Techniques for Protecting Overhead Lines in Winter Conditions (eBook)

This book offers a comprehensive review of the various options for improving the performance of overhead power lines in winter conditions, taking into account both mechanical and electrical aspects.

Experience within the CIGRE community reveals many strategies to protect overhead power lines from damage caused by heavy build-up of ice and snow or electrical issues such as insulator icing flashovers. The initial approach is to consider the predicted ice loads from the available databases. This is supplemented with some fundamental aspects of icing physics that affect accretion rate as well as factors in ice shedding on traditional (metal, ceramic) and novel treated surfaces. These ice physics concepts structure the ways to categorize and evaluate methods to reduce or prevent icing on conductors and ground wires or to prevent flashover of insulators.

Many utilities in cold climate regions have developed and used methods and strategies to reduce ice loads using anti-icing (AI) and / or de-icing (DI) methods. In general, AI methods are used before or early during ice build-up, while DI methods are activated during and sometimes after ice build-up. The book describes and discusses some historical, operational, or potential AI / DI systems in the ice physics context. This supports a comprehensive review of AI coatings including concepts, relevant material properties, application methods, and finally test methods for characterizing the long-term performance.

Professor Farzaneh is an IEEE Life Fellow, IET Fellow, CIGRE Fellow, EIC Fellow and Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE). His research has focused on elucidating the complex multiphysics phenomena resulting from the interactions of electric fields, liquid water and ice or snow on ground wires, phase conductors and insulators. Advanced laboratory tests, multidisciplinary mathematical modelling and novel numerical implementations, as well as field studies of natural icing, have supported this research and led to associated technological innovations. He has been President of IEEE DEIS (2013), chair and contributor to IEEE 1783 and IEEE P1820. He has been Member of CIGRE Canada executive committee, Convenor of CIGRE WG B2.44, B2.29 as well as contributor to CIGRE TB 179, TB 256, TB 291, TB 322, TB 438, TB 631 and TB 645. He is a prolific author with close to 300 papers in archival journals, 400 papers in international refereed conference proceedings, 3 books and 14 book chapters as well as 350 technical articles and reports; for a lifetime total of almost 1200 publications (citations: 13 317, H-Index: 58, I-index: 217). Six of his publications have been recognized as best articles in various international forums. On 55 occasions, Prof. Farzaneh has also given keynote lectures. As mentor, he has trained about 250 highly qualified personnel, including 48 PhDs, 44 Masters and 38 Postdoctoral.