Vibration Damping in Overhead Transmission Line Conductors

Fatigue is a common cause for failure of conductors near associated hardwares and attachment. Vibrations due to wind is a common cause for fatigue and frettingof conductors. Conductors under the effect of high frequency and low amplitude are more prone to vibrations particularly in India and other parts of the world. ACSR conductors have been a popular choice for overhead conductors due to advantages in both electrical and mechanical characteristics and these conductors are more prone to Aeolian vibrations. Vibration dampers are widely used to control Aeolian vibration of the conductors and earthwires including optical ground wires. In this paper the author presents the performance of vibration dampers on ACSR conductors. The author emphasizes the importance offor evaluating the suitability of a damper for a particular overhead line by choosing appropriate design tension, type, quantity and placement of vibration dampers to avoid failure of lines.