Analysis of Wind-Induced Vibrations on HVTL Conductors Using Wireless Sensors

Abstract

In a world accelerating the energy transition towards renewable sources, high voltage transmission lines represent strategic infrastructure for power delivery. Being slender and low-damped structures, HVTL conductors are affected by wind-induced vibrations that can lead to severe fatigue issues in conductors and other components. Vibration monitoring could represent a key activity to assess the safety level of the line and perform condition-based maintenance activities. This work proposes an innovative approach based on the knowledge of the physical phenomena and smart technological devices. A wireless monitoring system based on MEMS accelerometers and energy harvesting techniques has been designed to measure the fymax parameter in the field, which represents a fatigue indicator useful to identify the different wind-induced phenomena and assess the conductors’ strain level. A field test on a Canadian transmission line was used in the check of the efficiency of the system and collection of significant data. Vibrations due to vortex shedding were identified with a maximum value of fymax = 50 m/s, while subspan oscillation and galloping were not observed. We show the novel method can detect the different wind-induced phenomena and pave the way to the development of suitable software able to compute a conductor’s residual fatigue life.

Analisa Reduksi Respon Getaran Kabel Konduktor terhadap Variasi Massa Counterweight pada Stockbridge Damper

“…Getaran aeolian mewakili ketidakstabilan yang paling sering terjadi pada kabel saluran listrik udara. Hal tersebut dapat dilihat pada Gambar 2 hasil penelitian Zanelli et al (2022) bahwa kemungkinan terjadinya getaran aeolian lebih mungkin terjadi dibandingkan galloping dan osilasi subspan [1].…”

Characterisation of the damping performance of a Stockbridge damper from laboratory tests of an overhead high-voltage transmission line conductor

“…Therefore, assessing the self-damping of the conductor and the additional damping provided by Stockbridge dampers is crucial for extending the service life of these structures. This assessment can be developed on-site [1] or in the laboratory on test structures. This paper describes the laboratory tests performed in a segment of an OHVT's conductor at FEUP's Laboratory of Vibrations and Structural Monitoring (ViBest).…”

Development and Field Validation of Wireless Sensors for Railway Bridge Modal Identification

“…The recent technological advances in the electronic field have made it possible to create increasingly miniaturized and high-performance components, reducing production costs of innovative sensors [13]. Wireless sensors have been developed for monitoring activities in various complex fields, such as monitoring of wind-induced vibration on transmission line conductors [14], dynamics of freight wagon vehicle and the infrastructure [15,16], and historical buildings [17]. Some applications of wireless sensors can also be found in the active vibration control field [18,19].…”