Apparatus and method for increasing electrical clearances of energized

Abstract

An apparatus and method for increasing electrical clearances on power lines to increase the conductor to structure clearance and insulation length and the conductor clearance to ground and other underlying objects. The apparatus may be applied live-line and can be installed without significantly modifying existing support structure. A suspension insulator string extends vertically from the tower and a yoke plate is connected to the bottom thereof. First and second insulator strings extend outwardly in opposite directions from the yoke plate with a dead end strain clamp attached to an outer end of each insulator string. The dead end strain clamp of each insulator string, dead ends the electrical conductor forming an upgrade loop therebetween. A post insulator is rigidly mounted on the yoke plate and extends from the yoke plate to the conductor upgrade loop intermediate to the outer ends of the first and second insulator strings. The apparatus is installed by either re-using an existing vertical suspension insulator string from the support structure or replacing it with a similar insulator string, and mounting the apparatus of the present invention on this vertical insulator string. The conductor is tightened on one side of the tower and the dead end strain clamp of the first insulator string is clamped to the conductor, and the conductor is then tightened on the other side of the tower and the dead end strain clamp of the second insulator string is clamped to the conductor forming the conductor upgrade loop therebetween.