Suspension tower

In an electric power transmission line, a suspension tower is where the conductors are simply suspended from the tower, the mechanical tension being the same on each side.

In this case, the tower is supposed to carry a downward force, and a lateral force, but not a longitudinal force.

These may have, for each conductor, an insulator string hanging down from the tower, or two strings making a "V" shape. In either case, sometimes several insulator strings are used in parallel to give higher mechanical strength. These are used where a transmission line continues in a straight line, or turns through a small angle. In other cases, a tension tower (C or D Towers) is used.

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  Suspension towers of a 110 kV power line in Germany
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  A suspension tower of a 330 kV powerline in Ukraine
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  A suspension tower of a 1150 kV powerline in Russia
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  A suspension tower of a 35 kV powerline in Ukraine
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  A guyed tower in Russia
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  In France, it is common to bend lines at suspension towers with single insulators pulled to the side
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  A suspension tower, UK
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  Suspension towers in Sweden
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  Row of suspension pylons near Amsterdam in the Netherlands

See also

• Dead-end tower
• Transposition tower