2009 R&D 100 Winner
Overhead power transmission lines often operate at temperatures higher than those for which they were designed, leading to accelerated aging and degradation of splice connectors and increasing the risk of power outages. The Methodology for Estimating the Life of Power Line Conductor-Connector Systems Operating at High Temperatures (MELCOT) from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and partners integrates analytical and experimental protocols along with a software package and material property database for evaluating the performance and durability of conductor-connector systems under various operating conditions and for predicting their effective service life.
Governing equations developed by the MELCOT System can be used by power grid system operators to predict the integrity and durability of splice connectors. The methodology also provides details of the crimped-type splice connector forming mechanism, including the optimal design configuration of conductor-connector systems for a target service temperature range.
Development of the system was jointly sponsored by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Palo Alto, Calif., the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Other members of the development team are the Tennessee Valley Authority, Chattanooga, Tenn., and PBS&J, Inc., Dallas, Texas.
Technology
Method for measuring the life of power line conductor-connector systems
Developers
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Electric Power Research Institute
U.S. Department of Energy
Tennessee Valley Authority
PBS&J, Inc.
