Multi-function sensors for overhead line inspection

架空线路是水电公司等电力公司的关键资产，水电公司是该项目的工业合作伙伴。更换某条线路的导线很容易花费数千万美元，所以只有在真正必要的时候才必须这样做。在这方面，最困难的部分是获得有关导体内部状况的准确信息，特别是关于腐蚀的存在。该项目的目标是开发一种紧凑轻便的多功能探头，用于监测全球大多数架空线路中使用的铝电缆钢增强（ACSR）导体的内部退化情况。根据这些信息，可以估计线路的剩余寿命。因此，该项目旨在填补成功开发该探测器所需的知识空白。新探针的有效性演示将在实验室环境中实现（实验实验室，hydro - qubec - IREQ研究所）。随着项目的运行，项目的结果将转移给工业合作伙伴。该项目基于IREQ在2011年至2018年期间对IREQ专有的LineCore技术（用于测量保护性锌涂层的腐蚀）和磁探头（用于测量钢芯的降解）进行的强大背景工作。该项目还依赖于蒙特利尔理工大学在电磁建模和用电磁方法表征钢和金属性能等领域实现的众多项目。该项目将培养2名博士生和1名博士后，他们将成为无损检测（NDT）行业的高素质人才（HQP），这是加拿大非常重要的活动领域。该项目还将产生大量的科学知识。

Overhead lines are key assets for power utilities such as Hydro-Québec, who is the industrial partner in this project. The replacement of line conductors of a specific line easily costs tens of millions of dollars, so it must be done only if really necessary. In that regard, the hardest part is to obtain accurate information about conductors' internal condition, especially regarding the presence of corrosion.The objective of this project is to develop a compact and lightweight multi-function probe to monitor the internal degradation conditions of aluminum cable steel reinforced (ACSR) conductors used for most of the overhead lines worldwide. From this information, one can estimate the residual lifetime of the line. The project therefore aims at filling the knowledge gaps required to succeed in the development of this probe. Demonstration of the effectiveness of the new probe will be realized in a laboratory environment (Laboratory of Experimentation, Research Institute of Hydro-Québec - IREQ). The results of the project will be transferred to the industrial partner as the projects runs.The project is based on strong background work realized by IREQ between 2011 and 2018 on the IREQ proprietary LineCore technology, used to measure the corrosion of the protective zinc coating, and on magnetic probes, used to measure the degradation of the steel core. The project also relies on numerous projects realized by Polytechnique Montreal in areas such as electromagnetic modeling and characterization of steel and metal properties with electromagnetic approaches. The project will involve the training of 2 Ph.D. students and 1 postdoctoral fellow, who will all become Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) for the Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) industry, which is a very important sector of activity in Canada. The project will also generate substantial scientific knowledge.