Is SkyWrap damaged by dry-band arcing, corona, or other electric field related effects?
No, SkyWrap is not subject to dry-band arcing or tracking and unaffected by the electric fields found on overhead transmission lines. Unlike ADSS, SkyWrap is in constant contact with its host earth-wire (ground-wire) or phase conductor along its entire length. This arrangement does not allow electric charge to build up on the dielectric cable and there is nothing to drive currents across the surface of the cable. Where SkyWrap leaves the protection of an energised host phase conductor – for example to travel down the tower leg to a joint box – it is protected by a Phase to Ground (PTG) insulator that is designed to withstand the electric field environment. A PTG insulator is required if the earth-wire is insulated from the tower structure but not necessary when the host is an earth-wire at the same potential as the tower structure. SkyWrap can induce corona discharge on phase conductors above approximately 160kV and therefore AFL does not recommend that SkyWrap is installed on phase co
