Transmission Line Optimization

Transmission line designs have been optimized for many years through comparative estimates of the present worth of revenue required (PWRR), in order to achieve design performance at minimum cost. The method has most commonly been used for conductor selection, but can obviously be applied to other parameters as well, although the economic returns from these other parameters are largely unknown. Since many of the variables in a line design are strongly interactive, calculation procedures containing comprehensive cost models are required if comparisons are to be valid for anything beyond simple design changes. Such a methodology has been developed and used to explore the sensitivity of the PWRR to several design variables.