Cable Guide: ACSR conductor

Article outline:

1  What is an ACSR conductor?
2  The main animal name of ACSR conductor:
3  ACSR conductor Electrical properties:
4  ACSR Conductor application Scenes
5  Advantages of ACSR conductors
6  Common types of overhead conductors
7  Related FAQ

1 What is an ACSR conductor?

In china & overseas, ACSR and AAAC conductors are commonly used for transmission of power on overhead lines for transmission and distribution system. It has a great demand.

ACSR is part of the overhead conductor series, An ACSR conductor is made from aluminium and steel. ACSR stands for Aluminium Conductor Steel Reinforced. "A" stands for aluminum, "C" stands for conductor, "S" stands for steel, "R" stands for reinforced. As the name implies aluminium conductor is being used to carry the current. Steel core provide the mechanical strength of the cable. The aluminum conductors are all stranded in order to added flexibility. 

ACSR conductor consists of the following components:

Steel wire cores: this is the central component of the cable, and is made of high tensile steel. The steel wire cores provides the mechanical strength to support its weight of the conductors.

Outer layer aluminum conductors: these are stranded conductors made of hard draw aluminum. And the aluminum conductor have high conductivity and low power resistance.

Zinc Coating optional: The aluminum conductors are typically coated with zinc to provide protection against corrosion.

Grease optional: the ACSR conductor may be filled with a special type of grease, which helps to prevent the ingress of moisture and provides additional protection against corrosion.

2 The main animal name of ACSR conductor:
To help avoid confusion due to the numerous combinations of stranding of the steel and aluminium strands, code words are used to specify a specific conductor version. In North America bird names are used for the code words while animal names are used elsewhere.

    acsr Dog conductor
    acsr Panther conductor
    acsr Rabbit conductor
    acsr Coyote conductor
    acsr Mink conductor
    acsr Lynx conductor
    acsr Moose conductor
    acsr Squirrel conductor
    acsr Weasel conductor
    acsr Zebra conductor
    acsr Wolf conductor

What is the difference between ACSR conductor types Dog & Rabbit & Panther?
the“DOG”conductor is a ACSR (aluminum conductor, steel reinforced) cable with nominal aluminum cross-sectional area of 100 mm². It has 6 aluminum strands of 4.72 mm diameter and 7 steel strands of 1.57 mm diameter.

the“RABBIT”conductor is a ACSR cable with nominal aluminum cross-sectional area of 50 mm². It has 6 aluminum strands of 3.35 mm diameter and 1 steel strand of 3.35 mm diameter.

the "PANTHER" conductor is a ACSR cable with nominal aluminum cross-sectional area of 200mm². It has 30 aluminum strands of 3.00 mm diameter and 7 steel  strand of 3.00 mm diameter.

ACSR Conductor Size

Conductor can be easily manufactured in different sizes. Conductor size based on DC resistance, current carrying capacity and breaking strength requirements.  



3 ACSR conductor Electrical properties:

Steel reinforced aluminum conductor has low resistance loss, energy saving and environmental protection. By reducing the DC resistance of the wires, improving the conductivity of the wires, and reducing transmission losses, the energy-saving effect is achieved.

4 ACSR Conductor application scenes
ACSR CONDUCTOR has a wide range of applications in electrical power transmission and distribution systems , transmission steel towers, and other structures. 

Overhead power transmission lines: ACSR conductor is commonly used for Overhead power transmission lines.

Overhead distribution lines: ACSR conductor is commonly used for Overhead distribution lines, which are used to distribute electrical power from transmission lines to homes and business.

River Crossings: ACSR cable can be used for river crossings, where it is suspended between two towers to transport electrical power across a river or other waterway.

Industrial Applications

These are just mainly applications of ACSR conductor. The specific application of ACSR cable depends on the electrical and mechanical requirements of the system, as well as the environmental conditions of the installation site.

5 Advantages of ACSR conductor :

ACSR conductor has several advantages. Here are some of the mainly advantages of using ACSR cable.

ACSR conductor's attributes is high tensile strength. ACSR conductor has high tensile strength due to the conduction of steel core.

High current transfer capacity. The aluminum outer strands of the ACSR cable provide good electrical conductivity.

Corrosion Resistance. The ACSR conductor is suitable for outdoor use in harsh environments.

Low cost. 

Long life. ACSR cable has a long lifespan and can last for several decades if properly installed and maintained.

These are just mainly advantages of ACSR conductor. The specific application of ACSR cable depends on the electrical and mechanical requirements of the system, as well as the environmental conditions of the installation site.

6 Other three common types of overhead conductor

Following are three other common types of overhead conductors used in overhead transmission and distribution to transmit electricity.

    1 AAC : All Aluminum Conductor
    2 AAAC : All Aluminum Alloy Conductor
    3 ACAR : Aluminum Conductor, Alloy Reinforced


7 Related FAQ

How can the steel in the ACSR conductor be uncharged?
Steel is used to provide required mechanical strength in the conductor. The conductivity of aluminum is much greater than steel ( around 20-21 times). And since the self inductance of steel strands is also very less, so any leakage current flow due to very less inductance is also negligible. Current always flows in high conductive path. So most of the current flows through the aluminum. Negligible current will flow through the steel.

What is ACSR conductor?
ACSR stands for Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced cable. It is a type of high tensile cable used for overhead power transmission and distribution systems.

The three most popular cables for aluminum transmission and distribution lines are AAC, AAAC, and ACSR. This blog highlights the differences between the three and the best applications for each cable.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website.

AAC: All Aluminum Conductor Cable Characteristics and Uses

AAC cables have pure aluminum stranded conductors with an aluminum purity of 99,7 percent. These characteristics of aluminum conductors mean that the cable is highly corrosion-resistant.

The typical applications of the AAC aluminum cable are:

• Overhead power lines in coastal areas where cables are subjected to corrosion.
• Railway and metro utility industries
• Power lines in cities and urban areas

AAAC: All Aluminium Alloy Conductor Cable Characteristics and Uses

AAAC utility wire has a conductor made of aluminum alloy instead of pure aluminum. The particular grade of aluminum alloy used in these cables is -T81. This high-quality alloy is up to national and international standards.

AAAC cable also has better sag attributes and a strength-to-weight ratio than other transmission line cables. This cable has superior mechanical resistance compared to different types of distribution cables, which makes it suitable for aerial ducts.

The corrosion resistance of these cables is better than ACSR utility cables but worse than AAC wire.

• AAAC cables are typically used in overhead power lines crossing the river and overhead power lines in cold areas. Basically, they are used in places that are less subjected to corrosion than where AAC cables are normally used. 

ACSR: Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced Cable Characteristics and Uses

ACSR cables are cables with aluminum conductors reinforced with steel. The conductors are made of aluminum but have a reinforced steel core.

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The range of steel is different from cable to cable, varying anywhere between 6 and 40 percent. The more steel there is, the greater the strength of the conductor.

ACSR conductors have larger diameters than AAC and AAAC ones, which positively impacts the corona effect. ACSR cable is strong without compromising on ampacity. This is an excellent characteristic for high-voltage and extra-high voltage power lines.

Thanks to the steel reinforcement, the ACSR has superior tensile strength compared to its counterparts. This helps the cable effortlessly run for long distances. 

Despite its strength, the steel in the ACSR cable is prone to corrosion, so this cable is not used in humidity conditions.

ACSR cables are used in:

• Overhead power lines
• Overhead installations that cross the river
• Extra-long overhead installations
• Overhead power installations not located in urban and rural areas
• High-voltage and extra-high-voltage power lines

The less common variation of this cable, AACR, has an all-aluminum conductor reinforced with steel. This cable has superior conductivity compared to regular ACSR aluminum wire.

 Choosing A Cable For My Project

Overhead transmission networks employ cables with aluminum conductors. When it comes to overhead power lines, AAC aluminum cable is a superior cable, closely followed by AAAC. However, ACSR aluminum cable also has its own strengths.

Want more information on acsr core wire(ar,de,fr)? Feel free to contact us.

• ACSR has excellent tensile strength and can run for very long distances. However, this cable is comparatively not sag-effective and is prone to corrosion.
• AAAC is the most sag-effective cable with good corrosion resistance, conductivity, and strength-to-weight ratio.
• AAC is the best cable in terms of conductivity and resistance to corrosion. It is also the lightest cable.