3M : Brazil's EDP Bandeirante Installs 3M ACCR for Line Upgrade to Avoid Building New Towers or Expanding Right-of-Way
01/05/2011| 07:19am US/Eastern
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EDP Bandeirante, the power distribution unit of EDP Group in Brazil, has
become the third Brazilian utility to install the 3M Aluminum Conductor
Composite Reinforced (3M ACCR) for completion of a line upgrade while
avoiding problems associated with building larger towers or expanding
rights-of-way in an environmentally sensitive area.
3M ACCR provides more than twice the capacity of conventional conductors
of similar size without requiring new or enlarged towers, thereby
accommodating new demands being placed on the grid without costly and
problematic construction, right-of-way expansion or permitting in
crowded urban neighborhoods or environmentally sensitive areas.
EDP Bandeirante applied the advanced light-weight, low-sag,
high-capacity conductor to a 4.9-kilometer section of a line in eastern
São Paulo State that intersects an Área de Preservação Permamente
(Permanent Environmental Protected Area).
Tower construction and right-of-way expansion would have entailed
lengthy permitting delays, severe costs and logistical problems with
respect to the movement and size of equipment, plus the need to build a
temporary parallel line while the existing line was de-energized for
rebuilding, according to Fernando Peixoto Saliba, EDP Bandeirante's
engineering, planning and environmental executive manager.
?We originally considered a conventional ACSR upgrade, but the
difficulties posed by construction in the protected area were
significant,? says Saliba. ?The innovative 3M ACCR solution saves us a
lot of time and expense, allowing us to improve service about one year
sooner on a line that was already operating at full capacity.?
EDP Bandeirante supplies power to 1.5 million customers in the regions
of Alto Tietê, Vale do Paraíba and Norte Coast of São Paulo State. The
3M ACCR installation was done on the two-circuit 88kV Cesar de Souza
line, which serves residential customers in the city of Mogi das Cruzes
and major industrial sites.
Two other utilities in Brazil – Companhia de Transmissão de Energia
Elétrica Paulista, and CPFL – recently employed the 3M ACCR in upgrade
applications that included river crossings and densely populated
communities. Power companies in China, India and Canada, in addition to
some two dozen U.S. utilities, also have embraced the 3M ACCR for
similar applications.
Tim Koenig, director of the 3M High Capacity Conductor Program, says 3M
ACCR's growing international use, ?especially in those countries whose
economies and need for electrical power are most rapidly expanding,
indicates that this conductor has become the reliable first-choice
solution for upgrades where new construction would pose social, economic
and regulatory obstacles. It is a proven, dependable, versatile and
technologically advanced problem solver.?
3M ACCR was developed with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy,
which tested the conductor at its Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
in Tennessee, and with early contributions by the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency. The ORNL tests demonstrated that the conductor
retains its integrity after exposure to temperatures even higher than
the rated continuous operating temperature of 210 degrees Celsius and
the emergency operating temperature of 240 degrees Celsius. It has the
durability and longevity of traditional steel core conductors, even when
operated continuously at high temperatures.
The conductor's strength and durability result from its core, composed
of aluminum oxide (alumina) fibers embedded in high-purity aluminum,
utilizing a highly specialized and patented process. The constituent
materials can withstand high temperatures without appreciable loss in
strength, even over long periods of time.
Also, since 3M's ACCR is based on aluminum, it is as not susceptible to
environmental conditions such as moisture or UV exposure, as are other
traditional conductors, and it has the corrosion resistance typically
associated with aluminum-based conductors.
3M holds 18 patents on its ACCR technology, which has been recognized by R&D
Magazine with an R&D 100 Award as one of the most technologically
significant products introduced into the marketplace, and by the
Minnesota High Tech Association with a Tekne Award for innovative
development.
3M ACCR is offered by 3M's Electrical Markets Division (EMD), which
designs, manufactures and markets products for electrical utilities,
electrical construction and maintenance, and electrical/electronic
device manufacturers. EMD has more than 60 years of experience serving
utility customers with highly reliable products, including high-capacity
transmission conductors; power cable splices and terminations;
electrical wire connectors, terminals and tools; wire marking products;
cable ties; electrical insulating tapes; electromagnetic shielding
materials; heat shrinkable tubing and molded shapes for electrical
insulation; and cold shrink sealing and insulating tubes.
More information about the 3M high capacity conductor is available at www.3M.com/accr.
About 3M
A recognized leader in
research and development, 3M produces thousands of innovative products
for dozens of diverse markets. 3M's core strength is applying its more
than 40 distinct technology platforms ? often in combination ? to a wide
array of customer needs. With $23 billion in sales, 3M employs 75,000
people worldwide and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more
information, visit www.3m.com
or follow @3MNews on Twitter.
3M is a trademark of 3M.
About EDP Bandeirante
EDP
Bandeirante is the electricity distributor from EDP Group. Serves a
population of 4.6 million inhabitants in the regions of Alto Tietê,
Paraíba Valley and North Coast of São Paulo State in Brazil.
3M Public Relations
Colleen Horn Harris
651-733-1566
www.3m.com/PressCenter
or
LVM
Group Inc.
Bob Rumerman
212-499-6567
bob@lvmgroup.com
or
Rachel
Antman
212-499-6570
rachel@lvmgroup.com
© Business Wire 2011
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