Clean energy is hard won, so why is it we’re putting up with so much of it lost during transmission from offshore windfarms to land-based users. Transmission is currently compromised by the prevalence of fake and older-generation cable that can’t hold their integrity over long spans – and there is another way. Continued use of loss-generating old-technology cable for power transmission, when higher-performance new-breed solutions are already available, is unsustainable. It costs too much to generate power to simply put up with the levels of wastage currently experienced when there is a better way, better technology – already here. Lack of the right cables is slowing us down and leading to power losses and performance fails, an area where we, at Tratos, are also campaigning for change, through our Safer Structures initiative. Distribution of offshore clean energy is only as good as the industry’s ability to deliver it – without losses - to communities and businesses on land. Now we are at the point where we can make a real and valuable contribution to secure distribution of the power generated – and look to it coming of age and competing with traditional energy sources. The trick, of course, is to balance the cost of advanced cable technology with power lost and the gains from achieving a greater reach. Supply routes stretching closer to central Europe, for example, mean greater exposure to loss for sea-based wind energy - unless it is transmitted across much faster and more secure cable.

1. www.tratos.eu
London 19-05-2015
Cables for a moving world
TRATOS OHC-HV
The new solution for overhead lines
®
Vivian Ewane
Maria Kelly
Conor Begley
Costa Manoussis
Maurizio Bragagni

2. Index
1. What does Tratos do
2. Tratos Overhead Cable - High voltage (OHC-HV)
3. Questions

3. Section 1
What does Tratos do

4. 1. What Tratos do
4
Tratos connect the world.
Tratos energise the world.
All the new Digital economies cannot exist without
Tratos……………………..
‘Cables for a moving world’

5. 5
Tratos World
A Quarter of a Billion Euro Turnover
5 Manufacturing Facilities in Europe
36 Offices around the world in 5 continents
400+ Employees

6. Tratos World
Quarter of a Billion Euro Turnover
5 Manufacturing Facilities in Europe
36 Offices around the world in 5 continents
400+ Employees
Tratos sell cables to 52 countries worldwide

7. 7
Our Range of Cables
Defence
Energy
Fire Resistance
FTTH
High Voltage Power
Instrumentation
Marine
Mining
Fusion for Energy
Oil&Gas
Fibre Optic
OPGW
Railways
Reeling
Renewable Energy
Submarine
Telecommunication
Bespoke cables

8. Section 2
Tratos High Overhead Cable – high
Voltage (OHC-HV)

9. 9
2. TRATOS OHC-HV

10. 10
National grid
Power, control,
instrumentation,
fieldbus, compensation
and
coaxial cables
Extra-High-Voltag
e
&
superconductivity
Aerial
Bundled
Conductors
Cable
installation
software
MV & HV
accessories
LAN &
WAN
Special
laying
ships & ROVs
FO cables
& accessories
XLPE MV
cables
XLPE HV
cables
Windin
g
Wires
Overhea
d
lines
LV underground
cables and
accessories
HV DC
cables

11. 11
Offer and Demand
Great demand in the south
High production of power in the North

12. 12
Issues Identified
Environmental problem - Magnetic field Sag
Regulation problem
Great demand in the south
High production of power in the North
Reduce electric leakage
Reduce the installation costs

13. 13
Working on solution

14. Idea comes from anyone
bottom pan
14

15. Innovation
15

16. Production Development Funnel
16
£ 6 Millions

17. 17
TRATOS OHC-HV
Case Study
October 2011
Mountain Pass of the Alps

18. 18
TRATOS OHC-HV
A completely new, more efficient, hybrid, high load carrying conductor
for overhead lines based upon a high load carrying carbon fibre core
with two compact, space saving, segmental thermal resistant
aluminum alloy (AT1) wire layers, helically applied around in
accordance with IEC 62004.
Reduce and ease the cost of installation, increase the power
transmitted.

19. 19
New innovative load bearing core
Prototyped using a hybrid high strength composite material core
based on a special carbon fibre and extruded aluminum sheath.
a novel use of a non metallic material as a constituent part of a
conductor operating at high temperatures
• central core of pure carbon fibers
• impregnation using a special, non-migrating, high temperature
resistant compound
• an outer layer of high modulus glass yarn
• aluminium sheath extruded over the nucleus as a plastic
material (high pressure, low temperature

20. 20
Characteristics of this
hybrid high strength composite core
Characteristic TRATOS
hybrid core
Galvanised
steel
Invar
Breaking load daN/mm2
200-220 216 120
Elongation at
break
% 1.6-1.8 1.5 1.5
Coefficient of
linear expansion
x10-6
per
o
C
1.04 11.5 2.4
Density (S.G.) Kg/dm3
1.78 7.8 8.13

21. 21
A perfect elastic material
A study to evaluate the elastic behavior of this hybrid core this proved that they are
absolutely free of any hysteresis areas, behaving as a perfect elastic material.

22. 22
New conductor materials
One new material is an alloy of Aluminium Zirconium (Al-Zr),
this alloy is:
• a high conductivity material
• has a maximum tensile strength comparable to pure aluminium
• the maximum strength remains unchanged at high
temperatures
Using this alloy it is possible to build a conductor with high thermal
limits, working at temperatures not attainable with traditional
conductors.

23. 23
Types of Aluminium Zirconium (Al-Zr) alloy
Four kinds of Al-Zr alloys have been developed, with the percentage
of zirconium determining the thermal resistance.
Of these four alloys the two most widely used are
• AT1, called TAL (Thermal resistant Aluminium alloy) and
• AT3, ZTAL (Zirconium ultra Thermal resistant Aluminium alloy)
These new alloys have a life of over 40 years when operating
continuously at 150 oC (TAL) and 210 oC (ZTAL)
These are included in BS EN 62004 Thermal-resistant aluminium alloy
wire for overhead line conductor

24. 24
New conductor design
Tratos design their new conductors using using a spatial distribution
optimization technique.
Spatial optimization consists of making maximum use of the
conductive section of the conductor, by removing the free space
between the wires in the conductor.
Tratos achieve this by using sector shaped wires.
These conductors are characterised by an electric resistance lower
than that of a conventional compacted conductor of the same overall
diameter.

25. 25
Benefits against traditional
conductors
1. Current carrying capacity increased by up to twice that of the
equivalent size of traditional designs.
2. Existing pylons and installation techniques can be used due to
reduced weight and strain.
3. Greater tensile strength to withstand snow, ice and wind
loadings.
4. Reduced sag and increased ground clearance at maximum
current rating.
5. Fully compatible with existing ACSR and AAAC networks.

26. 26
First prototype conductor

27. 27
First prototype conductor
Design and construction and of a high load-carrying conductor,
7x3.00mm carbon fibre centre with a concentric layers of 12 sector
shaped and 24-alloy TAL wires (d = 2.55 mm), having an external
diameter of 22.70 mm

28. 28
Technical characteristics
This conductor was subjected to numerous tests in the laboratories of
TRATOS and the Institute of RSE laboratories followed by a trial
installation and evaluation by TERNA.
Overall diameter mm 22.70
Mass kg/m 0.88567
Load at break daN 10500
Electrical resistance Ω/km 0.0998

29. 29
Second prototype low sag conductor

30. 30
Second prototype low sag conductor
Design, testing and installation of a conductor with a hybrid high
load-carrying 7x3,30mm carbon fibre centre, with two alloy-TAL sector
shaped concentric layers (12 +16), having an external diameter of
22.70 mm.
This second prototype conductor has also been tested in the TRATOS
Cavi and the Institute of RSE (formerly CESI) Laboratories using the
same test protocols as the previous conductor, with positive results
and fully in line with expectations.

31. 31
Technical characteristics
Overall diameter mm 22.70
Mass kg/m 0.9964
Load at break daN 10500
Electrical resistance Ω/km 0.095
TERNA installed this conductor in the San Pellegrino Pass in the Alps,
on the 132 KV Moena-Cencenighe overhead line the installation being
comparable with those of a traditional conductor of a similar size.
A report, prepared by the engineer Pirovano dell'Erse, clearly states:
"The installation of the line at high altitude (2000 meters above sea
level) is a severe test for the conductor: in fact, at low temperatures
the mechanical load is transferred from the carbon core to aluminum
alloy coats, determining a state of high stress for the latter. "
This conductor has operated successfully to date without
problems.

32. 32
Advantages gained
This second prototype low sag conductor gave the following advantages;
•an extra safety margin to the breaking load (the carbon fibre hybrid
load-carrying section was increased from 49.48 to 59.87mm²);
• an additional lowering of the electrical resistance, which reduced from
0.0998 Ω / km at 20 ° C to 0.095 Ω / km;
• a more uniform and smooth outer surface of the rope;
• an increase of the electrical and mechanical sections in comparison to
the previous design;
• a reduction in the permanent elongation after loading cycles from 0.001
mm down to 0.0007 mm.

33. 33
Third Development Conductor
Design, production and testing of an experimental conductor with a single
hybrid high load-carrying core of 7x4,50mm carbon fibre centre, with two
alloy-TAL sector shaped concentric layers (12 +16), having an external
diameter of 30.00 mm

34. 34
Technical characteristics
This development conductor has already been tested successfully in
the laboratories of TRATOS and Gorla Morsetterie. In September
2012 it was sent to the Institute Erse for official tests in their System
Research Department.
When tested the actual breaking load was equal to 24,000 daN.
This variation has advantages compared to the conductor with
load-carrying in ACI. The most important advantages are the lower
ohmic resistance, the higher breaking load and the improved tension
transfer point.
Overall diameter mm 30.00
Mass kg/m 1.74484
Load at break daN 22000
Electrical resistance Ω/km 0.054364

35. 35
Comparison old and new
A comparison between the characteristics of a high thermal limit,
reduced deformation at high loads hybrid load-carrying conductor and
an ACI 20 SA aluminium load-carrying traditional conductor revealed:
at a temperature of 130 ° C the high load-bearing hybrid conductor of
7x4.70 mm, with a diameter of 31.50 mm, has a current capacity 17%
higher than the conductor with a 20 SA ACI load-carrying conductor in
both summer and winter.
At the same temperature the conductor with the hybrid centre of
7x4.50 mm, with a diameter of 30.00 mm, compared to the same ACI
20 SA rope has a current current capacity which is 11% higher in both
summer and winter.
The current capacities of the hybrid load-carrying conductors at 130 °
C are even higher than those with load-carrying ropes in ACI 20 SA at
150 ° C.

36. 36
A further design of conductor
Single supporting hybrid load-carrying composite core of 7x4.70 mm,
aluminium sheath and 2 concentric layers of (13+17) round wires of
3.75 mm, having an external diameter of 32.20 mm
This conductor has been ordered by one of the major companies in
the overhead cable sector and will be installed over a section of 4.66
km in a 380 kV line, with three conductors in each phase, the total
quantity ordered is 42 km.
This type of conductor, using round wires, has been selected from
several proposed designs having outer diameters of 30.0 mm and
31.50 mm respectively, for the following reasons:
• Smaller mass
• Reduced corona effect
• Reduced sag but with the same tension applied to the
pylons

37. 37
Description of the conductor

38. 38
Comparison of current ratings
Calculated using Shurig & Frick formula including solar irradiation
Conductor
Diameter mm
30.00 32.20 31.25 31.50
Core type Composite core
7x4,50mm
Composite core
7x4,70 mm
ACI 20SA core Steel core
(ACSR type)
Conductor type 2 layers of sector
shaped TAL wires
(12+16)
2 layers of circular
TAL wires (17+23) x
2.75mm
19x3,25 mm 19x2,10 mm
Electrical
Resistance Ω/Km
R=0,054364 R=0,05712 R=0,06857 R=0,05564
Temperature of
conductor
°C
Current (A) Current (A) Current (A) Current (A)
Winter Summer
10°C 30 °C
Winter Summer
10 °C 30 °C
Winter Summer
10 °C 30 °C
Winter Summer
10 °C 30 °C
35 614 610 363 554 616 368
90 1257 1075 1248 1061 1132 968 1260 1076
130 1521 1391 1504 1376 1371 1255
150 1630 1516 1612 1500 1470 1368

39. 39
The comparison is made between
the following conductors:
• Hybrid core 7x4,50mm , 2 layers of trapezoidal TAL wires (12+16) , overall diameter 30,00 mm.
• Hybrid core 7x4,70mm , 2 layers of 40 circular TAL wire (17+23) x 3,75 mm overall diameter
32,20 mm
ACI core 20 SA, 19x3,25 mm, overall diameter 31.00 mm
• Steel core, 19x2,10mm, 3 layers of circular wires 54x3,50mm, overall diameter 31,50
Calculated using the following parameters
- Solar radiation 1000W/m2
- Coefficient of emission 0,5
- Wind velocity 2 Km/h
- Atmospheric pressure 1 Atm
- Coefficient of absorption 0,5

40. 40
Comparison of the sags in conductors
Conductor Diam. mm 30.00 32.20 31.25 31.50
Core type Composite hybrid core
7x4,50mm
Composite hybrid core
7x4,70 mm
ACI 20SA core Steel core
(ACSR type)
Conductor type 2 layers of sector shaped
TAL wires (12+16)
2 layers of circular TAL
wires(17+23)x2.75mm
19x3,25 mm 19x2,10 mm
Diameter, mm 30.00 32.20 31.25 31.50
Pulling load, daN 3539 3539 3539 3539
Pulling load/load at break 0,197 0,192 0.1361 0.2100
Mass, kg/m 1,74484 1,676762 2,240 1,953
Pulling load/mass, m 2030 2110 1586 1812
Span, m 400 400 400 400
Temperature of conductor °
C
Sag ( m ) Sag ( m ) Sag ( m ) Sag ( m )
15 9,67 9,30
75 10,24 9,99 14,10 13,31
95 10,43 10,16 14,51 14,07
105 10,52 10,24 14,44 14,44
115 10,62 10,33 14,81 14,81
125 10,71 10,41 15,17 15,17
135 10,81 10,50 15,52 15,52
155 11,03 10,67

41. 41
The comparison is made between
the following conductors:
• •Hybrid core 7x4,50mm , 2 layers of sector shaped TAL wires (12+16) ,
overall diameter 30,00 mm
• • Hybrid core 7x4,70mm , 2 layers of 40 circular TAL wire (17+23) x 3,75 mm
• overall diameter 32,20 mm
• • ACI core 20 SA, 19x3,25 mm, overall diameter 31.00 mm
• • Steel core, 19x2,10mm, 3 layers of circular wires 54x3,50mm, overall
diameter 31,50

42. 42
The Future
The technology employed by Tratos can be applied to various designs

43. 43
The Future

44. 44
Problems
1. Resistance of innovation
2. Low Carbon fibers reputation ...ageing on the air contact
3. Leakage of the internal liquid
4. Regulation: the new prototype is not on the standard
5. Cultura: National Grid prefer a corwon concentric instead of
trapezoid
6. Patents: National Grid does not want a unique supplier

45. Section 3
Questions

46. 46
1. The product has been in development for 6 years and is ready to be
launched – should MB launch the product and commit resources to
manufacturing?
2. How can MB overcome the resistance to innovation in the national grid
and overcome the customers' concern with dealing with only one
supplier(the patent issue)?
3. Why did the leader (Prysim) of the market fail to develop this product?
4. Is this a disruptive product in the market?
Questions

47. Tratos Group
Cables for a moving world
www.tratos.eu