Overview & Events
Research Value
- Reduce costs associated with outages
- Improve specifications and designs for new assets
- Improve inspection and assessment capabilities including knowledge of new inspection technologies
- Improve electric system resiliency and reliability
Member Benefits
- Offer guidance on selection and management of ductile iron or composite structures
- Provide knowledge of new inspection technologies and how these technologies work in the field
- Improve line performance and grounding reliability
- Design more resilient transmission lines
- Provide knowledge to improve components specifications
- Offer access to industry references on inspection and assessment, transmission line design, increased power flow and lightning and grounding where applicable
At A Glance
Utility structures (including poles and crossarms) manufactured from composite materials (fiberglass reinforced polymer), as well as ductile iron poles, are being considered as alternatives to traditional steel and wood. Despite continuing refinements in material composition and manufacturing techniques, composite products have a fairly short history in electric utility service. The same applies to ductile iron poles which have only been available since 2008. The key objective of this research is to help transmission engineers apply these technologies with confidence. This can be achieved by developing a good understanding of material attributes and how the mechanical and electrical properties change with exposure to the environment. Also, by determining the failure modes and aging rates for materials by comparative testing, better recommendations regarding inspection/assessment, damage assessment, and refurbishment methodologies may be provided.
Planned 2024 Activities
Evaluation of Ductile Iron Properties Applied to Utility Poles: – Although ductile iron has been used for many years in the manufacture of underground water pipes, less is known of its properties when applied to utility poles. Specific tests are to be developed to highlight the material’s performance characteristics that are critical to the functionality of utility poles, such as aging, grounding, corrosion, etc.
An overview of ductile iron can be found by clicking here .
Guide to Recycling of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite Materials: – Selection of materials for utility structures should include consideration of end of service life actions that may be taken for reducing their impact on the environment. Compared with ductile iron, where recycling simply involves melting down scrap material for inclusion in future batches of ductile iron components, recycling of composites can be more involved. The application of composites to large structures, particularly wind turbine blades, is highlighting the importance of recycling at end of service life. A review of appropriate recycling methods, both existing and experimental, is to be made.
Lenox Component and Materials Testing Workshop: – A range of tests are being conducted at Lenox to evaluate the properties of ductile iron and composite materials, and how their performance changes as they age. Test areas include some or all of the following: full-size pole break; full-size pole wildfire simulation; crossarm break; accelerated aging of full-size poles and crossarms; small-scale accelerated aging; electrical testing including switching/lightning flashovers. Members will be invited to a 2-day workshop comprising an in-depth overview of the status of the research, and a demonstration of each of the major test areas.
Engagement Opportunities
| Meeting | Scheduled Date |
Location |
Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhead Line Design Task Force | February 19-22 (In person), February 26-29 (Virtual) | Charlotte, NC | Meeting Materials |
| Composite Structures Workshop: Theory, Research, and Applications | May 15-16, 2024 | Lenox, MA | Meeting Materials |
| EPRI R&D Project Update Webcast: P35.005 Composite Structures, P35.007 Line Design, P35.008 Increasing Line Resiliency | May 30 : 11:00am - 12:00pm ET | Webcast | - |
| Overhead Transmission 2024 ARP Rollout #1 | June 12: 11:00am - 12:30pm ET | Webcast | Add to calendar |
| Overhead Transmission 2024 ARP Rollout #2 | August 8: 10:00am - 11:30am ET | Webcast | Add to calendar |
| Overhead Line Design Task Force | August 19-22 (In person), August 26-29 (Virtual) | Charlotte, NC | Register here |
| EPRI R&D Information Exchange Webcast: Ductile Iron | September 4: 2:00pm - 4:00am ET | Webcast | - |
| EPRI End of Year Webcast: P35.005 Composite Structures, P35.007 Line Design, P35.008 Increasing Line Resiliencyn | November 14: 11:00am - 12:00pm ET | Webcast | - |