Hurricane Simulation on Power Transmission Line

The hurricane winds are characterized by high speeds, at which the « drag crisis » regime of flow around cable is achievable. That is why, in the calculation of the wind-induced movement of the overhead transmission line during hurricane, it is important to represent the cable aerodynamic drag as Reynolds-dependent. In order to assess the behaviour and fatigue resistance of the transmission line conductor under hurricane conditions, the Reynolds-dependent drag coefficient was introduced in the SAMCEF Mecano finite-element software. To represent the hurricane wind loading, the turbulent, spatially non-uniform wind model was used. Results of comparative study of the smooth cable AERO-Z and the classical multistrand cable, including the percentage of load reduction offered to supporting structure, are presented.