Abstract
This paper addresses the thermal-mechanical properties and performance characteristics of full tension splice connectors under high temperature operation, in particular those used in overhead transmission and distribution lines. Due to the increase in power demand existing overhead power transmission lines often need to operate at temperatures higher than those originally considered for their design. This has led to the accelerated aging and degradation of splice connectors. The compressive residual stresses induced by the crimping process within the splice connector provide the clamping forces to secure the conductor and therefore, the determination of the state of compressive residual stresses in splice connectors is a necessary requirement to provide an accurate estimate of their service lifetime. This paper presents a protocol for integrating analytical and experimental approaches to evaluate the integrity of a full tension single-stage splice connector assembly.
