This project is divided into 4 tasks:
New Version of OHTL Inspection and Assessment Methods (IAM) Reference Guide (Yellow Book): This guide helps initiate a new overhead transmission line inspection and assessment program or refine an existing one. It focuses on degradation and inspection of line components, and procedures and technologies for inspecting and assessing components.
Methods to Assess the Condition of Overhead Electric Transmission Lines: Analytical tools/methods to assess overhead line performance in a more protective and risk based approach. Different methods are used to evaluate and compare the overall condition and operational status of their overhead transmission line assets to better manage and assess where inspection and maintenance resources should best be applied to reduce the risk of line failures. In 2013 work was initiated to collect information and understand what approaches are being employed by utilities to manage transmission assets, establish asset maintenance and inspection priorities and condition assessment. The plan this year is to use this information to develop and recommend an approach for establishing TL asset condition metric.
Population Assessments of Line Components: Currently no common methodology exists for the inspection and assessment of a population of all the various overhead line components in-service. This task aims to develop these techniques and build upon the initial concepts put forth for polymer insulators and compression connector line components. Employing these methodologies and procedures should enable us to detect, in a systematic and cost effective way, line components that are high risk as well as mitigate the effects of these high-risk units.
Overhead Transmission Line Component Performance Summaries: Over recent years EPRI has developed a number of overhead transmission line component performance databases (e.g. polymer insulators) containing actual failure data or information from line components removed from service for various reasons. This technical update report will provide a synopsis of findings resulting from a periodic analysis of the data contain in each line component database.
Benefits
On successful completion of this work, the following 4 deliverables will be developed successfully:
1) A technical guide reviewing OHTL Inspection and assessment methods: This work focuses on the degradation and inspection of line components, procedures and technologies for inspecting and assessing components.
2) A technical guide detailing methods to assess the condition of overhead electricity transmission: This deliverable details the output of the work conducted to develop an analytical tool to assess overhead line performance in a more protective and risk-based approach.
3) A technical report looking at population assessments of line components: This report will detail techniques and methodologies for the inspection and assessment of a population of all the various overhead line components in-service.
4) A technical report summarising the performance of overhead transmission line component performance: This report will provide a synopsis of findings resulting from periodic analysis of the data associated with the performance of each component.
