Overview of different overhead transmission line conductors

Abstract There is a nationwide need for upgradation and expansion of the nation’s electrical power grid in the forthcoming decades to reach the growing demand of transmission and distribution capacity. Insufficient current carrying capacity (ampacity) and sagging with increase in temperature leads to complete blackouts. In order to address these issues, new conductors are designed, calculated and developed. The new conductors developed to address these issues were Aluminum Conductor Steel Supported (ACSS), Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSR), Aluminum Conductor Composite Reinforced (ACCR ) , and Aluminum Conductor Composite Core/Trapezoidal wire (ACCC/TW). This research paper provides an overview of the existing conductors related to their behavior under different operating temperatures and load. This paper provides report on the issues with respect to pollution severity analysis, ampacity, sag and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of conductor systems currently or traditionally in use. A comparative study of existing conductors reveals that composite ACCC/TW conductor has certain advantages related to pollution severity analysis, high temperature sag and increased ampacity.