AFL EMEA

SkyWrap ® Information ©2011-2013, AFL Telecommunications Europe Ltd. Email: EMEAsales@AFLglobal.com Specifications are subject to change without notice. SW026_08Jan_2013 www.AFLglobal.com or +44 (0)1793 647200 Introduction SkyWrap is the leading attached fibre optic cable system for use on overhead electricity transmission and distribution lines (IEC designation: OPAC). SkyWrap was developed in the early 1980s and the first installation was carried out in 1982 for the power company SEEBoard in the UK. Approximately 30,000 kilometres of SkyWrap has been installed since that time in more than 40 countries around the world and in a wide variety of climates and terrains. SkyWrap fully meets the requirements of IEEE1594. Comparison with other aerial fibre optic cable designs AFL supply a wide range of aerial fibre optic cables, including SkyWrap, OPGW and ADSS. Together these products provide a complete solution when organisations are seeking to build a fibre optic based communications network along the electricity power and distribution infrastructure. Every installation is unique with individual environmental conditions, network performance TECHNOLOGY KEY ADVANTAGES TYPICAL APPLICATIONS OPGW optical ground wire • Familiar technology • Widely available from many suppliers • Extremely reliable, safe and secure • Matches ground wire performance • Imposes no additional loads on towers • New build transmission lines • Renovation and re-conductoring projects • Not suitable for lines without ground wire OPPC optical phase conductor • Used on lines with no ground wire as an alternative to OPGW • Imposes no additional loads on towers • New build transmission lines • Renovation and re-conductoring projects ADSS all-dielectric self-supporting cable • Maintains physical separation between electricity and communications networks • Installation is simple and inexpensive • Widely available from many suppliers • Can be used on lines with no ground wire • Overhead lines below 150kV and span lengths below 300m – ADSS is especially suited to MV distribution lines. It can be difficult to use satisfactorily on HV lines • Apply caution to sourcing low-cost ADSS, cable quality and service lifetime should be a priority over price. MASS metal-armoured self-supporting cable • Maintains physical separation between electricity and communications networks • Installation is simple and inexpensive • Can be used on lines with no ground wire • Ground wire position is not available • ADSS is unsuitable because of electric field problems or risk of shotgun damage SkyWrap helical wrap-on cable (OPAC) • Does not impose extra loads on towers • Installation is very quick and inexpensive • Easily installed in regions with difficult terrain • Can often be installed without power outage • Suitable for lines with or without ground wires • Difficult to reach locations (eg mountainous region) • Very long spans (>750m) • Towers unsuitable for ADSS or OPGW • Can also be used on wood pole lines from 10kV requirements and feasible installation methods. These elements make up a set of requirements when choosing the most suitable cable type and whilst some capabilities of cable technology overlap, others are clearly better suited to certain applications (see summary table below). The most cost-effective and reliable solution is always achieved by using the most suitable technology in the appropriate circumstances. Technical overview SkyWrap fibre optic cable is designed to be very small so that it imposes the least possible additional load on the structures of the overhead line. On a typical 220kV line with 450 metre span length, 24 fibre SkyWrap cable adds only 25 kilograms to the weight of the ground wire. SkyWrap achieves this by using the host ground wire for support – it does not support its own weight like ADSS or OPGW and so it does not need to be a large, strong cable. SkyWrap – a proven solution Page 1 of 2

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