Exel Highlights Resilience of Multi-Wire Composite Conductor Cores for Modern Power Grids
BY Composights
Published: 18 Nov 2025
Exel Composites launches high-strength, low-thermal-expansion composite cores for overhead power lines, enhancing grid capacity, reliability, and sustainability while replacing traditional steel cores.
Global electricity demand is rising rapidly and at the same time, the race
to decarbonize energy systems is placing unprecedented demands on power grids.
Transmission system operators are under increasing pressure to deliver more
power, more reliably, without building entirely new infrastructure. Advanced
conductors hold the key to solving these challenges. Exel Composites explores
how polymeric matrix composite (PMC)
multi-wire conductor cores can support these goals and what a new technical
study reveals about their resilience.
The use of
PMC cores in overhead line (OHL) conductors offer a higher strength-to-weight
ratio than traditional steel-cores used in aluminum conductor steel reinforced
(ACSR) conductors. They also expand less when heated, increase transmission
capacity and reduce energy losses, helping grids operate more efficiently
without costly upgrades.
PMC
conductor cores come in two main types: single-wire
and multi-wire.
The first generation single-wire core, often comes with a hybrid structure, a
carbon fiber core coated with glass fiber. While these have been on the market
for some time, they are relatively inflexible and more prone to damage if
mishandled.
That s why the second-generation multi-wire cores have several small rods stranded together. This design provides greater flexibility and safety, as no single wire carries the entire load of the line. Its flexibility closely matches that of traditional ACSR conductors, making damage during installation or handling highly unlikely.
The multi-wire structure of the conductor core ensures that, even if there is an individual damaged strand inside the core, the conductor and the electrical line still stay intact. This event was the object of a recently published study carried out in collaboration with Exel Composites and De Angeli Prodotti titled, Influence of Broken Wire on Multistrand Core . The research, commissioned by Belgium s transmission system operator ELIA, examined how individual wire damage affects overall conductor performance.
To simulate real-world defects, a single wire was intentionally damaged using transverse compression, reducing its tensile strength by around 30%.
6+1 wires were then stranded to form a multi-wire core, which was put through tensile testing to break the pre-damaged wire and see how it affects the rest of the core. The results clearly demonstrate that, even with a broken wire, the core-maintained strength above the specified minimum, and no damage occurred to the surrounding wires. This demonstrates the high residual strength and reliability of multi-wire PMC cores in practical use.
Implications for the Power Grid
The study demonstrates that PMC multi-wire cores maintain their structural integrity even when individual strands are damaged. This reliability ensures safe, consistent performance when deployed in overhead lines, giving transmission system operators (TSO) confidence in using these next-generation conductors.
The research also provides valuable insights into the mechanical behavior of multi-wire PMC cores, reinforcing their robustness and suitability for modern grids. Teams at Exel and De Angeli Prodotti are eager to share these findings with the industry and continue supporting TSOs in strengthening transmission networks while meeting growing demand efficiently.
As electricity demands rise and grids are pushed to their limits, PMC multi-wire core conductors offer a proven, resilient solution. With high strength, flexibility, and the ability to maintain integrity even when individual strands are damaged, these next-generation conductors give operators confidence in modern transmission networks.
