Electrical transmission cables with composite cores

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9685257-B2
Application number	US-201615236521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2016
Priority date	Apr 12, 2011
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

The present invention discloses electrical cables containing a cable core and a plurality of conductive elements surrounding the cable core. The cable core contains at least one composite core, and each composite core contains a rod which contains a plurality of unidirectionally aligned fiber rovings embedded within a thermoplastic polymer matrix, and surrounded by a capping layer.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electrical cable comprising:
(a) a cable core comprising at least one composite core, the composite core comprising:
(i) at least one rod comprising a plurality of consolidated thermoplastic impregnated rovings, the rovings comprising continuous carbon fibers oriented in the longitudinal direction and a thermoplastic matrix that embeds the carbon fibers, the carbon fibers having a ratio of ultimate tensile strength to mass per unit length of greater than about 1,000 MPa/g/m, wherein the thermoplastic matrix comprises a polyphenylene sulfide, and wherein the rod comprises from about 30 wt. % to about 75 wt. % carbon fibers and from about 25 wt. % to about 70 wt. % thermoplastic matrix; and
(ii) a capping layer surrounding the at least one rod, wherein the capping layer comprises a polyether ether ketone and contains less than 5 wt. % of continuous carbon fibers;

wherein the composite core has a flexural modulus of from about 15 to about 200 GPa; and
(b) a plurality of conductive elements surrounding the cable core, wherein the conductive elements comprise aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

2. The cable of claim 1 , further comprising a partial or complete layer of a tape or a coating between the cable core and the plurality of conductive elements.

3. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the cable core comprises two or more composite cores.

4. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the cable core comprises from 2to 37 composite cores.

5. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the cable comprises 7, 19, 26, or 37 conductive elements.

6. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the cable comprises from 2 to about 50 conductive elements.

7. The cable of claim 1 , wherein:
the cable core is a stranded core comprising 7 composite cores; and
the cable comprises 26 conductive elements arranged in 2 layers around the cable core.

8. The cable of claim 7 , wherein the composite cores have a density in a range from about 1.3 g/cc to about 1.7 g/cc.

9. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the cable has:
a 10-year creep value at 15% RBS (rated breaking stress) of less than about 0.2%; and
a 10-year creep value at 30% RBS (rated breaking stress) of less than about 0.25%.

10. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the capping layer has a thickness in a range from about 0.02 mm to about 5 mm and contains less than about 1 wt. % of continuous carbon fibers.

11. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the capping layer contains 0 wt. % of continuous carbon fibers.

12. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the cable has:
a sag, at rated temperature of 180° C., for a 300-meter level span with a NESC light loading, in a range from about 3 m to about 9.5 m; and
a sag, at rated temperature of 180° C., for a 300-meter level span with a NESC heavy loading, in a range from about 3 m to about 7.5 m.

13. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the cable passes an Aeolian vibration test at 100 million cycles.

14. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the capping layer has a thickness in a range from about 0.01 mm to about 10 mm.

15. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the composite core has:
a bending radius in a range from about 1 cm to about 50 cm; and
a void fraction of about 6% or less.

16. The cable of claim 15 , wherein the composite core has a flexural modulus in a range from about 20 to about 150 GPa.

17. The cable of claim 15 , wherein the composite core has a density in a range from about 1.2 g/cc to about 1.8 g/cc.

18. The cable of claim 15 , wherein the composite core has a bending radius in a range from about 3 cm to about 40 cm.

19. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the composite core has a void fraction of about 4% or less.

20. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the composite core has:
a flexural modulus of from about 20 to about 150 GPa;
a density from about 1.3 g/cc to about 1.7 g/cc; and
a void fraction of about 3% or less.

Assignees

• Southwire Co Llc

Inventors

• Daniel Allan
• Springer Paul
• Hawig Yuhsin
• Lancaster Mark
• Eastep David W
• Nelson Sherri M
• Tibor Tim
• Regan Tim
• Wesley Michael L

Classifications

• B29B15/122

  with a matrix in liquid form, e.g. as melt, solution or latex · CPC title

• H01B9/008

  for overhead application · CPC title

• H01B3/48

  fibrous materials (fibre-reinforced plastics H01B3/47) · CPC title

• H01B1/023 Primary

  Alloys based on aluminium · CPC title

• H01B5/105

  composed of synthetic filaments, e.g. glass-fibres · CPC title