OVERHEAD ELECTRICAL POWER TRANSMISSION LINE

• US 20080156524A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Johnson, Douglas E., Jachim, Anton F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,687,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/40R
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/04 for mounting or stretching

Abstract

Dead-end-to-dead-end overhead electrical power transmission line with at least two different conductors, and method of selecting and installing the conductors.

Claims

1. A method for providing an installed dead-end-to-dead-end overhead electrical power transmission line, the installed dead-end-to-dead-end overhead electrical power transmission line comprising:

first and second dead-end towers;

at least one suspension tower between the first and second dead-end towers; and

an overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension section having a length of at least 100 meters, and having a first end attached to the first dead-end tower and a second end attached to the second dead-end tower,

the method comprising;

providing first and second dead-end towers;

providing at least one suspension tower between the first and second dead-end towers; and

selecting an overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension section having first and second ends and a length of at least 100 meters, the overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension section comprising at least a first and a second sequential overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension subsection, wherein the first overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension subsection has a first coefficient of thermal expansion, a first density, a first stress-strain behavior, and a first cross-sectional area, wherein the second overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension subsection has a second coefficient of thermal expansion, a second density, a second stress-strain behavior, and a second cross-sectional area, wherein intentionally at least one of (a) the first and second coefficients of thermal expansion, (b) the first and second densities, (c) the first and second stress-strain behaviors, or (d) cross-sectional areas, at temperatures in the range from 20°

C. to 75°

C., are different such that, over at least a temperature range 20°

C. to 75°

C., as current flow increases through the overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension section, wherein the tension of the second overhead electrical power transmission conductor subsection is higher as compared to the tension of the second overhead electrical power transmission tension subsection under the same conditions when the entire conductor tension section consists of just the conductor of the second overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension subsection; and

installing the selected an overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension section, wherein the first and second ends of the overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension section are attached to the first and second dead-end towers, respectively, and at least a portion of the sequential overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension subsection being supported by the suspension tower.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension section having first and second ends and a length of at least 800 meters.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first sequential overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension subsection comprises a composite core.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the composite core comprises at least one of an aluminum or aluminum alloy matrix composite.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the composite core comprises polymeric matrix composite.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first and second coefficients of thermal expansion are in a range from zero to 25×

10<sup>−

6</sup>/°

C.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first and second densities are in a range from 1.4 g/cm³ to 20 g/cm³.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first and second coefficients of thermal expansion are in a range from zero to 25×

10<sup>−

6</sup>/°

C., and wherein the first and second densities are in a range from 1.4 g/cm³ to 20 g/cm³.

9. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first and second densities are in a range from 2.7 g/cm³ to 3.6 g/cm³.

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first and second densities are in a range from 2.2 g/cm³ to 4.5 g/cm³.

11. The method according to claim 3, wherein the second sequential overhead electrical power transmission conductor section has a steel core.

12. The method according to claim 3, wherein the second sequential overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension subsection has a core having a cross-sectional area, wherein at least 50 percent of the cross-sectional area of the core is aluminum matrix composite wire.

13. The method according to claim 3, wherein the second sequential overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension subsection has an aluminum matrix composite core.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension section having first and second ends and a length of at least 1000 meters.

15. A dead-end-to-dead-end overhead electrical power transmission line comprising:

first and second dead-end towers;

at least one suspension tower between the first and second dead-end towers; and

an overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension section and having a first end attached to the first dead-end tower and a second end attached to the second dead-end tower, the overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension section comprising at least a first and a second sequential overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension subsection, wherein the first overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension subsection has at least one of a composite core or an Invar core, a first coefficient of thermal expansion, a first density, a first stress-strain behavior, and a first cross-sectional area, wherein the second overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension subsection has a second coefficient of thermal expansion, a second density, a second stress-strain behavior, and a second cross-sectional area, wherein at least one of (a) the first and second coefficients of thermal expansion, (b) the first and second densities, (c) the first and second stress-strain behaviors, or (d) cross-sectional areas, at temperatures in the range from 20°

C. to 75°

C., are different such that, over at least a temperature range 20°

C. to 75°

C., as current flow increases through the overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension section, wherein the tension of the second overhead electrical power transmission conductor subsection is higher as compared to the tension of the second overhead electrical power transmission tension subsection under the same conditions when the entire conductor tension section consists of just the conductor of the second overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension subsection.

16. The dead-end-to-dead-end overhead electrical power transmission line according to claim 15, wherein the first sequential overhead electrical power transmission conductor tension subsection comprises the composite core.

17. The dead-end-to-dead-end overhead electrical power transmission line according to claim 15, wherein the composite core comprises at least one of an aluminum or aluminum alloy matrix composite.

18. The dead-end-to-dead-end overhead electrical power transmission line according to claim 15, wherein the composite core comprises polymeric matrix composite.

19. The dead-end-to-dead-end overhead electrical power transmission line according to claim 15, comprising at least three suspension towers positioned between the first and second dead-end towers.