Tracking galloping profile of transmission lines using wireless inertial measurement units

Galloping of power transmission lines might bring about huge damage such as massive power outage and collapse of the transmission towers. To realize forecast of the galloping and provide data for study on the galloping mechanism, this paper proposes an online monitoring system for tracking galloping profile of power transmission lines based on wireless inertial measurement units (WIMUs). The system is composed of three modules: wireless inertial measurement nodes, monitoring base station, and remote monitoring station. After detailing the hardware system, the corresponding software which positions and displays galloping profile of the transmission line in real-time is outlined. The feasibility of the proposed on-line monitoring system is demonstrated through a series of experiments at the State Grid Key Laboratory of Power Overhead Transmission Line Galloping (Zhengzhou, China) by taking into account different vibration patterns.