Study on Characteristics of Aeolian Vibration of Conductor Lines Considering Coupling Between Conductor Motion and Vortex Excitation

Aeolian vibration of conductor lines is a fluid–structure coupling problem involving vortex excitation and conductor motion, however, few studies consider this coupling in their analyses. In this study, a nonlinear finite element (FE) method for aeolian vibration of the conductor line, in which the conductor line is discretized with three-dimensional (3D) beam elements and the coupling between the conductor motion and the vortex excitation is considered, is proposed. The fluctuating lift on the conductor induced by the oscillating wake vortex is presented by the van der Pol oscillator. The aerodynamic forces depending on the conductor’s moving state are determined by the van der Pol equation and applied to the conductor using a user-defined element (UEL) subroutine in ABAQUS. The numerical model is validated through a comparison of its results with field observation. By means of this validated numerical method, the aeolian vibrations of conductor lines are numerically simulated. The lock-in phenomenon is successfully reflected using the numerical method. Additionally, some important characteristics, such as the displacement response, phase difference between the lift and vertical displacement as well as the relation between the antinode amplitude and excitation frequency of aeolian vibration are analyzed. The necessity of taking into account the coupling between the conductor motion and the vortex excitation in the study of aeolian vibration is also analyzed. The maximum vibration amplitude obtained by the model without this coupling is approximately 20% of that obtained by the model with the coupling. This study provides valuable references for the design of transmission lines, as well as for the assessment and prevention of aeolian vibration in conductor lines.