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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number	NIA_UKPN0044
Title	HV OHL Assessment
Status	Completed
Energy Categories	Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electricity transmission and distribution) 80%; Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Other Supporting Data) 20%;
Research Types	Applied Research and Development 100%
Science and Technology Fields	ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation	Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator	Project Contact No email address given UK Power Networks
Award Type	Network Innovation Allowance
Funding Source	Ofgem
Start Date	01 January 2019
End Date	01 September 2020
Duration	ENA months
Total Grant Value	£408,378
Industrial Sectors	Power
Region	London
Programme	Network Innovation Allowance
Investigators	Principal Investigator	Project Contact , UK Power Networks (100.000%)
	Industrial Collaborator	Project Contact , UK Power Networks (0.000%)
Web Site	https://smarter.energynetworks.org/projects/NIA_UKPN0044
Objectives	UK Power Networks aims to improve its understanding of the deterioration rate of overhead line conductors to inform medium- and long-term plans to manage the distribution network. Improved understanding of deterioration rates will enable UK Power Networks to build Health Index models for overhead lines, which will be used to more accurately assess the state of the overhead line network, identify overhead line sections that may require remedial work and trigger conductor replacements to pre-empt faults.Within this project, approximately 300 representative samples of different types of overhead line conductors from different locations will be recovered and subjected to a series of electrical, structural and mechanical tests. The results from these tests will be used to develop a rule-based algorithm that estimates the end-of-life of HV overhead line conductors based on a set of attributes (e.g. age, location, size). The algorithm will then enable UK Power Networks to build a Health Index model on HV overhead lines and estimate the condition of its existing population of HV overhead conductors. The HV overhead line assessment project aims to determine the typical deterioration rates of HV overhead line conductors through testing a representative sample. The key objectives of these tests would be to determine the typical condition of conductors within specified age ranges, determine whether the condition of the conductors vary from one type of location to the next (e.g. coastal vs industrial) and to develop a deterioration algorithm. The algorithm will then enable UK Power Networks to build the Health Index model on HV overhead lines and estimate the condition of its existing population of HV overhead conductors.This project will apply to EPN and SPN license areas and will involve the following:1. Recovery of approximately 300 representative samples of HV overhead line conductors of at least 5m in length. The following information will be recorded with each sample: age of the selected sample, location, environment, conductor type and size.2. Collection of HV overhead line conductor samples in batches from UK Power Networks depot site.3. Performance of mechanical, structural and electrical tests on the recovered conductor samples.4. Development of a deterioration algorithm to estimate the expected end-of-life of HV overhead line conductors. The objectives of this project include:1. Developing and performing a set of tests which test the mechanical, structural and electrical parameters of the OHL samples. 2. Calculation of the deterioration rate and expected end of life for HV overhead line conductors.3. Development of an algorithm that determines the condition and expected end of life for HV overhead conductors based on a set of attributes (e.g. age, location, size).
Abstract	UK Power Networks has over 24,000 km (comprising of over 280,000 spans) of HV overhead line conductors on its distribution network but holds limited information regarding their age and condition. Conductors are visually assessed from the ground, during routine full patrols, every twelve years. However, there is engineering consensus that visual assessments alone are not sufficient to determine the condition of overhead line conductors, since they only correctly assess the condition of conductors when deterioration of the conductor is at an advance stage and evidence of the deterioration is evident through stranding or bird-caging (deformation of strands) of the conductor. As a result, the existing replacement strategy on HV OHL conductors is reactive (apart from load related reinforcement), and HV OHL conductors are replaced when they have failed (post-fault repair). In UK Power Networks, faults on the HV overhead line conductors represent approx. 15% of the HV faults volume per annum. These faults result in Customer Interruptions (CIs) and Customer Minutes Lost (CMLs) affecting the quality of supply and the overall experience of the consumers.
Publications	(none)
Final Report	(none)
Added to Database	14/12/22