Sag-tension Calculations
A Tutorial Developed for the IEEE
TP&C Line Design Subcommittee
Based on a CIGRE WG B2.12 Technical
Brochure under Development
Dale Douglass June, 2005
June 6/13/05
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CIGRE & IEEE Websites
CIGRE WG B2.12 Electrical Effects in Lines
http://www.geocities.com/wg_12/index.htm
Technical Brochure 244 Conductors for Uprating of
Existing Lines
Probabilistic Ratings & Joints
IEEE Towers Poles & Conductors
http://www.geocities.com/ieee_tpc/index.htm
IEEE Standard 738 1993
Panel Sessions Jan 28 (Las Vegas) June 4 (SF)
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Sag-tension Envelope
Span Length
Initial Installed Sag @15C
Final Unloaded Sag @15C
Sag @ Max Ice/Wind Load
Sag @ Max Electrical
Load, Tmax
Minimum Electrical
Clearance
GROUND LEVEL
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SAG10 Calculation Table
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From Alcoa-Fujikura SAG10 program
A Bit of Perspective
10C-15C Uncertainty
IPC measurements, 1997
data_during_tempmeas.xls
60
55
50
45
deg C
40
Tcdr_measured is
much higher than
predicted with
alumoweld model (Hbased) or weather
based model for these
3 points. Why?
35
30
Tcdr (IEEE)
25
Tcdr (meas)
20
Tcdr (H) - AW eq1
15
Tcdr (H) - AW eq2
10
1
measurement number
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10
11
12
13
Some Questions
Why can we do calculations for a single
span and use for an entire line section?
How are initial and final conditions
defined?
Why not run the maximum tension to 60%
as the NESC Code allows?
Why do I see negative tensions
(compression) in aluminum at high
temperature?
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The Catenary Curve
HyperbolicFunctions & Parabolas
Sag vs weight & tension
Length between supports
What is Slack?
What if the span isnt level?
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The Catenary Level Span
H
y ( x) =
w
H
D=
w
w x2
w x
cosh
1
2 H
H
w S w S
cosh
1
2 H 8 H
2 2
2H
Sw
S
w
L =
sinh
S 1 +
24 H 2
w
2H
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Catenary Sample Calcs
for Drake ACSR
- 1.094 lbs/ft Bare Weight
- 31,500 lbs Rated Breaking Strength
- 600 ft span
6300
1.094 600
D=
cosh
= 7.831 ft (2.387 m)
1.094
2 6300
2 * 6300
1.094 * 600
L=
sinh
= 600.272 ft (182.963 m)
1.094
2 * 6300
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Catenary Calculations
What Happens when the weight of
the conductor changes
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Ice & Wind Loading
Radial ice (Quebec)
Wind Pressure (Florida)
Wind & Ice Combined (Illinois)
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What about changes in loading?
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NESC Loading District
Heavy
Medium
Light
Extreme wind
loading
Radial thickness of ice
(in)
(mm)
0.50
12.5
0.25
6.5
Horizontal wind pressure
(lb/ft2)
(Pa)
4
190
4
190
9
430
Temperature
(oF)
(oC)
0
-20
+15
-10
+30
-1
+60
+15
NESC safety factors
to be added to
the resultant
(lb/ft)
(N/m)
0.30
4.40
0.20
2.50
0.05
0.70
0.0
0.0
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0
0
0
0
See Fig 2-4
Iced Conductor Weight
wice = 1.244t ( D c + t )
ACSR
Conductor
Dc,
in
wbare,
lb/ft
wice,
lb/ft
wbare + wice
wbare
#1/0 AWG -6/1
Raven
0.398
0.1452
0.559
4.8
477 kcmil-26/7
Hawk
0.858
0.6570
0.845
2.3
1590 kcmil-54/19
Falcon"
1.545
2.044
1.272
1.6
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What happens when the conductor
weight changes?
Bare weight of Drake ACSR is 1.094 lb/ft
Iced weight is:
1.094 + 1.244*1.0*(1.108+1.0) = 3.60 lb/ft
Tension increases by a factor of 3.6
unless the length of the conductor
changes.
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SAG10 Calculation Table
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From Alcoa-Fujikura SAG10 program
Conductor tension limits
Avoiding tension failure (Safety factor)
Limiting vibration (H/w, %RBS)
Designing with less sag
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Tension Limits and Sag
Tension at 15C
unloaded initial
- %RTS
10
15
20
25
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Tension at max
ice and wind
load - %RTS
22.6
31.7
38.4
43.5
Tension at max
ice and wind
load - kN
31.6
44.4
53.8
61.0
Initial Sag at
100C - meters
Final Sag at
100C - meters
14.6
10.9
9.0
7.8
14.6
11.0
9.4
8.4
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Conductor Elongation
Elastic elongation (springs)
Settlement & Short-term creep (before
sagging)
Thermal elongation
Long term creep (After sagging, over
the life of the line)
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Conductor Elongation
Manufactured Length
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Settlement
&1-hr
creep
Strain
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Thermal
Strain
Elastic
Strain
Long-time
Creep
Strain
Thermal Elongation
International
Annealed Copper
Standard
Commercial
Hard-Drawn
Copper Wire
Standard
1350-H19
Aluminum
Wire
Galv.
Steel Core
Wire
Conductivity,
% IACS @ 20oC
100.00
97.00
61.2
8.0
Coefficient of
Linear Expansion
10-6 per oF
9.4
9.4
12.8
6.4
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Courtesy of Southwire Corp.
Stress-Strain Test
45,000
300
One Hour
Modulus
40,000
35,000
Initial
Modulus
30,000
200
25,000
Stress
[MPa]
20,000
70% RBS
50% RBS
15,000
100
30% RBS
10,000
Final
Modulus
5,000
0
0.000
0.050
0.100
0.150
0.200
0.250
Strain
% %Strain
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0.300
0.350
0.400
0.450
Stress-strain & creep elongation curves for 37 strand A1 conductor
140000
120000
Initial "1-hour"
Aluminum
70% RBS
100000
Linear Modulus
Stress- kPa
80000
50% RBS
12 mo
creep
60000
6 mo
creep
30% RBS
Final Alum after
load to 122 MPa
40000
10 yr
creep
20000
0
-0.05
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
Percent Elongation
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0.3
0.35
0.4
0.45
Conductor Elongation
Elastic elongation (reversible)
Settlement & Short-term creep
(permanent)
Thermal elongation (reversible)
Long term creep (permanent after
years or high loads)
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100
% of Tensile Strength
80
Plastic Elong at
High Tension
60
Creep for 1
year
40
Initial
Settlement
20
0
0.05
0.10
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30
0.35
0.40
0.45
% Increase in Length
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0.50
SAG10 Calculation Table
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From Alcoa-Fujikura SAG10 program
What is a ruling span?
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Pivot
Attachment
Point
Tilt
Angle
T
Tension equalization
at suspension points.
Winsul
The basis of the
ruling span concept.
Hspan1
Hspan2
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Wspan2
Wspan1
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Insulator
Length, Li
The Ruling Span
3
3
3
+
+
+
S
S
S
1
2
n
RS =
S1 + S 2 + - - - - + S n
3
3
3
600 + 900 + 600
RS =
= 745 ft
600 + 900 + 600
Based on Tension equalization
Used for Stringing sags
Sag = (w/8H)*S2
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Sag-tension Calculations Deliverables
Maximum sag so that clearance to ground
and other conductors can be maintained.
Maximum tension so that structures can
be designed to withstand it.
Minimum sag to control structure uplift
problems.
H/w during coldest month to limit aeolian
vibration.
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Summary of Some Key Points
Tension equalization between suspension spans
allows use of the ruling span
Initial and final conditions occur at sagging and
after high loads and multiple years
For large conductors, max tension is typically
below 60% in order to limit wind vibration & uplift
Negative tensions (compression) in aluminum
occur at high temperature for ACSR because of
the 2:1 diff in thermal elongation between alum
& steel
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General Sag-Ten References
Aluminum Association Aluminum Electrical Conductor Handbook Publication No. ECH-56"
Southwire Company "Overhead Conductor Manual
Barrett, JS, Dutta S., and Nigol, O., A New Computer Model of A1/S1A (ACSR) Conductors, IEEE Trans., Vol.
PAS-102, No. 3, March 1983, pp 614-621.
Varney T., Aluminum Company of America, Graphic Method for Sag Tension Calculations for A1/S1A (ACSR)
and Other Conductors., Pittsburg, 1927
Winkelman, P.F., Sag-Tension Computations and Field Measurements of Bonneville Power Administration, AIEE
Paper 59-900, June 1959.
IEEE Working Group, Limitations of the Ruling Span Method for Overhead Line Conductors at High Operating
Temperatures. Report of IEEE WG on Thermal Aspects of Conductors, IEEE WPM 1998, Tampa, FL, Feb. 3,
1998
Thayer, E.S., Computing tensions in transmission lines, Electrical World, Vol.84, no.2, July 12, 1924
Aluminum Association, Stress-Strain-Creep Curves for Aluminum Overhead Electrical Conductors, Published
7/15/74.
Barrett, JS, and Nigol, O., Characteristics of A1/S1A (ACSR) Conductors as High Temperatures and Stresses,
IEEE Trans., Vol. PAS-100, No. 2, February 1981, pp 485-493
Electrical Technical Committee of the Aluminum Association, A Method of Stress-Strain Testing of Aluminum
Conductor and ACSR and A Test Method for Determining the Long Time Tensile Creep of Aluminum Conductors
in Overhead Lines, January, 1999, The aluminum Association, Washington, DC 20006, USA.
Harvey, JR and Larson RE. Use of Elevated Temperature Creep Data in Sag-Tension Calculations. IEEE Trans.,
Vol. PAS-89, No. 3, pp. 380-386, March 1970
Rawlins, C.B., Some Effects of Mill Practice on the Stress-Strain Behaviour of ACSR, IEEE WPM 1998, Tampa,
FL, Feb. 1998.
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The End
A Sag-tension Tutorial
Prepared for the IEEE TP&C
Subcommittee by Dale Douglass
June 6/13/05
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