Power Demands Overhead Conductors That Make Grid Capacity Affordable

CHALLENGE: Capacity bottlenecks choke power grid operations
SOLUTION: ACSS/TW conductors from Southwire

The trapezoidal strands of ACSS/TW pack about 20 percent more conductor area into a given diameter, so ice and wind loads stay the same while capacity increases. Reconductoring with ACSS/TW boosts capacity while providing a competitive edge in reducing costs. Plus, ACSS/TW delivers high temperature reliability with half the sag of ACSR.

ACSS/TW delivers high-temperature reliability with less sag. In ACSS/TW, fully annealed, high-conductivity aluminum strands are completely supported by a steel core. Because the aluminum strands don’t carry any weight, high current loads and the temperatures they generate don’t affect the strength of ACSS/TW. Here’s the difference that makes: If ACSR conductors run much over 95°C, the hard-drawn aluminum strands begin to anneal and lose strength. That can lead to excessive sag and failure under load. With ACSS/TW, you get a big capacity boost and high reliability at operating temperatures up to 250°C, with about half the sag of ACSR.

Trapezoidal strands provide more conductor area
The outer layers of aluminum in ACSS/TW have a trapezoidal cross section, so they fit together closely. That packs about 20 percent more conductor area into a given diameter, so ice and wind loads stay the same while capacity goes up.

Southwire HS285 Ultra-High Strength Core allows for less sag
For years ACSS conductors were limited by lower RTS (Rated Tensile Strengths) compared to ACSR.  Not any more.  In 2004 Southwire introduced a new ultra-high strength steel core material called HS285 that gives ACSS products approximately the same RTS as their ACSR counterparts.  Not only does HS285 have increased strength, it has the same great mechanical properties and Galfan coating that provides superior corrosion resistance at the higher operating temperatures today’s transmission applications demand.

Reduce environmental and visual impact
Because ACSS/TW sags less at any temperature than ACSR, you can hang phase conductors closer together. In new construction, that lets you build shorter towers, or fewer towers. Want even more height reduction? String ACSS/TW at higher tensions to reduce sag. ACSS/TW is inherently self-damping, so it resists aeolian vibration much better than ACSR. Closer phase spacing also reduces magnetic fields. And extensive testing by EPRI verifies that ACSS/TW operates at up to 345kV with acceptable radio noise and audio noise. The result: Your whole environmental impact picture looks better.

Choose from Southwire’s complete overhead conductor line
Southwire supplies a complete line of overhead conductors, including ACSS with standard round-wire strands. We’ve been innovators in overhead transmission for over 50 years with products like ACSS/TW and conductors that resist wind induced vibration and galloping.

Short-staffed? Southwire can help you. Sometimes it’s hard to find the engineering time to consider new conductor alternatives. Southwire can help. Whether it’s ACSS/TW or conventional conductors, use our engineering expertise to help look at application choices and economic tradeoffs. We’ll work with your engineers to create a budget friendly solution that’s right for you.
Get more power for your dollar with ACSS/TW. Find out how cost-cutting ACSS/TW and other Southwire overhead conductors can solve your transmission capacity problem with lowest total life-cycle costs. Contact your Southwire representative today.

The market pressure on utilities to boost grid capacity is being reinforced by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s emerging emphasis on transmission line construction, renewable energy production and grid interconnection. But rebuilding lines with new towers can be prohibitively expensive. Count on Southwire for a better solution: ACSS/TW (aluminum conductor, steel-supported, trapezoidal wire). Reconductoring with ACSS/TW can give you up to 50 percent more capacity than ACSR without modifying your existing towers. And you can nearly double your present capacity with only minor tower modifications all with minimum environmental impact.

Move more power save more money
Utilities upgrading with ACSS/TW save the kind of money that makes stockholders smile. One Southwire customer expects to save over $100 million dollars in construction costs by using ACSS/TW in a major upgrade to an extensive 345kV system. Smaller projects benefit, too. Increasing capacity with ACSS/TW in just seven miles of 138kV line saved $5 million by eliminating major tower construction.  ACSS/TW conductors can even be used to lower line losses to reduce generation needs or meet “Green” initiatives.

 

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Power Demands Overhead Conductors

Power Demands Overhead Conductors That Make Grid Capacity Affordable

CHALLENGE: Capacity bottlenecks choke power grid operations
SOLUTION: ACSS/TW conductors from Southwire

The trapezoidal strands of ACSS/TW pack about 20 percent more conductor area into a given diameter, so ice and wind loads stay the same while capacity increases. Reconductoring with ACSS/TW boosts capacity while providing a competitive edge in reducing costs. Plus, ACSS/TW delivers high temperature reliability with half the sag of ACSR.

ACSS/TW delivers high-temperature reliability with less sag. In ACSS/TW, fully annealed, high-conductivity aluminum strands are completely supported by a steel core. Because the aluminum strands don’t carry any weight, high current loads and the temperatures they generate don’t affect the strength of ACSS/TW. Here’s the difference that makes: If ACSR conductors run much over 95°C, the hard-drawn aluminum strands begin to anneal and lose strength. That can lead to excessive sag and failure under load. With ACSS/TW, you get a big capacity boost and high reliability at operating temperatures up to 250°C, with about half the sag of ACSR.

Trapezoidal strands provide more conductor area
The outer layers of aluminum in ACSS/TW have a trapezoidal cross section, so they fit together closely. That packs about 20 percent more conductor area into a given diameter, so ice and wind loads stay the same while capacity goes up.

Southwire HS285 Ultra-High Strength Core allows for less sag
For years ACSS conductors were limited by lower RTS (Rated Tensile Strengths) compared to ACSR.  Not any more.  In 2004 Southwire introduced a new ultra-high strength steel core material called HS285 that gives ACSS products approximately the same RTS as their ACSR counterparts.  Not only does HS285 have increased strength, it has the same great mechanical properties and Galfan coating that provides superior corrosion resistance at the higher operating temperatures today’s transmission applications demand.

Reduce environmental and visual impact
Because ACSS/TW sags less at any temperature than ACSR, you can hang phase conductors closer together. In new construction, that lets you build shorter towers, or fewer towers. Want even more height reduction? String ACSS/TW at higher tensions to reduce sag. ACSS/TW is inherently self-damping, so it resists aeolian vibration much better than ACSR. Closer phase spacing also reduces magnetic fields. And extensive testing by EPRI verifies that ACSS/TW operates at up to 345kV with acceptable radio noise and audio noise. The result: Your whole environmental impact picture looks better.

Choose from Southwire’s complete overhead conductor line
Southwire supplies a complete line of overhead conductors, including ACSS with standard round-wire strands. We’ve been innovators in overhead transmission for over 50 years with products like ACSS/TW and conductors that resist wind induced vibration and galloping.

Short-staffed? Southwire can help you. Sometimes it’s hard to find the engineering time to consider new conductor alternatives. Southwire can help. Whether it’s ACSS/TW or conventional conductors, use our engineering expertise to help look at application choices and economic tradeoffs. We’ll work with your engineers to create a budget friendly solution that’s right for you.
Get more power for your dollar with ACSS/TW. Find out how cost-cutting ACSS/TW and other Southwire overhead conductors can solve your transmission capacity problem with lowest total life-cycle costs. Contact your Southwire representative today.

The market pressure on utilities to boost grid capacity is being reinforced by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s emerging emphasis on transmission line construction, renewable energy production and grid interconnection. But rebuilding lines with new towers can be prohibitively expensive. Count on Southwire for a better solution: ACSS/TW (aluminum conductor, steel-supported, trapezoidal wire). Reconductoring with ACSS/TW can give you up to 50 percent more capacity than ACSR without modifying your existing towers. And you can nearly double your present capacity with only minor tower modifications all with minimum environmental impact.

Move more power save more money
Utilities upgrading with ACSS/TW save the kind of money that makes stockholders smile. One Southwire customer expects to save over $100 million dollars in construction costs by using ACSS/TW in a major upgrade to an extensive 345kV system. Smaller projects benefit, too. Increasing capacity with ACSS/TW in just seven miles of 138kV line saved $5 million by eliminating major tower construction.  ACSS/TW conductors can even be used to lower line losses to reduce generation needs or meet “Green” initiatives.