Aeolian Vibration Basics EN-ML-1007-4
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Aeolian Vibration Basics October 2013 Part of a series of reference reports prepared by Preformed Line Products Aeolian Vibration Basics Contents Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................1 Mechanism of Aeolian Vibrations ......................................................................................1 Effects of Aeolian Vibration ...............................................................................................3 Safe Design Tension with Respect to Aeolian Vibration....................................................5 Influence of Suspension Hardware....................................................................................5 Dampers: How they Work .................................................................................................6 Damper Industry Specifications.........................................................................................7 Damper: Laboratory Testing..............................................................................................8 Dampers: Field Testing .....................................................................................................9 ABSTRACT by the following relationship that is based on the Strouhal Number [2]. Wind induced (aeolian) vibrations of conductors and overhead shield wires Vortex Frequency (Hertz) = 3.26V / d (OHSW) on transmission and distribution lines can produce damage that will negatively where: V is the wind velocity component impact the reliability or serviceability of these normal to the conductor or OHSW lines. Lines damaged by vibration may have to in miles per hour be de-rated or even taken out of service until repairs can be made. This could have an d is the conductor or OHSW impact on an entire network. diameter in inches Understanding aeolian vibration and how it 3.26 is an empirical aerodynamic can be managed or controlled is the key to constant minimizing its possible effect on a line or network. One thing that is clear from the above equation is that the frequency at which the This report will present an executive summary vortices alternate is inversely proportional to of the research and findings of industry the diameter of the conductor or OHSW. experts all over the world who have contributed to the understanding of aeolian For example, the vortex frequency for a 795 vibration and its control. The references cited kcmil 26/7 ACSR (“Drake”) conductor under will provide a more detailed explanation of the influence of an 8 MPH wind is 23.5 Hertz. individual principles, findings and A 3/8” OHSW under the same 8 MPH wind will recommendations. have vortices alternating at 72.4 Hertz. The fact that the vortex frequency for an OHSW is much higher than that for a conductor will be MECHANISM OF AEOLIAN VIBRATION important to remember when the effects of vibration are discussed later in this report. When a “smooth” stream of air passes across a cylindrical shape, such as a conductor or To further illustrate the difference in vibration OHSW, vortices (eddies) are formed on the frequencies between conductor and OHSW, leeward side (back side). These vortices Figures 1 & 2 show actual vibration recordings alternate from the top and bottom surfaces, made on a line in the western part of the U.S. and create alternating pressures that tend to The recordings were taken with an Ontario produce movement at right angles to the Hydro Recorder on a 1400’ span. The direction of the air flow. This is the mechanism conductor is 1272 kcmil 45/7 ACSR (“Bittern”) that causes aeolian vibration [1]. and the OHSW is 3/8” EHS. Plugging the recorded frequencies and diameters into the The term “smooth” was used in the above above equation yields the same apparent wind description because unsmooth air (i.e., air with velocity (4.5MPH) for both the conductor and turbulence) will not generate the vortices and OHSW. associated pressures. The degree of turbulence in the wind is affected both by the terrain over which it passes and the wind velocity itself. It is for these reasons that aeolian vibration is generally produced by wind velocities below 15 miles per hour (MPH). Winds higher than 15 MPH usually contain a considerable amount of turbulence, 1 Second except for special cases such as open bodies of water or canyons where the effect of the terrain is minimal. Figure 1 – Vibration Recorded on 1272 kcmil 45/7 ACSR (11 Hertz) The frequency at which the vortices alternate from the top to bottom surfaces of conductors and shield wires can be closely approximated 1 2.9422 x V = 0.233 N or 12.6275 x V = N For a wind velocity of about 8 MPH, the span 1 Second in this example would have 100 standing waves (N=100), each about 8’ in length (loop Figure 2 – Vibration Recorded on length). At a higher wind speed near 12 MPH 3/8” OHSW (41 HERTZ) the loop length will decrease to 5.3’ (N=150). The importance of loop lengths will be Sustained aeolian vibration activity occurs discussed in a later section dealing with the when the vortex frequency closely placement of dampers. corresponds to one of the natural vibration frequencies of the span of conductor or The amplitude at which a span will vibrate OHSW. This sustained vibration activity takes (peak-to-peak movement at the anti-node in the form of discrete standing waves with Figure 3) depends on a number of factors forced nodes at the support structures and which include the energy that is transferred to intermediate nodes spaced along the span at the span by the wind and the amount of intervals that depend on the particular natural damping in the span from the conductor or frequency (Figure 3). OHSW itself (self damping) or from additional dampers installed in the span. Anti-node In most cases the maximum peak-to-peak amplitude of a vibrating conductor or OHSW will not exceed its diameter. Loop Node Length Extensive research utilizing wind tunnel studies has been used to determine the energy imparted by the wind to a vibrating Figure 3 – Standing Wave Vibration conductor [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9]. Collectively this research has shown that wind The natural frequencies at which a conductor energy may be expressed in the general (non- or OHSW under tension will vibrate in a series linear) form: of standing waves are approximated by: P = L x d4 x f3 x fnc(Y/d) where: 1/2 F = (Tg/w) x N/2S P is the wind energy in watts L is the span length where: d is the conductor diameter F is the natural frequency in hertz f is the vibration frequency in hertz T is the tension in pounds Y is the anti-node vibration (peak-to-peak) 2 g is the gravitational constant of 32.2 ft/sec fnc(Y/d) is a function derived from w is the conductor or OHSW weight per foot experimentation N is the number of standing wave loops S is the span length in feet The above expression assumes completely laminar wind flow, free of turbulence. The For example, the natural frequencies for an effects of turbulence will be discussed later in 800’ span of 795 kcmil 26/7 ACSR (“Drake”) this report. conductor at a tension of 4,725# are given by: The self damping characteristics of a F = 0.233 x N conductor or OHSW are basically related to the freedom of movement or “looseness” It was stated earlier that sustained vibration between the individual strands or layers of the will occur when the vortex shedding frequency overall construction. In standard conductors of the wind is equal to one of the natural the freedom of movement (self damping) will frequencies of the span. Therefore, for this be reduced as the tension is increased. It is for example, using 800’ of Drake conductor at a this reason that vibration activity is most tension of 4,725#: severe in the coldest months of the year when the tensions are the highest. 2 Some conductors designed with higher self damping performance use trapezoidal shaped outer strands that “lock” together to create gaps between layers. Other conductors, such as ACSS (formerly SSAC), utilize fully annealed aluminum strands that become inherently looser when the conductor progresses from initial to final operating tension. Procedures have been established for measuring self damping performance of conductors and OHSW in the laboratory [10]. Figure 5 – Abrasion Damage at Loose Hand Tie The energy absorbed by damping devices added to a span of conductor or OHSW is the Fatigue failures are the direct result of bending subject of a later section of this report. a material back and forth a sufficient amount over a sufficient number of cycles. Removing the pull tab from a can of soda is a good EFFECTS OF AEOLIAN VIBRATION example. It should be understood that the existence of All materials have a certain “endurance limit” aeolian vibration on a transmission or related to fatigue. The endurance limit is the distribution line doesn’t necessarily constitute value of bending stress above which a fatigue a problem. However, if the magnitude of the failure will occur after a certain number of vibration is high enough, damage in the form bending cycles, and below which fatigue of abrasion or fatigue failures will generally failures will not occur, regardless of the occur over a period of time. number of bending cycles. Abrasion is the wearing away of the surface of In the case of a conductor or OHSW being a conductor or OHSW and is generally subjected to aeolian vibration, the maximum associated with loose connections between bending stresses occur at locations where the the conductor or OHSW and attachment conductor or OHSW is being restrained from hardware or other conductor fittings. The movement. Such restraint can occur in the looseness that allows the abrasion to occur is span at the edge of clamps of spacers, spacer often the result of excessive aeolian vibration. dampers and stockbridge type dampers. However, the level of restraint, and therefore Abrasion damage can occur within the span the level of bending stresses, is generally itself at spacers (Figure 4), spacer dampers highest at the supporting structures. and marker spheres, or at supporting structures (Figure 5). When the bending stresses in a conductor or OHSW due to aeolian vibration exceed the endurance limit, fatigue failures will occur (Figure 6).