EE405 Transmission Line Parameters Part 4.

1
By Dr. Ahmed Oteafy Transmission Line Components
Consider the following TL and its components

Figure from Wikipedia Electric Power Transmission - 4 Circuit TL in Germany.

Transmission Line Components Conductors

Aluminum replaced copper as the conductor material of choice.
It is
in the earth than copper. However, it is
less
International standard for conductivity is
Typical conductors have layers of
some reinforced with steel, e.g., the
High Voltage TLs have several conductors
per phase called
Annealing vs. Hard drawn conductors.

Figure from Wikipedia Electric Power

Transmission Sample ACSR conductor.

Transmission Line Components Insulators & Shield Wires

Insulators
o Used for suspending TL conductors from the tower.
o Made from disc shaped
Shield Wires
o Strategically placed conductors that receive lightning bolts instead
of electric power carrying conductors.
o Shield wires are connected to the ground via the towers with a low

Transmission Line Components Support Structures

Steel towers with lattice structures (sometimes wooden < 345 kV) are
constructed to carry the TL. For several examples see
http://www.minnelectrans.com/transmission-system.html
Design accounts for minimum clearance to
, minimum
distance between
, minimum
, etc.
Example: A 765 kV TL has conductors per bundle,
cm min.
bundle spacing,
min. phase to phase distance,
min.
phase to ground distance. Up to
insulator strings per phase, and
shield wires
diameter made from

Transmission Line Electrical Design Factors

Design factors include:
o Type, size, number of
o Minimum spacing and
arrangement of conductors.
o Reducing electric field and corona
effect at
Figure from Wikipedia Corona Discharge
o Type of insulators depending on humidity, fog, pollution, and
other local environmental factors.
o Electric field at ground level to eliminate risk of
These design factors determine:

Transmission Line Other Design Factors

Mechanical Factors:
o Determine the
o Account for: Structure loads,
Environmental Factors:
o Impact on land, including aesthetics, wild life, etc.
o Biological effects due to exposure to electric and magnetic fields by
proximity to these TLs.
Economic Factors: Detailed studies account for
o
o Line losses and