Enhanced Heat Transfer Characteristics of a Overhead Transmission Line under Aeolian Vibration

What is it about?

High‐voltage overhead transmission lines feature both electrical conductivity and mechanical strength properties.Current studies of the aeolian vibration of transmission lines focus primarily on the mechanical properties of these lines butrarely address the lines’ enhanced heat transfer properties, which directly affect transmission line ampacity. In the present study, we analyze the vibration‐enhanced heat transfer characteristics of an energized transmission line undergoing aeolian vibration based on the coupled fluid‐solid numerical method. The allowable ampacity is calculated using the heat balance method, which accounts for the heat transfer enhancement effect arising from aeolian vibration. Various parameters, such as the vibration amplitude and the ratio between the natural frequency of the conductor and the frequency of the vortex shedding, are investigated. The results demonstrate that aeolian vibration can effectively improve the heat dissipation effect of the conductor and significantly increase the line ampacity. The maximum heat transfer effect occurs in the lock‐in region, in which the allowed ampacity can increase by more than 6%.

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Why is it important?

To our knowledge, no study has estimated the effects of aeolian vibration on the vibration-enhanced heat transfer characteristics of overhead transmission lines, which may exhibit increased ampacity. Moreover, if we consider the dual attributes (i.e., current-carrying and load-carrying capacities) of an overhead transmission line under aeolian vibration, line ampacity may increase in conjunction with a reduction in fatigue strength and life. Because of the relative lack of research on the combined effects of overhead conductors under wind-induced vibration, there remain significant unknowns regarding the effects of aeolian vibration on the current-carrying capacity and reliability of power grids.

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