Components:-

Transmission lines are made up of various components namely poles, lattice structures

conductors, cables, insulators, foundations, cross arms, pylon and earthing systems.

Structures:-
The primary functions of transmission line structures are to provide mechanical support

to conductors. This is achieved by maintaining mechanical integrity without permanent

structural deformation under ultimate load conditions whilst preserving structure geometry

to retain operational electrical clearances under prescribed serviceability and ultimate load

conditions.

Secondary functions of transmission line structures are to:-

a) Ensure safety of people and the environment.

b) Maintain structure geometry to preserve maintenance safe approach distances for service
ability and ultimate load conditions.
c) Provide an electrical path to earth for fault currents.
d) Provide a whole of life cost effective service.

Insulators:-
Transmission line insulation as to primary functions:-

a) To insulate energised components from earthed structures at rated operating voltages and
specified switching and lightning impulses.
b) To support the conductor system up to ultimate mechanical load limits and transfer the
mechanical loads to the structure.

Transmission line hardware has four primary functions:-

a) To support the insulator system up to electrical load limits.

b) To support the insulator system up to mechanical load limits.
c) To provide effective attachment interface between conductor and insulator to securely transfer
loads to the structure.
d) To provide a whole-of-life cost effective service.

Transmission Line Earthing:-

The primary functional requirement of a transmission line earthing system is to:-

a) Provide an electrical path for lightning and fault currents to earth, to ensure safety of people,
environment and the assets.
b) Ensure that faults are cleared within the NER time limits, transmission line components are not
damaged, and the network performance is within agreed NER limits.
 c) Provide an earth potential reference to ground under normal circuit conditions for the
dissipation of leakage currents.

Secondary functional requirements of a transmission earthing system for its design life are to:-

a) Maintain electrical safety and minimize adverse effects on the environment.

b) Provide an effective technical solution.
c) Provide a whole-of-life cost effective service.

Conductors:-
The primary function of transmission line conductor systems is to transfer electrical power between
designated locations, within prescribed performance, operating and environmental conditions.

Secondary functions of transmission line conductors are to:-

a) Maintain electrical safety and minimize adverse effects on the environment.

b) Provide a whole-of-life cost effective service.

The most common conductors which use transmission line are Aluminum Alloy Conductors . When we
consider the types of conductors, the following are best conductors use for power transmission lines.

o All Aluminum Conductor (AAC)

o All Aluminum Alloy Conductor (AAAC)
o Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSR)
o Aluminum Conductor Aluminum-Alloy Reinforced(ACAR)
o Bundle Conductors
There are various types of sub conductors which use for Aluminum Alloy Conductors are AAAC-HS,
AACSR, ABB and ACAR. These types of conductors are use for a transmission line for all over the world
over four decades high voltage transmission line varying from 66kV To 400kV voltage levels. AAC and
ACSR are the most common type of conductors which use in the transmission line.

ACAR ( Aluminum Conductor Alloy Reinforced):-

Aluminum Alloy conductor got great mechanical strength and overall electrical conductivity of the ACSR
(Aluminum Conductor Alloy Reinforced) conductivity is between 56% to 60%.

AACSR (Aluminum Alloy Conductor Steel Reinforced):-

Aluminum Alloy Conductor Steel Reinforced (AACSR) conductor consist of the high mechanical strength
high tensile galvanized steel core covered with Aluminum alloy wires. This type of conductors can use
for any rough mechanical circumstances.

ACSR (Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced) Conductors:-

 Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSR) Conductors consist of more than seven Aluminum and
steel conductors. Center of the conductors comprised galvanized steel and outer layers of the galvanized
steel comprise Aluminum conductors. These types of conductors are much use for long spans of
transmission lines because these lines got high tensile strength.

AAAC-HS and AAAC_HS type Conductors:-

The conductor of AAAC-HS consist the heat treatable Aluminum Alloy wire elongation for this wire is
more than 4% and conducting of AAAC-HS wire is normally higher than 52.5%. AA 6201 wire is the most
commonly used wire in AAAC-HS type Transmission line conductor. AAAC- HC is also much Like AAAC-HS
conductors and UTS of this conductor is varying between 20-26 kg/mm2 and elongation is vary between
2% to 4% .unlike AAAC-HS, AAAC- HC  conductivity is little bit higher which is 56% to 59%.

Bundle Conductors:-

Bundle conductors are widely used for the transmission line and have its own advantages and
disadvantages. Bundle conductor is a conductor which consist of several conductor cables which
connected. Bundle conductors also will help to increase the current carried in the transmission line. The
main disadvantage of the Transmission line is its having high wind load compared to other conductors.

Types Of Power Transmission Line:-

The types of transmission lines are:

 Overhead Transmission Lines.
 Sub transmission Lines.
 Underground Transmission Lines.

Overhead Transmission Lines:-

Overhead AC transmission lines share one characteristic; they carry 3-phase current. The voltages vary
according to the particular grid system they belong to. Transmission voltages vary from 69 kV up to 765
kV. The DC voltage transmission tower has lines in pairs rather than in threes (for 3-phase current) as in
AC voltage lines. One line is the positive current line and the other is the negative current line.
Sub-transmission Lines:-

JisSub-transmission lines carry voltages reduced from the major transmission line system. Typically, 34.5
kV to 69 kV, this power is sent to regional distribution substations. Sometimes the sub-transmission
voltage is tapped along the way for use in industrial or large commercial operations. Some utilities
categorize these as transmission lines.

Underground Transmission Lines:-

Underground transmission lines are more common in populated areas. They may be buried with no
protection, or placed in conduit, trenches, or tunnels.

Types Of Electrical Transmission Poles:-

The types of transmission poles are:

 Wooden Poles
 Steel Poles
 RCC Poles
 Lattice Steel Towers

Wooden Poles:-

These are made of seasoned wood and are suitable for lines of the moderate X-sectional area and of
relatively shorter spans, say up to 50 meters. Such supports are cheap, easily available, provide
insulating properties and, therefore, are widely used for distribution purposes in rural areas as an
economic proposition. The wooden poles generally tend to rot below the ground level, causing
foundation failure. In order to prevent this, the portion of the pole below the ground level is
impregnated with preservative compounds like creosote oil. Double pole structures of the ‘A’ or ‘H’ type
are often used to obtain a higher transverse strength that could be economically provided by means of
single poles.
The main objections to wooden supports are : 
 The tendency to rot below the ground level.
 Comparatively smaller life (20-25 years).
 Cannot be used for voltages higher than 20 kV.
 Less mechanical strength.
 Require periodical inspection.
Steel Poles:-

The steel poles are often used as a substitute for wooden poles. They possess greater mechanical
strength, longer life and permit longer spans to be used. Such poles are generally used for distribution
purposes in the cities. This type of support needs to be galvanized or painted in order to prolong its life.
The steel poles are of three types:

 Rail poles.
 Tubular poles.
 Rolled steel joints.

RCC Poles:-

The reinforced concrete poles have become very popular as line supports in recent years. They have
greater mechanical strength, longer life and permit longer spans than steel poles. Moreover, they give a
good outlook, require little maintenance and have good insulating properties. The holes in the poles
facilitate the climbing of poles and at the same time reduce the weight of line supports. The main
difficulty with the use of these types of electric poles is the high cost of transport owing to their
heavyweight. Therefore, such poles are often manufactured at the site in order to avoid the heavy cost
of transportation.

Steel Towers:-

In practice, wooden, steel and reinforced concrete poles are used for distribution purposes at low
voltages, say up to 11 kV. However, for long-distance transmission at higher voltage, steel towers are
invariably employed. Steel towers have greater mechanical strength, longer life, can withstand most
severe climatic conditions and permit the use of longer spans. The risk of interrupted service due to
broken or punctured insulation is considerably reduced owing to longer spans. Tower footings are
usually grounded by driving rods into the earth. This minimizes the lightning troubles as each tower acts
as a lightning conductor. However, at a moderate additional cost, the double-circuit tower can be
provided . The double circuit has the advantage that it ensures continuity of supply. In case there is a
breakdown of one circuit, the continuity of supply can be maintained by the other circuit.

HVDC Transmission Lines:-

HVDC stands for high voltage direct current, a well-proven technology used to transmit electricity over
long distances by overhead transmission lines or submarine cables. It is also used to interconnect
separate power systems, where traditional alternating current (AC) connections cannot be used.

In an HVDC system, electric power is taken from one point in a three-phase AC network, converted to
DC in a converter station, transmitted to the receiving point by an overhead line or cable and then
converted back to AC in another converter station and injected into the receiving AC network. Typically,
an HVDC transmission line has a rated power of more than 100 MW and many are in the 1,000 – 3,000
MW range. HVDC lines increase the efficiency of transmission lines due to which power is rapidly
transferred. HVDC transmission is economical only for long distance transmission lines having a length
more than 600kms and for underground cables of length more than 50kms. HVDC lines are more
proficient than AC lines. 
With an HVDC system, the power flow can be controlled rapidly and accurately in terms of both power
level and direction. This possibility is often used to improve the performance and efficiency of the
connected AC networks. ABB pioneered HVDC technology and is the world leader in the HVDC field. In
total, about 130,000 MW HVDC transmission capacity is installed in more than 140 projects worldwide.
ABB has delivered more than 75 of these projects with a total transmission capacity of almost 60,000
MW. The largest bi-pole delivered by ABB to date is 6,400 MW.