HTLS CONDUCTOR

By
Surendra Kumar
Dy. Chief Design Engineer (Engg-TL)
POWERGRID, Corporate Centre, Gurgaon

Conventional conductors
ACSR/AAAC conductors
Can operated upto 100 deg on a
continuous basis
Can operated at temp as high as 125 deg
c for a limited time emergencies without
significant change in conductors physical
properties
These temperature limits constrain the
thermal rating of lines

Recent problems in OHTL

Too difficult to acquire right of ways ROW)
for new power lines
Time constraint for new lines
Very high cost to install new power lines
Growth in electricity consumption due to
economic expansion
Object from inhabitants to construct new
lines

New Strategies
There are many changes in the way the power
transmission system is being planned &
operated.
And this has created is a need to reach higher
transmission capacity on existing lines.
Replacing original ACSR conductors with HTLS
conductors with approximately same diameter is
one method of increasing transmission line
thermal rating.

Solution is HTLS conductor

Increase power delivery on existing ROW without
violating sag criterion.
HTLS conductors are effective for this purpose because
they are capable of
1) high temperature, continuous operation above 100
deg C without loss of tensile strength or permanent sag
increase ( so that current can be increase) and
2) Low sag at high temperature ( so that ground and
underbuild clearance can still be met without raising or
rebuilding structures)

HTLS conductors available

Aluminum Conductor, Steel Supported (ACSS)
Aluminum-Zirconium Alloy Conductor, Steel
Reinforced (TACSR)
Thermal Resistant Aluminum Conductor, Invar
Reinforced (TACIR)
Gap type Thermal Resistant (GTACSR)
Aluminum Conductor, composite Reinforced
(ACCR)
Aluminum Conductor, Composite Core (ACCC

ACSS conductor
Similar to ACSR except aluminum strands
fully annealed (63 % IACS conductivity)
Steel core (high strength) carries most of
the load and hence less sag compared to
convention ACSR conductor under
emergency loading
Can be operated upto 200 deg C without
loss of strength
Better self damping characteristics

TACSR Conductor

Constructed using thermal resistant aluminum-zirconium (Al-Zr) alloy wire

strands

Stranded over a reinforcing steel core

Several Al-Zrr alloys available, each having a different temperature rating

Conductor :
TACSRC
Max. Temperature (Deg c) :
a) Continuous
150
b) Emergency
180
Conductivity( % IACS) : 60

UTACSR
200
230
57

ZTACSR XTACSR
210
240
60

230
310
58

TACIR conductor
Similar to TACSR family of conductor except the
standard steel core is replaced with a special
iron-nickel ally (INVAR) steel core
Invar is typical aluminum clad to provide
corrosion resistance at elevated operating
temperatures
This core has a smaller coefficient of thermal
expansion & lower tensile strength than
galvanized steel core
Available in similar Al-Zr materials like TACIR,
UTACIR, ZTACIR, XTACIR

GTACSR Conductor
Constructed with a gap between the galvanized
steel core and innermost shaped aluminum layer
The gap is filled with a heat resistant grease to
reduce friction between steel core & aluminum &
to prevent water penetration
The conductor to be tensioned by gripping the
galvanized steel only.
The conductor is able to take full advantage of
the lower thermal elongation properties of steel
Special erection techniques required.

ACCR conductor
Constructed with Al-Zr alloy wires (round or
trapezoidal) over a reinforcing core consisting of
stranded ceramic filaments
Each filaments consists of ceramic fibers
encased in a aluminum matrix.
The composite core has a lower thermal
elongation and equal or greater strength than
galvanized steel.
The conductor is typically rated 210 deg C to
240 deg C

ACCC
Core consisting of polymer bound carbon
fibers encased in a fiber glass.
Core is basically a rod rather than a
single strand core
Constructed using trapezoidal shaped fully
annealed 1350-O aluminum wires over a
single rod