Eiffel Effect on Towers of UHV AC Transmission Lines

Abstract

The principle of Eiffel Effect on transmission towers was analyzed, and the necessity of considering Eiffel Effect on transmission towers, especially multi-loop transmission towers, was proposed. A comparative analysis on calculation methods for Eiffel Effect on tower mast structures both at home and abroad was conducted and the applicability of various calculation methods to transmission towers and their advantages/disadvantages are proposed. On this basis, the analysis method for Eiffel Effect on transmission towers is proposed. The Eiffel Effect was calculated by taking four tower types of EHV/UHV AC multi-circuit transmission lines on the same tower as examples, during which the stress state of member bar of each tower type after considering the Eiffel Effect, the influence of the intersection angle between the main members of the tower on the Eiffel Effect, and the minimum bearing capacity requirement of diagonal members etc. were analyzed. The analysis shows that: It is simple, reasonable and convenient to consider the Eiffel Effect on the tower with the rigidity-reduction method for engineering application; both the diagonal member and the diaphragm member of the tower are influenced by Eiffel Effect, where its influence on the latter is higher; it may be unsafe if designing the minimum bearing capacity requirement for the diagonal member with the internal force not less than 5% of the main members to satisfy the Eiffel Effect on the tower for the UHV transmission towers, and especially for the transmission towers with EHV/UHV AC multi-circuit transmission lines on the same tower.