Rating an enhanced strength conductor
View Patent ↗A conductor may be rated. First, a conductor core comprising a first material and having a core elongation may be provided. Next, a plurality of conductor strands may be provided. The plurality of conductor strands may comprise a second material. The elongation of the plurality of conductor strands may be one of greater than the core elongation or equal to the core elongation. Then a rating for a conductor comprising the conductor core and the plurality of conductor strands may be provided. The rating may include a composite rated breaking strength of the conductor being a function of the core elongation and not being limited by the elongation of the plurality of conductor strands.
1. A method comprising:
manufacturing a conductor comprising a conductor core and a plurality of conductor strands, the conductor core comprising a plurality of core strands and a core elongation at an ultimate tensile strength of the conductor core, wherein manufacturing the conductor comprises;
providing the conductor core comprising a first material, and
stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core, the plurality of conductor strands comprising a second material, wherein an elongation of the plurality of conductor strands is one of the following: greater than the core elongation and equal to the core elongation, the second material configured to cause the plurality of conductor strands not to break at the elongation of the plurality of conductor strands; and
rating the manufactured conductor with a composite rated breaking strength equal to as calculated by an equation:
the composite rated breaking strength=( n con *STR con *RF con )+( n core *STR core *RF core );
wherein:
n con is a number of conductor strands in the plurality of conductor strands;
n core is a number of core strands in the plurality of core strands;
STR con is an average breaking strength of the conductor strands in the plurality of conductor strands at the core elongation;
STR core is an average breaking strength of the core strands in the plurality of core strands at the core elongation;
RF con is a rating factor of the plurality of conductor strands; and
RF core is a rating factor of the plurality of core strands.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the conductor core comprises providing the conductor core wherein the core elongation is between 1% and 4% inclusively.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the conductor core comprising the first material comprises providing the conductor core comprising the first material comprising high strength steel.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the conductor core comprising the first material comprises providing the conductor core comprising the first material comprising high strength (HS) 285 steel.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the conductor core comprising the first material comprises providing the conductor core comprising the first material comprising Class A galvanized steel.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core comprises stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core wherein the elongation of the plurality of conductor strands is less than 7%.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core comprises stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core wherein the elongation of the plurality of conductor strands is less than 4%.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core, the plurality of conductor strands comprising the second material comprises stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core, the plurality of conductor strands comprising the second material wherein the second material comprises Aluminum Zirconium alloy.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core comprises stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core wherein each of the plurality of conductor strands has a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core comprises stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core wherein each of the plurality of conductor strands are compacted.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the conductor core comprises providing the conductor core having the plurality of core strands wherein the plurality of core strands comprise a center strand with a plurality of outer core strands helical wrapped around the center strand.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core comprises stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core wherein the plurality of conductor strands comprise a second conductor layer helical wrapped around a first conductor layer.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core comprises stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core wherein the first conductor layer and second conductor layer are wrapped in respective alternating hand lay.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein rating the manufactured conductor comprises rating the manufactured conductor wherein the manufactured conductor comprises aluminum conductor steel reinforced (ACSR).
15. A method comprising:
manufacturing a conductor comprising a conductor core and a plurality of conductor strands, the conductor core comprising a plurality of core strands and a core elongation at an ultimate tensile strength of the conductor core, the conductor having a composite rated breaking strength equal to as calculated by an equation:
the composite rated breaking strength=( n con *STR con *RF con )+( n core *STR core *RF core );
wherein:
n con is a number of conductor strands in the plurality of conductor strands;
n core is a number of core strands in the plurality of core strands;
STR con is an average breaking strength of the conductor strands in the plurality of conductor strands at the core elongation;
STR core is an average breaking strength of the core strands in the plurality of core strands at the core elongation;
RF con is a rating factor of the plurality of conductor strands; and
RF core is a rating factor of the plurality of core strands,
wherein manufacturing the conductor comprises:
providing the conductor core comprising a first material, and
stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core, the plurality of conductor strands comprising a second material, an elongation of the plurality of conductor strands is one of the following: greater than the core elongation and equal to the core elongation, the second material configured to cause the plurality of conductor strands not to break at the elongation of the plurality of conductor strands.