Study on anti-galloping efficiency of rotary clamp spacers for eight bundle conductor line

Abstract Rotary clamp spacer is a prospective anti-galloping device for bundle conductor lines. The rotation-free clamp of a rotatory clamp spacer allows the connected sub-conductor rotate freely around its axis, which makes ice shape along span uniform and weakens the aerodynamic loads on the iced sub-conductors to diminish or control the galloping. In this paper, the cross-section shapes of accreted ice along sub-conductors, which are connected with rotation-free clamps of a spacer, are numerically modeled, and the aerodynamic coefficients of the iced sub-conductors along span are then simulated by means of the software developed for aerodynamic characteristics of transmission conductors based on the computational fluid dynamics software Fluent. Considering the ice shape distribution along the sub-conductors, the galloping of iced eight bundle conductor lines with different installation schemes of rotary clamp spacers are numerically studied by means of the finite element software ABAQUS. The anti-galloping efficiencies of rotary clamp spacers with different installation schemes under different parameters, including initial wind attack angle, ice thickness, ice accretion angle, span length, conductor type and continuous spans, are evaluated by comparing with dynamic responses of line with fixed clamp spacer under wind loads. Based on the results, optimal schemes to diminish or control galloping of eight bundle conductor lines are proposed.