Software for progressive failure analysis of transmission line structures under the action of downbursts and tornadoes

降暴和龙卷风属于局部风暴的一类，被称为高强度风（HIW）事件。在过去因高强度辐射事件而遭受严重破坏的建筑物中包括输电线路。由于它们的长度很长，龙卷风或暴雨击中支撑这些线路的其中一座塔的可能性非常高。此外，一座塔楼的倒塌可能引发多座塔楼的倒塌，形成多米诺骨牌效应。西方大学的研究人员在高强度辐射事件的研究领域处于世界领先地位，特别是对输电线路结构的影响。在1999年温尼伯附近发生的一场风暴导致19座塔倒塌后，西部水电公司与马尼托巴水电公司合作，在大约15年前开始了这项研究。由于许多安大略省塔的故障，Hydro One Ontario随后资助了相关研究计划的第一阶段；这笔资金由NSERC和安大略卓越中心提供。这项研究导致了世界上唯一可用的软件，可以预测作用在输电塔上的力以及这样的塔对HIW事件的反应。在独特的WindEEE设施中，该项目还进行了世界上第一个涉及下爆条件下多跨输电线路系统测试的实验。在目前的研究中，研究将被带到一个更高的水平，通过考虑整个线路的行为，而不是单个塔。该软件将进一步开发，使其能够在HIW事件中预测从一个塔到另一个塔的故障进展。这一数值发展将通过在windee进行的一项新测试进行验证。这项研究的成果将为Hydro One提供独特的工具，使该公司能够在升级现有生产线或设计新生产线时做出最优的工程决策，以最大限度地减少与HIW事件相关的破坏性损失。其他北美公用事业公司也将从中受益。事实上，由于申请人在与这一主题有关的许多国际委员会任职，其影响将是全球性的。

Downbursts and tornadoes belong to a category of localized windstorms that are called High Intensity Wind (HIW) events. Among structures that have suffered significant damage due to HIW events in the past are transmission lines. Because of their extended length, the probability of a tornado or a downburst hitting one of the towers, which supports such lines, is very high. Moreover, the failure of one tower can trigger the collapse of many towers in a domino effect. Researchers at Western University are taking the lead worldwide in the area of HIW events in general and the impact of such events on transmission line structures in particular. The research at Western started about 15 years ago through collaboration with Manitoba Hydro after the failure of 19 towers due to a downburst that occurred in 1999 near Winnipeg. Triggered by the failure of many Ontario towers, Hydro One Ontario subsequently funded the first phase of a related research program; this funding was leveraged by NSERC and the Ontario Center of Excellence. This research led to the only software available in the world that can predict the forces acting on a transmission tower and the response of such a tower to an HIW event. The first experiment in the world involving the testing of a multi-span transmission line system under downbursts was also carried-out in the project at the unique WindEEE facility. In the current study, the research will be taken to a higher level by considering the behaviour of entire line rather than that of an individual tower. The software will be further developed so that it will have the capacity to predict the progression of failure from one tower to another during an HIW event. This numerical development will be validated using a novel test to be conducted at WindEEE. The output of this research will provide Hydro One with unique tools that will allow that company to make the most optimum engineering decisions in either upgrading an existing line or in designing a new line in order to minimize the devastating losses associated with HIW events. Other North American utility companies will benefit as well. In fact, the impact will be global as the applicant serves on numerous international committees related to this subject.