Comparison of methods for monitoring icing of high-voltage power lines and an overview of measuring equipment used to diagnose such lines

Abstract

The low structural reliability of overhead lines, due to continuous climatic influence, becomes the cause of electrical network accidents and unreliable power supply. Ensuring the trouble-free operation of overhead lines is a complex task, the solution of which is of the utmost importance for the normal functioning of the entire infrastructure. In the autumn-winter period, difficult weather conditions almost completely exclude the quick completion of repair works. A fairly large share of accidents occurs during the formation of icy deposits on wires and lightning protection cables. Today, visual inspections of high-voltage power lines remain the main way of diagnosing icy deposits. In practice, it is necessary to equip overhead lines with ice load telemetry devices, which will allow monitoring the formation of ice deposits on wires in real time. The following diagnostic methods are used in modern ice monitoring devices: strainometric, fiber-optic, aerodynamic, locational, and instrumental-parametric. The tensiometric method of diagnosis is implemented by means of direct measurement of the icy load on the wire with subsequent comparison of the measured values with predetermined values of the threshold loads. To implement this diagnostic method, magnetoelastic force measuring sensors are used. Such a sensor is connected between the traverse of the U-shaped support and the upper end of the corresponding garland of insulators with a phase wire. Ice, wind and ice-wind loads are measured separately. This method has a limited scope of application, namely for diagnosing the formation of ice on the phase wires of intermediate spans of single-circuit lines with two-post U-shaped resistances. The fiber-optic method of strain gauge measurements is implemented in object control systems under difficult operating conditions, at nuclear power plants. The mechanical effort sensor (fiber-optic strain sensor) implements the fiber-optic method of strain measurement. Fiber-optic strain sensors are characterized by high accuracy due to resistance to interference and complexity of execution.