A LOOK AT COMPACTING TRANSMISSION LINES USING ARMLESS
CONSTRUCTION UNDER TODAY'S CONSTRAINTS
(1991)Abstract
Compacting overhead transmission lines using armless
construction started in the US with the introduction of the
horizontal. line post insulator in 1959. Over the next few years,
several other insulator arrays that provide armless construction
were introduced and extensively applied on lines up to 500 kV.
Most of these installations involved new lines. The decision to use
armless construction was strongly influenced by the desire to
improve the overall appearance of the line with the added
advantage of requiring less right-of-way (r-o-w).
Under the financial and permitting constraints that exist at the
present time, many utilities are finding it difficult to justify new
additions of generation to their bulk power systems. This, in
turn, places greater emphasis on the capability of their high
voltage transmission networks and encourages them to seek ways
to get more out of their existing lines.
The paper summarizes the present state-of-the-art of armless
construction and describes how the concept is being considered to
meet today's environmental and operational requirements.
