Numerical study of the thermal behaviour of bare overhead conductors in electrical power lines

Abstract

In order to optimize and increase the current carrying capacity of HV electrical overhead lines it is of great importance to analyze the thermal behaviour of the conductors under different operating conditions. This information will help to solve specific high demand or emergency situations ensuring that maximum temperature limits are not exceeded. In the present work the thermal behaviour of bare electrical conductors under different load and environmental conditions is analyzed by numerical simulation. A comparison between different calculation methods to determine the service temperature of these type of lines is also presented. The coincidence of the results for the different cases studied is remarkable, proving the validity and usefulness of the numerical method.