ACCC (Aluminum Conductor Composite Core) cable

A new kind of electric power transmission cable is starting to be used by electric utilities.

ACCC (Aluminum Conductor Composite Core) cable, as developed by Composite Technology Corporation (CTC) (OTC Bulletin Board: CPTC), can double the current carrying capacity over existing transmission and distribution cable and can dramatically increase system reliability by virtually eliminating high-temperature sag.

Growing energy demand and an aging electricity infrastructure underscore the urgent need for new and upgraded transmission lines. Sagging and over-utilized power lines are increasingly becoming bottlenecks for electrical distribution systems. Despite catastrophic system failures and seasonal symptoms such as rolling brownouts, efforts to expand or improve transmission systems invariably stall due to the limited options available to utilities and government. With the power grid load up 35% in the last decade and only an 18% growth in grid capacity (source: EPRI), utility industry problems are going to continue to multiply.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Transmission Grid Study stated:

“New transmission conductors with composite cores, as apposed to steel cores, are both lighter and have greater current carrying capacity, allowing more power to flow in existing rights-of way.”

ACCC is superior to conventional conductors of the same diameter in many ways, including:

• Replaces existing steel core conductors and increases energy capacity up to 2 times
• Virtually eliminates sag caused by high load, high-temperature conditions
• Requires fewer structures along new Rights of Way, reducing construction costs and time
• Reduces line losses compared with same diameter conventional cables at same operating temperatures
• Eliminates bi-metallic corrosion issues

CTC has designed, engineered, and tested a new generation power cable that is comprised of a light-weight composite core wrapped with high-performance trapezoidal shaped aluminum wires. The new core allows for up to 28% more conductive aluminum to be wrapped within the  same outside diameter as that of a conventional steel core cable. The end product is of similar weight to conventional ACSR   cable, which enables the utilization of existing structures, without modifications.

CTC through its subsidiary, CTC Cable Corporation (CTC Cable) received two new orders in September from General Cable Corporation (General Cable) for ACCC cable for American Electric Power (AEP), the nation’s largest electricity generator, installations. CTC Cable has received its third order from General Cable to provide for the delivery of ACCC conductor to AEP. This third reconductoring project, with a value of nearly $1.5 million, will use 38 linear miles of ACCC conductor to upgrade an existing 161 KV line that runs from Chamber Springs to Tontitown, Arkansas. The second reconductoring project will use 60 linear miles of ACCC cable for a line from Bluff Creek to South Abilene in Texas. It is the second ACCC installation in Texas for AEP, which has a value in excess of $2 million and includes cable, hardware, and extended warranty. Previously AEP had purchased 49 miles of ACCC cable from General Cable.

Chinese electric utilities have adapted this technology at a more rapid pace. A recent order was received from Jiangsu New Far East Cable Co. Ltd. (“JNFEC”) for ACCC conductor, valued in excess of $1.5 million. The order, for 100 kilometers of 713 kcmil Dove ACCC conductor, is the most recent in a series of repeated orders from JNFEC. CTC is pressing for local manufacturers to strand its ACCC conductors in China.

“We believe that our ACCC conductor will play a major role in solving China’s problem of congested grid systems that cannot keep up with the increased demand for electricity. Together with our strategic relationships in China, we plan to increase our market presence by demonstrating the economic value of our solution to expanding electricity capacity on any grid line,” stated Benton Wilcoxon, CEO of Composite Technology Corporation.

Composite Technology Corporation, based in Irvine, California, develops, manufactures and sells novel products that introduce the advantages of high performance composite materials to create superior applications for the generation, transmission and distribution of electrical power. The company’s novel and proprietary Aluminum Composite Core Conductor (ACCC) is a cost effective solution for the introduction of reserve electrical transmission capacity into a saturated electrical grid, while reducing operating costs and in many cases capital costs.

CTC Cable Corporation produces composite rod for use in its proprietary ACCC aluminum conductor composite core. ACCC composite rod is delivered to qualified conductor manufacturers worldwide for local ACCC conductor production and resale into local markets.

ACCC conductors are currently available from General Cable in the US and Canada, and through CTC Cable Corporation worldwide.

Although not nearly as elegant as superconducting cable, this competitive, state of the art cable is available now to reduce the bottlenecks in our electrical grid.

Comments

[Greg Woulf]

I wonder what other technology is available. I know there are the super conductors, but they have some problems as well.

It seems an elegant solution to some problems with the infrastructure.

I'd rather see buried wires wherever possible, but I'm not sure I understand a thing about infrastructure style wiring.

[Alex Brown]

You can't bury high voltage cables easily since there will be a very high capacitance to ground which will impede the flow of current over the wire.

[Nick]

Plus, buried cable is susceptible to flooding, and is very expensive to lay. I've read stories about utilities that hate it, and believe that it is no more reliable than aboveground cable.

[amazingdrx]

Above ground cable is increasingly unreliable with more severe storm events like flooding, snowstorms, drought related fires, hurricanes, and tornadoes. All climate change related problems due to ever increasingly wide swings of weather conditions.

Distributed generation and storage cures that problem making each individual home. locality, and region capable of powering itself for a time, disconnected from the grid.

That saving in longer repair timeouts possible and a deferred grid update to underground lines less suseptible to storms would actually pay in savings to local utility companies, most of the cost of the distributed generation and storage.

Grid upgrades are a huge expense. The upgrades needed to integrate large scale wind and wave power systems would be offset by much lower rates for the electricity and zero pollution and no fuel costs.

[G Eddy]

Have i missed something, or have we NOT been told what the conducting core is actually made of? What is its composition?

I'm mystified.

[pbean]

The core is a non-conducting tube of phenolic resin. It replaces the steel core in a conventional conductor, allowing them to use more (and higher-purity) aluminum while maintaining the high-temperature strength of the cable. Check out their website. This may not be revolutionary but it's a superb example of evolutionary progress: many small changes add up to significant improvement.

[Roy]

Nick is right. Buried cable is about 4 times as expensive as arieal cable. And its the distribution cables that are occasionally knocked out by storms. Most transmission lines can easily withstand severe weather.

[Donald Kelley]

Composite Technology also owns EU Energy that produces Dewind turbines for wind farms. Dewind is the best turbine in the industry and EU Energy has 2.9 Billion dollars in booked sales for these turbines with no end in sight. This company will be a 10 bagger in the very near future.

[Dowell international]

Dear Sir

supply of 1400 MT all aluminium conductors

We are one of the leading companies in Sri Lanka supplying to the government and other organizations.

Dowell international (Pvt) Ltd is main supplier for the Sri Lanka defense and also Sri Lanka electricity board. The GOSL to develop electricity network in Sri Lanka, the president Mahinda Rajapaksa has allocated with the 20 billion USD to expand the electricity network in Sri Lanka.

So we got the tender to supply of 1400 MT all aluminium conductors to the CEB. So I hope we can lend a hand with you’re good company to supply this. We are waiting for soon rejoin

Best regards,

Danesh Gunawardana
(Manager Projects)

[Achmad Zaki Maulidian]

Now I need the catalouges of conductor ACCC. Please send the catalouge to my email. thank you.

[Bob Wallace]

Achmad - I doubt you'll get a response from the company by posting here. It's unlikely that anyone from ACCC reads this blog.

The link in the blog text seems to be broken. You might try searching the web for their site.

Hope this helps....

[apan]

Now I need the catalouges of conductor ACCC. Please send the catalouge to my email. thank you.

[egi]

Dear Readers,

I'm totally agree if ACCC used in transmission line we will get some advantage. But it's quiet different if it's used at substation. Because we need to bending ACCC for dropper.

Could you please give some ideas for above case?

[SUNIL J. SHAH]

Gentlemen,

ACCC CONDUCTOR

We have seen your website and are attracted by your new technology in manufacturing ACCC CONDUCTOR which has various advantages over that of conventional ACSR.

However, we would like to know the distinct advantages of ACCC over that of All Aluminium Alloy Conductors (AAAC) ASTM B 339 and ACAR (Aluminium Conductors Alloy Reinforced).

We make ACSR in bulk for supply to Public Utilities . We also have a Properzi Plant for manufacture of Aluminium Wire Rods from Aluminium Ingots.

Our Factories are based in Western India.

On receipt of your reply, we shall revert to you further in the matter.

Thanking you,
SUNIL J. SHAH
BOMBAY CONDUCTORS AND ELECTRICALS LIMITED
225/27, J. DADAJI ROAD, TARDEO, MUMBAI-400 007

[K.HARIDAS]

PLEASE INFORM US YOUR EMAIL. STILL WE ARE WAITING FOR YOUR REPLY AGAINST OUR COMMENT POSTED ON 22.09.2009.

REGARDS,
K.HARIDAS
BOMBAY CONDUCTORS AND ELECTRICALS LIMITED

[Sandeep Kasupa]

Kindly send the catalouges of conductor ACCC along with technical details on my email.
Regards,
Sandeep Kasupa
Radon Energy Ltd.

[sooner6900]

you guys might try CTCs website

http://www.compositetechcorp.com/

[ACCR-Pro]

I would do a bit more homework on the ACCC conductor if I was you. You will find they have had several failures and they have had to de-rate their conductor substantially. The 3M ACCR conductor has a flawless track record. The other advantage is that 3M is a very large, professional company that is a leader in innovation. Goto their website: www.3m.com/accr

[Steve]

How do you splice it together

[Esso]

Can you kindly send me the price per meter of ACCC Oriole AND ACCC Stockholm. Thank you

[Natalia Novikova]

Dear bloggers, may be any one knows, how much is the length of high voltage transmission lines in USA?
Thanks in advance!
Natalia
please send an answer to
novikovanataly@mail.ru

[Bounpone Seng One]

Please Information mi ACCC 150sqmm How many am? And load sag How many KN?
Thank you for Iformations

[DIENG M.KOUM]

I want buy 69000meters of cable ACCC 95mm²
mergency
My name is DIENG M.KOUM
Email: betem005@yahoo.fr

[REZA]

Dear sir,
Thank you very much we are going to reconductor a high voltage over head transmission line . We have a question about the fittings , would you please tell us how we can prepare those fittings ? Actually the conductor is : ACCC-CASABLANCA .
Second if it needs special tools and equipments for stringing and installation ?
i am looking forward to hear from you . your soon reply would be highly appriciated .
Best Regards
Reza
power engineer
head of transmission line Dept

[David Adeleke]

Dear Bloggers,
We have read the many advantages of the ACCC conductors but have also been warned of many failures of the ACCC conductor leading to conductor de-rating. can anyone help provide a technical comparison between the ACCC and the ACCR? Please help!