Lightning Performance Evaluation of Transmission Line Based on Data-Driven Lightning Identification, Tracking, and Analysis

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Lightning performance evaluation is aimed at classifying transmission lines into different risk levels of thunderstorm-induced trip-out. Its applications range from better lightning protection guidance, arrester installation design, transmission line retrofits, and line corridor design. Previous studies fail to consider the real-time lightning intensity, which is an essential factor of lightning trip-out that must not be ignored. This article proposes a novel lightning performance evaluation model based on the idea that the tower, which has a record of lightning trip-out with weaker real-time lightning intensity, is more susceptible to trip out, which means low lightning performance. In order to quantify the lightning intensity, this article puts forward a new definition of lightning intensity which includes three kinds of real-time characteristics, that is the location, the current of lightning strike, and the number of times the lightning movement track crosses the transmission line. More specifically, with the rapid development of lightning location system, a novel Lightning Identification, Tracking, and Analysis algorithm is proposed to search lightning movement track based on a database of 17 million lightning records. When lightning trip-out happens, the lightning performance level is graded according to the real-time lightning intensity. By comparing the similarity of static characteristics, the lightning performance level is extended to the tower, which has no record of lightning trip-out. By comparison with the traditional model, the proposed model is closer to the actual situation and can significantly improve the accuracy of lightning performance evaluation, which is improved by 66.7%.