Progressive Failure of Transmission Line Towers under Different Tornado Wind Fields
Abstract
High-intensity wind events (downbursts and tornadoes) cause the majority of weather-related transmission line (TL) failures, which detrimentally affect society. This study investigates the progressive failures of single TL towers and TL systems under different F2 tornadoes. Different tornado wind fields are incorporated in a fluid-structure software developed at Western University. Progressive failure analysis is then conducted for four towers under the most critical tornado configurations identified from extensive parametric studies. Moreover, the cost associated with designing TLs to sustain F2 tornadoes is investigated by strengthening the TL towers. Finally, the progressive failure within self-supported TL systems under different tornadoes, and the effect of changing the insulator length and the TL span on the propagation of failure are examined. To summarize, this thesis compares the progressive failures of TLs under different F2 tornado wind fields. It also presents different techniques to enhance the resilience of TL systems under tornadoes.