High Power Lines Research Articles

Radioprotective effects of melatonin therapy against testicular oxidative stress: a systematic review and meta-analysis of rodent models

Background: Radiation exposure is a concern in today’s world, given the widespread use of electronic devices and medical procedures involving ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Radiations may cause male infertility by inducing oxidative stress in testicular tissue. Melatonin has antioxidant properties. Methods: We systematically reviewed the literature for the studies that have investigated the effects of melatonin therapy on radiation-induced oxidative stress in rodents’ testicular tissue. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for relevant animal trials. Standardized mean difference and 95% confidence intervals were used to pool the data. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were done. The risk of bias was assessed using SYRCLE tool. Results: Outcomes: histopathology and sperm analyses (testicular apoptotic cells, Johnsen’s testicular biopsy score, seminiferous epithelial height, tubular diameter, sperm motility, viability, count, and morphology, concentration of spermatid, spermatocyte, and spermatogonia), body and testes weights (absolute and relative body and testicular weights), reproductive hormones (serum prolactin, FSH, and testosterone), and oxidative stress tissue markers (TBARS, CAT, GSH, GSH-Px, MDA, SOD, and XO, and total antioxidant capacity). Rats and mice were exposed to electromagnetic radiations (gamma, roentgen, microwave, radiofrequency, and high-power line energy) and particle waves (radioiodine and carbon-ion). Melatonin therapy was significantly associated with improved male reproduction. Conclusion: Radiation exposure harms male fertility, but melatonin, as an antioxidant, is potentially associated with improved male reproductive function in rodents. Inconsistencies in research require further investigations.

SIMULATION OF NARROWBAND POWER LINE CARRIER COMMUNICATION FOR SMART GRID APPLICATIONS

For developing a reliable Power Line Carrier Communication (PLCC) system, it is extremely important to know the characteristics of different subsystems in PLCC and power lines. The circuit used to superimpose carrier signal from the transmitter with high potential power lines is termed as line tuners. The design and simulation of a capacitive type line tuner meeting IEC 60481:1974 and IEEE Std C93.4-2012 are included in this article. The wave trap allows the power signal to pass through but blocks the high-frequency carrier signal to reach terminal equipment which works at 50/60 Hertz. Three types of wave traps are studied as part of this paper: single frequency, dual frequency, and wideband wave traps. Impedance characteristics obtained in simulation show effective rejection of carrier signal as desired. The distribution power transformers are an inevitable part of the power line network which offers high attenuation to carrier signal as being inductive it functions as low pass filter. To overcome this problem a bypass circuit which could be incorporated in future power transformers is proposed in this article. The Resistance, Inductance, and Capacitance (RLC) parameter of the power line cable used in the simulation model are derived based on the experimental values observed on an actual 11 kV underground cable and thus replicates actual field conditions. A complete PLCC system with all the above components is presented in this article and can be used as a testbed by designers to validate the MODEM for communication in different topologies by modifying the elements according to actual field conditions.

Developing bird friendly transmission power lines in Kenya

Background: Kenya's rich wildlife is an important natural resource and is vital to the country's economy. However, rapid infrastructure development in key wildlife areas has threatened the survival of numerous species including raptors. Policy: The growing distribution of electricity grids in Kenya poses a significant risk to raptors and populations of other large birds. This research aimed to review the policy gaps in Kenya’s National Energy Policy (2018) examining the strategies for developing bird friendly transmission power lines in Kenya, with a goal to reduce the negative impact on raptor populations and improve their conservation. The findings indicate a high overlap between the ecological niche of raptors with medium and high voltage transmission power lines, with indication of high-risk hotspots for electrocution and collisions. Recommendations: This policy brief therefore proposes the adoption of bird friendly power lines in new transmission infrastructure projects and retrofitting existing power lines with bird friendly devices. This can be achieved through strengthening the legal and regulatory frameworks in the National Energy Policy. This will help prioritize avian conservation in power lines infrastructural development projects including the development of specific policies and guidelines for the placement, orientation, and marking of power lines to reduce the risk of electrocution and collisions of raptor species. Conclusions: Kenya committed to protecting migratory bird species and their habitats by signing the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals in 1999. However, the National Energy Policy of 2018 lacks guidelines for bird-friendly power lines. Addressing this requires collaboration from the government, power companies, research institutions, conservation groups, and local communities. A concerted effort involving public education, targeted funding for research, and stakeholder collaboration can help Kenya meet its conservation obligations and safeguard vital habitats for migratory birds.

Design of a Wireless Sensor Node for Overhead High Voltage Transmission Power Lines

High Voltage (HV) overhead power lines are systems of interconnected elements that deliver massive amounts of electrical energy over long distances. Electrical conductors, used as energy carriers, are designed according voltage, current, and temperature rated value. Monitoring the power line's state variables is emerging as a crucial topic aiming at both determining the optimal real-time capability and defining a suitable model for Health Index assessment. A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), consisting of many distributed sensor nodes that communicate with each other, can be a suitable tool to improve line ampacity by maintaining the operating variables in respect of their rated values. This paper investigates the design of an Energy Management System (EMS) for a wireless sensor for HV power line application and proposes a maximum power point tracker (MPPT). The behavior of the MPPT is discussed in terms of electromagnetic field laws and properties of magnetic materials. Ordinary and extraordinary operating conditions are investigated. The theoretical results are validated through a series of experimental tests. A prototype has been realized and tested for real operating currents. The tests are also used to verify the sensor's resilience in the presence of harsh fault conditions.

Flying Robots for a Smarter Life

Innovative ideas are continuously emerging to produce better life conditions where essential human needs are supposed to be fulfilled with perfect scenarios leading us to propose modern strategies drawing the future of smart cities. In this context, flying robots are increasingly exploited in many fields to improve the quality of our life. This paper illustrates new designs of flying robots that could be used to perform a variety of advanced missions like investigating the state of high-power lines and manipulating cabling maintenance procedures when failures are detected, evaluating the state of the outer edge of sidewalks to color their partially or wholly erased parts, and spraying pesticides to trees or crops that are affected by different diseases. Creating such smart devices demands developing many other partial designs relying on AI-based algorithms, computer vision techniques, and embedded systems. A variety of techniques that we have recently developed in this field are presented here.

Modeling and Simulation of High Voltage Power Lines under Transient and Persistent Faults

The work proposes an original method for modeling and simulating the triggering of 110 kV interconnection power lines in case of common faults, such as transient or persistent faults. Urban and industrial areas, surrounding urban areas, require a high energy consumption that is being supplied through 110 kV overhead power lines, responsible for distributing power to the industrial and domestic consumers. High voltage distribution power lines are most prone to failure, due to their exposure, affecting a large number of consumers if a fault occurs. Faults of power lines in service certify that currently there is no perfectly controllable operation mode in terms of load rating, environmental factors, insulation resistance, or mechanical resistance, which would allow total avoidance of faults, it is only possible to reduce the impact they have on the network as a whole. Mathematical models have been developed to determine the experimental voltage and current responses describing the fault propagation, expressed as a 7th-degree polynomial curve, as a second-order transfer function or as the Gaussian model type. By comparing these mathematical models, the most probable answers that can lead to the development of a control structure for rapid identification of a fault were obtained, with the possibility of triggering the line protection relay. In the final part of the manuscript, the viability of applying artificial intelligence techniques, for the approached fault management application, is proven. The developed control structure evaluates the nature of the fault and determines a faster reaction of the line protection causing an increase in the performance of the distribution service.

A Design Method of Active Photoelectric Detection Sensor Based on 1-D Multiunit p-i-n Detector and Its Detection Model

This article develops a new sensor that can detect projectiles in all-weather with high sensitivity and a large field of view. Two high-power line lasers are used to design an active photoelectric detection sensor with a fan-shaped detection plane. The size of the designed fan-shaped photoelectric detection receiving plane is the same as the luminous fan-shaped plane light source to make the two fan-shaped planes coincide with each other, forming an active detection screen. Based on the principle of active photoelectric detection sensor, a linear array photoelectric detector is selected, in which multiple unit p-i-n detectors are spliced together, and an amplifier processing circuit with low noise and high sensitivity is designed. Combined with the geometric structural features of the active detection screen, the radiation characteristics calculation model of the projectile in a fan-shaped detection plane is developed using a five-parameters bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). Finally, the total radiation intensity calculation function of the projectile’s surface is derived considering the influence of environmental factors and the output signal and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) model of the active photoelectric detection sensor is set up. Comparative experiments under different environmental illuminations verify that the detection ability has been significantly improved in active photoelectric detection sensors.

The durability of superhydrophobic and slippery liquid infused porous surface coatings under corona discharge characteristic of the operation of high voltage power transmission lines

Application of polyfunctional water-repelling coatings for high voltage outdoor power lines wires, insulators, and line supports recently gathered large interest due to their ability to substantially boost performance. Such functionalization can mitigate the accumulation of water precipitates and atmospheric pollutions, decrease leakage current, increase flashover and corona ignition voltage. However, harsh conditions concomitant to a high voltage such as high energy ions and electrons, high ozone concentration, UV radiation impose strict requirements on the durability of applied coatings. In this paper, we focus on the analysis of the durability of superhydrophobic coatings (SHC) and slippery liquid infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) under prolonged exposure to industrial grade alternating current corona discharge. Reported results show that in contrast to previously reported low resilience of polymer-based SHC, proper metal-based SHC withstands many hours of exposure without notable degradation. The obtained data on the stability of SLIPS under corona discharge show notable degradation related to the high rate of infused layer depletion. Overall, reported results broaden the understanding of the effect of corona exposure on functional materials and reinforce the optimistic view on the applicability of SHC and SLIPS coatings in the power transmission industry.

Soliton linear-wave scattering in a Kerr microresonator

The nonlinear scattering of a linear optical wave from a conservative soliton has been widely studied in optical fibers as a mechanism for nonlinear frequency conversion. Here we extend this analysis to consider the scattering of an externally injected probe wave from a dissipative cavity soliton circulating in a Kerr microresonator. We demonstrate, both theoretically and experimentally, that this nonlinear interaction can be harnessed for useful expansion of the soliton frequency comb via the formation of a secondary idler comb. We explore the physics of the process, showing that the phase detuning of the injected probe from a cavity resonance plays a key role in setting the central frequency of the idler comb, thus providing a convenient parameter through which to control the spectral envelope of that comb. Our results elucidate the dynamics that govern the interactions between dissipative Kerr cavity solitons and externally injected probe waves, and could prove useful in the design of future Kerr frequency comb systems by enabling the possibility to provide high-power comb lines in a specified spectral region simply through the injection of a suitably chosen probe.

Adaptive selection scheme for multi‐path parallel forwarding in dual‐mode heterogeneous field network of power distribution grid

In order to improve forwarding rate and connectivity rate between these nodes of the power distribution field network, an adaptive selection scheme for multi‐path parallel forwarding in dual‐mode heterogeneous field network is designed. First, the topological structure, the networking process and network maintenance mechanism of the field network with high speed power line broadband carrier and high speed micro‐power radio frequency communication capabilities are discussed. Second, a link measurement method is designed based on sliding window weighted average, and hybrid multi‐path routing table is calculated using a modified Bellman‐ford shortest path algorithm with limited hops. On this basis, a multi‐path parallel forwarding scheme is designed which has three modes of multi‐path load balancing forwarding, single‐path forwarding and multi‐path redundant forwarding. Finally, the field network is applied to the power distribution information collection system. The test results showed that the dual‐mode field network was more effective than the single‐mode field network in increasing the copying rate and shortening the copying time. © 2022 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Интеллектуальная система предотвращения гололедных аварий на воздушных линиях электропередачи сверхвысокого напряжения

Most of the damage on overhead transmission lines happens due to ice accumulation on conductors. This paper is devoted to ice damage prevention on extra high voltage split-phase overhead power lines. The key idea is using high-frequency heat up of wires instead of de-icing with power supply interruption. It is proven that keeping wire temperature at 0 °C is enough for the damage prevention purpose. The authors demonstrate the structure and description of the developed damage prevention system with adaptive control depending on climate conditions.

A Magnetic Field Canceling System Design for Diminishing Electromagnetic Interference to Avoid Environmental Hazard.

Electromagnetic interference is a serious and increasing form of environmental pollution, creating many issues in the areas of health care and industrial manufacturing. The performance of high-precision measurement equipment used in health care and the manufacturing industry is sensitive to electromagnetic interference. However, extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELFMF), with a frequency range from 3 to 30 Hz, generated by high-power lines have become the main interference source in high-tech foundries. This paper presents a magnetic cancelling system that works by combining active cancelling technology and passive cancelling technology to reduce the ELFMF around high-precision measurement equipment. The simulation and experimental results show the validity and feasibility of the proposed system.

Design of thermal imaging-based health condition monitoring and early fault detection technique for porcelain insulators using Machine learning

The inspection of insulator faults is an important task to prevent catastrophic failures in the operation of an electric substation. Manual inspection of overhead power line insulators can be very dangerous owning to the presence of high voltage in power sub-stations. Hence, in this paper, we present an infrared thermal (IRT) camera based non-invasive computer vision system for automatic monitoring and visual inspection of overhead on line power insulators. In the proposed work, initially, an optimal threshold method is applied to segment the region of interest (ROI) in IRT images. Subsequently, various geometrical, morphological, intensity and statistical features are computed from the segmented ROI, which are eventually utilized as an input to Gaussian kernel support vector machine to classify the different type of faults in insulator images. Computer vision based automatic inspection of insulators can play an important role from environment as well as human safety point of view. Timely inspection of insulators can ensure the environmental safety through prevention of fire that may be caused due to the insulator failures leading to the sudden breakdown of high-power lines. The proposed system achieved the true positive rate (TPR), and false negative rate (FNR) of 97.3%, and 2.66%, respectively. Whereas, the system obtained the Positive Predictive Value (PPV) and False Discovery Rates (FDR) of about 97% and 3%, respectively with the accuracy of 0.97 on the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. The performance of the proposed method is compared with other existing state of the art methods and found that our method outperformed over them. Hence, we recommend proposed system to detect the severity of faults in IRT images long before any catastrophic failures take place at power sub-stations.

Design and Detection Calculation Model of Laser Photoelectric Detection Target With Array Lens and High-Power Line Laser

Under the condition of low illumination, the traditional sky screen has low detection ability, which cannot meet the detection and test needs of dynamic projectile’s parameter in weapon field. In order to solve this problem, this paper proposes a design method of laser photoelectric detection target with array lens and high-power line laser, this method mainly uses the high-power line laser to form a fan-shaped laser light source with a certain thickness, and combines the fan-shaped laser light source plane and the receiving detection screen plane to form a laser detection screen. The array meso-lens is introduced to design the laser detection screen of receiving optical path with wide-angle. A high sensitivity array photodetector is used to capture the laser reflection information of projectile when it passes through the laser detection screen. According to the characteristics of the designed laser detection screen, this paper studies the calculation method of laser reflected energy of projectile, establishes the calculation model of laser reflection power of projectile and derives the signal-to-noise ratio calculation function of laser photoelectric detection target. Through the experimental test, the results show that compared with the traditional sky screen, the field of view of the designed laser photoelectric detection target is significantly increased, and the signal-to-noise ratio of the photoelectric detection is significantly higher than the traditional sky screen in low illumination environment.

16.3 W Peak-Power Pulsed All-Diode Laser Based Multi-Wavelength Master-Oscillator Power-Amplifier System at 964 nm

An all-diode laser-based master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) configuration for the generation of ns-pulses with high peak power, stable wavelength and small spectral line width is presented. The MOPA emits alternating at two wavelengths in the spectral range between 964 nm and 968 nm, suitable for the detection of water vapor by absorption spectroscopy. The monolithic master oscillator (MO) consists of two slightly detuned distributed feedback laser branches, whose emission is combined in a Y-coupler. The two emission wavelengths can be adjusted by varying the current or temperature to an absorption line and to a non-absorbing region. The power amplifier (PA) consists of a ridge-waveguide (RW) section and a tapered section, monolithically integrated within one chip. The RW section of the PA acts as an optical gate and converts the continuous wave input beam emitted by the MO into a sequence of short optical pulses, which are subsequently amplified by the tapered section to boost the output power. For a pulse width of 8 ns, a peak power of 16.3 W and a side mode suppression ratio of more than 37 dB are achieved at a repetition rate of 25 kHz. The measured spectral width of 10 pm, i.e., 0.1 cm−1, is limited by the resolution of the optical spectrum analyzer. The generated pulses emitting alternating at two wavelengths can be utilized in a differential absorption light detection and ranging system.

Patterns and Outcomes of High-Voltage vs Low-Voltage Pediatric Electrical Injuries: An 8-Year Retrospective Analysis of a Tertiary-Level Burn Center.

Although electrical injuries (EIs) are rare traumas in the pediatric age group, they are considered one of the most devastating injuries. We aimed to evaluate the patterns and outcomes of pediatric high-voltage injuries (HVIs) vs low-voltage injuries (LVIs), admitted to the burn center within the efforts of determining evidence-based data for contributing to burn prevention strategies. A retrospective study was conducted on children with EIs hospitalized in the Burn Center of Adana City Training and Research Hospital for 8 years (2013-2020). Data including the patients' clinical and demographic characteristics, the percentage of total body surface area with burns (%TBSA), length of hospital stay, exposure place, electrical current type, and treatment results were collected and analyzed. EIs were detected in 57 (2.5%) of 2243 acute pediatric burn injury admissions. EIs were most frequently observed in the form of HVIs, among children within the age range of 13 to 18 years, mostly in residential outdoor environments, where the high-power lines still passing close to the home roofs and balconies, resulting from contact with them. Besides, to a lesser extent in LVIs, in the home environment among children younger than 5 years, which was caused by connection with substandard electrical cords/poor-quality electrical devices and inserting an object into the electric sockets. Concerning the mean of %TBSA, HVIs suffered more extensive burns than LVIs. The most frequently affected anatomical regions among HVIs and LVIs were the upper limb, followed by the lower limb. While superficial partial- and deep partial-thickness burns were significantly more common among the LVIs, full-thickness burns were more prevalent among the HVIs. The amputation rate was 12% of which only one of them was major amputation (forearm above the elbow joint). HVIs had more elevated creatine kinase (CK) and CK-myocardial band (CK-MB) levels than LVIs but were not correlated with electrocardiography findings. Only one death (caused by HVI) was observed, with a mortality rate of 1.8%. Pediatric EIs are less common than scald or fire flame-related burns in this age group but can cause significant morbidity and even mortality, especially in severe burns. It is possible to prevent possible morbidity and mortality by strengthening compliance with safety precautions, especially with parental education and raising social awareness. In this context, taking necessary precautions for passing high-voltage power lines under the ground, the standardization of electrical cables by the relevant legal regulations, the use of socket covers in homes, promoting the widespread use of residual current relays, and arrangements to be taken against the use of illegal electricity are among measures for the prevention strategy.

Профилактические меры по снижению негативного воздействия электромагнитного излучения на здоровье

Man-made electromagnetic waves are the most widely and rapidly expanding exposure in today's world, including exposure in several frequency groups: extremely low frequencies (ELF) from electricity lines, hybrid car batteries and high power lines (>3 Hz–3 kHz), radiofrequency (RF) and microwave frequencies including millimeter waves (3 kHz–300 GHz) from mobile phones, towers, base stations and wireless devices, and intermediate frequencies "Dirty Electricity" emitted from power lines. While such organizations as ICNIRP (the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) still continue to claim that electromagnetic radiation can cause "only thermal effects", clinging to theory that does not match facts and upholding obsolete thermal safety standards, extensive scientific evidence has clearly demonstrated that non-thermal health effects produced by electromagnetic radiation do exist, are important to health, and should be taken into consideration when safety standards are set. This review aims to highlight some evidence of biologic effects in various body systems, and to suggest preventive measures to reduce such effects on health. Exposure to electromagnetic radiation at intensities lower than thermal safety standards has been associated with non-thermal biological effects including damage and changes to cells and DNA. This review presents evidence of such effects demonstrated in: the hematologic system, the nervous system, the immune system, the reproductive system, the skin and muscles, the cardiovascular system, glucose metabolism, and Electrohypersensitivity ("Microwave sickness"). Protective measures are then suggested to reduce these effects.

Preventive measures to reduce harmful effects produced by electromagnetic radiation on health

Man-made electromagnetic waves are the most widely and rapidly expanding exposure in today's world, including ex- posure in several frequency groups: extremely low frequencies (ELF) from electricity lines, hybrid car batteries and high power lines (>3 Hz–3 kHz), radiofrequency (RF) and microwave frequencies including millimeter waves (3 kHz–300 GHz) from mobile phones, towers, base stations and wireless devices, and intermediate frequencies "Dirty Electricity" emitted from power lines. While such organizations as ICNIRP (the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) still con- tinue to claim that electromagnetic radiation can cause "only thermal effects", clinging to theory that does not match facts and upholding obsolete thermal safety standards, extensive scientific evidence has clearly demonstrated that non-thermal health effects produced by electromagnetic radiation do exist, are important to health, and should be taken into considera- tion when safety standards are set. This review aims to highlight some evidence of biologic effects in various body systems, and to suggest preventive measures to reduce such effects on health. Exposure to electromagnetic radiation at intensities lower than thermal safety standards has been associated with non- thermal biological effects including damage and changes to cells and DNA. This review presents evidence of such effects demonstrated in: the hematologic system, the nervous system, the immune system, the reproductive system, the skin and muscles, the cardiovascular system, glucose metabolism, and Electrohypersen- sitivity ("Microwave sickness"). Protective measures are then suggested to reduce these effects.

Temporal and spatial domain detection model and method of infrared photoelectric detection target.

To improve the detection ability of photoelectric detection targets under low-illumination conditions, based on the traditional infrared photoelectric detection targets, in this paper, we propose a design method for an infrared detection screen by using a double high-power line laser interactive layout auxiliary mode, and we form an active infrared photoelectric detection target. We then establish the calculations of the laser beam's illumination and the emission power of the pulse laser as a projectile passes through the infrared detection screen. According to the relation of the thickness of the infrared detection screen, the time period over which the projectile passes through the infrared detection screen, and the projectile's spatial position, we use the grid division method to establish the temporal- and spatial-domain echo power model and the output signal voltage function of the active infrared photoelectric detection target. Through calculations and experimental analysis, it is found that the echo power is reduced as the detection distance is increased, and the intensity of the echo power is not linear with the thickness of the detection screen or the length of the projectile in the temporal and spatial domains. The detection performance of the proposed active infrared photoelectric detection target is better than the traditional infrared photoelectric detection target, and it can be improved to a certain extent by increasing the laser emission power appropriately.

Population and conservation threats to the Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus roseus (Aves: Phoenicopteriformes: Phoenicopteridae) at Basai Wetland and Najafgarh Jheel Bird Sanctuary, Haryana, India

Greater Flamingos are the largest and most widespread, among other species of Phoenicopteridae. This study documents the population structure and conservation threats affecting the population and habitat of the flamingos at Najafgarh Jheel Bird Sanctuary and Basai wetland in Haryana, India. The study areas were surveyed monthly between May 2019 to February 2020 at regular intervals. A Nikon 8 X 40 field binoculars and a Nikon SX60 camera were used to observe flocks of P. roseus. A total of 65 flocks of flamingo were observed, and 6,768 individuals were counted using point counts method. Najafgarh Jheel Bird Sanctuary holds a major proportion of their population comprising about 91.78 % and Basai wetland holds about 8.21 % of their population, while 52.46 % of the total population were classified as adults, and 47.53 % were juveniles (sub-adults). Habitat fragmentation resulting from construction of roads is one of the major threats, while overgrowth of water hyacinth, cattle grazing and fishing activities at Basai Wetland, adversely affected the flamingos. At the Najafgarh Jheel, cattle grazing was considered to be the major threat, followed by the overgrown water hyacinth, fishing activities and collision with high tension power lines.