Next Generation Conductors

Storm, Fire, Ice, Wind & Rain Wire

Storm, Fire, Ice, Wind & Rain Wire, Next-Generation Conductors and Inclement Weather

?“Neither Snow nor Rain nor Heat nor Gloom of Night Stays these Conductors from The Swift Completion of Their Appointed Task.”

The United States Postal Service adopted their informal Slogan, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds," from the ancient Book “Histories,” by Greek Historian Herodotus, but the slogan could just as well been adopted by Next Generation Carbon Core Transmission Conductors which can deal with Fire (and Fire? Prevention), Ice, Wind, ?Snow, Coastal Corrosion and other conditions far better than traditional Conductors.

The first major difference in Carbon Core conductors is their strength.

ACSR “Bluebird”[1] is designed to have a conductor core strength to withstand 60,000 pounds of Tension, while an equivalent Next Generation Conductor will withstand 95,000 pounds of breaking load tension. This allows them to carry far heavier Ice Loads, withstand stronger wind, and accommodate ultra-long spans.

Further, as the outside of a Next Generation Conductor is relatively smooth compared to other conductors, it is much harder for Ice to “Get a Grip” on the Conductor.

The next big advantage of Carbon Core Conductors is that Carbon Fiber has a much lower Coefficient of Thermal Expansion than Steel lines, so Next-Generation Conductors have far less sag in Hot Weather and/or High-Load Conditions. Additionally, due to their lower weight, Next-Generation Conductors don’t need to be strung as tight, causing towers to bear less tension.

?ACSS or ACSR conductors sag at a rate of 3.32 feet per 100°C increase, while the TS conductor sags just 0.176 feet per 100°C increase, highlighting its superior stability under high temperatures. For example, a 900-foot span of ACSS Bluebird may have a maximum design sag of 45 feet, whereas an equivalent TS Carbon Core Conductor sags only 26 feet[2]—a crucial difference in fire-prone areas where excessive sag can ignite fires.

The next major fire prevention characteristic of Next Generation Conductors is that, as they have less sag, they have far less swing and slack in the line than traditional conductors. In high wind conditions, transmission lines will swing side-to-side. If one conductor is swinging left and the other is swinging right, the conductors may come close enough to cause a Phase-to-Phase Arc. When this Arc occurs, part of the conductor may melt, and molten drops of Aluminum then fall to the ground, where they may ignite brush, leaves, etc., causing a fire.

If a fire does occur for other reasons, next-generation conductors have another advantage over traditional conductors. In traditional conductors, the steel is not strong enough to bear the entire line tension, and unannealed aluminum must be used to provide additional conductor strength. Line Temperature is thus limited to degrees?93 C or below to avoid thermal annealing of the hard aluminum and the resulting loss of its ability to carry line tension.

In Next Generation Conductors, the carbon fiber composite core, which has twice the strength of steel,? bears the entire line tension. Thus, next-generation conductors can use fully Annealed Aluminum Conductor Strands, giving them a significant advantage as annealed Aluminum is the most conductive among aluminum options, allowing next-generation conductors to carry?three times the power for the same diameter conductor and have lower per-unit line losses.

If a fire does occur and heats a traditional conductor to a temperature greater than the aluminum annealing temperature, the line will sag, stay sagged after the fire, and must be replaced even if the conductor survives the fire. In a Next Generation Conductor, if the temperature goes above the annealing temperature, it is rated as a non-event,? as Next Generation Conductors will stay further above the fire and already use fully annealed aluminum.

Next Generation Conductors also have significant advantages for hurricane-prone areas. Being stronger, Next-Generation Conductors can bear more wind-generated tension load, and as their smooth outer surface generates less wind drag and wind loading, they can withstand higher winds than equivalent ACSR or ACSS and put less tension on tower structures. For wind-prone areas, TS Conductor can also manufacture “Wind Wire,” a conductor that has a larger, stronger carbon core than the regular conductor. Of course, in a Category Five Hurricane, all bets are off. Even if the conductor does not fail, there is little difference if the towers are on the ground.

Next-generation conductors offer significant advantages in almost any weather condition and will, over time, replace traditional conductors. Unfortunately, although they will revolutionize the Electric Power Transmission System and offer higher reliability in extreme weather conditions, there is not a lot they can do for Mail Delivery. ????????????? ?

[1] For those not familiar with Transmission Line Naming protocols, they are rather amazing, considering that they were adopted by a bunch of Engineers. Transmission Lines are named for Birds (US), animals (UK), etc.

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[2] under the condition of 20% Rated Tension for Sagging ACSR and ACSS Blue Bird, and 17.5% Rated Tension for sagging TS Bluebird (Next Generation Advanced Conductor) that has the same or less tension to tower as ACSR Bluebird under NESC Heavy Condition with ice and wind combined load.

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