Research Status & Deliverables

Task: Transmission & Distribution Wood Pole Fleet Management
Task Description: Collect & analyze industry wide wood pole performance data (e.g., inspection, replacement, demographic, corrective maintenance etc.) data to develop new analytics and metrics to better understand population useful life & the effect of variables such as species, original treatment type, environment, inspection providers, pole dimensions etc. Use results for data driven & analysis-based decisions – when to inspect, where to inspect, when to replace, retreatment, inspection efficacy etc.
Update:

• Gathered 10.9 million wood pole inspection records from 31 companies.
• Expanded analytics to include new data sources (weather and fuel models, geo-spatial information) to augment the understanding of industry wide wood pole performance.
• Efforts underway to understand:
  • The mathematical relationship between pole serviceability and various such as species, original treatment type retreatment etc.
  • How universal are the underlying relationships?

Task: Steel Structure Fleet Management
Task Description: Collect & analyze industry wide steel structure performance data (e.g., inspection, replacement, demographic data, soil testing results, corrective maintenance etc.) to develop new analytics and metrics to better understand the performance of steel structure & the effect of variables such age, land cover type, soil chemistry, environment etc. Use results for data driven & analysis-based decisions – when to inspect, where to inspect, when to replace etc.
Update:

• Obtained historical inspection & demographic data from two utilities.
• Developed preliminary data model to aid utilities in collecting & populating data from various sources in a consolidated manner.
• Developed preliminary analytical methodology & performance metrics.
• Looking for members to provide data to help advance research.

Task: Transmission Line Conductor & Shield Wire End of Life Model Development
Task Description: Collect industry wide conductor & shield wire data, for e.g., laboratory condition assessment results from field aged samples, replacement records, demographic records. Use the data to develop new analytics and metrics to better understand the survivability conductors & shield wires & the effect of variables such as conductor type, environment etc.
Update:

• Shield wire: Analyzed data received from one-member utility to better understand population survivability. Analysis was based on data gathered from two different approaches – forensic condition assessment results from laboratory testing and results obtained from live line (in-situ) inspections.
• Conductors: Analyzed data from two member utilities (age, grease condition, type, size, configuration, span vs. jumper, phase vs. shield-wire, location, environment) to better understand:
  • Population survivability and end of life estimates
  • Differences between core only and fully greased ACSR
  • Influence of torsional and tensile testing on end of life estimates
• Work underway to gather new data from members and continue analysis.
• Launched supplemental project to aid collection and laboratory testing of field aged conductor and shield wire samples.

Task: New circuit & component level metrics
Task Description:

• Develop & test data model to collect inspection & maintenance records & associate them with the underlying component & circuit (span, structure etc.).
• Populate the data model with real world utility data to assess its applicability. Make changes based on experience.
• Develop new circuit & component level metrics to better understand circuit & component performance.
  Update:
• Developed a methodology to organize the raw data (demographic information e.g. material, age, component type etc., routine inspection records and corrective maintenance records) so that we can better understand the affected component, defect type and frequency for various circuits.
• Work underway to test the method using one utility’s data (10 years of historical maintenance and inspection records)
  • Data model applicability
  • Develop metrics e.g., defect type, frequency, severity etc.

Task: Overhead transmission line risk assessment framework
Task description: Develop a framework that utilizes results of the above-mentioned efforts & helps utilities gain a holistic view of transmission line risk
Update:

• Developed and published conceptual risk-based transmission line ranking approach that can be applied with readily available data.
• We are looking for funder utilities interested in piloting this approach.

2023 Deliverables

2022 Deliverables