FAQ

FAQ

An OHTL project involves several key components working together to form a robust and reliable power transmission system. Our company, Ningbo Changshi, specializes in providing the equipment and tools for these components:

  • Conductors: These are the bare wires (e.g., ACSR, AAAC) that carry the electrical current. Their selection depends on factors like voltage, conductivity, and mechanical strength.

  • Tower Structures: The lattice steel towers or utility poles that support the conductors, keeping them at a safe height and distance from the ground.

  • Insulators: These devices are crucial for preventing the electrical current from flowing to the towers and ground. They are made of materials like porcelain or composite polymers.

  • Ground Wires and Shield Wires: These are installed above the conductors to protect the line from lightning strikes.

  • Hardware and Accessories: This includes a wide range of clamps, fittings, vibration dampers, and other components essential for connecting the conductors to the insulators and towers.

OHTL projects, while essential, can face significant challenges. As a partner, we at Ningbo Changshi help our clients navigate these complexities:

  • Environmental and Right-of-Way Issues: Gaining permits and securing the right-of-way can be complex and time-consuming. We provide reliable and efficient equipment to ensure that the construction phase, once approved, proceeds as quickly as possible.

  • Construction Delays and Cost Overruns: Inefficient or faulty equipment can lead to major project delays. Our high-quality hydraulic puller-tensioners and stringing equipment are designed for maximum reliability and performance, helping to keep projects on schedule and within budget.

  • Logistical Challenges: Transporting large, heavy equipment to remote or difficult terrains is a common issue. Our focus on user-friendly and durable equipment simplifies logistics and on-site operations.

The main reason power lines use high voltage is to minimize energy loss during transmission over long distances. According to the principle of electrical power (P = V * I), for a fixed amount of power (P) to be transmitted, increasing the voltage (V) allows for a significant reduction in current (I). Since power loss in a transmission line is proportional to the square of the current (P_loss = I² * R), decreasing the current drastically reduces energy wasted as heat. This makes the entire transmission process more efficient and cost-effective.

The voltage level of a power line directly affects the type and size of the equipment required. Higher voltages necessitate:

  • Larger and taller towers: To maintain a safe clearance distance between the conductors and the ground, as well as with other objects.

  • More advanced insulation: The number and type of insulators (e.g., suspension insulator strings) must increase to prevent electrical flashover. At Ningbo Changshi, we manufacture a wide range of OHTL tools and accessories to handle the installation and maintenance of these robust systems.

  • Specialized conductors: High-voltage lines often use bundled conductors (multiple cables per phase) to reduce corona discharge, a phenomenon that causes energy loss and radio interference at extremely high voltages.

Safety is the paramount concern with high-voltage lines. The most significant risks are electrical contact and arc flash incidents. High voltages can cause electricity to arc across a significant air gap, making it dangerous to approach a live conductor, even without physical contact. The required safety distance, or "exclusion zone," increases with higher voltage levels. As a leading manufacturer, we provide reliable and safe tension stringing equipment that helps power line construction and maintenance crews work safely and efficiently, minimizing these risks.
A power line is an essential part of the electrical grid, consisting of conductors, support structures, and other hardware used to transmit and distribute electrical energy. These lines carry electricity from power generation stations to substations, and then to homes and businesses. Power lines can be found either overhead, suspended by poles or towers, or underground, where the cables are buried.

Power lines are primarily classified by the voltage they carry:

  • Transmission Lines: These are the large, high-voltage lines (typically over 100 kV) supported by tall steel lattice towers or tubular steel poles. They transport bulk electricity over long distances from power plants to substations.

  • Distribution Lines: These lines carry lower voltages (from 1 kV to 69 kV) and are typically supported by smaller wooden, concrete, or steel poles. They distribute electricity from substations to local areas, connecting to transformers on poles or on the ground.

  • Service Lines: These are the lowest voltage lines that deliver electricity directly from a local distribution transformer to a home or building.

The essential components of a power line system are:

  • Conductors: These are the actual wires or cables that carry the electric current. They are commonly made of aluminum with a steel core for added strength (ACSR). Our company specializes in manufacturing OHTL wire and cable conductor stringing equipment to install these lines.

  • Insulators: Made from non-conductive materials like porcelain, glass, or polymers, insulators prevent the electric current from leaking to the support structures (poles/towers). The number of insulator disks increases with higher voltages.

  • Support Structures: These include various types of poles (wood, concrete, steel) and towers (lattice, tubular steel) that hold the conductors at a safe height above the ground.

  • Hardware and Fittings: A wide array of hardware is used to connect and secure the conductors and insulators to the support structures, including crossarms, clamps, spacers, and dampers. At Ningbo Changshi, we supply a comprehensive range of these overhead tools and accessories.

A downed power line is any high-voltage electrical cable that has fallen from its support structure (pole or tower) and landed on the ground, a vehicle, a fence, or a tree. Even if it is not sparking or making a sound, you should always assume it is live and extremely dangerous. The primary danger comes from the high voltage, which can cause severe injury or death. Electricity from a downed line can also energize the surrounding area, creating a lethal hazard known as "step potential" where the ground itself is electrified.

Your immediate priority is safety. If you see a downed power line, you should:

  1. Stay Back: Maintain a distance of at least 10 meters (33 feet), which is roughly the length of a city bus. Do not approach the line or anything it is touching.

  2. Warn Others: Instruct anyone nearby to stay away from the area.

  3. Call for Help: Immediately call local emergency services (e.g., 911) and your local power utility company to report the downed line and its exact location.

If you are inside a vehicle that has a power line on it, do not get out. The car acts as a protective cage. The safest course of action is to:

  1. Stay Inside: Call emergency services and the power company immediately and wait for help to arrive. Warn anyone approaching to stay away.

  2. Only Exit as a Last Resort: If the vehicle is on fire, you must exit. To do so safely, open the door, jump completely clear of the vehicle without touching the car and the ground at the same time. Land with your feet together, then shuffle or hop away with your feet touching each other until you are at least 10 meters away. This shuffling motion prevents a deadly electric shock from "step potential."

While our company, Ningbo Changshi Electric Power Machinery Manufacturing Limited, manufactures the equipment used to prevent these issues in the first place, such as overhead transmission line equipment and underground cable laying equipment, it's crucial for everyone to understand these safety protocols in the rare event of an incident.

The electrical grid is segmented into different voltage levels to efficiently transmit and distribute power. These levels are generally categorized as follows:

  • Low Voltage (LV): Typically below 1,000 volts (1 kV). This is the final stage of power delivery, supplying electricity directly to homes and small businesses. The voltage is reduced to common household levels, such as 120 V or 230 V.

  • Medium Voltage (MV): Ranging from 1 kV to 69 kV. These lines are part of the local distribution network, carrying electricity from substations to smaller transformers in neighborhoods and industrial areas.

  • High Voltage (HV) and Extra High Voltage (EHV): Starting from 69 kV and going up to 800 kV or more. These are the large transmission lines, often supported by tall steel lattice towers, that transport electricity over long distances from power plants to major substations.

High voltage is used for long-distance transmission to minimize energy loss. As a manufacturer of overhead transmission line equipment and underground cable laying equipment, we know that power loss is directly related to the current flowing through a line. By increasing the voltage, the current can be significantly reduced while still transmitting the same amount of power. This makes the long-distance transport of electricity much more efficient and cost-effective. The voltage is then "stepped down" at substations closer to consumers, using transformers to bring it to a safe and usable level for homes and businesses.
Power Line Carrier Communication (PLCC) is a cost-effective and reliable technology that uses existing electrical power lines as a medium for transmitting high-frequency data signals. It works by superimposing a high-frequency carrier signal onto the low-frequency power signal (typically 50/60 Hz). This allows data, control information, and voice signals to be transmitted between substations and power equipment without the need for a separate communication network. Key components include line traps, coupling capacitors, and PLCC terminals (transmitters and receivers) that inject and extract the communication signal. Our company, Ningbo Changshi, provides a wide range of OHTL equipment and tools that are essential for setting up and maintaining PLCC systems, ensuring seamless integration into the power grid.

PLC is a foundational technology for modernizing power grids. Its primary applications include:

  • Teleprotection: High-speed communication for protective relaying to ensure the safety and stability of the grid.

  • SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition): Remote monitoring, control, and data acquisition for power lines and substations.

  • Smart Grid and Smart Metering: Enabling two-way communication for real-time monitoring of energy consumption, load control, and other smart grid functions.

  • Load Management: Communication for controlling and managing power loads remotely.

We offer comprehensive one-stop supply and services for overhead transmission line (OHTL) and underground cable laying equipment that support these critical applications.


Question 3: What are the main advantages of using PLC for power line communication compared to other methods?

PLCC offers significant advantages, making it a preferred choice for power system communication:

  • Cost-Effectiveness: It leverages existing power lines, eliminating the need for expensive new cable infrastructure.

  • Reliability: It is a robust system that can operate in harsh environmental conditions and over long distances.

  • Wide Coverage: Communication can reach remote areas where other technologies might not be available or feasible.

  • Enhanced Security: Data can be transmitted over a secure, dedicated power line channel.

As a leading manufacturer of power line tools and equipment, Ningbo Changshi ensures our products are compatible with the latest PLCC technologies to maximize these benefits for our customers.

The PLC market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by the expansion of smart grids and the Internet of Things (IoT). Emerging trends include:

  • Broadband PLC: Increasing data rates to support higher bandwidth applications like video surveillance and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI).

  • Integration with 5G and IoT: Combining PLC with other technologies to create more comprehensive and resilient communication networks.

  • Enhanced Security and Noise Immunity: Developing more robust devices with advanced noise cancellation techniques and security protocols to ensure reliable data transmission.

  • Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging: Using PLC for smart communication between EVs and charging stations.

Our continuous focus on manufacturing high-quality, reliable equipment ensures we are at the forefront of these industry developments, providing the tools and services needed for the next generation of power infrastructure.

A power line conditioner, also known as a line conditioner, is a device designed to improve the quality of the electrical power supplied to sensitive equipment. It acts as a protective barrier, regulating voltage fluctuations, filtering out electrical noise (EMI/RFI), and suppressing surges and spikes. The primary goal is to ensure a "clean" and stable power supply, which is crucial for the optimal performance and longevity of connected devices.
While both devices offer protection, they address different types of power issues. A surge protector's main function is to divert sudden, high-voltage spikes (like those from a lightning strike or a power grid switch) away from your equipment. In contrast, a power line conditioner provides more comprehensive protection. It not only includes basic surge protection but also actively regulates voltage levels and, most importantly, filters out continuous electrical noise and interference that can degrade performance over time. Think of a surge protector as a single-purpose shield against extreme events, while a power conditioner is a constant guard that cleans and stabilizes the power flow.
A UPS and a power conditioner serve different core purposes, but their functions can overlap. A UPS is primarily a backup power source that provides temporary battery power during a complete outage, allowing for a safe shutdown of equipment. While many UPS systems offer some level of power conditioning and surge protection, they may not be as robust in filtering out electrical noise. A power conditioner, on the other hand, focuses exclusively on delivering clean, stable power but does not provide battery backup. For mission-critical equipment that requires both clean power and uninterrupted operation during an outage, a combination of both a power conditioner and a UPS is often recommended.
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