We wanted to validate these models and made a test set-up where the strain was measured continuously along a 32 km 500kV OPGW line. We used our distributed strain sensor system with a single-mode fiber as a sensor. Read on to see the results.
Distributed Strain Sensing prevents failure in overhead lines and towers
Overhead power lines are vulnerable. Common cable failures include icing, lightning strike, tower collapse, and wind load. Theoretical models show large strain variations of the lines before icing, lightning strike or tower collapse occur.