Method and system for measuring/detecting ice or snow atmospheric accretion on overhead power lines

• US 10,451,770 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ampacimon S.A.
• Original Assignee: Ampacimon S.A.
• Inventors: Godard, Bertrand
• Primary Examiner(s): Toatley, Jr., Gregory J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stifter, Jr., Terence E
• Application Number:
  US15/424,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20170227677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/102 using sensors located at a non-interrupted part of the flexible member
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/107 for measuring a reaction force applied on an element disposed between two supports, e.g. on a plurality of rollers or gliders
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/108 for measuring a reaction force applied on a single support, e.g. a glider
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 3/28 Investigating ductility, e.g. suitability of sheet metal for deep-drawing or spinning
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/06 giving a combined indication of weather conditions catathermometers for measuring "cooling value" related either to weather conditions or to comfort of other human environment G01W1/17; computers per se G06
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/14 Rainfall or precipitation gauges measuring volume in general G01F
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/02 for overhead lines or cables
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 7/04 Arrangements or devices for relieving mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 7/16 Devices for removing snow or ice from lines or cables

Abstract

The present invention is related to a method for detecting and/or measuring atmospheric accretion on a suspended electrical cable span (2) of overhead power lines, said suspended electrical cable span (2) having a sag (D) and a local tension (H), and being submitted to wind pressure (w_wind), comprising the steps of independently:

• • measuring said sag (D), and optionally measuring the wind pressure (w_wind), over a first time range,
  • measuring the local tension (H) over a second time range,
    the results of both steps being complemented and/or combined, so that to allow atmospheric accretion detection and/or measurement.

Claims

1. A device for detecting and/or measuring atmospheric accretion on a suspended electrical cable span of overhead power lines, comprising:

a casing to be traversed by a portion of the cable;

a three-axis accelerometer for acquiring cable motion data over time to measure a fundamental frequency of electrical cable oscillations, said fundamental frequency being solely necessary to determine a sag of said suspended electrical cable portion, which is called the method of operations fundamental frequency;

a local mechanical tension sensor device having at least one strain gauge sensor, said local mechanical tension sensor device being arranged to impose a deflection to the cable portion traversing the casing, to obtain a deflected cable portion, and to provide a raw local tension over time as resulting output strain gauge measurements; and

a transmitter for transmitting said cable motion and raw local tension data to a data processing unit capable of detecting and/or measuring said atmospheric accretion from complementing and/or combining said sag and said raw local tension data;

wherein the local mechanical tension sensor is internal to the casing and adjusted therein to obtain a predetermined deflection, and made of a transverse mechanical compact part or support hosting a central circular cavity for accommodating the electric cable portion and applying a deflection thereto which is perpendicular to the cable axis; and

a strain gauge sensor symmetrically on each transverse side of said cavity for measuring the tension caused by the deflection.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a means for measuring vibrations of the cable portion in order to determine wind pressure.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said means for measuring vibrations is the three-axis accelerometer.

4. A method for detecting and/or measuring atmospheric accretion on a suspended electrical cable span of overhead power lines, said suspended electrical cable span having a sag and a local tension, and being subject to wind pressure, by using the device of claim 3 for acquiring sag, raw local tension, and wind pressure data, independently comprising:

a first step of measuring said sag and measuring said wind pressure over a first given time range; and

a second step of measuring said raw local tension over a second given time range;

the results of said first and second steps being complemented and/or combined to effect atmospheric accretion detection and/or measurement.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein atmospheric accretion comprises ice, snow, wet snow, frost and mixtures thereof.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first given time range and the second given time range are the same, with sag and icing being simultaneously monitored.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of measuring the sag of the suspended electrical cable span is solely obtained by determination of a fundamental frequency of electrical cable oscillations.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein raw tension output data are fitted over the given time range to sag data determined by a method of oscillations fundamental frequency, said time range corresponding to a period with no atmospheric accretion and negligible wind, so that no further calibration is needed for converting raw tension output to actual tension.

9. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of measuring the sag of the suspended electrical cable span is obtained by an optical method in which a distance to an external target or the ground is measured by a camera located in a device mounted on the suspended span.

10. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of measuring the sag of the suspended electrical cable span is obtained using an inclinometer to measure an angle of the suspended electrical cable span with respect to the ground.

11. The method according to claim 4, wherein accretion loading by unit length w_ice [N/m] is given by

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, in case of negligible wind pressure, the accretion loading by unit length w_ice [N/m] is given by

13. The method according to claim 4, wherein the change of accretion load, and further the change of apparent weight of span due to accretion, over time, is given by:

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the local mechanical tension sensor comprises a plug for connecting wires for a power supply of the local mechanical tension sensor and for recovering tension data.

15. The device of claim 1, further comprising a camera for measuring the sag of the suspended electrical cable span by an optical method, in which a distance to an external target or the ground is measured by the camera mounted on the suspended electrical cable span.

16. The device of claim 1, further comprising an inclinometer for determining the sag of the suspended electrical cable span by measuring an angle of the suspended electrical cable span with respect to the ground.

17. The device of claim 1, further comprising a data processing unit capable of detecting and/or measuring said atmospheric accretion by complementing and/or combining said sag and said raw local tension data.