Temperature Profiles of All-Aluminum-Alloy Conductors near Wedge Tension Clamps

Abstract

Conductor temperatures at the wedge tension clamp are significantly lower than in the free-span. In this paper, the reasons for the lower temperatures due to the clamp are investigated. The increased convective and emissive cooling power as well as the decreased power losses at the clamp are causing the lower conductor temperatures. A numerical model is developed and described, which enables to accurately predict axial and radial temperature profiles of the conductor inside and close to the clamp. Experimental measurements of electric resistance, magnetic flux and temperature are used to verify the presented model. This developed numerical tool uses adapted material characteristics that allow to model the conductor as a simplified bulk cylinder. The tool can be adapted to other clamps and applications to analyze and optimize them.