An Integrated Asset Management Strategy for Transmission Line Conductors, Based on Robotics, Sensors, and Aging Modelling

Powerline aging and associated refurbishments are undoubtedly an upcoming challenge for a lot of utilities. At Hydro-Quebec, this motivated the launch of an integrated strategy aiming at providing the tools, technologies, and know-how to efficiently determine a health index for conductors without relying heavily on field sampling methods. The paper explains the strategy, which unfolds in three different projects. At the core of the strategy are several robotic platforms, including drones, which were developed at IREQ to reach and travel along the conductors. Mounted on the device is a portfolio of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) technologies, developed to detect symptoms of prevalent aging mechanisms. Secondly, the conductor degradation and aging modelling project is aimed at determining the actual health index of the conductors, the rate of degradation, and their remaining useful life (RUL). Finally, a database tool is to be developed to provide seamless integration with enterprise databases. Vertical integration will thus be achieved to provide tools for supporting decision-making in asset management.