Characteristics of ACSR Aerial Conductors


ACSR overhead conductors are stranded aluminum conductors with a steel core.. These bare conductors are used in overhead cables.. They have the advantages of simple construction, ease of assembly and maintenance, low line cost and high transmission capacity.

Characteristics of ACSR Overhead Conductors

ACSR cable
ACSR Conductor

El ACSR electrical conductor is suitable for laying in special geographical conditions, like river crossing. It has good electrical conductivity and mechanical and tensile strength.. If ACSR cables are used, you can increase the distances between the towers and reduce the numbers of towers. Thus, this conductor is widely used in overhead transmission and distribution lines of all voltage levels.

Steel has a higher strength than aluminum, which increases the mechanical stress on the conductor. Steel also has lower elasticity and elongation. This can increase the mechanical load capacity of overhead cables.. Steel core aluminum stranded cables have a lower Thermic dilatation coefficient under current load. These properties allow ACSR to sag much less than conductive AACs at.

En EE.UU. and canada, the aluminum alloy used for the external braiding is usually 1350-H19, while in other countries it is 1370-H19. Both have an aluminum content of 99,5% or more. Aluminum tempering in the case of the H19 means extra hard. To prolong the life of the conductors used, steel cores are often galvanized or coated with other materials to prevent corrosion. The different ACSR overhead conductors have different diameters of aluminum and steel.

The ACSR aerial cable continues to rely on the tensile strength of aluminum and is only reinforced with steel. Thus, its continuous operating temperature is limited to 75 °C. ACSS conductors, totally dependent on the strength of the steel, can be used at temperatures up to 250 °C.

ACSR Enhanced Version – ACCC Drivers

With the development of manufacturing technology in the cable industry, Conductive ACCC was invented using carbon fibers instead of steel cores. The ACCC aerial cable is lighter than the ACSR. This is due to the use of a lightweight and small carbon fiber composite as the core.. Carbon fiber not only increases the overall load capacity of the cable, it also reduces the size of the kernel.

Aerial cable rolls
ZMS Overhead Cable ACSR Products

Compared to ACSR conductors of the same diameter, los ACCC drivers provide twice the current-carrying capacity. Since ACCC overhead cables can withstand temperatures up to 200 °C, are an effective solution to the problem of sinking caused by high temperatures. Besides, thanks to its non-bimetallic construction, ACCC overhead cable is also corrosion resistant.

Existing overhead cables are less frequently modernized by removing old lines and erecting new towers. This method is not only expensive, but it also takes a long time. Choosing a new overhead cable as a direct replacement for the original cable allows you to use the original line equipment and minimize modifications.

Many improvements in ACSR overhead lines are now direct replacements for ACCC conductors.. Nevertheless, the cost of ACCC cables is high. If the capacity requirements are not too high, it is still economical to choose ACSR overhead conductors.