Experimental Study on Rain-Wind-Induced Vibration of Overhead Transmission Line Conductors

The escalating severity and frequency of extreme weather conditions, such as typhoons and thunderstorms, exacerbate the failure risk of transmission lines. In this study, a series of wind tunnel tests were conducted to investigate the rain-wind-induced vibrations (RWIVs) on an overhead transmission conductor. First, a conductor sectional model was fabricated to accurately represent the physical appearance and material of the prototype conductor. Then, experimental wind-rain conditions were simulated to investigate the impact of rainfall on the cross-wind buffeting vibration of the conductor, with attempts made to reproduce the phenomenon of RWIVs. Meanwhile, section model vibration tests were conducted on the conductor model with an artificial rivulet to investigate the effects of rivulet position, dynamic characteristics, mass, and wind yaw angle. Finally, high-frequency force balance (HFFB) tests were performed on the same conductor model, and the mechanism of the RWIVs was discussed from the viewpoint of galloping. The results indicated that the presence of rainfall slightly decreased the in-plane vibrations of the conductor when no RWIVs occurred. Due to the interference from the spiral aluminum wires on the conductor surface, this type of conductor is less susceptible to RWIV compared to smooth cables. The conductor model with an artificial rivulet exhibited significant vibrations at position angles [Formula: see text]–60[Formula: see text], essentially corresponding to negative Den Hartog coefficients.