System for monitoring the parameters of overhead power lines

The analysis of disturbances (accidents) on overhead power transmission lines and methods and means of the overhead power transmission lines parameters monitoring was carried out. It is shown that the most promising direction for ensuring the required indicators of the reliability of power supply is the development and implementation of information and measurement systems at the facilities of the power supply network complex. The structure of an intelligent information-measuring system for measuring parameters characterizing the state of wires, external factors influencing the state of power lines is proposed. The proposed decision support system will make it possible to promptly identify defective sections of overhead lines, increase the level of technological management of electrical networks.

Automated Analysis of Service Life of Air-Lines of the Electricity Transmission of Electric Power Systems

Basic EPS objects, which service life has exceeded normative value, increasingly affect – every year to a greater extent – the efficiency of overall performance. This manifests itself in increase of a number of automatic emergency shutdowns, an amount and complexities of accident-hazardous defects. After the expiration of the standard service life, there is a special need for a quantitative assessment of reliability and safety of an object. It is recommended to organize the operation, maintenance and repair of these objects according to their technical condition, and since it determines the reliability and safety of the object, these properties should be taken into account more fully. The relevant recommendations in electric power systems are implemented at a qualitative level, intuitively, according to the operating experience. There are neither quantitative evaluations nor methodology for their performance. Therefore, a method and algorithm of quantitative assessment of integral indicators of reliability and safety of operation of thermal power units of thermal power plants as concentrated objects of continuous operation were previously analyzed by the authors. The present paper examines distributed objects of continuous operation, viz. overhead power transmission lines with a voltage of 110 kV and higher, whose service life exceeds the standard value. Attention is paid to the issues of quantitative assessment of the degree of aging for a set of overhead power transmission lines, classification of these lines to identify the most significant classes and methodology for assessing the difference in the degree of aging when classifying them according to specified types of signs (for example, the difference in the degree of aging of overhead power transmission lines of grid enterprises of electric power systems). It is shown that it unacceptable to use the estimates of the relative number of overhead power transmission lines, the service life of which exceeds the calculated one, for comparison since it causes a great risk of an erroneous decision. The methodology and algorithm of methodological support of the management of electric power systems and grid enterprises in the organization of operation, maintenance and repair have been developed.

Assessment of technical condition of high-voltage overhead power transmission lines at the stage of their ageing

The organization of operation, maintenance and repair of the basic technological facilities of electric power systems (EPS), which are beyond their designed service life (hereinafter referred to as ageing facilities, or AFs) is one of the problems that determine the energy security of many countries, including economically developed nations. The principal cause of insufficient overall performance of AFs is the traditional focus of the EPS management on economic efficiency and the insufficient attention to reliability and safety of AFs. The tendency to nonlinear growth in the frequency of occurrence of unacceptable consequences in the EPS requires ensuring the operational reliability and safety of AFs. The averaged estimates of reliability and safety used at designing power facilities are not suitable for characterization of overall operational performance. Among the basic and the least investigated (in terms of operational reliability and safety) EPS facilities are overhead power transmission lines (OPL) with a voltage of 110 кV and above. This is for a reason. OPL are electric power facilities with elements distributed along a multi-kilometer line (supports, insulators, wires, accessories, etc.). That is what makes the organization of continuous monitoring of the technical condition of each of these elements, and, consequently, the assessment of operational reliability and safety, so problematic. A method is suggested for assessment of “weak links” among the operated OPL on operative intervals of time along with a method for assessment of the technical condition of OPL at examination of a representative sample.

On damage rate of overhead power transmission lines in power supply systems

The purpose of the article is to analyze the damage rate of overhead power transmission lines (OPL) in medium-voltage electrical distribution networks of the Irkutsk region. The established International Indices that determine the level of reliability of the functioning of electric networks are considered, and information on the compliance of the condition of electric networks in Russia with these indices is analyzed. Analytical information on the damage rate of elements of these networks and their causes in Europe, America, and Russia is presented. The emphasis is placed on the fact that the most common damage is characteristic of overhead power lines, especially 6–10 kV lines. As an object of research, two branches of the Irkutsk electric grid company (IEC) were taken, one of which provides electricity to rural consumers, the other — mainly to consumers residing in the territory of the city Irkutsk. The characteristics of these electric networks, their territorial location and basic technical data are presented. To conduct analytical monitoring of the level of reliability of overhead power transmission lines, logs of disconnection of the Eastern and Southern electric networks of the IEC over a long-term period were used. On the basis of this information, tables of failures and their consequences in the studied electrical networks were compiled for monthly average data over the period under examination for various causes of damage. To plot time diagrams of the parameters under examination, computer programs were compiled in the Matlab system, the use of which made it possible to obtain visualization of changes in failures for various reasons for the electrical networks under consideration. The information on the time of power supply interruptions in these networks, as well as the amount of electricity underutilized by consumers during these interruptions and its cost are analyzed. It is shown that in the electric networks under consideration, most of the power failures are related to the territorial dispersion of these networks, and the low level of equipment controls and insufficient qualification of operating personnel, as evidenced by the significant number of failures for unknown reasons. Besides, a significant part of the failures is due to damage to the overhead line wires, switching equipment and the effect of wind load. Recommendations for improving the condition of power transmission lines and a number of measures aimed at improving the level of reliability of power supply are presented.