Buckling of interphase spacers during vibration following ice shedding

The axial load and buckling of interphase spacers (IPSs) in power transmission lines are investigated during vibration following ice shedding. IPSs are used to maintain the clearance between different phases of transmission line conductors. Axial forces act on the IPSs during conductor motion, potentially leading to buckling. Two numerical approaches are proposed to study this phenomenon. The first one involves a dynamic model that simulates ice shedding from conductors separated by spacers and provides the axial load that acts on the spacers during the vibration. The material properties are obtained from material tests on fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) samples, which is the material used to manufacture modern IPSs. The other numerical approach simulates the buckling behavior of IPSs under the axial load obtained from the previous model and provides the deformed shape of the IPS together with the stresses that develop during buckling. An experimental set-up is designed for buckling tests on small-scale FRP samples, and it is applied to validate the buckling model. Buckling may damage the spacer, but it is not necessarily harmful if stresses are small enough and the deformation is elastic during buckling. By understanding the behavior of IPSs under dynamic forces and obtaining the maximum deformation and stress during buckling, it may be possible to improve the design and performance of these components in power transmission lines.