ACCC Conductor News  CTC Global  September 2013
 

      

The Most Rigorous Conductor Test Campaign Ever Undertaken Scores High Marks 

 

 How 10 years of testing has addressed longevity concerns and confirmed the performance attributes and practical limitations of the ACCC conductor

 

While hybrid carbon and glass fiber composite materials were developed to offer outstanding performance advantages in products ranging from high pressure storage vessels to armored vehicles and highly stressed aircraft components, the idea of using a hybrid carbon and glass fiber core to support a bare overhead conductor raised more than a few eyebrows.

 

Many questions were asked.  How strong is it? Will it handle cyclic load fatigue? How will it hold up to pollution, ozone, UV radiation, high temperature exposure, etc.?  The list of questions seemed endless.  In addition to the core itself, how will the conductor - which uses fully annealed trapezoidal shaped aluminum strands - hold up over time?  Will the dead-ends and splices, suspension clamps and dampers work?  What if they are overheated? What happens if the conductor is exposed to a lightning strike or short circuit event?  The questions, for very important reasons, went on and on, but many things were learned.  

 

While a number of industry standard test protocols were previously developed and followed to address many technical questions, several novel test protocols also had to be developed that were appropriate for composite core conductors. Entities such as EPRI, EDF, AEP, Ontario Hydro and many other Utilities, Universities and Labs developed a number of test protocols to study both polymer matrix and metal matrix composite cores. Additionally, with the advent of other "High-Temperature, Low-Sag" conductors, new protocols were developed to explore the impact of extreme temperatures on conductors and hardware.

 

Part of the learning curve included developing test procedures and controls that allowed successful test completion.  After a few failed tests, for instance, "dummy conductors" were added alongside "test conductors" to provide improved thermocouple control. A 500 cycle thermo-mechanical test developed by EDF and EPRI, that included five sustained holds at 70% of the conductor's rated tensile strength (RTS), surprising failed initially at both 180 degrees C and 200 degrees C at exactly 401 cycles. 

 

When the test control problem was identified and resolved, both tests were

repeated successfully. After completing the 200 degree C thermo-mechanical test, the ACCC conductor and dead-ends were pulled to failure. In spite of the relatively  arduous test protocol, the conductor and dead-ends achieved over 110% of their rated tensile strength, indicating that the conductor and hardware could be expected to perform well under anticipated service conditions. These were just two of literally hundreds of tests that established the acceptable continuous and emergency operating temperatures of the ACCC conductor (180 and 200 C, respectively). Additional testing at temperatures well above 300 degrees C further confirmed the adequacy of dead-ends and splices. 

 

In some cases, conductor strand anomalies were observed during testing due to the constraints and size of test fixtures. In one recent example, bird-caging was observed during a short circuit test.  When the test was repeated on a longer length of conductor to more accurately represent a typical span, no bird-caging was observed. Video Link

 

Another important aspect of developing new test protocols relates to interpreting the results.  While many tests were performed on the ACCC conductor's uni-directional (pultruded) composite core, some test protocols and measurement techniques were initially developed for laminated composite structures using aerospace and/or defense industry criteria.  While these test protocols and criteria provided useful information, the differences in applications and configuration needed to be understood so the results could be correctly interpreted. 

 

For instance, glass transition temperature (Tg) testing is commonly used to assess the temperature at which polymer resins begin to soften when substantially heated. As this occurs, the resin's ability to maintain an adequate bond may become compromised. In a laminated structure, where the resin is the only thing holding the laminate together (no Z-axis fiber reinforcement), the rule of thumb is to establish an operating temperature well below the measured Tg.  In a uni-directional composite, where all fibers run in the x-axis only, very little bond strength is actually required to effectively transfer loads between the parallel fibers.  In this case, as with the ACCC conductor, Tg measurements cannot be used to establish mechanical limits or assess longevity, they can only be used to confirm the adequacy/consistency of the manufacturing process and degree of resin cure.    

 

For more information about the ACCC conductor and the extensive testing it has been subjected to in labs worldwide, please visit CTC Global's website at: www.ctcglobal.com  If you have any specific questions about testing or test results please feel free to send an e-mail to [email protected] We will be happy to share test data or other information.

Please take a look at a few of these very interesting articles

Recent Articles & News

 

Please Click on the Links Below:

ACCC Conductor is an internationally patented and trademark registered product of CTC Global Corporation.  The ACCC conductor is manufactured in association with several qualified and licensed international stranding partners. If you are interested in the ACCC conductor, please contact CTC Global to make sure your supplier is authorized to produce ACCC.  Thank You.  

CTC Global Corporation    2026 McGaw Ave.  Irvine, California, USA 92614
Telephone: +1 (949) 428-8500 www.ctcglobal.com
  
In This Issue
ACCC Testing
Recent Articles & News
ACCC Technical Updates
Free Conductor Selection Software
Free Engineering Manual
Installation Videos

 

 Technical Updates 

 

     

 Why Carbon Fiber Composites?

 

High strength, light weight, low coefficient of thermal expansion and outstanding resistance to cyclic load fatigue and corrosion are a few key reasons.  To find out more, please visit:

 

 www.ctcglobal.com

 

ACCC Conductor

Improving the Efficiency, Capacity and Reliability of the Grid

 

 Free

Conductor Selection Software 

 

    

Responding to an ever-increasing demand to help select the most appropriate size of the highest performing ACCC conductor available, CTC Global has developed a new software program, CCP.

 

The program is available at no charge to utility planners, transmission engineers and others involved in conductor selection, project engineering and project economics. Using the design parameters associated with your specific project, CCP can calculate and compare ampacity, sag, tension, line losses, and the economics associated with the reduction in thermal sag and line losses the ACCC conductor offers compared to any other conductor of the same diameter and weight.

 

To receive a free copy of CCP:

  

CLICK HERE

 

Engineering with High-Capacity, Low-Sag ACCC Conductor 

 

 

To help T&D planners, engineers, and technicians take full advantage of the ACCC conductor's attributes, CTC Global has published a 250 page Engineering Manual. Contact CTC Global today to request a copy.

 

Request Your Free Copy!

  

CLICK HERE 

To Review Previous ACCC Newsletters
 
To View ACCC Installation and other informative videos
 
Please Visit CTC Global at
Cigre Grid of the Future Symposium
  
October 20-23
Boston, Massachusetts
  

CTC Global Proudly Serving Over 100 Utilities Worldwide