• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.151-171
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• 2018

Transmission tower-line systems are commonly slender and generally possess a small stiffness and low structural damping. They are prone to impulsive excitations induced by cable rupture and may experience strong vibration. Excessive deformation and vibration of a transmission tower-line system subjected to cable rupture may induce a local destruction and even failure event. A little work has yet been carried out to evaluate the performance of transmission tower-line systems in mountain areas subjected to cable rupture. In addition, the control for cable rupture induced vibration of a transmission tower-line system has not been systematically conducted. In this regard, the dynamic response analysis of a transmission tower-line system in mountain areas subjected to cable rupture is conducted. Furthermore, the feasibility of using viscous fluid dampers to suppress the cable rupture-induced vibration is also investigated. The three dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model of a transmission tower-line system is first established and the mathematical model of a mountain is developed to describe the equivalent scale and configuration of a mountain. The model of a tower-line-mountain system is developed by taking a real transmission tower-line system constructed in China as an example. The mechanical model for the dynamic interaction between the ground and transmission lines is proposed and the mechanical model of a viscous fluid damper is also presented. The equations of motion of the transmission tower-line system subjected to cable rupture without/with viscous fluid dampers are established. The field measurement is carried out to verify the analytical FE model and determine the damping ratios of the example transmission tower-line system. The dynamic analysis of the tower-line system is carried out to investigate structural performance under cable rupture and the validity of the proposed control approach based on viscous fluid dampers is examined. The made observations demonstrate that cable rupture may induce strong structural vibration and the implementation of viscous fluid dampers with optimal parameters can effectively suppress structural responses.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.513-522
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• 2019

A long-span transmission tower-line system is indispensable for long-distance electricity transmission across a large river or valley; hence, the failure of this system, especially the collapse of the supporting towers, has serious impacts on power grids. To ensure the safety and reliability of transmission systems, this study experimentally and numerically investigates the collapse failure of a 220 kV long-span transmission tower-line system subjected to severe earthquakes. A 1:20 scale model of a transmission tower-line system is constructed in this research, and shaking table tests are carried out. Furthermore, numerical studies are conducted in ABAQUS by using the Tian-Ma-Qu material model, the results of which are compared with the experimental findings. Good agreement is found between the experimental and numerical results, showing that the numerical simulation based on the Tian-Ma-Qu material model is able to predict the weak points and collapse process of the long-span transmission tower-line system. The failure of diagonal members at weak points constitutes the collapse-inducing factor, and the ultimate capacity and weakest segment vary with different seismic wave excitations. This research can further enrich the database for the seismic performance of long-span transmission tower-line systems.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.71 no.3
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• pp.305-315
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• 2019

Extremely long-span transmission tower-line system is an indispensable portion of an electricity transmission system, and its failures or collapse can impact on the entire electricity grid, affect the modern life, and cause great economic losses. It is therefore imperative to investigate the failure and safety of the transmission tower subjected to ground motions. In the present study, a detailed finite element (FE) model of a representative extremely long-span transmission tower-line system is established. A segmental damage indicator (SDI) is proposed to quantitatively assess the damage level of each segment of the transmission tower under earthquakes. Additionally, parametric studies are conducted to investigate the influence of different ground motions and incident angles on the ultimate capacity and weakest segment of the transmission tower. Finally, the collapse fragility curve in terms of the maximum SDI value and PGA is plotted for the exampled transmission tower. The results show that the proposed SDI can quantitatively assess the damage level of the segments, and thus determine the ultimate capacity and weakest segment of the transmission tower. Moreover, the different ground motions and incident angles have a significant influence on the SDI values of the transmission tower, and the collapse fragility curve is utilized to evaluate the collapse resistant capacity of the transmission tower subjected to ground motions.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.583-593
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• 2018

Seismic performance is particularly important for life-line structures, especially for long-span transmission tower line system subjected to multi-component ground motions. However, the influence of multi-component seismic loads and the coupling effect between supporting towers and transmission lines are not taken into consideration in the current seismic design specifications. In this research, shake table tests are conducted to investigate the performance of long-span transmission tower-line system under multi-component seismic excitations. For reproducing the genuine structural responses, the reduced-scale experimental model of the prototype is designed and constructed based on the Buckingham's theorem. And three commonly used seismic records are selected as the input ground motions according to the site soil condition of supporting towers. In order to compare the experimental results, the dynamic responses of transmission tower-line system subjected to single-component and two-component ground motions are also studied using shake table tests. Furthermore, an empirical model is proposed to evaluate the acceleration and member stress responses of transmission tower-line system subjected to multi-component ground motions. The results demonstrate that the ground motions with multi-components can amplify the dynamic response of transmission tower-line system, and transmission lines have a significant influence on the structural response and should not be neglected in seismic analysis. The experimental results can provide a reference for the seismic design and analysis of long-span transmission tower-line system subjected to multi-component ground motions.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.635-647
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• 2019

Tests and theoretical studies for seismic responses of a transmission tower-line system under coupled horizontal and tilt (CHT) ground motion were conducted. The method of obtaining the tilt component from seismic motion was based on comparisons from the Fourier spectrum of uncorrected seismic waves. The collected data were then applied in testing and theoretical analysis. Taking an actual transmission tower-line system as the prototype, shaking table tests of the scale model of a single transmission tower and towers-line systems under horizontal, tilt, and CHT ground motions were carried out. Dynamic equations under CHT ground motion were also derived. The additional P-∆ effect caused by tilt motion was considered as an equivalent horizontal lateral force, and it was added into the equations as the excitation. Test results were compared with the theoretical analysis and indicated some useful conclusions. First, the shaking table test results are consistent with the theoretical analysis from improved dynamic equations and proved its correctness. Second, the tilt component of ground motion has great influence on the seismic response of the transmission tower-line system, and the additional P-∆effect caused by the foundation tilt, not only increases the seismic response of the transmission tower-line system, but also leads to a remarkable asymmetric displacement effect. Third, for the tower-line system, transmission lines under ground motion weaken the horizontal displacement and acceleration responses of transmission towers. This weakening effect of transmission lines to the main structure, however, will be decreased with consideration of tilt component.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.82 no.5
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• pp.571-585
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• 2022

As a vital component of power grids, long-span transmission tower-line systems are vulnerable to wind load excitation due to their high flexibility and low structural damping. Therefore, it is essential to reduce wind-induced responses of tower-line coupling systems to ensure their safe and reliable operation. To this end, a shape memory alloy-bidirectional tuned mass damper (SMA-BTMD) is proposed in this study to reduce wind-induced vibrations of long-span transmission tower-line systems. A 1220 m Songhua River long-span transmission system is selected as the primary structure and modeled using ANSYS software. The vibration suppression performance of an optimized SMA-BTMD attached to the transmission tower is evaluated and compared with the effects of a conventional bidirectional tuned mass damper. Furthermore, the impacts of frequency ratios and SMA composition on the vibration reduction performance of the SMA-BTMD are evaluated. The results show that the SMA-BTMD provides superior vibration control of the long-span transmission tower-line system. In addition, changes in frequency ratios and SMA composition have a substantial impact on the vibration suppression effects of the SMA-BTMD. This research can provide a reference for the practical engineering application of the SMA-BTMD developed in this study.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2019

Transmission tower-line system is one of most critical lifeline systems to cities. However, it is found that the transmission tower-line system is prone to be damaged by earthquakes in past decades. To mitigate seismic demands, this study introduces a tuned-mass damper (TMD) using superelastic shape memory alloy (SMA) spring for the system. In addition, considering the dynamic characteristics of both tower-line system and SMA are affected by temperature change. Particular attention is paid on the effect of temperature variation on seismic behavior. In doing so, the SMA-TMD is installed into the system, and its properties are optimized through parametric analyses. The considered temperature range is from -40 to $40^{\circ}C$. The seismic control effect of using SMA-TMD is investigated under the considered temperatures. Interested seismic performance indices include peak displacement and peak acceleration at the tower top and the height-wise deformation. Parametric analyses on seismic intensity and frequency ratio were carried out as well. This study indicates that the nonlinear behavior of SMA-TMD is critical to the control effect, and proper tuning before application is advisable. Seismic demand mitigation is always achieved in this wide temperature range, and the control effect is increased at high temperatures.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.387-398
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• 2019

On the basis that ground motions may arrive at a structure from any horizontal direction and that different directions of seismic incidence would result in different structural dynamic responses, this paper focuses on orienting the crucial seismic incidence of transmission tower-line systems based on the wavelet energy method. A typical transmission tower-line system is chosen as the case study, and two finite element (FE) models are established in ABAQUS, with and without consideration of the interaction between the transmission towers and the transmission lines. The mode combination frequency is defined by considering the influence of the higher-order modes of the structure. Subsequently, wavelet transformation is performed to obtain the total effective energy input and the effective energy input rate corresponding to the mode combination frequency to further judge the critical angle of seismic incidence by comparing these two performance indexes under different seismic incidence angles. To validate this approach, finite element history analysis (FEHA) is imposed on both FE models to generate comparative data, and good agreement is found. The results demonstrate that the wavelet energy method can forecast the critical angle of seismic incidence of a transmission tower-line system with adequate accuracy, avoiding time-consuming and cumbersome computer analysis. The proposed approach can be used in future seismic design of transmission tower-line systems.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.335-353
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• 2022

The current work numerically investigates the transient force and dynamic response of an overhead transmission tower-line structure caused by the passage of a high-speed train (HST). Taking the CRH2C HST and an overhead transmission tower-line structure as the research objects, both an HST-transmission line fluid numerical model and a transmission tower-line structure finite element model are established and validated through comparison with experimental and theoretical data. The transient force and typical dynamic response of the overhead transmission tower-line structure due to HST-induced wind are analyzed. The results show that when the train passes through the overhead transmission tower-line structure, the extreme force on the transmission line is related to the train speed with a significant quadratic function relationship. Once the relative distance from the track is more than 15 m, the train-induced force is small enough to be ignored. The extreme value of the mid-span dynamic response of the transmission line is related to the train speed and span length with a significant linear functional relationship.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.185-197
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• 2022

This study aimed to analyze the wind-induced mechanical energy (WME) of a proposed super high-rise and long-span transmission tower-line system (SHLTTS), which, in 2021, is the tallest tower-line system with the longest span. Anew index - the WME, accounting for the wind-induced vibration behavior of the whole system rather than the local part, was first proposed. The occurrence of the maximum WME for a transmission tower, with or without conductors, under synoptic winds, was analyzed, and the corresponding formulae were derived based on stochastic vibration theory. Some calculation data, such as the drag coefficient, dynamic parameters, windshielding areas, mass, calculation point coordinates, mode shape and influence function, derived from wind tunnel testing on reducedscale models and finite element software were used in calculating the maximum WME of the transmission tower under three cases. Then, the influence of conductors, wind speed, gradient wind height and wind yaw angle on WME components and the energy transfer relationship between substructures (transmission tower and conductor) were analyzed. The study showed that the presence of conductors increases the WME of transmission towers and changes the proportion of the mean component (MC), background component (BC) and resonant component (RC) for WME; The RC of WME is more susceptible to the wind speed change. Affected by the gradient wind height, the WME components decrease. With the RC decreasing the fastest and the MC decreasing the slowest; The WME reaches the its maximum value at the wind yaw angle of 30°. Due to the influence of three factors, namely: the long span of the conductors, the gradient wind height and the complex geometrical profile, it is important that the tower-line coupling effect, the potential for fatigue damage and the most unfavorable wind yaw angle should be given particular attention in the wind-resistant design of SHLTTSs