Engineering Features of the Boulder Dam-Los Angeles Lines

Marking a new milestone in the history of the transmission of electric power, the 275 kv system that will transmit power from Boulder Dam to Los Angeles, Calif., embodies many novel engineering features. These features are discussed in this paper. The paper includes not only a description of the line and the terminal equipment and facilities, but also a discussion of the effects of the characteristics of each portion of the system on the performance of the system as a whole. The engineering studies and laboratory research on system stability, corona, high voltage impulses, lightning, conductor vibration, tower stresses, footing uplifts, and other factors are described, and the use of such data in the selection of line voltage conductors, insulation, clamps, lightning protection, towers, and appropriate generating, transforming, and receiving end equipment is shown.