Modified aluminum alloys of Al – Zr system for power transmission lines of Uzbekistan

Abstract

The energy sector of Uzbekistan has undergone significant changes in recent years. To diversify the electricity generation sources of the country, it is planned to bring atomic energy sector to the country and further expand more traditional energy production sources, such as wind, solar and other mixed sources. The effectiveness of electricity generation sources is determined by the consumers as well as by the quality and the number of ways to transfer the generated electricity from the source to the consumer. The power lines are considered as an effective tool for transmitting the electricity all around the globe. The main conductive part of the power lines is composed of steel wires that possess a combination of high electrical conductivity and sufficiently high strength. However, the development of new materials with increased conductivity and preferable strength-to-weight ratio compared to steels is an urgent task. The aluminium, owing to its higher electrical conductivity than that of steel, can be alternative material, even though the strength of aluminium and its alloys is noticeably inferior to those of steel. In addition, the Al alloys are widely used in the electrical industry, particularly, cable industry, due to their low density, low melting point, high corrosion resistance and good mechanical properties. The aim of this work is to develop Al-based alloy with high electrical conductivity and enough level of strength for use as a material to produce power lines. The work established the possibility of producing the ingots from Al alloy containing Zr in industrial scale, and then, through subsequent processing of the ingots, obtaining a wire having a combination of preferable strength and electrical conductivity that meet the requirements of the energy sector of Uzbekistan. Mass production of wire for power lines requires significant adjustment and control of the modes of melting and casting of ingots compared to conventional alloys.