand
specificcreepage forthepollution
severityoftheirservice
environmentmayexperience
excessiveleakagecurrentactivity
thateventuallytriggerserosionof
thepolymerichousing.
Whensuchdamageoccurson
sheds,repairispossiblebutifthe
damageistotheshank,the
insulatormustbereplacedassoon
aspossible.
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(12)SheathCutting
Splits along the sheath of a composite insulator have been linked to
sustained corona activity but also to improper manufacturing. Such
damage requires immediate replacement of the insulator.
(13)BirdPecking
Although reported in many countries and a still unresolved issue when
it comes to application of composite insulators, most cases of bird
pecking damage are comparatively minor and affect only the edges of
several sheds. In rare instances where the shank is also pierced, the
insulator must be replaced.
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Conductors
The first component to fail on wellconstructed and maintained lines
is invariably the conductor.
It can fail either through overload

by ice (strictly wet snow
accretion) and/or wind at or
about the conductors nominal
breaking load.
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Conductors
Conductorchoiceisacombinationofconductivityandeconomy
Copper,aluminum,andsteelarethemostcommonlyusedconductor
materials.
Silverisabetterconductorthancopper;butitsmechanicalweakness
andhighcosteliminateitasapracticalconductor
ConductorStranding
As conductors become larger, they become too rigid for easy
handling.
Bending can damage a large solid conductor. For these practical
reasons, the stranded conductor was developed.
A stranded conductor consists of a group of wires twisted into a single
conductor. The more wires in the conductors cross section, the
greater will be its flexibility
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CopperConductors
Highelectricalconductivity
Greatertensilestrength
Harddrawncopperused
Highcurrentdensity
Smallercrosssectionalarearequired
Highcost&nonavailability
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Aluminium
Cheaper and light in weight, for small span
Small conductivity and tensile strength
(60% of copper)
Crosssectional area of conductor larger
than copper(Aluminium diameter= 1.26
times of copper)
AluminiumandACSRConductors
Pure aluminum conductor would be a perfect answer. Aluminum is light, highly
conductive, easy to work with, and inexpensive.
However, pure Aluminium is too weak and will produce excessive sags.
Aluminum is used because of its light weight, which is less than one third that of
copper.
It is only 60 to 80 percent as good a conductor as copper and only half as strong
as copper.
For these reasons it is hardly ever used alone, except for short distribution spans.
Usually the aluminum wires are stranded on a core of steel wire. Such steel
reinforced aluminum wire has great strength for the weight of the conductor and
is especially suitable for long spans.
Transmission lines often consist of aluminum conductors steel reinforced (ACSR).
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AluminumConductorSteelReinforced(ACSR)
1 Steelstrands
2 Aluminumstrands
ACSR(26/7)
AdvantagesofACSR
High mechanical strength can be utilized by using spans of larger
lengths (25% reduction in no of supports).
Tower of smaller height can be used
A reduction in the number of supports also include reduction in
insulators and the risk of lines outage due to flash over or faults is
reduced.
losses are reduced due to larger diameter of conductor.
High current carrying capacity.
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Fornlayers,thetotalnumberofindividualwire=3n(n+1)+1
AllAluminumAlloy Conductors (AAAC)
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CEBStandardConductorSizes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
25mm2
50mm2
100mm2
150mm2
228mm2
366mm2
570mm2
Vibrationlimit
The design limits used are generally based on the maximum vibration limit
applicable to the materials used.
For distribution overhead lines the windinduced vibration and oscillation
manifests itself in the following modes:
a) Aeolian vibration
b) Galloping
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Aeoline Vibrations
Highfreq 5100Hz(relatedtothenaturalfrequencyoftheconductor)
Lowamplitude20mmto50mmvibrations
Causedbyvortexphenomenoninlightwinds520km/h(windflows
acrosscylindricalobjects)
Thiscausesvorticestobeshedontheleewardsidecreatingforcesin
alternatingupanddowndirections.
Harmfuleffects=takeplaceatclampswhereconductorsuffers
fatigueandeventuallybreaks.
Preventive:Damperwhichabsorbstheenergyofvibration
Galloping
Lowfreq vibrations(about1Hz)
Largeamplitude (about6mormore)
generallycausedbywindsof5to10m/s
Itcanoccuronverylongspanssuchasrivercrossingsandexposed
mountainousterrain
Conductorsaresaidtodancehorizontallyandvertically
Nomethodtopreventsuchvibration
Horizontalconductorconfigurationcanreducesuchvibration
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Bundledconductors
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Sag
FactorsaffectingSaginanoverheadline:
1. Weightofconductor
2. LengthofSpan
3. WorkingTensileStrength
4. Temperature
S=wL2/T
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35

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16/11/2016

Metal poles, towers, and structures are subject to

Wood poles and structures decay and are

The chromium acts as a chemical fixing

where D is the average diameter of pole below ground level in m, h is the

It can fail either through overload

AllAluminumAlloy Conductors (AAAC)

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