Metallic Composite Core Conductors
Some manufactures replace the steel core wires in a conductor with a metallic composite system that is light weight and has a low coefficient of thermal expansion. These properties create a conductor that is significantly lighter than traditional conductors and can often increase the capacity of a line by 1.5 to 2.0 times the capacity of the existing conductor. These conductors excel in high ice load environments and long spans over rivers and canyons. The core is more brittle than traditional steel core conductors and must be handled with extreme care during installation. These conductors have been in use since the early 2000s timeframe.
Solid Carbon Core Conductors
Carbon fiber technology replaces the steel core wires in a conductor with a single carbon core that is super lightweight and has a very low coefficient of thermal expansion. These properties create a conductor that is significantly lighter than traditional conductors and can often increase the capacity of a line by 2.0 to 3.0 times the capacity of the existing conductor. There are several manufactures of these conductors with a wide variety of strengths and sizes available. These conductors excel in long spans over rivers and canyons, reconductor projects and even some greenfield applications. The carbon core is subject to galvanic corrosion between the carbon and aluminum interface, and each manufacturer has a different way to prevent this from happening. Some of these conductors are more robust than others, but all have some limitations compared to traditional steel core conductors. Some of these conductors utilize traditional two stage compression fittings and others use a collet system of fittings. These conductors have been in use since the early 2000s timeframe.
Stranded Carbon Core Conductors
Stranded carbon fiber technology replaces the steel core wires in a conductor with a several carbon fiber stands that are super lightweight and has a very low coefficient of thermal expansion. These properties create a conductor that is significantly lighter than traditional conductors and can often increase the capacity of a line by 1.5 to 2.0 times the capacity of the existing conductor. Multiple carbon fiber strands prevent a single point of failure and distinguish these from single carbon core conductors. These conductors excel in long spans over rivers and canyons and reconductor projects. The stranded carbon core is subject to galvanic corrosion between the carbon and aluminum interface, and each strand has polymer coating to prevent this from happening. These conductors are more flexible than the single carbon core designes, but are still more brittle than steel core conductors and additional care must be taken during installation. These conductors utilize traditional two stage compression fittings and they have been in use since the late 2010s timeframe.
High Emissivity Conductor Coatings
Conductor coatings can be used to change the emissivity and absorptivity of any conductor. These coating can increase the capacity of a conductor by 5%-15% and can be added to existing conductors or to new conductors. These coatings alone cannot increase the capacity of existing conductors enough to meet future demands, but they can be used as a temporary solution until more robust solutions can be implemented. By adding these coatings to an advanced conductor, you can allow the conductors to run cooler or increase their ampacity without increasing the conductor size. There are multiple manufactures of these coatings, and the additional coast is proportional to the capacity gains.