Galloping Control
Extreme Conditions

Galloping Control

TS Conductor addresses galloping through multiple engineered features including enhanced torsional stiffness from the encapsulated composite core, higher bending stiffness requiring greater energy to initiate galloping, and a trapezoidal wire configuration that reduces ice adhesion points. While some industry perceptions associate trapezoidal wire with increased galloping risk based on ACSS experience, this correlation stems from ACSS's high thermal sag and weight driven sag from excess weight of the TW strand configuration, rather than the smooth wire geometry itself. In contrast, TS Conductor maintains low sag characteristics while effectively managing galloping risk.

Conductor galloping presents unique challenges for utilities, with solutions that often prove regionally specific. Understanding the fundamental mechanics of galloping enables better evaluation of potential control methods and informs conductor selection decisions.

Key Factors in Galloping Control

The initial formation of ice on conductors represents the critical phase for galloping potential. Conductor slack during this period largely determines galloping susceptibility – lines with greater slack show higher propensity for galloping compared to those with reduced slack. This relationship stems from the basic mechanics of conductor motion, where available slack directly influences the system’s ability to enter and maintain galloping oscillations.

Ice accumulation patterns play a crucial role in the development of galloping conditions. When wind encounters an iced conductor, it creates asymmetric loading due to airfoil formation on the leeward side. The strength of this ice attachment to the conductor surface significantly impacts galloping behavior. Strong adhesion between the ice layer and conductor surface enables more effective airfoil development, increasing galloping susceptibility.

AECC Design Advantages

TS Conductor’s AECC technology addresses galloping through multiple engineered features:

  1. Torsional Stiffness: The encapsulated composite core provides enhanced rotational rigidity compared to traditional designs. This increased torsional stiffness restricts conductor rotation, making it more difficult for ice to form uniform layers needed for effective airfoil development.
  2. Bending Stiffness: AECC’s higher bending stiffness serves two functions:
    • Requires greater energy input to initiate galloping motion
    • Increases energy dissipation during oscillation, helping dampen galloping once initiated
  3. Trapezoidal Wire Configuration: TS Conductor’s trapezoidal wire design creates minimal inter-strand gaps, reducing ice adhesion points and making it more difficult for ice to establish strong mechanical bonds with the conductor surface.
  4. Initial Sag: The AECC technology exhibits low initial sag (when ice first starts to accumulate) compared to other conductor designs, and less slack during critical ice formation directly limits the system’s ability to enter and sustain galloping.

Common Misconceptions

Industry perceptions sometimes associate trapezoidal wire with increased galloping risk, based on experience with ACSS conductors. However, this correlation stems from ACSS’s inherent high thermal sag rather than the wire geometry itself. TS Conductor maintains low sag characteristics while utilizing trapezoidal wire design, effectively managing galloping risk through reduced system slack.

The combination of reduced thermal sag, enhanced mechanical stiffness, and optimized surface geometry makes TS Conductor inherently resistant to galloping conditions. This engineered approach addresses the fundamental mechanics of galloping initiation and maintenance, providing utilities with improved reliability during icing conditions.

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Thermal Sag thumbnail
Technical Characteristics

Thermal Sag Behavior: Knee Points and Material Properties

Bi-component conductors, made with two different materials, exhibit a thermal "knee point" - a temperature at which the aluminum strands reach zero tension due to thermal expansion as the conductor heats up. Traditional ACSR exhibits a knee point around 125°C but can't operate there due to aluminum strand damage, while ACSS shows a lower knee point but experiences high sag above it due to steel's thermal expansion. TS AECC exhibits virtually no thermal sag above its knee point due to its carbon fiber core's extremely low thermal expansion coefficient.

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Performance & Operation

Standard Installation and Maintenance

TS Conductor’s AECC is the only advanced conductor that is fully compatible with traditional ACSR/ACCC installation and maintenance practices, requiring no specialized training or equipment. The aluminum encapsulation layer acts as a protective cushion during compression fitting installation, achieving 100% compaction around the core and preventing moisture ingress. The pre-tensioned design allows for standard bending radius requirements (25 times the conductor's outer diameter), while the sealed nature eliminates special storage requirements, maintaining full mechanical and electrical properties even after extended storage.

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Performance & Operation

Longevity by Design

TS Conductor ensures long-term reliability through multiple design features addressing potential degradation mechanisms. The aluminum encapsulation prevents galvanic corrosion by eliminating moisture and oxygen contact with the core, while also protecting against matrix degradation from environmental factors. The design's system-level performance benefits from annealed aluminum strands that redistribute stress through controlled creep, and trapezoidal strand configuration enabling optimal energy dissipation without fatigue, while compression fittings create a solid metal surround achieving 100% compaction around the composite core.

Award-Winning Design thumbnail
Fundamental Technology

Award-Winning Design: Aluminum Encapsulated Carbon Core (AECC)

TS Conductor's award-winning AECC technology represents the next generation of advanced conductors. The design optimizes three critical components: a pre-tensioned carbon core (without glass fibers) that delivers maximum strength and stiffness with near zero thermal expansion, a seamless aluminum encapsulation layer that preserves core pre-tensioning and provides multiple protective functions, and trapezoidal strands made from annealed aluminum that maximize conductivity. This integration achieves superior performance across all key metrics while maintaining the built-in safety and reliability of traditional options, earning recognition from organizations like the U.S. Department of Energy, Public Utilities Fortnightly, S&P Global Platts, and Bloomberg NEF.