DOG Conductor — Specification & Current Carrying Capacity
6/4.72 mm Al + 7/1.57 mm steel · 118.55 mm² total area · 14.15 mm overall diameter · 394 kg/km · 0.2745 Ω/km at 20 °C · 32.41 kN breaking load · about 310 A.
33 kV distribution and light 66 kV lines; very common feeder conductor.
Data basis: IS 398 and standard manufacturer catalogues. Individual manufacturers vary slightly — confirm against the supplier datasheet before final design.
Code name
DOG
Family
ACSR
Material
Aluminium strands over a 7-wire galvanised steel core
Stranding
6/4.72 mm Al + 7/1.57 mm steel
Aluminium strands
6 × 4.72 mm
Steel strands
7 × 1.57 mm
Aluminium area
105.00 mm²
Steel area
13.55 mm²
Total area
118.55 mm²
Nominal (trade) area
100 mm²
Overall diameter
14.15 mm
Approximate weight
394 kg/km
DC resistance at 20 °C
0.2745 Ω/km
Calculated AC resistance at 75 °C
0.3521 Ω/km
Ultimate breaking load
32.41 kN
Current carrying capacity
310 A (standard basis)
Construction of DOG
DOG is built as 6/4.72 mm Al + 7/1.57 mm steel. Aluminium strands over a 7-wire galvanised steel core. The steel core takes most of the mechanical tension so the aluminium can be sized purely for current, which is what lets ACSR span long distances between towers. The total metallic area of 118.55 mm² and overall diameter of 14.15 mm set both the resistance and the wind/ice loading the structures must carry.
Where DOG is used
33 kV distribution and light 66 kV lines; very common feeder conductor. At 310 A on the standard basis, a three-phase circuit of DOG carries roughly 6 MVA at 11 kV, 18 MVA at 33 kV and 71 MVA at 132 kV — useful as a first sanity check before detailed load flow.
Conditions behind the current rating
Ambient 40 °C, maximum conductor temperature 75 °C, cross-wind 0.61 m/s, solar radiation 1000 W/m², emissivity 0.9, absorptivity 0.8, outdoor overhead installation (IEEE 738 / IS 398 practice).
Wind is the single biggest variable. Removing it drops the rating of DOG from 311 A to 165 A in the cases above.
Raising the permitted conductor temperature increases the rating, but sag and long-term annealing of the aluminium set the practical ceiling — 75 °C continuous is the usual limit.
A weathered, dark conductor absorbs more sunlight but also radiates heat better; the standard 0.8 absorptivity / 0.9 emissivity pair is the conservative combination.
Terminations, jumpers and clamps often limit a line before the conductor does. Check the whole current path, not only the span.