Transmission Line Design

Derek Hutchinson P.Eng.

Context
Overhead Wood Pole Design Interconnection to BC Hydro Transmission System BC Hydro Structures PLS-CADD design software by Power Line Systems Sub-transmission system: 69 kV, 138 kV, 230 kV, 287 kV

Rough Guidelines Uncompensated Lines

Voltage SIL Working Load

69 kV 138 kV

12 MW 50 MW

400 Amps 800 Amps

230 kV

150 MW

1000 Amps

Line Capacity

For short lines and a strong system, line capacity is usually determined by the thermal limit. IEEE 738 calculation: - maximum conductor temperature (90 C) - ambient temperature - wind - solar radiation, elevation, BC Hydro uses: - Winter November to April 0 C/10 C - Summer May to October 30 C See Operating Order 5T10 for published line capacities
http://transmission.bchydro.com/NR/rdonlyres/0D7F7A3C-9135-42CA-949B1FEE645E0A1C/0/5T10.pdf

Older lines can be designed at a maximum temperature of 50 C so can be clearance limited The line rating is only as strong as its weakest link

Line Turnover to BC Hydro

Do they want the line? The turn over process has to start at the routing stage rather than post construction and address: - Right of way agreements - Consultation - Access - Clearing - Environmental conditions - Design - Materials Quality Control - As-built information Patience as its an extended process

LiDAR and Georeferenced Information

Transmission line design software works well with georeferenced information and LiDAR The design goal is to maintain a distance (clearance) from features (eg keep poles out of a riparian area, separate wires from the ground) so their location needs to be defined PDF maps can not generally be used for design as they are not georeferenced Some mapping data sets are not LiDAR: Digital Elevation Model DEM - a grid of points Contours This filtering removes data that can be used in the design model to identify and coordinate details.

Transmission Line Terms

Structures: - Tangent carries conductor weight and wind loads, no tension - Deflection change in direction, takes a portion of the line tension - Dead-end holds full tension of the line - Specials Tap, switch, wave trap Conductor: ASC/AAC Aluminum Stranded Conductor/All Aluminum Conductor ACSR Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced Fibre Optic Communications Cable ADSS All Dielectric Self Supporting OPGW Optical Ground Wire Insulators suspension, strain, post Sag-Tension - catenary - sag - span - creep

Design Objectives
Clearances - air insulation
Strength - able to withstand anticipated loads
Weather loads: - Wind and Ice - Extreme Ice - Extreme wind - Construction and maintenance

Coordination with routing requirements/constraints Cost effective Meet or exceed standards Document the above in a Design Basis

Design Constraints
Visible from maps and orthophotos: - transmission lines - pipelines - roads, buildings, water courses Not visible (but can be available in georeferenced form): - legal boundaries: ROW, district lots, park boundaries, reserves - tenures: forestry, mineral - other: traditional use, unregistered OGMA, wildlife, recreational values, flood elevations, terrain hazards, forest cover, Other items to consider: - snow depth - elevation (need to derate and increase clearance > 1000 m) - ice and wind loadings Local knowledge of land use Municipal/Regional District Bylaws underground only policy?

Crossings
Roads: - Ministry of Transport Utility Policy Manual
http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/permits/Utility%20Permit%20Manual.pdf http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications/eng_publications/electrical/transmission_line_study.htm

- Resource
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hth/engineering/documents/publications_guidebooks/publications_reports/MOF-IPPDesign-Criteria%28July%2705%29-updated-Aug4-2010.pdf

Railways CSA C22.3 No.1 and railway requirements Electrical - Transmission

- Distribution

Pipelines:
equipment clearance, clear zone, marker balls (pipeline specific)

River:
Navigable Waters CSA C22.3 No. Table 2, TP 14596 DFO operational statements Transport Canada Aviation Safety Standard 621.19 - Standards Obstruction Markings

Right of Way Widths

Depends on: - Conductor configuration and spacing: horizontal, vertical, delta - Span - Swing - Clearance Legal Right of way vs Tree Management Zone Hard to define width at the start of the design as it is dependent on the design Make the width surveyor friendly a constant offset from centreline for the majority of the right of way Guy boxes can be used to reduce unused area

References
Canadian Standards Association
C22.3 No.1 Overhead Systems C22.3 No. 60826 Design Criteria of Overhead Transmission Lines O15 Wood Utility Poles and Reinforcing Stubs C83 Communication and Power Line Hardware

CIGRE
TB 324 Sag-Tension Calculation Methods for Overhead Lines TB 273 Overhead Conductor Safe Design Tension with Respect to Aeolian Vibrations

American Society of Civil Engineers

Guidelines for Electrical Transmission Line Structural Loading - Manual 74 Design of Guyed Electrical Transmission Structures Manual 91

IEEE
IEEE 524 Guide to the Installation of Overhead Transmission Line Conductors IEEE 738 Standard for Calculating the Current-Temperature of Bare Overhead Conductors

BC Hydro Transmission Engineering Standards ES 41 series Rural Utilities Service http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/RDU_Bulletins_Electric.html

1724E-200 Design Manual for High Voltage Transmission Lines Power Line Systems PLS-CADD, PLS-POLE manuals