Application of Digital Elevation Models to wind estimation for dynamic line rating

Abstract

The distribution of renewable energy is now a reality in power distribution grids. This type of energy demands a new and effective electrical infrastructure to manage its intermittency. A dynamic line rating system provides an alternative for new assets with a large capital investment. Dynamic line rating studies and projects have revealed several issues that need to be solved to create safe and accurate systems. One of the major challenges is finding the best monitoring point. Because the ampacity changes along the overhead line, the objective of this study was to develop a methodology to calculate the distributed ampacity along the line using digital elevation and wind propagation models. Finally, an example of this methodology was applied to two real distribution lines: a short line and long line. A comparison between the new methodology and the current operation methodologies found that the point with the least cooling along the line differed depending on the wind direction. Thus, the ampacity could be overestimated by the commonly used dynamic line rating systems. Moreover, the proposed Simulated Distributed Wind Estimation (SWDE) is an economical alternative to a distributed monitoring system.