SUSPENSION CLAMP AND ACSR ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR CONTACT CONDITIONS

A one-dimensional model is presented for the analysis of contact betwe en a typical suspension clamp and an overhead electrical conductor. Be sides span parameters (sag angle, static tensile load), conductor curv ature at the last point of contact is shown to depend on clamp profile . Strain measurements are performed on the bottom free surface of a ty pical commercially available suspension clamp, and of a simpler, yet s imilar, generic clamp, with a Bersimis ACSR conductor specimen. Variou s sag angle and tensile load combinations are imposed. Using an invers e method, measurements made on the generic clamp allow, through finite -element method modeling, the calculation of an approximate contact lo ad distribution between clamp and conductor. With the usual assumption of minimum conductor bending stiffness, good agreement is found betwe en experimental and theoretical results. Most notably, an experimental ly observed tensile strain zone at the clamp bottom surface is shown t o correlate well, both qualitatively and quantitatively, with a calcul ated localized contact region. Such tensile zone could be used to stud y contact conditions in other clamp-conductor systems.