SIST EN IEC 62641:2022/A11:2022

Overview

SIST EN IEC 62641:2022/A11:2022 is a European amendment standard focusing on aluminium and aluminium alloy wires used in concentric lay stranded conductors for overhead power lines. Developed by CLC/TC 7X "Overhead electrical conductors," this amendment introduces updates to the existing EN IEC 62641:2022 standard, ensuring enhanced technical requirements and incorporating special national conditions relevant to different regions. The document supports consistent manufacturing, testing, and application practices across Europe for overhead electrical conductors.

Key Topics

• Material Specifications
  The amendment adds a new aluminium alloy designation, AL7, between AL5 and existing grades, detailing its electrical and mechanical properties for design and calculation. This ensures better categorization and quality control for aluminium wires used in overhead conductors.
• Thermal Resistance Requirements
  Changes in thermal resistance testing now allow a minimum value of 0.85 for single tested wires and 0.90 for the average after heating, adjusting previously stricter benchmarks to account for realistic operational performance.
• Mechanical Properties
  The updated standard lists minimum tensile strengths and elongation properties for AL7 wires, contributing to reliable conductor performance under mechanical and environmental stresses.
• Special National Conditions (Annex C)
  Annex C introduces mandatory and informative provisions addressing national peculiarities such as climatic influences, electrical earthing practices, and welding methods for joints (e.g., requirements in France, Austria, and Germany). This facilitates harmonization while respecting local constraints.
• Testing Methods and Normative References
  The document references international standards for resistivity measurement, tensile testing, wrapping, and reverse bend tests, ensuring comprehensive quality assurance through recognized methods such as IEC 60468 and ISO 6892-1.

Applications

SIST EN IEC 62641:2022/A11:2022 is critical for manufacturers, engineers, and quality assessors involved in the production and maintenance of overhead power transmission and distribution lines. Its practical applications include:

• Design and specification of overhead conductors using aluminium and aluminium alloy wires for improved electrical conductivity and mechanical strength.
• Ensuring consistent wire quality and reliability through standardized testing procedures, critical for long-term infrastructure durability.
• Addressing regional requirements in conductor fabrication and assembly, especially in countries with unique climatic or electrical system conditions.
• Supporting compliance with European regulations for electrical conductors, aiding market acceptance and interoperability among CENELEC members.

Related Standards

• EN IEC 62641:2022 – Base standard for conductors with aluminium and aluminium alloy wires, upon which this amendment builds.
• IEC 60468 – Method for measuring the resistivity of metallic materials, key for evaluating conductor wire performance.
• ISO 6892-1 – Tensile testing methods for metallic materials, ensuring mechanical strength compliance.
• IEC TR 61597 – Guides calculation methods for stranded bare conductors, assisting in conductor design.
• ISO 7801 and ISO 7802 – Standards for wire reverse bend and wrapping tests, important for mechanical endurance validations.

This amendment standard guarantees the up-to-date technical framework necessary for reliable, high-quality aluminium overhead conductors with improved performance and adaptability to national conditions, fostering efficient power transmission across Europe.

Keywords: aluminium overhead conductors, concentric lay stranded conductors, aluminium alloy wires, EN IEC 62641 amendment, thermal resistance, tensile strength, overhead power lines, aluminium conductor standards, CENELEC, electrical conductor testing, overhead electrical conductors, special national conditions.