Effect of motion path of downburst on wind-induced conductor swing in transmission line

In recent years, the frequency and duration of supply interruption in electric power transmission system due to flashover increase yearly in China. Flashover is usually associated with inadequate electric clearance and often takes place in extreme weathers, such as downbursts, typhoons and hurricanes. The present study focuses on the wind-induced oscillation of conductor during the process when a downburst is passing by or across a specified transmission line. Based on a revised analytical model recently developed for stationary downburst, transient three-dimensional wind fields of moving downbursts are successfully simulated. In the simulations, the downbursts travel along various motion paths according to the certain initial locations and directions of motion assumed in advance. Then, an eight-span section, extracted from a practical 500 kV ultra-high-voltage transmission line, is chosen. After performing a non-linear transient analysis, the transient displacements of the conductors could be obtained. Also, an extensive study on suspension insulator strings' rotation angles is conducted, and the electric clearances at different strings could be compared directly. The results show that both the variation trends of the transient responses and the corresponding peak values vary seriously with the motion paths of downburst. Accordingly, the location of the specified string, which is in the most disadvantageous situation along the studied line section, is picked out. And a representative motion path is concluded for reference in the calculation of each string's oscillation for the precaution of wind-induced flashover under downburst.