Determination of the lowest point of the conductor in inclined spans based on a known maximal sag of the parabola

Abstract

The lowest point of the conductor is one specific point, but it is often the most critical point too, so it deserves to be discussed separately. In levelled spans it is located at a mid-span, while in inclined spans it moves towards the lower suspension point. It means that the position of the lowest point of the conductor has to be determined in each inclined span separately. Besides, knowing the configuration of the terrain it is also an important prior condition of a precise planning overhead power lines. This paper shows three entirely different methods for the determination of the lowest point of the conductor in inclined spans on the basis of a known maximal sag, which refers to the chosen conductor type, span length, tension and temperature. Presented methods can be used for spans approximately up to 400 metres, with the non-significant difference in elevation between the suspension points, since these calculations are parabola based. (4 pages)