What is the role of crossarms in a power system?

What is the role of crossarms in a power system？

1. What is a crossarm?

A crossarm is made of angle steel or channel steel, stamped and manufactured. It is mainly used on utility poles to support transformers, connect wires, and link insulators.

Despite its simple appearance, the crossarm in a power system serves three major functions: mechanical support, electrical insulation and safety, and line structural positioning. It is an indispensable key support product for ensuring the safe, stable, and reliable operation of the power grid.

2. As shown in Figure 1, this is an angle steel bracket. It consists of one angle steel and two flat irons.

It is mainly used on wooden utility poles and is fixed to the pole using U-shaped clamps and bolts. Insulators are installed on top, and then the lead wires are connected, providing electrical insulation.

The insulator string bears the entire weight of the conductor and securely suspends it on the crossarm.It prevents current from flowing from the conductor to the grounded crossarm and tower, preventing short circuits and leakage and supports and fixes the wires, maintaining the stability of the wire's position.

The crossarm is the "skeleton," the conductor is the "blood vessels," and the insulator is the "joint." This joint connects the skeleton and the blood vessels, ensuring that the current (blood) flows through the blood vessels without leaking into the skeleton.

Using crossarms allows for the centralized installation of insulators for multiple circuits or phases on a single structure, which is far more economical and efficient than erecting separate poles for each conductor at every location.

3.As shown in Figure 2, this separately used angle steel embodies the crossarm's fixing and positioning functions.

Crossarms also provide locations for installing ancillary facilities such as streetlights and communication cables.

Similarly, it is fixed to the utility pole using U-shaped clamps and bolts, and the conductors are firmly secured in their designed positions using insulators and hardware, preventing unauthorized movement and maintaining line stability, thereby ensuring electrical safety.

The angle steel can connect various electrical fittings, which in turn connect to the wires, bearing the unidirectional unbalanced tension generated when the conductor breaks or becomes strained, preventing the accident from escalating.

Crossarms play an important role in power systems, and of course, there have too many sizes, so it is essential to make the right choice when selecting one.

Handan Jinmai ,the factory ,so we can do customer made with all size you want,our engineer also can design the drawing according your picture or using place,so just contact me to choose the one you need~