Case Study · Power Generation
Overhead Conductor High Emissivity Coating: 4.5% Lower Resistive Losses with General Cable
| Industry | Power Generation (transmission) |
|---|---|
| Asset | Overhead power conductor |
| Customer or location | General Cable, power cable manufacturer |
| Products used | Emisshield conductor coating, US patent 10332658B2 |
| Headline metric | Resistive losses −4.5% |
| Secondary metric | Conductor temperature rise above ambient −25% |
| Also measured | 40-year predicted life |
Emisshield developed the industry's first high emissivity coating for power transmission lines, patented as a method of forming a coated overhead conductor, and with General Cable developed the methods to apply it at production speed without adding a bottleneck, plus methods for coating cables already in service. Weatherometer testing predicted a 40-year coating and adhesion life, with resistive losses reduced 4.5%, conductor temperature rise above ambient reduced 25%, and less cable sag.
01
What was the challenge?
Conductors run hot, which raises resistive losses and sag; a coating had to shed that heat and survive decades of weather while being applied at cable-manufacturing speed.
02
What was applied?
The patented coating, with application methods engineered for production-line speed and for in-situ cables.
03
What were the results?
| Metric | Uncoated | Coated |
|---|---|---|
| Resistive losses in transmission | Baseline | −4.5% |
| Conductor temperature rise above ambient | Baseline | −25% |
| Cable sag | Baseline | Decreased |
| Coating performance and adhesion | Maintained through weatherometer test; 40-year predicted life |
04
Why did it work?
A high emissivity conductor surface radiates resistive heat to the environment, lowering conductor temperature, which lowers resistance and sag. See Parts & OEMs.
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