Transmission Line Editor Overview Page 1 of 41

Transmission Line Editor Overview

The properties associated with transmission lines of the electrical system can be entered in this editor.
You can perform the following functions within this editor:

 Calculate electrical parameters of Lines

 Calculate conductor ampacity and temperature

 Calculate Sag & Tension

 Conductor transposition

The Transmission Line Editor includes twelve pages of properties:

Info Page
Parameter Page
Configuration Page
Grouping Page
Earth Page
Impedance Page
Protection Page
Sag & Tension Page
Ampacity Page
Reliability Page
Remarks Page
Comment Page

Info Page - Transmission Line Editor

You can use the Info page to specify the transmission line ID, From and To bus ID and kV, In/Out of
Service, Feeder Tag, Name, Description, and Length.

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Line Type

The Transmission Line editor type displays information from the transmission line header of the library
selected. It is arranged as follows:

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Source

Source of the transmission line data for the selected line.

Conductor Type

Conductor material. The current types available are listed in the following table

Type Description
AAC All Aluminum Conductor
ACAR Aluminum Conductor Alloy Reinforced
AAAC All Aluminum Alloy Conductor
ACSR Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced
AHC Anaconda Hollow Copper
CU Copper
CW Copper Weld
CWC Copper Weld Copper

Base Temp.1 for R

Base Rated Temperature 1 for the Resistance value in degrees Celsius. This temperature plus the rated
temperature 2 are used to calculate the resistance variation for the line at various temperatures.
Base Temp.1 for R

Base Rated Temperature 2 for the Resistance value in degrees Celsius. This temperature plus the rated
temperature 1 are used to calculate the resistance variation for the line at various temperatures.
Frequency

Line rated frequency in Hz. This value indicates the frequency at which reactance, GMR, and other
parameters are specified by the manufacturer or standard. If the frequency of the system is different,
ETAP will automatically adjust these parameters to the system frequency.
Code

Code name given to a transmission line by the standard or source of data. For most available lines, their
code (for example, bird, flower, city, or sport) has been entered in this field. In the case of T&D book,
since they do not use the bird names, size-strands has been used for the code.

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Size

2
Line size in AWG, kcmil, or mm .
Con. # of Strands

Main conductor number of strands.

Info

ID

Enter a unique ID with up to 25 alphanumeric characters. ETAP automatically assigns a unique ID to

each transmission line. The assigned IDs consist of the default line ID plus an integer, starting with the
number one and increasing as the number of lines increase. The default line ID (Line) can be changed
from the Defaults Menu in the menu bar or from the Project View.
From and To

Bus IDs for the connecting buses of a transmission line are designated as From and To buses. If a
terminal of a branch, From or To, is not connected to any bus, a blank entry will be shown for bus ID.
To connect or reconnect a branch to a bus, select a bus from the list box. The one-line diagram will be
updated to show the new connection after you click OK. Note: you can only connect to buses that reside
in the same view where the branch resides, i.e., you cannot connect to a bus that resides in the Dumpster
or in another composite network.

For 3 Phase Transmission Lines, only 3 Phase buses will be displayed in the drop down lists. For Single
Transmission Lines only single-phase buses will be displayed.

If a branch is connected to a bus through a number of protective devices, reconnection of the branch to a
new bus from the editors will reconnect the last existing protective device to the new bus, as shown
below where Branch X is reconnected from Bus10 to Bus4.

Single Phase Transmission lines can also be connected to Phase Adapters. If the Cable is connected as

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such, then the Phase Adapter ID will show in the Primary or Secondary field.

Next to the From and To bus IDs, ETAP displays the nominal kV of the buses for your convenience.

In/Out of Service

Operating condition of a transmission line can be selected by choosing either the In Service or Out of
Service options. The properties of an Out of Service branch can be edited like an In Service branch;
however, an Out of Service branch will not be included in any system studies. When Continuity Check
is activated, an Out of Service branch automatically becomes dimmed in the one-line diagram. All the
loads and branches energized solely through an Out of Service branch will also be de-energized and
become dimmed.

Note that the In/Out of Service option is an engineering property, which is independent of the
configuration status. Therefore, you can set a branch to be In Service for the Base Data and Out of
Service in Revision Data.

Connection

Transmission Lines can be defined as 3 Phase or 1 Phase lines by selecting any of the following
selections:
3 Phase

Define the line as a three-phase line. This line can be connected only to three-phase buses.
1 Phase

Define the line as a single-phase line.

Equipment

Tag #

Enter the feeder tag in this field, using up to 25 alphanumeric characters.

Name

Enter the equipment name, using up to 50 alphanumeric characters.

Description

Enter the equipment description, using up to 100 alphanumeric characters.

Length

Length

Enter the length of the transmission line, in the units specified in the Unit field.

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Unit

Select the unit from the list box. The units of length available are feet, miles, meters, and kilometers.
Tolerance

Enter the percent tolerance in line length. The Adjustments page in the analysis modules can be used to
consider +/- % tolerance in line length, effectively increasing or decreasing the impedance based on the
type of study being performed.

Transmision Line Overview

Parameter Page
Configuration Page
Grouping Page
Earth Page
Impedance Page
Protection Page
Sag & Tension Page
Ampacity Page
Reliability Page
Remarks Page
Comment Page

Parameter Page - Transmission Line Editor

In the parameter page you can select the Phase and ground conductors from the library or enter the
conductor properties.

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Phase Conductor

Conductor Type

Select the main conductor material (Copper or Aluminum).

R T1

This is the phase conductor rated resistance at the rated temperature T1 in ohms per mile or ohms per
kilometer.
R T2

This is the phase conductor rated resistance at the rated temperature T2 in ohms per mile or ohms per
kilometer.
Xa

Enter the conductor inductive reactance in ohms per mile at 1ft spacing.
Outside Diameter

Specify conductor outside diameter in inches or cm. ETAP calculates the equivalent diameter of the
bundled conductors (d’) for bundled conductors by using following the formulas:

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Two bundled conductors:

Three bundled conductors:

Four bundled conductors:

where d is a single conductor diameter in inches and S is the separation between conductors in inches or
cm.
GMR

Specify conductor geometric mean radius (GMR) in feet or meters. GMR must be less than or equal to
the conductor radius. When Xa is entered and GMR has not been entered, the program will calculate
GMR using the following formula:

For English units:

For Metric units:

For bundled conductors, ETAP calculates the equivalent GMR using the following formulas:

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Two bundled conductors:

Three bundled conductors:

Four bundled conductors:

Where GMR is for a single conductor and S is the separation between bundled conductors in inches or
cm.
Xa’

Enter the conductor shunt capacitive reactance in megohms per mile or kilometer.
Conductor Lib

Press the Conductor Lib button to access the Library Quick Pick – Transmission Line (Phase Conductor)
dialog box, which allows you to select line data from the library.

Ground Wire

Conductor Type

Select the main conductor material (Aluminum, Copper, or Steel).

R T1

Enter the conductor rated resistance at the rated temperature T1 in ohms per mile or ohms per kilometer.
R T2

Enter the conductor rated resistance at the rated temperature T2 in ohms per mile or ohms per kilometer.

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Xa

Enter the conductor inductive reactance in ohms per mile at 1ft spacing.
Outside Diameter

Specify conductor outside diameter in inches or cm. For bundled conductors, ETAP calculates the
equivalent diameter of the bundled conductors (d’) using following the formulas:

Two bundled wires:

Three bundled wires:

Four bundled wires:

Where d is a single conductor diameter in inches and S is the separation between conductors in inches or
cm.
GMR

Specify conductor geometric mean radius (GMR) in feet or meters. GMR must be less than or equal to
the conductor radius. When Xa is entered and GMR has not been entered, the program will calculate
using the following formula:

Two bundled conductors:

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Three bundled conductors:

Four bundled conductors:

where GMR is for a single conductor and S is the separation between bundled ground wires in inches.
Xa’

Conductor shunt capacitive reactance in megohms per mile or kilometer.

Ground Wire Lib

Press the Ground Wire Lib button to access the Library Quick Pick – Transmission Line (Ground Wire)
dialog box, which allows you to select line data from the library.

Transmision Line Overview

Info Page
Configuration Page
Grouping Page
Earth Page
Impedance Page
Protection Page
Sag & Tension Page
Ampacity Page
Reliability Page
Remarks Page
Comment Page

Configuration Page – Transmission Line Editor

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Configuration Type

Several types of physical configurations are available for transmission lines to accommodate most
setups. Available options for transmission line placement are:

Horizontal Parallel Vertical

Vertical Parallel Horizontal
Triangular General*

The general configuration allows you to specify the physical location of the conductors with respect to a
reference point. The reference point is located at the same level as the base of the tower or pole. This
defines the height of the lines with respect to the soil level. For example:

For this configuration, the following

parameters would be used:

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The spacing is calculated automatically by ETAP. The ground wires are also entered with respect of the reference
point.

GMD

The geometric mean diameter (GMD) is calculated based on the spacing and configuration type. The
value is in feet or meters.

Phase

Height

Enter the height (in feet or meters) of the transmission line from the earth to the lowest conductor in the
system.
Spacing

Specify the distance between the phase conductors as three pairs of conductors (AB, BC, CA) in feet or
meters. This provides the ability to configure the wires to almost any shape. For parallel circuits, you
need to specify the distance between the two circuits. ETAP treats the triangular and parallel
configurations symmetrically (that is, AB = BC and CA<(AB+BC)).

This field is dimmed when General is selected for the Configuration Type. in this case, the fields are
calculated based on the X,Y coordinates of the conductors.

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Layout

Layout is a graphical representation of the location of the conductors and ground wires. The image is not
to scale and it does not update with changes in spacing.
Below some of the configurations that can be specified:

d
12

This is the distance between the closest conductors from each parallel circuit. It is used to define the
separation between the two circuits as indicated in the image below.

Ground Wires

GG

The distance between the ground wires in feet or meters. This field is active if you have more than one
ground wire.
CG

The distance between the ground wires and a phase conductor closest to the ground wire in feet or
meters. The value of CG can be negative if ground wires are located under the phase conductors.
G1 and G2

These fields are available only when you have selected General under the Configuration Type. Check
G1 if you have at least one ground wire in the system. Then specify the X, Y coordinate of this wire

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with respect to the reference. Check G2 if you have two ground wires in the system.

Conductors

Transposed

Select his option if the 3-phase transmission line is fully transposed. This option affects the calculation
of transmission line impedance values.
Separation

Enter the separation between the adjacent bundled conductors of the same phase in inches or
centimeters.
Conductors/phase

You can specify up to four bundled conductors

Transmision Line Overview

Info Page
Parameter Page
Grouping Page
Earth Page
Impedance Page
Protection Page
Sag & Tension Page
Ampacity Page
Reliability Page
Remarks Page
Comment Page

Grouping Page - Transmission Line Editor

The Grouping page of the Transmission Line Editor allows you to take the effect of mutual coupling
into account.

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Group

Name

This is the mutual coupling group name. Click in this field to select a coupling group from the drop-
down list. If you have not created a coupling group, you can create one by clicking on the Mutual
Coupling Group button located below the Tower area.
Length (M)

This is the length of the section in which the lines in the group are coupled. This value is defined in the
Mutual Coupling Group editor.
X (ft)

Enter the horizontal distance between the reference point of this line and the reference point of the
coupling group. You can set the X value for one of the lines to make it the reference point. Then set the
X value for the rest of the lines with reference to the first line.
Y (ft)

Enter the vertical distance between the reference point of this line and the reference point of the
coupling group. You can take the line that has its pole or tower at the lowest elevation and set the Y of
the line equal to 0. Then for each of the rest of the lines, set Y equal to the difference in elevation
between the line and the first line.

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Click this button to switch the start bus and end bus values. This indicates the starting and ending side of
all lines in the coupling group.
Start Bus

This is the bus on the side where the line coupling starts. The starting and ending buses of a line are used
to determine the terminal buses that are on the same side for all the coupled lines in the group. The start
bus affect the calculation of the voltage drops of coupled lines.
End Bus

This is the bus on the side where the line coupling ends.

Tower

Ground Resistance

Specify the value of the grounding resistance through the tower in ohms.
Segmented Earth Wires

Select this option to make the earth wires segmented.

Average Distance

Specify the average distance between each tower in the unit specified in the Unit field.
Unit

Select the units in which the average distance is specified.

Mutual Coupling Group Button

Use this button to access the Mutual Coupling group editor. You can define the coupling groups here
and then select it on the group name filed above.

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Note: You can also access the Mutual Coupling Group Editor from the Project Menu.

Transmision Line Overview

Info Page
Parameter Page
Configuration Page
Earth Page
Impedance Page
Protection Page
Sag & Tension Page
Ampacity Page
Reliability Page
Remarks Page
Comment Page

Earth Page - Transmission Line Editor

This page allows you to model the earth layers. This information is used to calculate the grounding
resistance of the line.

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Earth Layers

This group allows you to specify up to 3 layers of ground and the properties of each layer.

Number of Earth Layers

Select the number of earth layers you want to model. ETAP will display a row to enter properties for
each layer.

P(ohms-m)

Enter the earth resistivity for each layer in ohm-meters (ohms-m).

Enter the earth permitivity of each layer.

Enter the earth permeability of each layer.

Depth

Enter the depth of each layer in feet/meters.

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Transmision Line Overview

Info Page
Parameter Page
Configuration Page
Grouping Page
Impedance Page
Protection Page
Sag & Tension Page
Ampacity Page
Reliability Page
Remarks Page
Comment Page

Impedance Page – Transmission Line Editor

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Impedance (per phase)

Pos., Neg., and Zero Sequence Resistances (R-T1,R-T2)

ETAP automatically calculates the Pos. (positive) and Zero sequence resistances in ohms or ohms per
unit length, per phase, and at base temperature T1 and T2, according to the specified configuration and
grounding information of a transmission line. ETAP corrects these resistances for different studies based
on the specified temperature limits in the Operating Temperatures group. You can also specify positive
and zero sequence resistances in ohms or ohms per unit length, per phase, and at base temperatures T1
and T2 specified for this data file.
Pos., Neg., and Zero Sequence Reactances (X)

ETAP automatically calculates the Pos. (positive) and Zero sequence reactances in ohms or ohms per
unit length, per phase, according to the specified configuration, grounding, and grouping information of
a transmission line. When data is recalled from English (60 Hz) or Metric (50 Hz) libraries, ETAP

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corrects these reactances for the system operating frequency. The user can also specify positive and zero
sequence reactances in ohms or ohms per unit length, per phase, at the system operating frequency
specified for this data file. The zero sequence reactance is used only for unbalanced fault current
calculations.
Pos., Neg., and Zero Sequence Susceptances (Y)

ETAP automatically calculates the Pos. (positive) and Zero sequence susceptances in microsiemens or
microsiemens per unit length, per phase, according to the specified configuration and grounding
information of a transmission line. If the value is Y>0, the transmission line is treated as a model, with
one half (1/2) of the charging susceptance connected to neutral at each end of the line. If Y=0, the
transmission line is treated as an external impedance. When data is recalled from English (60 Hz) or
Metric (50 Hz) libraries, ETAP corrects these susceptances for the system operating frequency. The user
can also specify positive and zero sequence susceptances in microsiemens or microsiemens per unit
length, per phase, at the system operating frequency specified for this data file. The zero sequence
susceptance is used only for unbalanced fault current calculations.

Calculated

Select the Calculated option if you want ETAP to calculate the impedance of the line according to the
parameters, configuration, grounding, and grouping.

User Defined

Select the User-Defined option if you want to enter the impedance values.

Unit

Select impedance units as ohms per unit length or ohms. Select a unit for unit length from the list box.
Units available are: feet, miles, meters, and kilometers. If you select ohms, the impedances calculated or
entered represent the total impedance of the line. ETAP uses ohms per mile as the unit of impedance
calculation.

R, X, Y Matrices

Select Phase Domain or Sequence Domain and click the buttons under this group to display the
Resistance (R), Reactance (X), or the Susceptance (Y) sequence matrixes.

Library Temperatures

Base T1 and Base T2

If you have selected the phase conductors from the library, ETAP displays the temperatures (in degrees
Celsius) at which the resistance values where entered in the library. These temperatures allow ETAP to
determine the impedance variation versus temperature.

If you have selected to specify the impedance, then select or enter the temperatures (in degrees Celsius)
at which you have entered the resistances upstream in the Impedance (per phase) group.

Operating Temperatures

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Minimum and Maximum

Two conductor temperature limits (in degrees Celsius) may be entered for adjusting positive and zero
sequence resistances (R and R0) for different studies. The first limit is the minimum operating
temperature and the second limit is the maximum operating temperature. ETAP will use the most
conservative temperature limit for each study type. For example:

Temperature Limit Used by some modules

Min. Max.
Load Flow X
Short-Circuit X
Motor Starting X
Dynamic Stability X

If this correction is not wanted, set both minimum and maximum temperature limits equal to the base
temperature. ETAP uses the Base T1 and Base T2 temperatures to calculate the impedance variation of
the line.

If R-T1 and R-T2 entered on the Parameters page are equal, it indicates that the line resistance does not
vary as conductor temperature fluctuates. In this case, the calculation will use a constant resistance at the
base temperature.

Transmision Line Overview

Info Page
Parameter Page
Configuration Page
Grouping Page
Earth Page
Protection Page
Sag & Tension Page
Ampacity Page
Reliability Page
Remarks Page
Comment Page

Protection Page - Transmission Line Editor

This page contains options to plot transmission line thermal capability curve on a Star View.

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Thermal Capability

2
Transmission line capability curve is an I t characteristic curve, which depends on the following
parameters:

 Conductor area

 Number of conductors/phase

The thermal capability curve is always drawn between t = 1 to t = 10 seconds.

2
Plot Phase Conductor I t on TCC

2
Click to plot conductor I t on Star View. This option will plot or hide phase conductor thermal
capability curve from the Star View. This check box is only active when a phase conductor is selected
from the library.

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2
Plot Ground Wire I t on TCC

2
Click to plot wire I t on Star View. This option will plot or hide ground wire thermal capability curve
from the Star View. This check box is only active when a ground conductor is selected from the library.

Transmision Line Overview

Info Page
Parameter Page
Configuration Page
Grouping Page
Earth Page
Impedance Page
Sag & Tension Page
Ampacity Page
Reliability Page
Remarks Page
Comment Page

Sag & Tension Page - Transmission Line Editor

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It is important to perform a sag and tension calculation for a transmission line to ensure an adequate
operating condition for the line. If the tension applied on the line is beyond its tension limit, the line
conductor will be damaged, which will in turn reduce line capacity and decrease the life span of the line.
If the sag is too great, this may cause a short-circuit between the line and objects below it or a short-
circuit between lines in extremely windy conditions.

ETAP calculates the sag and tension of the line with a series of suspension spans based on the ruling
span method on this page. It gives line sag and tension for the specified operating conditions, including
temperature, wind speed, and ice on the line and is based on the sag and tension under initial conditions
(called Known Conditions in the editor). The initial conditions may be at no load conditions or some
other operating conditions at which line sag or tension can be measured. The sag and tension to be
calculated should be for the worst operating conditions, such as in strong wind conditions and lines
covered with thick ice, etc.

The ruling span method represents a series of suspension spans between two dead-end structures by a
level dead-end span. The level dead-end span, called ruling span, gives the same change in tension from
loading, temperature, and other operating conditions as that of the actual line. The method calculates
sags for each suspended section of the line. But it assumes that the tension of all the suspended sections
is the same as that of the ruling span.

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Line Section

You can specify the operating temperature and line sections of suspended spans in this group. ETAP
calculates the length of the ruling span, tension of the ruling span, and sags for each suspended section.
Same Tower Height

Select this option if the towers are at the same level. This option will allow you to calculate the Sag at
the Spans entered in the table below. If this option is not checked, ETAP will calculate the Sag and
Tension as seen from each tower.
Op Temp.

Enter the operating temperature in degrees Celsius or check to use and display the operating
temperature. The operating temperature is calculated on the Ampacity page corresponding to the
operating current. To obtain more conservative tension and sag results, a lower operating temperature
should be used.
Horiz. Tension

The calculated line horizontal tension is displayed in this field in lbs/kN.

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Ruling Span

The calculated length of the ruling span in ft./m is displayed in this field. This filed is displayed when
Same Tower Height has been selected.
Span

Enter the individual span of suspended sections of the line in ft. or meters .
Height Diff

Enter the height difference between towers in feet or meters.

Span Vs Sag Table

Span (Ft)

Enter the individual span of suspended sections of the line in ft. or meters in this column.
Sag

This field displays the calculated sag in ft. or meters for each suspended section of the line in this
column,
Low Tower and High Tower Tension and Sag

These fields display the Sag and Tension seen from the Lower Tower and from the High Tower .when
the Same Tower Height option is not selected.

Loaded Conditions

This group includes operating parameters under loaded conditions that affect the line tension and sag
calculation. The parameters should be entered so as to yield more conservative results, such as higher
wind pressure and thicker ice on the line, etc.
Weight

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Enter the conductor weight in lb/ft or N/m. If you have selected the conductor from the library, the
information from the library automatically updates this field.
k Factor

Enter the constant to be added from NESC table 251-1 under the loaded conditions in lb/ft or N/m.
Ice

Enter the ice thickness under the loaded conditions in cm/in.

Wind

Enter the NESC horizontal wind force requirement in lb/sq. ft or N/sq. m under the loaded conditions in
cm/in.
Elongation Coefficient

-6
Enter the coefficient of conductor elongation in 10 /degrees C.

Al/Cu Strands

Enter the number and diameter of the conductor (Copper or Aluminum) strands. Diameter is specified in
inches or centimeters. If you have selected the conductor from the library, the information from the
library automatically updates this field.

Steel Strands

Enter the number and diameter of the reinforcement (steel or composite) strands. Diameter is specified
in inches or centimeters. If you have selected the ground wire from the library, the information from the
library automatically updates this field.

Modulus of Elasticity

6
Enter the modulus of elasticity for Aluminum / Copper or Steel in 10 psi if using English units or Mpa
in metric units.

Known Conditions

In this group you enter the initial conditions under which line tension or sag value can be provided by
measurement or previous knowledge.
Ice

Enter the ice thickness on the line under the known conditions in cm or inches.
Wind

Enter the known NESC horizontal wind force requirement under the known conditions in lb/sq. ft or
N/sq. m
k Factor

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Enter the known constant to be added from NESC table 251-1 under the known conditions in lb/ft or
N/m
Temperature

Enter the known operating temperature in degrees Celsius.

Tension or Sag

Select to enter the known tension or sag. ETAP will calculate and display the other parameter. These
two values are based on the ruling span of the line.

Transmision Line Overview

Info Page
Parameter Page
Configuration Page
Grouping Page
Earth Page
Impedance Page
Protection Page
Ampacity Page
Reliability Page
Remarks Page
Comment Page

Ampacity Page - Transmission Line Editor

ETAP determines the current-temperature relationship for transmission lines in this page. The
calculation is based on IEEE Standard 738-1993, “IEEE Standard for Calculating the Current-
Temperature Relationship of Bare Overhead Conductors.” Conductor surface temperatures are a
function of:

 Conductor material

 Conductor OD

 Conductor surface conditions

 Ambient weather conditions

 Conductor electrical current

Based on the steady-state heat balance equation of a bear overhead conductor, the conductor current and
temperature relationship can be given as the following equation:

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Where I is conductor current, q is the convected heat loss, q is the radiated heat loss, q is the heat gain
c r s
from the sun, and R is the conductor AC resistance at conductor temperature T .
c

For a bare stranded conductor, if the conductor temperature (Tc) and the steady state weather parameters
are known, the heat losses due to convection and radiation, solar heat gain, and conductor resistance can
be calculated. While the calculation given in IEEE Std 738-1993 can be performed for any conductor
temperature and any weather condition, a maximum allowable conductor temperature and conservative
weather conditions are often used to calculate steady state thermal rating for the conductor.

ETAP calculates the operating temperature corresponding to the user entered operation current for the
specified installation and environment conditions, so that you can determine the maximum operating
temperature for given transmission line loading conditions. It also calculates the derated ampacity for
the conductor temperature limit you enter, so that you can determine the maximum loading current for
your transmission lines.

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Wind

Speed

Speed is wind velocity in ft/s. Conservative wind velocity is considered around 2 ft/s. Most wind speeds
obtained from the weather bureau records are often inaccurate, since most of the data has been recorded
by standard cup-type anemometer that has significant starting inertia. Therefore, readings at low wind
speeds are questionable.
Direction

Direction is defined as the direction of the movement of air relative to the line axis. The wind direction
and the line axis are assumed to be in a plane parallel to the earth.

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Atmosphere

Ta

Ambient temperature around the conductor in degrees Celsius.

Condition

Select the condition of atmosphere. The two options are Clear and Industrial. The atmosphere condition
affects the solar heat gain.
Sun Time

Local sun time used to calculate total solar heat gain. At different values of local sun time, the altitude
and azimuth of the sun will be different and yield a different solar heat gain.

Installation

In this group, you enter parameters for the installation of the transmission line.
Elevation

Elevation of conductor above sea level in ft/meter. This value is used to determine air density for
calculating convection heat loss. Furthermore, height of conductors above ground is significant in terms
of wind shielding. High voltage lines normally have greater ground clearance and may be less shielded
by trees and terrain than low voltage lines. Select the highest altitude that is applicable at the location of
the line be selected, because this will give the most conservative results.
Azimuth

This represents Azimuth of line in degrees, measured clockwise from the Northern direction to the line
axis.
North Latitude

This represents North latitude of line location in degrees.

Solar Absorptivity

Solar absorptivity is typically 0.23 to 0.91, depending on the age of the line. The exact rate of increase
depends on the level of atmospheric pollution and the lineoperating voltage. Absorptivity is usually
higher than emissivity.
Emissivity

Emissivity is typically 0.23 to 0.91, depending on the age of the line. The exact rate of increase depends
on the level of atmospheric pollution and the lineoperating voltage. Emissivity is usually lower than
absorptivity.

Weight Density

Enter the weight density for aluminum/copper and steel in this group. The material weight density is
used to determine the total heat capacity of the conductor, which is employed in the transient conductor

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temperature calculation.

Ampacity vs. Temperature

This group displays conductor ampacity and temperature calculation results, as well as ampacity and
temperature values from the transmission line conductor library.
Lib Ta

This field displays the ambient temperature in degrees Celsius from the conductor library.
Lib Conductor Temp.

This field displays the conductor temperature limit in degrees Celsius from the conductor library.
Base Ampacity

This field displays the conductor base ampacity in amperes from the conductor library. This ampacity
value is corresponding to the ambient and conductor temperature values from the conductor library.
Operating Conductor Temp.

For the user entered operating ampacity, this field displays the calculated operating temperature in
degrees Celsius.
Operating Ampacity

Enter the conductor operating current in amperes and ETAP will calculate the corresponding conductor
temperature, which is displayed in the Operating Conductor Temp. field.
Tc Conductor Temp.

Enter the maximum allowable conductor temperature in degrees Celsius. ETAP calculates the derated
conductor ampacity and displays the result in the Derated Ampacity field.
Derated Ampacity

For the user entered Tc value, ETAP calculates the corresponding conductor ampacity and displays the
result in this field.
Lib Conductor Temp.

This field displays the conductor temperature limit in degrees Celsius from the conductor library.
Top Conductor Temp.

This field displays the calculated operating temperature in degrees Celsius.

Tc Conductor Temp.

Enter the maximum allowable conductor temperature in degrees Celsius. ETAP calculates the derated
conductor ampacity and displays the result in the Derated Ampacity field.

Allowable Ampacity

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This is the maximum allowable ampacity of the line. It is used in the load flow output reports to indicate
the percent of line overloading. This value is also used as a base for the line flow constraint in the
optimal power flow studies.

ETAP provides options for selecting the maximum allowable current:

Derated Select this option to make the derated

ampacity the maximum allowable current for
this line.
User-Defined Select this option to enter the maximum
allowable current for this line

Note: the conductor Temperature Tc is calculated given the allowable ampacity.

Transmision Line Overview

Info Page
Parameter Page
Configuration Page
Grouping Page
Earth Page
Impedance Page
Protection Page
Sag & Tension Page
Reliability Page
Remarks Page
Comment Page

Reliability Page

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Reliability Parameters

A

This is the active failure rate in number of failures per year per unit length. The active failure rate is
associated with the component failure mode that causes the operation of the primary protection zone
around the failed component and can therefore cause the removal of the other healthy components and
branches from service, after the actively failed component is isolated, and the protection breakers are
reclosed. This leads to service being restored to some or all of the load points. It should be noted,
however, that the failed component itself (and those components that are directly connected to this failed
component) could be restored to service only after repair or replacement.


P

This is the passive failure rate in number of failures per year per unit length. The passive failure rate is
associated with the component failure mode that does not cause the operation of protection breakers and
therefore does not have an impact on the remaining healthy components. Repairing or replacing the
failed component will restores service. Examples of passive failures include opening circuits and

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inadvertent opening of breakers.

Per

Select a length unit from the list box for the failure rate. The units of length available are: feet, miles,
meters, and kilometers.

Calculate and display the mean repair rate in number of repairs per year. It is calculated automatically
based on MTTR ( = 8760/MTTR) in repair/yr automatically.
MTTF

Calculate and display the Mean Time To Failure in years. It is calculated automatically based on λ and
A
λ of MTTF = 1.0/(λ +λ ) in yr for unit length automatically.
P A P
FOR

Calculate and display the forced outage rate (unavailability). It is automatically calculated based on
MTTR, λ , and λ (FOR = MTTR/(MTTR+8760/(λ +λ )) for unit length.
A P A P
MTTR

The MTTR (Mean Time To Repair) in hours is the expected time for a crew to repair a component
outage and/or restore the system to its normal operating state.

Alternative Supply

Switching Time

This is the time in hours for switching to an alternative supply after the device failure.

Replacement

Available

Check this box to enable r .

P
r
P

This is the replacement time in hours by for replacing a failed element by a spare one.

Library

Library Button

Click the Library button to bring up the Library Quick Pick Editor for reliability data.
Source

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This displays the Source Name of the library data selected

Type

This displays the type name of the library data selected

Class

This displays the class of the library data selected.

Transmision Line Overview

Info Page
Parameter Page
Configuration Page
Grouping Page
Earth Page
Impedance Page
Protection Page
Sag & Tension Page
Ampacity Page
Remarks Page
Comment Page

Remarks Page
The remarks page is common to all element editors.

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User-Defined Info

These fields allow you to keep track of extra data associated with this component. The names of the
User-Defined (UD) fields can be changed from the Settings option in the Project menu in the Menu bar.
UD Field 1 (Eq. Ref.)

This is a number field with the default name Eq. Ref. You can change the name of this field and enter
the equipment reference number or any other number here, using up to five digits.
UD Field 2 (Last Maint.)

This is an alphanumeric field with the default name Last Maint. You can change the name of this field
and enter any additional data for this element here, using up to 12 alphanumeric characters.
UD Field 3 (Next Maint.)

This is an alphanumeric field with the default name Next Maint. You can change the name of this field
and enter any additional data for this element here, using up to 12 alphanumeric characters.
UD Field 4 (Tests Req.)

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This is an alphanumeric field with the default name Tests Req. You can change the name of this field
and enter any additional data for this element here, using up to 12 alphanumeric characters.
UD Field A5

This is an alphanumeric field with the default name UD Field A5. You can change the name of this field
and enter any additional data for this element here, using up to 12 alphanumeric characters.
UD Field A6

This is an alphanumeric field with the default name UD Field A6. You can change the name of this field
and enter any additional data for this element here, using up to 12 alphanumeric characters.
UD Field A7

This is an alphanumeric field with the default name UD Field A7. You can change the name of this field
and enter any additional data for this element here, using up to 18 alphanumeric characters.

Drawing/Diagram

One-Line

Enter the name or ID of a one-line drawing or diagram associated with this element, up to 50
alphanumeric characters. An example is the manufacturer diagram or specifications for this element.
Reference

Enter the name or ID of a reference drawing or document for this element, using up to 50 alphanumeric
characters.

Manufacturer

Name

Enter the manufacturername for this element here, using up to 25 alphanumeric characters.
Purchase Date

Enter the date of purchase for this element here, using up to 8 alphanumeric characters.

AC Elements
AC-DC Elements
DC Elements
Underground Raceway System Elements

Comment Page

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Enter any additional data or comments regarding the condition, maintenance, tests, or studies associated
with this element. This field can be up to 64kb and the default size is 4kb. To increase the size of this
field, you need to change the entries in the ETAPS.INI file.

When entering information in this page, use Ctrl+Enter to start a new paragraph. Standard key
combinations such as Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C, and Ctrl+V can be used to cut, copy, and paste information.

Element Editor Overview

AC Elements
AC-DC Elements
DC Elements
Underground Raceway System Elements

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