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

下击暴流和龙卷风属于一类局部风暴，称为高强度风（HIW）事件。在过去，由于HIW事件而遭受重大破坏的结构中有输电线路。由于其延长的长度，龙卷风或下击暴流击中其中一个支撑这些线路的塔的概率非常高。此外，一座塔楼的倒塌可能引发多米诺骨牌效应，导致许多塔楼倒塌。西方大学的研究人员在HIW事件领域处于世界领先地位，特别是这些事件对传输线结构的影响。西部的研究开始于大约15年前，当时由于1999年温尼伯附近发生的下击暴流，19座塔倒塌，之后与马尼托巴水电公司合作。由于许多安大略塔的失败，Hydro One安大略随后资助了相关研究计划的第一阶段;该资金由NSERC和安大略卓越中心利用。这项研究导致了世界上唯一一个可以预测作用在输电塔上的力以及这种塔对HIW事件的响应的软件。 世界上第一个涉及测试下击暴流条件下多跨输电线路系统的实验也在该项目中在独特的Windfloor设施中进行。在目前的研究中，研究将被带到一个更高的水平，考虑整个线路的行为，而不是一个单独的塔。该软件将得到进一步开发，以便能够预测HIW事件期间从一个塔到另一个塔的故障进展。该数值开发将使用在Windmill进行的新测试进行验证。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线路或设计新线路时做出最佳的工程决策，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受益。事实上，其影响将是全球性的，因为申请人在与此主题相关的许多国际委员会任职。

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.