Managing Corona and EMF Video Thumbnail
Performance & Operation

Managing Corona and EMF

TS Conductor offers two approaches to corona management: a trapezoidal wire design optimized for maximum capacity while maintaining acceptable corona characteristics, and a round-strand configuration specifically designed to minimize corona effects through larger conductor diameters. The conductor's minimal thermal sag naturally maintains greater clearance between conductors and ground level compared to traditional conductors, which helps reduce both EMF exposure and corona effects at ground level, particularly at right-of-way edges where public exposure is a concern.

Corona discharge and electromagnetic fields (EMF) are key considerations when transmission lines pass near residential areas. Both effects can be managed through proper conductor design and configuration.

Understanding Corona

Corona occurs when a conductor’s electric field ionizes surrounding air, becoming significant above 230kV. While corona produces both power losses and audible noise, the noise impact typically draws more community concern. Corona effects increase with voltage and decrease with conductor diameter, varying significantly with weather conditions.

The TS Solution

TS Conductor offers two approaches to corona management:

  1. Trapezoidal wire design – optimized for maximum capacity while maintaining acceptable corona characteristics
  2. Round-strand configuration – specifically designed to minimize corona effects through larger conductor diameters

Our key advantage lies in height maintenance. TS Conductor’s minimal thermal sag naturally maintains greater clearance between conductors and ground level compared to traditional conductors. This increased height reduces both EMF exposure and corona effects at ground level, particularly at right-of-way edges where public exposure is a concern.

Traditional conductors experience significant sag during high-load conditions – exactly when corona and EMF effects peak. TS Conductor’s stable sag characteristics help maintain consistent clearance margins across all operating conditions.

Practical Benefits

For utilities, these design characteristics provide:

  • Flexible corona management through conductor configuration options
  • Reduced community impact through consistent clearance maintenance
  • More reliable performance across varying conditions
  • Greater design margin for extreme weather

By maintaining greater average clearance heights while offering corona management options, TS Conductor helps utilities address community concerns while ensuring reliable service. This engineering-driven approach delivers measurable advantages without compromising performance.

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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.

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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.