Investigation on wind tunnel tests of a full aeroelastic model of electrical transmission tower-line system

• A full aeroelastic model to simulate transmission tower-line system was established.
• Wind-induced responses of the tower-line model were investigated by wind tunnel test.
• Wind-induced destroyed mode of the tower-line model was observed.
• Static and dynamic loads on transmission tower transferred from lines were acquired.

A full aeroelastic model with one tower two lines to simulate electrical transmission tower-line system was established. Displacements and accelerations of the aeroelastic model of the tower with and without lines under various wind speeds were investigated through boundary layer wind tunnel tests, and the maximum wind loads on, and wind-induced destroyed mode of, the tower-line model were also observed. Meanwhile, the static and dynamic loads on electrical transmission tower transferred from lines were acquired by measuring the strains of the insulators at the ends of lines. The effects of coupling between electrical transmission tower and line on wind-induced vibrations of electrical transmission towers were investigated, and the pattern of wind induced responses along with wind speeds, as well as the characteristics of spectra of wind induced dynamic responses, of the aeroelastic model of the tower with and without line were analyzed. The experimental results indicate that the effects of coupling between transmission tower and line on wind-induced responses of the tower, as well as the across-wind vibration of the tower, must take into consideration in the wind-resistant design of electrical transmission tower; and the reinforcement at the weak parts of electrical transmission tower could effectively increase the survival ability of the tower under strong wind.