AL 59 ALLOY CONDUCTOR SEMINAR REPORT-10

ABSTRACT

A new Aluminum alloy conductor having higher conductivity has been developed. By using
these special alloy conductors, electric utility can achieve significant saving in both
transmission and distribution lines. AL-59 alloy conductors are manufactured from Al-Mg-Si
(aluminum-magnesium-silica) rods. The conductor comprises of an inner core and
concentrically arranged strands forming the inner and outer layers of the conductor. ACSR
conductors are limited by a maximum current carrying capacity of 838 amperes. The material
of construction of AL-59 alloy conductors overcome this limitation enabling AL-59 alloy
conductors to transfer up to 1307 amperes of current and evacuate up to 1405 mw of power
(56 per cent higher than ACSR Conductors). Additionally, AL-59 alloy conductors have 9
per cent better 'strength to weight ratio' and 8 per cent lower sag compared with ACSR
conductors which enables effective optimization of tower designs and future proofing of the
grid. In view of development of new power transmission and distribution grids by global
power incumbents, AL-59 alloy conductors would have a special significance while
designing transmission line networks, as the properties of these conductors enable superior
power evacuation while optimizing the cost of the entire grid.

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INTRODUCTION
The categories of conventional type of Aluminium and Aluminium alloy overhead
conductors available globally are:
Homogeneous Conductors
∗ AAC – All Aluminium Conductors
∗ AAAC – All Aluminium Alloy Conductors
∗ Non – Homogeneous Conductors
∗ ACSR – Aluminium Conductor Steel Reinforced
∗ AACSR-Aluminium Alloy Conductor Steel Reinforced
∗ ACAR – Aluminium Conductor Alloy Reinforced

For several years, distribution and transmission lines have been designed using aluminium
conductors steel reinforced (ACSR) or in some countries all aluminium alloy conductors
(AAAC). Both types normally have a conductivity calculated on the total area of 53-54%
copper (IACS). Since the mid-1970s the cost of producing electric energy has grown rapidly,
leading to an increase in the cost of losses. An attempt to find new conductor material
producing fewer losses in the network was started in Sweden at the beginning of the 1970s
and led in 1979 to the release of a new conductor standard called Al-59, where “59” stands
for its conductivity (IACS). Aluminium Conductors (i) All Aluminium Conducts (AAC) (ii)
All Alloy Aluminium Conductors (AAAC), and (iii) Aluminium Conductors Steel
Reinforced (ACSR) are used in Transmission and Distribution system to carry the generated
electrical energy from generating station to end user. The Electrical energy is normally
generated at the power stations far away from the urban areas where the consumers are
located. There is a large network of conductors between the generating stations and the
consumer. The network is called the Transmission and Distribution system. The
Transmission system is to deliver bulk power from power stations to the load centres and
large industrial consumers beyond the economical service range of the regular primary
distribution lines where as distribution system is to deliver power from power sector or
substations to the various consumers. This transmission and distribution system can employ
either overhead system or underground system. Transmission of power, overhead system
mainly due to low cost and some other advantages ACSR generally used or transmission line
and AAC and AAAC conductors for distribution of power carry out mostly the high voltage

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transmission. For transmission and distribution of electric power the conductor material used
must have the following characteristics:

i) High conducting i.e. low specific resistance

ii) High tensile strength in order to withstand mechanical stress
iii) Low specific gravity in order to give low weight per unit volume
iv) Low cost in order to be used over long distance
v) Should not be brittle

Copper, Aluminium, Steel and Steel cored aluminium, galvanised steel conductors are
generally employed for this purpose and preferably stranded in order to increase the
flexibility (Solid wires, except of smaller sizes, are difficult to handle and when employed for
long spans tend to crystallize at the points of support because of the swinging in winds.
Stranded conductors usually have a central wire around which there are successive layers of
6, 12, 18, 24 wires. For 19 layers, the total number of individual wire is 3n (n+1). If the
diameter of each strand is torn diameter of the stranded conductors will be (2n+1) d. In the
process of manufacture adjacent layers are spiraled in opposite direction, so that the layers
are bound together. This method of construction is called as Concentric Lay, out of above
mentioned conducting materials, Aluminium is widely used due to its cheapness and many
others comparative advantages over other conducting materials. However, owing to the fact
that the line or co-efficient of expansion of aluminium is 104 times that of copper, the sag is
greater in aluminium wire, therefore, steel cored Aluminium (ACSR) wire is used to
compensate this property of Aluminium. The steel conductors used are galvanised in order to
prevent rusting and electrolytic corrosion. The AAC/AAAC/ACSR conductors for high
voltage transmission have first replaced the bore copper conductors where copper is scarce
and costly on the other hand EC grade Aluminium is easily available in India and as far as the
electric properties are concerned, aluminium is equally good being lighter in weight and for
same sage span length of the transmission could be increased in comparison to copper.
Keeping in view the simple technology involved AAC/ACSR/AAAC conductors up to 19
strand have been reserved for exclusive production in small scale sector. However,
Aluminium conductors up to 61 strand can be manufactured. Different types of aluminium
conductors manufactured are:

i) All Aluminium stranded conductors (AAC)

ii) Aluminium conductors, aluminized steel reinforced
iii) Aluminium conductors galvanised steel reinforced (ACSR)
iv) All Aluminum Alloy stranded Conductors (AAAC)
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v) Aluminium conductors galvanised steel reinforced for extra high voltage (400 kV or
above) (ACSR)

HISTORY
In 1920’s, within about 20 years of introducing ACSR, France introduced for the first time a
new type of electric al conductor made of an alloy of aluminium with magnesium and silicon
alloy. Other European countries also developed similar material as their conductor material
US also followed the same in 1960’s The electrical conductor made of such alloy had higher
strength than EC grade aluminium of equal size with slight loss in conductivity. Due to the
increased strength the conductors did not require steel reinforced. AAAC thus made its
advent as the most suitable current carrier in transmission and distribution. IEC
recommendation number 208 provides an internationally acceptable standard for AAAC
(Aluminium Alloy Conductors). At the beginning of 70’s AB Electrokopper in Helinsburg
developed an alloy with the trade name DUCTALEX. It has a better conductivity than the
alloys developed by the France but a slightly lower mechanical strength.

This new conductor alloy was laboratory tested at the Swedish State Power Board with
respect to creep, corrosion resistance, self damping and fatigue strength, all tests showed the
same or better properties than the ordinary alloy. Tests were made on actual distribution lines
starting in 1975. As only satisfactory results were obtained the new alloy was installed in 400
KV line. The measurement of sag after five years showed a high degree of agreement with
what was predicted. Concurrent with all trials the Swedish Standardization Committee
worked out and issued the standards SS4240813 for AL-59 wires and SS4240814 for AL-59
conductors.

BASIS AND PRESUMPTIONS

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 The basis for calculation of production capacity has been taken on two shifts per day
basis on 75% efficiency.
 The maximum capacity utilization on two shifts basis per day for 300 days a year.
During first year and second year of operations the capacity utilization is 60% and
80% respectively.
 The unit is expected to achieve full capacity utilization from the third year onwards.
 The salaries and wages, cost of raw materials, utilities, rents, etc. are based on the
prevailing rates. The cost factors may vary with time and location.
 Interest on term loan and working capital loan has been taken at the rate of 12% on an
average. This rate may vary depending upon the policy of the financial
institutions/agencies from time to time.
 The cost of machinery and equipments refer to a particular make / model and prices
are approximate.
 The break-even point percentage indicated is of full capacity utilization.
 The project preparation cost etc. whenever required could be considered under pre-
operative expenses.
 The essential production machinery and test equipment required for the project have
been indicated. The unit may also utilize common test facilities available at
Electronics Test and Development Centers (ETDCs) and Electronic Regional Test
Laboratories (ERTLs) and Regional Testing Centers (RTCs)

MANUFACURING PROCESSES
The process of manufacturing of Aluminium Alloy Conductors (AAC), Aluminium
Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSR) and All Aluminium Alloy Conductor (AAAC),
Aluminium 59 etc. involves the following process:

 Drawing of aluminium alloy rod of 9.5mm dia into the required size through a set of
gradually reducing sizes of dies in wire drawing machine and wounded up on a spool.
 The required number of spools fitted in the tubular stranding machine and stranded in
a wooden drum.
 For ACSR and AAAC the alloy rod is drawn into 7.15 mm dia and put in furnace for
heat treatment at a constant temperature at 530oC for 40 minutes.

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 After heat treatment the heat treated alloy wire dipped into the cold water in a
quenching tank for 30 to 40 minutes within 6 to 10 seconds of heat treatment.
 The quenched alloy wire then dried for 8 to 12 hours.
 7.15 mm alloy wire then finally drawn into different sizes in wire drawing machine.
 The drawn wire then subjected to ageing at 160oC temperature for 4 hours in furnace
on condition and kept inside furnace for on condition and kept inside furnace for
another 2 to 4 hours in furnace off condition.
 After standing the alloy conductors in a 7 stand high speed tubular machines in 61
strand (7+54) multi layer stranding machine.
 Stranded wire inspected and tested for resistance, elongation and breaking load before
finally dispatching to customer.

QUALITY CONTROL AND STANDARDS

 Purity of aluminium for the items to be used in electrical and electronic industries
shall be 99.9%. The quality of the Aluminium conductors produced can be controlled
by sticky following the related IS specifications right from beginning of raw material:
 Ensuring the correct quality of raw material as per IS 5484:1978 EC grade aluminium
rods produced by continuous casting and rolling. The aluminium content shall not be
less than 99.5% and copper conductors shall not be more than 0.04 per cent.
 While manufacturing AAC, AAAC and ACSR Conductors strictly adhering to IS
Specification.
 IS 398 (Part 1): 1996 for AAC
 IS 398 (Part 2): 1996 for ACSR (Galvanised Steel Reinforce)
 IS 398 (Part 3) For Aluminium Conductors, Aluminized Steel, Reinforced)
 IS 398 (Part 4): 1994 AAAC (Aluminium, Magnesium silica
 IS 398 (Part 5) AC Galvanized high voltage (400 kV and above)
 IS 7623: 1993 Lithium base grease for industrial purpose
 IS 1778: 1980 Use of Reels and drums for wounding conductors.
 The test to be carried out as per above mentioned IS Specification are enumerated in
process flow chart of aluminium conductor manufacturing. Obtaining ISO
certification can further boost the credibility of the unit.

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Fig. 2 Power Conductor Manufacturing Process:

Fig. 1 Power Conductor Manufacturing Process: Rod Rolling mill
manufacture

Fig.4 Power Conductor Manufacturing Process: Wire

Stranding

Fig.3 Power Conductor Manufacturing Process: Wire

Drawing

AL 59 ALLOY CONDUCTOR
AL-59 alloy conductors are manufactured from Al-Mg-Si (aluminum-magnesium-silica)
rods. The conductor comprises of an inner core and concentrically arranged strands forming
the inner and outer layers of the conductor. ACSR conductors are limited by a maximum
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current carrying capacity of 838 amperes. The material of construction of AL-59 alloy
conductors overcome this limitation enabling AL-59 alloy conductors to transfer up to 1307
amperes of current and evacuate up to 1405 mw of power (56 per cent higher than ACSR
Conductors). Additionally, AL-59 alloy conductors have 9 per cent better 'strength to weight
ratio' and 8 per cent lower sag compared with ACSR conductors which enables effective
optimization of tower designs and future proofing of the grid. In view of development of new
power transmission and distribution grids by global power incumbents, AL-59 alloy
conductors would have a special significance while designing transmission line networks, as
the properties of these conductors enable superior power evacuation while optimizing the cost
of the entire grid.

Chemical composition:
Mark Chemical composition [ % ]
Fe Si Cu Mn Mg Cr Zn B Ti+V Al
AI59
0,40 0,1 0,35 0,01 0,2 0,01 0,05 0,05 0,02 99,2

Permissible diameter deviation : +/- 5% for all diameters,

Rod ovalness : +/- 3% for all diameters
Mechanical and electrical features:
Tensile strength Rm ≥170 MPa
Elongation A100: ≥9%
Resistivity ≤28,6 nm
Conductivity w % IACS ~59,4
Mechanical and electrical properties measurements made not less then 3 days after
quenching.
Measurements of rod electrical properties should be made at 20o C.

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APPLICATION OF AL-59 ALLOY CONDUCTORS

Al-59 Alloy Conductors are used in power transmission and distribution lines for a wide
voltage range - low voltage to Ultra high Voltage.

COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS

AL-59 alloy conductor complies with the standard SS4240814 and AL-59 alloy wires
complies with standard SS4240813 that specifies the limits for conductivity, strength and
creep irrespective of the chemical composition which is not discussed in this standard. Other
properties are similar to conventional AAAC conductors.

REFERENCE OF USE OF AL-59 ALLOY CONDUCTORS

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Al-59 Alloy Conductors have been used extensively by Swedish Electricity, Swedish
Railways and Norway Electricity.

MATERIAL PROPERTIES
Size of the Conductor AL-59 conductors range from AL-59 31 sq-mm (7/2.38 mm) to AL-
59 910 sq-mm (61/4.36 mm).
Strength of the wire
♥ For diameter less than 3.5 mm: 250 MPA
♥ For diameter less than 4 mm: 240 MPA
♥ For diameter less than 4.5 mm: 230 MPA
Resistivity of the wire
♥ Individual resistivity: 29.30 nJm
♥ Average resistivity: 29.08 nJm
Fig. 4 AL 59 Conductors
Creep of the conductor
Maximum conductor Creep at 23oC at 40 % of rated tensile
strength and 1500 hours are as
Follows
♥ 7 strands: 350 mm/Km
♥ 19 and 37 strands: 400 mm/Km
♥ 61 strands: 450 mm/Km

COMPARISION WITH CONVENTIONAL ACSR AND AAAC

The comparison is based on the current carrying capacity, strength of the conductor and sag.

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The comparison for transmission as well as for the distribution is as detailed below:

Table 1 - Comparison of various Transmission conductors

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Comparison of 7 strand Distribution conductors

Table 1 - Comparison of 7 strand Distribution conductors

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Comparison of AAAC Weasel, ACSR Weasel and AL-59 conductors.

All Aluminium Alloy Conductors (AAAC)

This conductor is made from aluminium-magnesium-silicon

alloy of high electrical conductivity containing enough
magnesium silicide to give it better mechanical properties after
treatment. These conductors are generally made out of
aluminium alloy 6201. AAAC CONDUCTOR has a better
corrosion resistance and better strength to weight ratio and
improved electrical conductivity than ACSR CONDUCTOR on
equal diameter basis.

AAC conductor is made from aluminum-magnesium-silicon alloy of high electrical

Graph. 1 Comparison of AAAC Weasel, ACSR Weasel and AL-59 conductors
conductivity containing magnesium (0.6-0.9%) & silicon (0.5-0.9%) to give it better
mechanical properties after treatment. AAC conductors are generally made out of
aluminum alloy 6201 (minimum conductivity is 54%). AAC conductor has a better
corrosion resistance and better strength to weight ratio and improved electrical
conductivity than ACSR conductor on equal diameter basis.
Key Benefits:

 High tensile strength as compared to AAC conductor.

 Higher conductivity as compared to ACSR conductor.

 Better corrosion resistance than ACSR conductor.

Physical contents of alluminium alloy :

 Density - 2.70 kgm/dm3 at 20°C

 Coefficient of Linear Expansion - 23 x 10-6 / °C

 Resistivity - 0.0326 Ohms mm2/m at 20°C

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 Constant Mass Temperature Coefficient (a) - 0.00360/ °C

 Material - Heat treated Al. Mg. Si. Alloy

Comparison of AAAC 61/4.26, ACSR Bersimis and AL-59 910 sq.mm conductors

Graph. 2 Comparison of AAAC 61/4.26, ACSR Bersimis

ACSR conductors consist of a solid or stranded steel core
and AL-59 910 sq.mm conductors
surrounded by strands of aluminum (E.C. GRADE). ACSR
conductors are available in a wide range of steel, containing
carbon from 0.5% to 0.85 %. The higher strength ACSR
conductors are used for river crossings, overhead ground wires,
installations involving extra long spans etc. Against any given
resistance of conductor, ACSR may be manufactured for having
a wide range of tensile strength as per the requirement.
The principal advantage of these conductors are high tensile strength so that they are used
for longer spans with less supports. Due to the greater diameter of ACSR conductors a
much higher corona limit can be obtained causing big advantages on high as well as extra
high voltage overhead lines.

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Comparison of AAAC Moose, ACSR Moose and AL-59 conductors

Aluminum Conductor Steel

Reinforced (or ACSR) cable is
a specific type of high-
capacity, high-strength
stranded cable used in overhead
power lines. The outer strands
are aluminum, chosen for its
excellent conductivity, low
weight, and low cost. The
Graph.3 Comparison of AAAC Moose, ACSR Moose and AL-59 conductors center strand is of steel for the
strength required to support the weight without stretching the aluminum due to its ductility.
ACSR cables are available in several specific sizes, with multiple center steel wires and
correspondingly larger quantities of aluminum conductors. For example, an ACSR cable with
72 aluminum conductors that requires a core of 7 steel conductors will be called 72/7 ACSR
cable.[1] It has a very high tensile strength and it is used to reduce skin effect which is
predominant in AC supply applications

Even though strength of the AL-59 conductor is less compared to conventional AAAC, AL- 9
is strung at the same tension as like conventional AAAC. The Important factor for choosing
tension from the vibrating point of view is tension divided by the conductor mass. This value
is independent of Ultimate tensile strength

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ADVANTAGES OVER ACSR AND AAAC

 Higher current carrying capacity with lesser cross sectional area.

 Higher power transfer capacity with lesser cross sectional area.
 Commercial benefits due to lower power loss and higher power transfer capacity
 Longer life
 Lower power losses
 Thermal stability
 Higher ampacity

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CONCLUSION

Power for all by the year 2012 is the vision of the Ministry of Power, Government of India.

The Government of India’s Transmission Perspective Plan focuses on the creation of a

‘National Grid’ in a phased manner by adding over 60,000 km of Transmission Network by

2012. Such an integrated grid is envisaged to evacuate additional 1, 00,000 MW by the year

2012 and carry 60% of the power generated in the country. The existing inter-regional power

transfer capacity is 9,000 MW, which is to be further enhanced to 30,000 MW by 2012

through creation of “Transmission Super Highways”. On a global level, ABS Research, UK

reports that the global market for power transmission conductors was valued at about

US$12.3 Billion in 2006 and has a CAGR of 7% from 2004 through 2006. ABS Research

also anticipates a stable demand growth in the global market from 2007 through 2010 at a

CAGR of about 7%. In view of development of new power transmission and distribution

grids by global power incumbents, Al-59 Alloy Conductors would have a special significance

while designing transmission line networks, as the properties of these conductors enable

superior power evacuation while optimizing the cost of the entire grid.

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REFERANCES

 Wikipedia- online encyclopaedia.

 Sterlite ®. Sterlite is a registered trademark of Sterlite Technologies Limited

-www.sterlitetechnologies.com

 New range of special alloy conductors – Advantages over ACSR & AAAC

conductors

 Author G L Prasad

 www.midalcable.com

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