RACCOON Conductor — Specification & Current Carrying Capacity
6/4.09 mm Al + 1/4.09 mm steel · 91.97 mm² total area · 12.27 mm overall diameter · 319 kg/km · 0.3656 Ω/km at 20 °C · 26.91 kN breaking load · about 270 A.
Data basis: IS 398 and standard manufacturer catalogues. Individual manufacturers vary slightly — confirm against the supplier datasheet before final design.
Code name
RACCOON
Family
ACSR
Material
Aluminium strands over a galvanised steel core
Stranding
6/4.09 mm Al + 1/4.09 mm steel
Aluminium strands
6 × 4.09 mm
Steel strands
1 × 4.09 mm
Aluminium area
78.83 mm²
Steel area
13.14 mm²
Total area
91.97 mm²
Nominal (trade) area
80 mm²
Overall diameter
12.27 mm
Approximate weight
319 kg/km
DC resistance at 20 °C
0.3656 Ω/km
Calculated AC resistance at 75 °C
0.4690 Ω/km
Ultimate breaking load
26.91 kN
Current carrying capacity
270 A (standard basis)
Construction of RACCOON
RACCOON is built as 6/4.09 mm Al + 1/4.09 mm steel. Aluminium strands over a 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 91.97 mm² and overall diameter of 12.27 mm set both the resistance and the wind/ice loading the structures must carry.
Where RACCOON is used
22 kV and 33 kV distribution feeders. At 270 A on the standard basis, a three-phase circuit of RACCOON carries roughly 5 MVA at 11 kV, 15 MVA at 33 kV and 62 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 RACCOON from 260 A to 136 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.