LOCATION A: Gubbalala

Tower 1A
Lattice structured B Type Horizontal Tension tower. Line to line voltage Line to ground voltage Insulator material No of insulators used Tr. line conductor : 220 KV : 127 KV : Porcelain : 14 : ACSR Coyette As additional joints of conductors using T clamp and Parallel groove clamp was seen. Arching horns were provided for electrical stress distribution and to control corona.

Tower 2A
Lattice structured Truncated Horizontal Tension tower. Line to line voltage : 66 KV (78

KV lines but now used for 66 KV transmission) Insulator material No of insulators used Tr. line conductor : Porcelain :5 : ACSR Coyette Surge arrester was mounted on the top. Armour grounding cables were seen. Rain shades were used for protection purpose.

Tower 3A
Lattice structured B Type Horizontal Tension tower. Line to line voltage Line to ground voltage Insulator material No of insulators used Tr. line conductor : 66 KV : 38 KV : Porcelain :5 : ACSR Coyette

Tower 5A
Spun pole made of RCC Line to line voltage Line to ground voltage Insulator material : 11 KV : 6.35 KV : Porcelain (Disk type) No of insulators used Tr. line conductor :1 : ACSR Coyette It had lightning arrestors of capacity 9 KV. There was group operating switch (single break) and DO fuses. The

Tower 4A
D type tension tower Line to line voltage : 220 KV

It is a double feeder tower. The vibration damper was seen in detail. A modified double feeder tower of 66 KV was also seen.

transmission lines from the tower were connected to an 11KV/230 V transformer at a residence.

LOCATION B: Sommanahalli

Tower 1B
Lattice structured A Type Vertical Suspension tower. Line to line voltage Insulator material No of insulators used Power carrying capacity : 220KV : Porcelain : 14 X 2 : 400 MW

Tower 2B
Vertical, self-sustained, lattice structured B type tension tower

Line to line voltage Insulator material No of insulators used Type of conductor Power carrying capacity

: 400 KV : Porcelain : 23 X 2 : Bundled : 1600MW

Tower was numbered as Power grid 115 NLM - BGL For corona discharge corona rings were used. In the bundled conductors spacers of approx 10 inches were used to separate each conductor.

LOCATION C: Kaggalipura

LOCATION D: Kothanur

Tower 1C
Transposition Tower Horizontal selfsustained, lattice structured

Tower 1D
Truncated Horizontal lattice structured B type tension tower

Line to line voltage Insulator material No of insulators used Type of conductor Earth wire

: 400 KV : Glass : 23 X 2 : Bundled : Crimped and bolted -4 sides

Line to line voltage Insulator material No of insulators used

: 66 KV : Porcelain :5

It is a double circuit tower. The tower is truncated because of 220 KV line crossing.

Tower is numbered as NTPC 0788 GTY BNG The transmission lines in this tower were transposed. The YRB phases were transposed as RYB. For corona discharge corona rings were used. The spiking rods were provided at the top for protection.

Tower 2D
Special design tower Vertical, selfsustained, lattice structured Line to line voltage Insulator material No of insulators used : 66 KV : Porcelain :5

Tower 3D
Special design dead end tower (Anchor tower) vertical self sustained lattice Line to line voltage Insulator material No of insulators used : 66 KV : Porcelain :5

Because of insufficient space the tower is designed for 4 X 4 ft with the member dimension of 150 X 150 X 12 mm. It is having 3 phases of double circuit on the same side.

The height of the tower is 35 ft (approx). The foundation is also a special design for this tower. There are 18 cables in which 9 cables for 3 feeders and 9 cables for armour earthing. Cable termination unit was also seen. The tower was provided with 6 surge arrester on metallic platform for protection.

Additional inferences: Pole 1:

Type pole with guy wire (11 KV) Insulator material (strain type) The guy wire had a break insulator. : Porcelain : LV RCC

Pole 2:
Type pole) Insulator material (Pin type) Transmission line conductor : ACSR weasel There were 5 transmission lines (3 phase + 1 neutral + 1 street light connection) separated by fiber glass separator. : Porcelain : 11 KV (RCC

Inferences from observations:

Tower structure: Almost all the towers are self-sustained with lattice structure configuration. Selfsustained towers are self-supporting in all sorts of mechanical and environmental impacts on them. Earth conductors: Earth conductors are generally galvanized iron wires are run on the top of the tower to protect the line from lightning surges. Modern earth wires are made of optical fibers, OPGW. Tower Earthing: All the towers are generally earthed at their limbs. It can be a Pipe Earthing crimped and bolted. Insulators: Insulator disks are generally made of Porcelain and Glass. Glass being more expensive and more reliable is used for higher voltages. Each insulator disk is designed to withstand a voltage of 11kV. The number of insulator disks in a string depends on the voltage level of the transmission line. Eg: The number of insulator disks required for a 220kV can be calculated as under, Phase to phase voltage: 220kV Phase to ground voltage: 200kV/3 = 127 kV Number of insulator disks required = 127/11 = 11.254 = ~12

Generally more than the required numbers of disks are used in the string for reliable protection if one of the disks is punctured. Therefore for a 220kV line 14-16 disks are used in a string.

Arcing Horns:
Arcing Horns offer protection against corona discharge, they distribute electrical stresses in the insulator string.

Corona Rings:
Corona Rings distribute electrical stresses on the conductors terminating at the tower insulator string. They are generally made of High grade aluminum.

Jumpers:
Jumpers are used to connect the conductors that are terminating and leaving at the tension tower. They are 15 ft long generally. They run through T clamp and PG clamp.

T- Clamps and Parallel Groove clamps:

T- Clamps and PG clamps serve to take jumpers from the terminating conductor to the leaving conductor at each tension tower. These are made of High quality stateless steel.

Vibration Dampers:
Made up of Carbon Steel, damp the mechanical vibrations of the conductor due to wind, avoid structural damage to the transmission lines.

Surge-Arresters:
The purpose is to divert lightning induced transients safely to ground through property changes to its varistor in parallel arrangement to the conductor inside the unit

Spacers:
The spacers are used to separate conductors in bundled conductors

Indication plates: Colored plates give information about the phase sequence. Sometimes other
indication plates are used to indicate voltage levels.