CREEP TEST FOR OVERHEAD CONDUCTORS USING DEADWEIGHT ACTUATED LEVER

Abstract

Having a device that does not need an electric, pneumatic, or hydraulic actuator neither a digital control to work for a specific task is the goal for any application. This research shows that it is feasible to develop a device with the above characteristics to apply creep tests for overhead conductors. There are two primary creep test methods for Aluminum Conductors in Overhead Lines (ACSR (aluminum conductor, Steel reinforced)) to obtain the tensile creep characteristics. They are the European standard IEC 61395, "Creep test Procedures for stranded conductors" and "Method for Determining the Long Time Tensile Creep of Aluminum Conductor in Overhead Line," prepared by the Electrical Committee of The Aluminum Association. Since both methods don't specify a convenient type of mechanism or specimen position to carry out the creep test and accomplish the tensile load accuracy requirement, this research aims to design a self-tensile lever controllable to an accuracy of plus and minus 1% according to IEC 61395. This work's analysis focuses on the lever geometry parameters type I actuated by deadweights to meet the tensile load accuracy for specimen lengths of 2.5m and 12.5m. Calculations of accuracy development of lever geometry for both selected conductor lengths apply by analytical and numerical methods and, finally, laboratory tests.