Our Research

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is developing advanced technologies to address national transmission challenges through research sponsored by DOE's Transmission Reliability Program, which is part of the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE), and other partners. Specific areas of research and development include:

• Creation of the Powerline Conductor Accelerator Testing (PCAT) Facility at the National Transmission Technology Research Center (NTTRC) near the ORNL site. Construction of this facility is in response to recommendations from the National Transmission Grid Study that directed DOE to "develop national transmission-technology testing facilities that encourage partnering with industry to demonstrate advanced technologies in controlled environment. Working with TVA, DOE will create an industry cost-shared transmission line testing center at DOE 's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (with at least a 50 percent industry cost share)."

ORNL Reporter article on PCAT
National Transmission Grid Study

• Performance testing of the new composite high-performance conductor — aluminum-conductor composite-reinforced (ACCR) — developed by the 3M Company. In a development agreement with DOE, announced in June 2002, 3M is completing the development phase and field testing of its new conductor design. ORNL will perform outdoor thermal testing of the ACCR for 3M.
  

Development and performance testing of the other new high-performance conductors. Future planned activities include:

• Testing indoor conductors in a unique facility with a 56-foot ceiling and 1400-foot length
• Testing conductors at full-system voltage and current
• Applying and testing power electronic systems for transmission system control
• Developing and testing sensors for transmission system monitoring