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An approach is demonstrated to visualise overhead line failure rates and estimated wind power output during extreme wind events on transmission networks. Reanalysis data is combined with network data and line failure models to illustrate spatially resolved line failure probability with data corrected for asset altitude and exposure. Wind output is estimated using a corrected power curve to account for high speed shutdown with wind speed corrected for altitude. Case studies demonstrate these methods' application on representations of real networks of different scales. The proposed methods allow users to determine at‐risk regions of overhead line networks and to estimate the impact on wind power output. Such techniques could equally be applied to forecasted weather conditions to aid in resilience planning. The methods are shown to be particularly sensitive to the weather data used, especially when modelling risk on overhead lines, but are still shown to be useful as an indicative representation of system risk. The techniques also provide a more robust method of representing weather‐related failure rates on lines considerate of the altitude, voltage level, and their varying exposure to weather conditions than current techniques typically provide, which can be used to usefully represent failure probability of lines during storms.

The paper considers the possibility of using unmanned aerial vehicles for the inspection of overhead power lines in climatic conditions of the Far North. The potential of using unmanned aerial vehicles for the control and diagnostics of power lines is considered. Some examples of unmanned aerial vehicles and their technical specification for the inspection of overhead power lines are given. A comparative technical and economic analysis of the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by applying traditional methods of inspection of overhead power lines is performed.

To improve the efficiency of existing networks, special mathematical models for assessing the losses and temperature of conductors in real time can be used, with the climatic factors being taken into account. The approximate analytical solution of the nonlinear differential equation of heating and cooling of the insulated conductor with numerical method simulation of heat transfer is proposed comparison in this work. The solution is based on lowering the degree of temperature of the conductor using the least squares method in the integral form. A positive feature of the proposed solution is its universality. It allows the analysis of overhead conductors both with and without insulation. The developed method is almost as accurate as the calculation of the conductor temperature by numerical methods. The reliability of the heat balance equation of overhead power lines at non-stationary thermal mode developed by this method is confirmed by comparison with the results obtained by the finite elements method.

Summary This paper proposes a novel method for determining optimal arrangements of overhead double‐circuit power line conductors aimed to reduce electric and magnetic field emissions. Extremely low frequency electric and magnetic field optimization problems have multiple objectives. Multiple‐objective optimization allows the simultaneous optimization of two or more conflicting objectives and determination of mutually non‐dominated solutions. The multi‐objective optimization technique used in this paper is based on Genetic Algorithm to obtain a set of mutually non‐dominated solutions (Pareto optimal set) for the two objectives: the electric and magnetic field strengths near overhead double‐circuit power line. Also, additional assessment criteria were defined for the selection of several decision scenarios from the Pareto optimal set. The results and practical aspects of the proposed methodology are demonstrated on two typical 400‐kV double‐circuit overhead power lines. The efficiency of the proposed multiple‐objective optimization method is compared with the existing one based on single‐objective optimization function. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

High-voltage overhead power lines consist of the non-insulated, densely packed round or trapezoidal aluminum strands supported by a reinforced core. This configuration may ensure the acceptable investment cost, mass per unit length, and aerodynamic effects caused by wind; however, the ampacity is lower than those of copper wires, which limits the power transmission. Today, it is especially important, since the peak power generation of, e.g., photovoltaics forces power lines to casually distribute high currents. To potentially improve long- and short-term capabilities of energy distribution, instead of a cylindrical wire, the helical structure was proposed. Preserving an identical core, the conductor was formed as many elongated helices wrapped around an aluminum tube. The design was meant to significantly enlarge the outer surface of the wire, improving the heat transfer of the line, which then allowed us to enhance its ampacity. The solution was investigated numerically utilizing a 3D model with the coupled electrical, heat transfer, and laminar flow analysis. Based on this, the parameters (unit weight, unit resistance, and aerodynamic drag) of such modified wires were identified. Then, at different current loadings and wind speeds, the conductors were studied and compared with the ACSS (aluminum conductor steel-supported). The optimal variants of helical wires were suggested and the results indicated that using the helical conductor makes it possible to increase the ampacity of power lines (with the same unit weight, resistance, and cross-section of the ACSS wire) by 44% at low wind speed, even up to 160% at higher temperatures.

The insulators of overhead power lines play a crucial role in maintaining the reliability of transmission and distribution networks. Because they are exposed to harsh and dynamic environmental conditions, it is essential to investigate the impact of environmental parameters such as pollution, inclined angle with the cross arm, and temperature on the dielectric performance of the insulators of overhead lines. Conventionally, the effect of such parameters can be investigated through experimental measurements of the insulator flashover voltage. However, this approach is costly and time-consuming and calls for the isolation of the lines to conduct the test, causing interruption to the entire grid. As such, there is an essential need to develop a new methodology to quantify the flashover voltage of overhead insulators operating under various environmental conditions, which is the main aim of this paper. The Central Composite Design is employed to develop a mathematical correlation between the insulator flash over voltage as a dependent variable and three environmental parameters: pollution level, inclined angle, and temperature as independent variables. The robustness of the developed equation is validated through extensive experimental measurements of the insulator’s flash overvoltage under various conditions. Results reveal a good agreement between the actual and predicted flashover voltage using the developed correlation, as the absolute error for all investigated samples is less than 6%.

Lightning strikes are a leading cause of outages on overhead transmission lines, significantly compromising power system reliability. Consequently, monitoring lightning activity is critical to mitigate its impact on lines with high outage rates. This study presents an autonomous lightning strike counter system utilizing a split-core Rogowski coil for non-invasive current measurement on transmission towers. The system combines the Rogowski coil with an active integrator circuit to reconstruct the incident current waveform from the coil voltage signal. A microcontroller-based processing unit records strike occurrences and classifies them by amplitude using predefined thresholds. Laboratory tests were carried out to evaluate the performance of the Rogowski coil and integrator circuit, validating the system accuracy in detecting current pulses associated with lightning strikes. Underway field tests will assess the sensor’s reliability during long-term autonomous operation on 345-kV transmission towers. The results demonstrate that the proposed system represents a practical and cost-effective solution for lightning monitoring in remote areas, contributing to enhanced data collection for engineering studies and improved reliability of electrical infrastructure.

The article presents a study on the influence of weather factors (ambient temperature) on the operational reliability of overhead low-voltage power lines with bare conductors. A method for determining the average failure intensity, average failure duration, average renewal intensity, and failure rate of overhead low-voltage power lines with bare conductors as a function of ambient temperature is presented. Based on many years of observations of power lines operated in electric power distribution networks in Poland, the empirical values of the above-mentioned reliability indicators were determined. An analysis of empirical distribution compliance with the assumed theoretical model was also carried out. The reliability studies conducted showed that the highest failure intensity of the considered power lines occurred at temperatures commonly found in Poland.

The reliability and efficiency of power grids directly contribute to the economic well-being and quality of life of citizens in any country. This reliability depends, among other things, on the power lines that are exposed to different kinds of factors such as lightning, pollution, ice storm, wind, etc. In particular, ice and snow are serious threats in various areas of the world. Under certain conditions, outdoor equipment and hardware may experience various problems: cracking, fatigue, wear, flashover, etc. In actual fact, a variety of countermeasures has been proposed over the past decades and a certain number have been applied by utilities in various countries. This contribution presents the status and current trends of different techniques against atmospheric icing of power lines. A snapshot look at some significant development on this topic over the last four decades is addressed. Engineering problems in utilizing these techniques, their applications, and perspectives are also foreseen. The latest up-to-date review papers on the applications and challenges in terms of PhD thesis, journal articles, conference proceedings, technical reports, and web materials are reported.

Temporary support structures (UMKW) for power lines are used in emergency situations. Such system-based solutions require dedicated software that enables rapid design (model creation, calculations, and documentation generation). Achieving this goal involves adopting a data structure that minimizes the amount of input required from the designer while maximizing automation in each phase of the design process. This is made possible through the creation of a database of predefined and parameterized profiles for support structures. Design acceleration is enhanced by an advisory system that suggests and supervises the configuration of conductor suspension layouts, structure geometry (while maintaining electrical clearance requirements, both internal and external), structure height, etc. The declaration of load cases and their values is also fully automated. Based on data regarding conductors and insulators (retrieved from databases) and the line location within Poland territory (climatic zones), an analysis of conductors (cables) is performed, and all load cases required by standards, including variations leading to bending and torsion of support structures, are determined. The article presents two software variants differing in concept. The first variant involves a preliminary selection of structure imported from a database of pre-analyzed typical cases (UMKW-Base), while the second performs complete calculations (UMKW). The UMKW software system employs a dual data input module, enabling rapid design while achieving greater software versatility. Declaring the physical model of the structure and its automatic conversion to an analytical model allows structural calculations to be performed as well as preparation of design documentation without duplicate data entry.