Utilizing FBG for Stability and Failure Monitoring of Power Line Transmission Towers Subjected to Hurricane Loads

Abstract This study focuses on investigating the efficacy of embedding FBG sensors within power transmission towers to measure, collect, and store temperature and strain changes at critical points on the structure. Given that tower strain changes are influenced by various factors such as temperature, humidity, icing, wind, and ground subsidence, the implementation of a suitable failure estimation algorithm is essential for generating warning reports or estimating structural reliability. A finite element model is used for structural stress analysis to identify critical points when the structure is exposed to strong wind. A proof-of-the concept experimental setup validates the system’s performance and functionality. The prototype tower is placed in a wind tunnel to simulate the strong winds. The speed of air is controlled by changing the speed of the fan from 50 mph to 100 mph. Strain and temperature data are collected, using surface-bounded FBG sensors attached at the selected elements, and transmitted to the processing unit via a low-powered micro FBG Interrogator. The FBG signals are also used to estimate the induced stress at critical points. The results can be transmitted to a processing unit to estimate the reliability and possibility of failure of the tower.