CHICAGO, USA AND MILAN, ITALY — The new technology should increase capacity for utilities on in-service overhead power lines and enable more power to be delivered across existing transmission grids.

A collaboration between Prysmian Group and Exelon has resulted in a new technology. Heat-dissipating coating can now be applied on already existing power lines with the help of a robot, lowering conductor operating temperatures and increasing capacity.

The coating, which has already been in use successfully for several years inside factories to add capacity when reconductoring, increases emitted thermal radiation and reduces solar absorption when used on exposed overhead lines. This enables lines to run cooler, thus reducing energy losses in form of heat, congestion, and avoiding safety issues due to deformation.

By thus raising the existing power lines’ capacity, this new technique should ultimately lead to an increase in the amount of transmitted energy eliminating the need for the construction of new lines.

“A more efficient grid helps us build a cleaner-powered future for our customers and communities,” said Joseph Svachula, Senior Vice President Transmission Strategy & Compliance for Exelon Utilities. “This process can provide increased capacity, accommodating the needs of a changing power grid over hundreds of thousands of miles of existing transmission lines,” he went on to say

“Advanced transmission technologies that increase transmission capacity of existing lines are an important enabler of green sustainable low-to-no carbon generation,” added Srinivas Siripurapu, Chief Innovation and R&D Officer for Prysmian Group. “Without more transmission capacity to deliver energy collected from renewable sources, it is impossible to reach aggressive sustainability targets. The utilization of this game-changing technology improves the capacity and efficiency of the existing transmission grid and enables more sustainable power to be delivered.”

Source: T&D World