Transmission Line Towers A transmission line transmits energy (electric power, acoustic waves or electromagnetic waves) from one

point to another as efficiently as possible with minimum energy loss. Energy can be directed through a regular electric wire but with enormous losses. A transmission line is a specialized device designed to transfer energy from a sender (transmitter) to a receiver (antenna) with the least amount of energy loss. Energy loss during transmission depends on the electrical and physical properties of the transmission line, such as resistance and impedance.

Types of transmission line towers Lattice Steel Towers Lattice steel towers are made up of many different steel structural components connected together with bolts or welded. Many different types of lattice steel towers exist. These towers are also called self-supporting transmission towers or free-standing towers, due to their ability to support themselves. These towers are not always made of steel; they can also be made of aluminum or galvanized steel. Tubular Steel Poles Tubular steel poles are another of the major types of transmission towers. They are made up of hollow steel poles. Tubular steel poles can be manufactured as one large piece, or as several small pieces which fit together. SIngle and Double Circuit Towers Both tubular and lattice steel towers can be designed so as to support either one or two circuits of electrical current. Double-circuit towers hold the different conductors stacked atop one another, while in single-circuit towers the conductors are lined up horizontally. Guyed Towers Guyed towers take up a lot of space, and are therefore only used in parts of the world where land use policy allows them. They consist of two masts supported by four guys, or support cables. Suspension Straight Towers Suspension straight towers are a type of self-supporting tower that stands along straight sections of a transmission route. These towers are also sometimes called tangent towers. The only function of these types of towers is to suspend the wires. They do not have to create or regulate tension in any way.

Suspension Angle Towers Suspension angle towers are built when it is necessary for the route of the electrical current to turn. These angle towers are usually designed so that the axis of the cross-arm bisects the angle of the conductors. This is the most efficient way to use the tower. Anchor and Angle Tension Towers Anchor and angle tension towers are used to sectionalize the routes. They terminate the conductors and they provide containment of possible cascade failures. Terminal Transmission Towers Terminal transmission towers are at the end of any route. They provide termination of the maximum conductor tensions. Suspension Tower In an electric power transmission line, a suspension tower is where the conductors are simply suspended from the tower, the mechanical tension being the same on each side. In this case, the tower is supposed to carry a downward force, and a lateral force, but not a longitudinal force. These may have, for each conductor, an insulator string hanging down from the tower, or two strings making a "V" shape. In either case, sometimes several insulator strings are used in parallel to give higher mechanical strength. These are used where a transmission line continues in a straight line, or turns through a small angle. In other cases, a tension tower (C or D Towers) is used. Transposition Tower In electrical power transmission, a transposition tower is a transmission tower that changes the relative physical positions of the conductors of a transmission line. For example, a section of a line may be (top-to-bottom) phases A-B-C on the left, also phases C'-B'-A' on the right. The next section may be B-C-A on the left, also A'-C'-B' on the right. A transposition tower allows these sections to be connected together, while maintaining adequate clearance for the conductors. This is important since it balances electrical impedances between phases of a circuit.

Dead-end Tower A dead-end tower (also anchor tower, anchor pylon) is a fully self-supporting structure used in construction of overhead transmission lines. A dead-end tower uses horizontal strain insulators and is used when the circuit changes to a buried cable, or at a substation as a transition to a "slack span" entering the equipment. Dead-end towers may be used when a transmission line changes direction by more than a few degrees. Since dead-end towers require more material and are heavier and costlier than suspension towers, it is uneconomic to build a line with only self-supporting structures. Dead-ends towers are used at regular intervals in a long transmission line to limit the cascading tower failures that might occur after a conductor failure. An in-line dead-end tower will have two sets of strain insulators supporting the lines in either direction, with the lines connected by a jumper between the two segments. Dead-end towers can resist unbalanced forces due to line weight and tension, contrasted with suspension towers whch mostly just support the conductor weight and have relatively low capacity for unbalanced load. Dead-end towers may use anchorcables to compensate for the asymmetric attachment of the conductors. They are often used when the power line must cross a large gap, such as a railway line, river, or valley. Dead-end towers may be constructed of the same materials as other structures of the line. They may be steel or aluminum lattice structures, tubular steel, concrete, or wood poles.