Aeolian Vibrations on Power-Line Conductors, Evaluation of Actual Self Damping

Aeolian vibrations of power lines are induced by Von Karman vortex shedding. Without dampers, the amplitude of vibration very much depends on conductor self damping, which may be very low. The purpose of this paper is to show measurements of these vibrations carried out by a new experimental device which is able to perform continuous measurements in the full range of frequencies and amplitudes. In this paper, 550 h of continuous recording on four different conductors placed in similar conditions is detailed. An evaluation of self damping power, based on observations, is proposed.