How to Improve the Efficiency, Capacity, Reliability and Resilience
of the Electric Power Grid with ACCC® Conductor
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ACCC® News - November 2020
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Quick Update:
There are currently 59 active ACCC® Conductor installations underway and 81 additional ACCC Conductor installations scheduled to start in the next few months, in addition to more than 835 already completed. Why? Because the ACCC Conductor offers the ability to improve the efficiency, capacity, reliability and resilience of the electric power grid, worldwide, while saving time, money and the environment.
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Gupta Power & OPTCL Complete ACCC® Conductor Upgrade in Odisha, India
Under very challenging Covid-19 circumstances, Gupta Power Infrastructure Limited completed their 1st ACCC® Reconductoring project for Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (OPTCL) in a short timeframe. OPTCL selected 540 kcmil (273.7 mm^2) Casablanca size ACCC Conductor manufactured by Gupta Power for their 16.4 circuit kilometer 132/220/400 kV Mendhasal substation to Khurda 33/132 kV Substation reconductor project. The upgraded line, which replaced ~40 year old ACSR Panther size conductor allows an increase in capacity to serve an industrial zone of the Khurda district situated near Odisha’s capital city, Bhubaneswar, as well as providing power to the East Coast Railway.
Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL) is one of the largest transmission utilities in Eastern India and one of the first Utilities in India to leverage ACCC Conductors and other modern grid technologies. The project used the existing steel lattice structures – without modification – with spans of approximately 320 meters. The reconductor project included two major highway crossings. Gupta Power Infrastructure Ltd. completed project engineering and provided installation services. CTC Global Certified Master Installers Mr. R.Vasanthakumar, TEEMS India & Mr. Bapi Ghosh, Gupta Power provided training and installation support. Hardware for the project was provided by the TAG Corporation and crews used pulling equipment manufactured by ZECK (Germany), TESMEC (Italy) and OMAC (Italy). This was the 3rd ACCC Project commissioned by OPTCL.
The Indian Institute for Production Management also carried out Infrared Thermography Inspection of the connection devices and conductors after the line was energized.
CTC Global congratulates OPTCL, Gupta Power Infrastructure Ltd. and all of the other project participants for a job well done.
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Pampa Energia de Argentina Completes ACCC® Reconductoring Project
Earlier this month, Pampa Energia de Argentina completed their 132 kV ACCC Reconductoring project on the Corti Wind Farm to the Bahía Blanca substation of the Transba Región Sur company. Pampa Energia selected 788 kcmil (367.4 mm^2) Cordoba size ACCC® Conductor to replace the original 300/50 mm^2 ACSR conductor, thereby increasing line capacity to 1,200 amps.
Engineering for the project was provided by SACDE and installation was provided by Ingenieria Ronza SA. The ACCC Conductor installed at the project was provided by IMSA and hardware was provided by Dervaux.
ACCC Master Installers, Mr. Sergio Rojas and Mr. Ismael Dones offered remote Installation training and field support during the installation (due to Covid travel restrictions).
Pampa Energia de Argentina is a company dedicated to the generation, transmission and distribution of electrical energy, generating 4,944 MW of energy through thermal, hydroelectric and wind farms.
This is the first installation in Argentina of the ACCC Córdoba conductor produced by IMSA.
Bahía Blanca is a seaport city in the southwest province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the Atlantic Ocean. The climate is subtropical and characterized by wide variations in temperatures.
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Brookfield Renewable Selects ACCC® Conductor for Challenging Long Span Project in Tennessee
Several months ago, Brookfield Renewables completed a double circuit line upgrade using ACCC® conductor to increase line capacity and replace very old conductors. The project included mountain spans of over 5,000 feet. Two 161 kV circuits were upgraded with ACCC conductor. ACCC was also used for the two static lines. Service Electric Company completed the challenging project with the support of CTC Global's Master Installer, David Pearce.
In addition to the project's long span aspect, its very interesting that these spans were first installed in 1917 and 1926 using specially designed steel reinforced conductors. Today, challenging long span projects like these can use "off-the-shelf" ACCC Conductors.
While this project was briefly mentioned in a previous newsletter, a new article about this project recently appeared in T&D World Magazine (November 2020). Please take a look at the T&D Article: How to Teach a Old Line New Tricks
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Have You Heard About the ACCC InfoCore™ System?
The ACCC InfoCore™ System reduces real-world conductor installation risk experienced by utilities, contractors and lineman across the globe. These dedicated professionals know that even with the best tools, equipment and field conditions, accidents can happen. By using a proprietary infrared light system, special fibers in the core, and a robust data-capture and recording methodology, the ACCC InfoCore™ System can confirm the integrity of the conductor in minutes. While not mandatory for every installation, this capability serves to improve reliability and confidence. The system is capable of confirming very long continuous spans and is currently being utilized globally.
The ACCC InfoCore™ System is commercially available and has been deployed to a number of sites worldwide. It is noteworthy that there is no performance difference between ACCC® Conductor and ACCC InfoCore™ Conductor. ACCC InfoCore™ Field Verification Kits are easy to use, and available through CTC Global’s Master Installers network.
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ACCC InfoCore™ System Video:
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ACCC AZR Conductor – Expanding the Capabilities of the ACCC® Conductor Using Aluminum Zirconium Alloy
ACCC® AZR Conductor uses either the standard 310 ksi core or the higher strength 375 ksi core that is then wrapped with one or more layers of a high strength, thermal resistant aluminum-zirconium alloy. While conventional ACCC Conductors typically use fully annealed aluminum to maximize conductivity, the ACCC AZR Conductor offers nearly the same efficiency, but far greater overall strength. The added strength and increased tensile modulus mitigates conductor sag under heavy wind or ice loads, or very long spans. To learn more visit www.ctcglobal.com
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ACCC® ULS Conductor Offers Additional Benefits
First deployed on a 1.4 kilometer lake crossing in Africa in 2013, The ACCC ULS Conductor offers greater strength, a lower coefficient of thermal expansion and higher modulus of elasticity than the standard ACCC Conductor core. The ULS version has a higher carbon fiber content raising the tensile strength from 310 to 375 ksi (Compare this to 285 ksi high-strength steel). While the added strength and lighter weight can enable longer spans, the higher modulus and increased stiffness reduce sag and blow out during high wind conditions. Improved stiffness can also reduce sag under heavy ice load conditions.
The higher carbon fiber content also reduces the coefficient of thermal expansion from 1.6 x 10-6 /°C to 0.75 x 10-6 /°C. While dozens of engineers have specified ACCC ULS Conductor for projects, worldwide, the ULS version of the ACCC Conductor has served our clients well. The ACCC ULS Conductor is available in many sizes and offers transmission engineers added design flexibility.
The ACCC ULS Conductor can be ordered with Type 1350-O fully annealed aluminum or as an AZR version with Aluminum-Zirconium thermal resistant alloy for even higher overall conductor strength.
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Did You Know:
The ACCC® Conductor Core is the only carbon fiber conductor core in the world that meets the internationally recognized ASTM B-987 Standard, "Standard Specification for Carbon Fiber Thermoset Polymer Matrix Composite Core (CFC) for use in Overhead Electrical Conductors."
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ACCC Conductor is currently reducing CO2 emissions by over 2.6 million metric tons every year - the equivalent of removing over 600,000 cars from the road
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CTC Global's Free Conductor Comparison Program CCP™ Software is Available Online
CTC Global is pleased to announce that our highly regarded Conductor Comparison Program (CCP™) software is now available online. The new web-based version has all the features found in the Excel version, which has been replaced and will no longer be supported. The new version is designed to make it easier to use, and it also has some new features. Having CCP online will make it easier to keep it up-to-date with new wire files and other data, and to add improvements as they are made. Users will always know they have the current version every time they log in. CCP is also compatible with tablets.
Registration to use CCP requires only a valid email address and password. Users may also use CCP as a guest however, saving and export features are only available to registered users.
Thank you for using our CCP. We welcome your feedback. For technical support, please contact ccphelp@ctcglobal.com
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Looking for ACCC® Conductor Hardware?
Check out our Supplier Parts Database
CTC Global added a new Hardware Supplier Parts Database to our website. The database will help you find all of the hardware components you need to install ACCC® Conductor. The database shows which hardware manufacturers offer the parts you might need in your particular region while offering many options.
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Free Engineering Manual
To help Transmission and Distribution planners, engineers, policy makers, grid operators, technicians and others take full advantage of the ACCC® Conductor's attributes, CTC Global has published a 250 page Engineering Manual.
It offers a very comprehensive set of design guidelines, case studies, figures and facts about conductors and composite materials, and includes links to additional resources and FAQ's
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Check out CTC Global's Blog
In addition to our monthly newsletter and social media posts, CTC Global also posts articles on the Company's BLOG SITE. If you haven't checked it out, please do when you have free time. You will find an interesting array of project details, industry trends and efficiency discussions and much more. We also do our best to respond to posted comments.
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Follow CTC Global on LinkedIn
We hope you find our monthly newsletter informative, but realize you may not have time to read 1,000 e-mails every week. If you'd like to only receive periodic announcements about major CTC Global and ACCC® Conductor activities please consider following us on LinkedIn. To access our LinkedIn page please click: CTC Global LinkedIn
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Follow CTC Global on Twitter
For up to the minute news about CTC Global, the ACCC® Conductor, ACCC Installation Projects and other industry trends, news, and announcements please consider following CTC Global on Twitter. To do so, please click: CTC Global Twitter or look for us @CTC_ACCC
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CTC Global is Hiring
We're dedicated to providing our customers with the highest quality products by employing, developing, empowering and retaining the most energetic and talented employees. At CTC Global we value our employees highly and understand that the company's success is the sum of the success of every individual in the organization.
CTC Global is an equal opportunity employer, provides a drug-free workplace, free of discrimination and harassment, and offers a comprehensive benefits package to its full-time employees. Additionally, CTC has proudly taken the Veteran hiring pledge to affirm our commitment to actively hire veterans of the U.S Armed Forces. For information on a challenging and rewarding position at CTC Global, please contact our HR department directly at: careers@ctcglobal.com or https://www.ctcglobal.com/careers/
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CTC Global proudly works with top-tier manufacturing partners worldwide |
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ACCC® Conductor is an internationally patented and trademark registered product of CTC Global Corporation. The ACCC Conductor is manufactured in association with 34 qualified and licensed international stranding partners. If you are interested in the ACCC Conductor, please contact CTC Global to make sure your supplier is authorized to produce and deliver ACCC Conductor in your area. Thank You.
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CTC Global, Inc. 2026 McGaw Avenue Irvine,
CA 92614 Phone: +1 949.428.8500
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