OPGW (optical ground wire) is used in the transmission line
for surge communication and protection. In recent years, OPGW has replaced
Power-line carrier communication (PLCC). Usually, OPGW is placed in the topmost
secured position of any transmission line, where OPGW protects every important
conductor against lighting. There are a number of OPGW fittings
available in the market. Read the blog to explore more about OPGW.
What is OPGW?
The optical ground wire which is also called OPGW is a kind
of cable which is used in the overhead power lines. These cables merge both the
functions of communications and grounding. The OPGW cable consists of a tubular
structure along with either one or more optical fibers inside it. OPGW cables
are enclosed with layers of aluminium and steel wire. OPGW cables run in
between the high voltage electricity pylons. OPGW cables' conductive part helps
in bonding abutting towers to the earth ground and protects HV conductors
against lighting strikes.
Why is OPGW used?
You can call optical ground wire a "dual functioning
cable". Why? The reason is that OPGW provides two purposes. OPGW is
specially designed for replacing conventional shield or static earth wires
located on the overhead transmission lines and offers the advantage of
consisting of optical fibers that can also be used for telecommunications. Both
OPGW and OPGW fittings have the capacity to withstand mechanical
stresses given to overhead cables through some environmental factors like frost
or wind. OPGW is also capable of tackling electrical faults which occur on the
transmission line by offering a path to the ground without harming any
sensitive fiber present inside the cable.
Why is OPGW better than other methods?
Optical ground wire has few advantages as the communication
medium over the buried optical fiber cable. The cost of installation is lesser
per kilometre as compared to a buried cable. Any communication circuit conveyed
by overhead OPGW is far-fetched from any kind of accidental contact with high
voltage cables located beneath,
What are some benefits of using OPGW?
There are many benefits of using both OPGW and OPG
fittings. Have a glance:
a) OPGW can maintain the performance of stable optical fiber
even in a broad range of temperatures from -40°C to +85°C.
b) The external diameter of OPGW is minimized which helps for
upgraded structure design.
c) Offers protection to optical fibers against harsh
environmental changes like short circuit currents and lightning strikes.
What is the installation process of OPGW?
OPGW installation needs extra planning as it is tough to
splice OPGW cables. The length of OPGW cables bought should coordinate with
spans in between the towers to avoid wastage.
Different types of OPGW fittings:
For installation or repairing OPGW need some OPGW fittings
like:
a) Aluminium bond
b) Tension assembly
c) Download clamp
d) Vibration dampener
e) Parallel groove clamp
All in all, optical ground wire offers surge communication as
well as protection in any transmission line. OPGW also protects your
transmission cables against lighting strikes & secures the current flow in
the scenario of any cable fault. At the time of installation, you may require
different OPGW fittings, for that you can reach out to any reliable
supplier of OPGW fittings.
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