CTC Global
Making a Smart Grid Smarter

CTC Global: Making a Smart Grid Smarter

Dave Bryant, CTC Global | Utilities Tech Outlook | Top Smart Grid Solution CompaniesDave Bryant, Director Technology The U.S. Department of Energy defines Smart Grid as “an electrical grid that uses computers and other technology to gather and act on information, such as information about the behaviors of suppliers and consumers, in an automated fashion to improve the efficiency, reliability, economics, and sustainability of the production and distribution of electricity.”

When I first read this, my big takeaway was Information Technology (IT). When I took another look, reading it more carefully, I caught the goal – not the method. The goal being “to improve the efficiency, reliability, economics, and sustainability of the production and distribution of electricity.”

Just so you know, our company, CTC Global, manufactures a hybrid carbon fiber core that is used to manufacture “bare overhead conductors” or powerline wires. The product is known as ACCC® Conductor and has been deployed to nearly 1,000 projects in 60 countries to “improve the efficiency, capacity, reliability and resilience of the world’s electric power grid. Sound familiar?

In the early days of electric power delivery, copper wires were used to transport electrons to customers. During World War I, copper supplies were diverted to the war effort so aluminum wires were used instead. Aluminum is a good conductor, but not very strong, so manufacturers inserted steel wires in the middle of the aluminum wires to give the overall ‘conductor’ more strength.
This hasn’t changed much in over 100 years - until CTC Global entered the business.

CTC Global’s ACCC® Conductor is helping deliver more power, more efficiently and is delivering exactly what the Department of Energy asked for in their Smart Grid criteria

One of the limiting aspects of overhead conductors is the fact that they tend to sag when carrying lots of power. This is because the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the steel core wires causes them to elongate and sag as they get hot. Wires get hot due to the electrical resistance of the materials they are made with and this results in power line electrical losses. In other words, if the conductor is carrying 1,000 amps of power maybe only 950 or so actually get delivered as the rest of the energy is converted to heat and essentially wasted.

CTC Global’s ACCC Conductor uses a high-strength, light-weight carbon fiber core with a very low coefficient of thermal expansion. This prevents the wires from sagging under heavy electrical load conditions which allows it to carry about twice the current of a conventional steel reinforced conductor of the same diameter and weight.
Another major benefit is the fact that the ACCC Conductor’s light-weight core allows it to use nearly 30 percent more conductive aluminum without a weight penalty. The added aluminum content serves to reduce electrical resistance ANDline losses.

This is Where it Gets Interesting:

Reduced line losses serves to reduce fuel consumption and associated CO2 (and other) emissions. This can not only reduce the cost of delivered power, it can also help the environment in a big way. Additionally, and quite remarkably, it can save a whole lot of water! Did you know that 40% of all fresh water consumed in the U.S. is used to produce steam that runs power plant generators? In fact, “thermal” power plants (coal, natural gas, nuclear and others) use anywhere from 10,000 to 60,000 gallons of water per megawatt hour (MWh) of electricity produced. A 300 MW power plant running at full capacity for one year, for instance, would produce 2,628,000 MWh of electricity. At the very low end, they would use over 26 billion gallons of water – possibly six times more.

“CTC Global’s ACCC® Conductor is helping deliver more power, more efficiently and is delivering exactly what the Department of Energy asked for in their Smart Grid criteria. We’ll talk about our embedded fiber optics in another article. For now, stay well and prosper,” informs Dave Bryant, the Director Technology at CTC Global Corporation.

CTC Global News

CTC Global Receives Strategic Investment from Endeavour Capital and Greenbelt Capital Partners

CTC Global, a company based in Irvine, CA, specializing in the engineering and manufacturing of advanced conductor cores for high-voltage transmission cables, has received a strategic investment from Endeavour Capital and Greenbelt Capital Partners. The specific amount of the deal remains undisclosed. The funds obtained will be utilized by the company to expand its operations and enhance its business outreach.

Under the leadership of CEO J.D. Sitton, CTC Global Corporation has pioneered the development, testing, and production of the composite core used in ACCC® Bare Overhead Conductors. Collaborating with 35 international stranding partners, the company employs advanced carbon fiber technology to enhance the efficiency, capacity, reliability, and resilience of electric power grids globally. The ACCC® Conductor stands out for its strength, increased capacity, and lower line losses compared to other bare overhead conductors available today. These reductions in line losses can range from 25 to 40% or more, contributing not only to decreased fuel consumption and associated emissions but also freeing up generation capacity that would otherwise go to waste.

CEO J.D. Sitton expressed his thoughts on the development, stating, "Partnering with Endeavour and Greenbelt will empower CTC's team to further its mission of assisting utilities worldwide in enhancing the efficiency, capacity, reliability, and resiliency of their electric power grids under increasing strain. This collaboration will expedite the global adoption of advanced conductors and introduce crucial new technologies for a more sustainable energy future."

CTC Global Opens ACCC® Core Production Facility in Pune, India

IRVINE - CTC Global is pleased to announce the grand opening of its fifth ACCC® Conductor Core manufacturing facility - located in Pune, India. CTC Global selected Pune, India for its newest location to support India’s drive to expand the capacity and improve the efficiency of its power grid.

CTC Global’s CEO, Mr. J.D. Sitton said, “India is the world’s third largest producer and consumer of electricity, and it has an ambitious program to expand access to electricity and to ensure it is generated from renewable sources. CTC Global has a long history of working with Indian utilities to accomplish these objectives. CTC Global’s new facility in Pune will enable CTC and its partners to do even more of this important work.” Mr. Sitton added, “India’s power grid is increasingly a source of pride for India. CTC’s Pune facility will ensure that the advanced conductors used on the grid are increasingly Made in India.”

The new facility will supplement CTC Global’s four other core manufacturing facilities operating in the United States, China, Indonesia, and Paraguay. CTC Global selected Pune because it is a key manufacturing hub in India with excellent transportation links to ports and to markets across India. Pune also has a large, well-educated workforce and its industrial development parks are world-class.

More than 300 utilities worldwide have selected the ACCC® Conductor to increase the capacity of their existing electric systems via reconductoring to link new renewable generation assets and support load growth including data centers, and other high demand applications - without the need to rebuild or replace existing structures. The ACCC® Conductor’s reduced thermal sag improves safety and reliability and reduces wildfire risks. Its proven ability to reduce electrical line losses by 25 to 40% or more reduces fuel consumption and associated GHG / CO2 emissions while also freeing up wasted generation assets – making it the most in-demand and highly proven conductor for major utilities, government entities, and project financiers that share sustainability goals.

Hitesh Mundhada, CTC Global’s Vice President, South Asia added: “CTC’s new core production facility in Pune will better support our Indian utility customers and our outstanding ACCC® Manufacturing Partners, Apar Industries, Sterlite Power, Gupta Power, and JSK Industries who have already delivered over 20,000 kilometers of ACCC® Conductors to major utilities in 23 Indian States and 2 territories.”

Top 10 Smart Grid Solution Companies - 2020

Company
CTC Global

Management
Dave Bryant, Director Technology

Description
CTC Global’s ACCC Conductor uses a high-strength, light-weight carbon fiber core with a very low coefficient of thermal expansion. This prevents the wires from sagging under heavy electrical load conditions which allows it to carry about twice the current of a conventional steel reinforced conductor of the same diameter and weight. Another major benefit is the fact that the ACCC Conductor’s light-weight core allows it to use nearly 30 percent more conductive aluminum without a weight penalty. The added aluminum content serves to reduce electrical resistance ANDline losses