The University of Manchester and EPL Composite Solutions have come up with a device that could dramatically increase the capacity of the UK's electricity network and help rapid increases in renewable generation. Insulated Cross-arms, manufactured and sold by university spin-out company Arago Technology, have been installed on pylons in remote areas of the UK to test resistance to extreme weather and are also being tested for eventual use with 400,000V systems at a coastal site in Scotland. Tests at the university's High Voltage Laboratory have already subjected them to lightning strikes of more than 1.4 million volts. Modelling shows that in some cases the Cross-arms can increase the power-carrying capability of a pylon by up to 2.5 times. Installing the insulated Cross-arms would aid the UK meet the growing demand for electricity and help in the connection of "green" forms of electricity generation. The insulated Cross-arms enable increased electricity supply using the same pylons or the use of smaller pylons when building a new electricity line.
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