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AUTHORS


IBERDROLA, S.A. COBRA INSTALACIONES Y SERVICIOS, S.A.

Mr. Vicente Trullench
Mr. Rafael Sanz Gonzlez Mr. Miguel A. Fernndez




LIVE-LINE WORKS FOR ACSR CONDUCTOR REPLACEMENT BY A HIGH
TEMPERATURE CONDUCTOR ON A 66KV LINE





The objective is to describe the works carried out on a 66kV
single circuit line, in order to increase power transmission
capacity.

Taking into account that the line is crossing a protected area
and due to the difficulty to lay a parallel line with a higher
section conductor, it has been decided to study the viability of
conductor replacement on the existing line by another one
with similar mechanical characteristics but of high
temperature and low sagging conditions.

Both conditions made possible the power transmission
capacity increasing without modifying the line layout, by using
the same towers as support of the new conductor. Therefore,
the actual power transmission capacity has been increased
by 70%.

Prior to those considerations, any intervention on the line has
been carried out under live-line conditions, as the
maintenance works which already have being carried out.

Although the towers did not require any variation initially, the
real fact is that, due to the new conductor specifications, it
has been necessary to reinforce some towers after a
complete engineering study and a new line project.

Taking into account the difficulty to carry out the complete
works with scheduled outages, since it was only possible
during weekends and with the consequent delay in the
execution, the works have been executed under live-line
conditions.

Subsequently to the work analyse the corresponding
procedure is elaborated for both reinforcement and
replacement works, objective of the final paper.

Conductor replacement works require two (2) auxiliary
conductors installed on auxiliary towers between dead-end
towers line section. Therefore, replacement works are carried
out in two (2) stages: initially by changing two (2) phases and
then the last one.

The by-pass cables are installed on the dead-end towers line
section from the line to the auxiliary conductors. In addition,
jumpers are opened to allow stringing works on each tower
side; i.e. first of all two (2) conductors are laid and finally the
third one.



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Pulleys (stringing blocks) are used for special stringing works
with earthing system and the tension stringing equipment is
correctly connected to earth. The operator of machinery,
tensioner and puller is located on the same potential than the
whole tension stringing equipment .


BACKGROUND

IBERDROLA is the Spanish utility that covers the power
distribution in the Centre and Eastern Iberian Peninsula, and
several countries in South America and Caribbean area.

COBRA is a main contractor company constituted in 1944
that began its activity in the fields of the construction and
maintenance works of overhead power transmission and
distribution lines, and in 1968 initiated for the first time in
Spain Live-line works.

Actually, Cobra with a wide range of activities is a main
contractor for electro-mechanical works, gas & water supply
projects, railways, electrical substations, etc. and it is going
on with the development of Live-line works that allow it to be
the first contractor in Spain and other countries, such as
United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Chile, Peru, Guatemala, etc.

This paper is referring to the increase of the power
transmission capacity in a 66kV line crossing a special and
protected area that and supplying power to a zone with an
increased number of customers, substantially during the last
years.

For that reason, in order to increase the power transmission
capacity, there are two alternatives:

- The construction of a new overhead line, parallel to the
old one.

- To increase the power transmission capacity, re-
powering the line with the replacement of towers by
another ones stronger and with a larger diameter
conductor.

The Environmental Ministry has denied the first alternative,
since the line is crossing a special protected area.

The second alternative has been approved since the 66kV
line has an antenna layout and the works must be carried out
using Live-line working methods, such as it has been already
done for line maintenance.

Nevertheless, and in order to avoid a large execution time,
Iberdrola finally decided to carry out the replacement of the
conductor by another gap thermal-resistant aluminium-alloy
type conductor.

Since the mechanical characteristics of the new conductor
are similar to the old one, it is not necessary to carry out the
replacement of the steel towers to make possible the stringing
of the new conductor, it is only request some reinforcement
works that can be carried out using live-line methods.


LINE CHARACTERISTICS

- 66kV / 20km
- Single circuit
- Triangle line configuration, 2-phases on a side of the
tower and 1-phase on the other side.
- Conductor type ACSR-180
- Insulators glass cap and pin






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NEW CONDUCTOR CHARACTERISTICS








CONDUCTOR COMPARATIVE DATA SHEET



This new conductor allows increasing the power transmission
capacity by working on high temperature.

The alternative consisting on a high temperature conductor
and the possibility to carry out the conductor replacement
works by means of live-line works techniques, the following
goals are reached:

- Power increase
- Environment respect
- Without interrupting the power supply to customers

Extra cost of this alternative has been analysed, by
considering some aspects, such as for example:

- Cost of power unsold and no recovered.
- Cost of the outages notification to customers
- Delay of the execution of the project, since the outages
are scheduled during weekends and during 6 hours per
day as a maximum.

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- Service quality
- Companys good standing.

For all the above-mentioned considerations, the conventional
working techniques are 65% cheaper than live-line works.
Nevertheless, the Owner took the decision to carry out the
works using live-line methods.


WORKING PROCEDURE
The execution procedure was elaborated taking into account
all the circumstances; both technical, such as the line state,
and environmental.


ELABORATION
The following aspects are considered:
o Line general conditions
Conductor
Fittings
Towers
o Line profile
o Crossings
o Connections
o Breakdown background

Environmental aspects are analyzed along the line layout
area in order to minimize the work impact. For that reason, it
has been initially considered to develop the procedure by
using the auxiliary conductors over auxiliary towers, in order
to avoid working out of the line layout. Therefore, conductor
replacement working method is based on the displacement of
the conductors to auxiliary wooden poles located on both
sides of the tower and always keeping the safety distance.

When the tower remains free of conductors, the new thermal
conductor stringing, sagging and clamping operations can be
carried out by cold techniques.

By-passing operation allows maintaining rate service and
passing the load to the new conductor.


Works are carried out by Hot-stick method.

Safety distance = 1.60m.


Necessary human means:

Personnel involved in works execution are duly qualified for
live-line works and a Foreman, evenly qualified, will supervise
them.

Linemen foreseen number is 12, Foreman inclusive.


Necessary equipment & special tools
Tools to use are the following:
o Universal poles
o Grip all clamp sticks
o Link sticks
o Wire holding stick
o Flexible insulated wrenches

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o Adaptable ratchet wrench
o By-pass conductor
o Insulating ropes
o Insulating rope blocks
o Parking-clamp
o Insulating Pull-lift
o Insulating slings
o Individual protection set


Prior stage
Before starting the works, the following decisive aspects
should be complied, otherwise works cannot be initiated:

o Live-line Works Authorization
o Confirmation of communication with Operations
Department
o Release of automatic resets

Execution stage
The different works execution steps are the following:

- On the suspension towers, the conductors are moved to
auxiliary wooden poles, using insulated rope block with
link sticks




- On the auxiliary wooden poles, the conductors are fixed
with polymeric insulators and with a wire tong clamped to
the wooden pole through a saddle.

- On the dead-ends towers the dead-ends strings are
jointed and the complete set is moved to an auxiliary
wooden pole, like a suspension string.


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- When the conductors are moving from the existing
towers to the auxiliary wooden poles, the reinforcement
works are carried out. The stringing of the new conductor
as well as the sagging and clamping operations are also
carried out.

- When the new conductor is definitely installed, the by-
pass cables are placed on each extremities of the serie
in order to pass the load capacity from the old
conductors to the new ones. Then, after opening the
jumpers on the old conductors, the complete load is
active on the new line and therefore the old conductors
can be removed.

Those operations as per the same sequence are repeated for
all series.

It was necessary two short outages on Saturday to do the
connection to the substations since safety distances were not
available.

A special care is required for the following operations:

o To check and to verify the fulfilment of the required
safety distance, as well as the permanent indication of
the respective safety limits.


o By-pass sections and connections should comply with
line load.

o It is absolutely forbidden to touch a moving-conductor.
Manipulation is only possible once the conductor is
previously connected to earth.

o Stringing operations will be interrupted under wind-
conditions.

o For stringing operations by means of tensioning-
machine, this one should be connected to earth.

o For both removing and stringing operations, the
conductors will be connected to earth by means of
mobile earths located on the proximity of machinery.

o When the works are performed on connections out of
voltage, they will be grounded with opened jumper.
Otherwise, they will be considered such as live-line
connections.



Madrid, May 2006