Rating an enhanced strength conductor

Abstract

A conductor may be rated. First, a conductor core comprising a first material and having a core elongation may be provided. Next, a plurality of conductor strands may be provided. The plurality of conductor strands may comprise a second material. The elongation of the plurality of conductor strands may be one of greater than the core elongation or equal to the core elongation. Then a rating for a conductor comprising the conductor core and the plurality of conductor strands may be provided. The rating may include a composite rated breaking strength of the conductor being a function of the core elongation and not being limited by the elongation of the plurality of conductor strands.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 manufacturing a conductor comprising a conductor core and a plurality of conductor strands, the conductor core comprising a plurality of core strands and a core elongation at an ultimate tensile strength of the conductor core, wherein manufacturing the conductor comprises;:
 providing the conductor core comprising a first material, and 
 stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core, the plurality of conductor strands comprising a second material, wherein an elongation of the plurality of conductor strands is one of the following: greater than the core elongation and equal to the core elongation, the second material configured to cause the plurality of conductor strands not to break at the elongation of the plurality of conductor strands; and 
 
 rating the manufactured conductor with a composite rated breaking strength equal to as calculated by an equation:
   the composite rated breaking strength=(n con *STR con *RF con )+(n core *STR core *RF core ); 
 
 
       wherein:
 n con  is a number of conductor strands in the plurality of conductor strands; 
 n core  is a number of core strands in the plurality of core strands; 
 STR con  is an average breaking strength of the conductor strands in the plurality of conductor strands at the core elongation; 
 STR core  is an average breaking strength of the core strands in the plurality of core strands at the core elongation; 
 RF con  is a rating factor of the plurality of conductor strands; and 
 RF core  is a rating factor of the plurality of core strands. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the conductor core comprises providing the conductor core wherein the core elongation is between 1% and 4% inclusively. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the conductor core comprising the first material comprises providing the conductor core comprising the first material comprising high strength steel. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the conductor core comprising the first material comprises providing the conductor core comprising the first material comprising high strength (HS) 285 steel. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the conductor core comprising the first material comprises providing the conductor core comprising the first material comprising Class A galvanized steel. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core comprises stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core wherein the elongation of the plurality of conductor strands is less than 7%. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core comprises stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core wherein the elongation of the plurality of conductor strands is less than 4%. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core, the plurality of conductor strands comprising the second material comprises stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core, the plurality of conductor strands comprising the second material wherein the second material comprises Aluminum Zirconium alloy. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core comprises stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core wherein each of the plurality of conductor strands has a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core comprises stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core wherein each of the plurality of conductor strands are compacted. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the conductor core comprises providing the conductor core having the plurality of core strands wherein the plurality of core strands comprise a center strand with a plurality of outer core strands helical wrapped around the center strand. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core comprises stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core wherein the plurality of conductor strands comprise a second conductor layer helical wrapped around a first conductor layer. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core comprises stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core wherein the first conductor layer and second conductor layer are wrapped in respective alternating hand lay. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein rating the manufactured conductor comprises rating the manufactured conductor wherein the manufactured conductor comprises aluminum conductor steel reinforced (ACSR). 
     
     
       15. A method comprising:
 manufacturing a conductor comprising a conductor core and a plurality of conductor strands, the conductor core comprising a plurality of core strands and a core elongation at an ultimate tensile strength of the conductor core, the conductor having a composite rated breaking strength equal to as calculated by an equation:
   the composite rated breaking strength=(n con *STR con *RF con )+(n core *STR core *RF core ); 
 
 
       wherein:
 n con  is a number of conductor strands in the plurality of conductor strands; 
 n core  is a number of core strands in the plurality of core strands; 
 STR con  is an average breaking strength of the conductor strands in the plurality of conductor strands at the core elongation; 
 STR core  is an average breaking strength of the core strands in the plurality of core strands at the core elongation; 
 RF con  is a rating factor of the plurality of conductor strands; and 
 RF core  is a rating factor of the plurality of core strands, 
 
       wherein manufacturing the conductor comprises:
 providing the conductor core comprising a first material, and 
 stranding the plurality of conductor strands around the conductor core, the plurality of conductor strands comprising a second material, wherein an elongation of the plurality of conductor strands is one of the following: greater than the core elongation and equal to the core elongation, the second material configured to cause the plurality of conductor strands not to break at the elongation of the plurality of conductor strands. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of claim 1, wherein:
 STR con  is an average breaking strength equal to the average of a conductor strand breaking strength of each of the plurality of conductor strands; and   STR core  is an average breaking strength equal to an average of a core strand breaking strength of each of the plurality of core strands;   wherein each of the conductor strand breaking strength and the core strand breaking strength is a minimum breaking strength calculated as the product of a minimum average tensile strength and a cross-sectional area for each of the plurality of conductor strands and each of the plurality of core strands, respectively.