CPFL Energia’s power distribution unit, CPFL Piratininga, has installed and energized the 3M Aluminum Conductor Composite Reinforced (3M ACCR) as part of an upgrade on a transmission line serving a densely populated area in Sao Paulo state, more than doubling the capacity of that line without requiring larger towers.
The company said that use of the light-weight, low-sag conductor in place of a conventional steel conductor enabled the utility to increase power transmission.
The company said that 3M ACCR conductor was installed on a 3.3-kilometer line segment passing through a residential district of Varzea Paulista. The 88kV double-circuit line boosts the power supply to Varzea Paulista and nearby Jundiai, which has a population of more than 320,000.
The company said that the 3M ACCR’s strength and durability result from its core, composed of aluminum oxide fibers embedded in high-purity aluminum, utilizing a highly specialized and patented process.
The company claims that the constituent materials can withstand high temperatures without appreciable loss in strength, even over long periods of time. Also, since 3M’s ACCR is based on aluminum, it is not susceptible to environmental conditions such as moisture or UV exposure, like other traditional conductors, and it has the corrosion resistance typically associated with aluminum-based conductors.
Reportedly, CPFL Energia serves some 6.5m customers in four states, with a generating capacity of 1,672 megawatts, which is expected to grow to 2,174 megawatts in 2010, as the result of a vigorous expansion program.
Paulo Ricardo Bombassaro, engineering and planning manager of CPFL Energia, said: “We studied several options and decided that 3M ACCR provides the most reliable, cost-effective solution for delivering more power through a dense neighborhood without creating numerous logistical problems. We were impressed by its high-performance results in other applications where new tower construction was undesirable. We also were pleased that our transmission line installation process went very smoothly and everything is working as designed.”
