Power Poles Research Articles

Failure of Utility Pole Perch Deterrents Modified During Installation

Perch management has historically been used by the electric industry to keep raptors from perching on certain parts of structures that may pose an electrocution risk to birds of prey. In recent times, perch management has been a required mitigation measure for new transmission lines that occur in habitat of the Greater and Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus and C. minimus, respectively) on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service in an effort to limit the frequency and duration of raptors' perching on transmission and distribution structures including pole tops. In central Wyoming, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. (Tri-State) installed perch deterrents comprising spiked pole caps on pole tops and nest diverters over conductor fittings to manage potential perching and nesting by raptors. An unknown percentage of 59 pole caps were field-modified during installation to fit smaller or larger pole-top diameters than recommended by the manufacturer. The modifications were applied without consulting the biological team that specified and purchased the equipment, or reporting the modifications thereafter. Over 3 yr post-installation, we documented failure of the spikes on the pole caps at an average rate of 0.92 spikes lost per month. Nest diverters (n = 66) installed on these same structures were not modified and did not fail, though nest diverters lacked a protruding spike so were perhaps less prone to failure. Our findings are novel in quantifying potential negative effects to perch-management equipment that is field-modified during installation. This is informative because degradation of perch-management equipment designed to reduce electrocution risk to raptors or reduce raptor predation on prey species of conservation concern may undermine conservation goals. Resource managers working to minimize the environmental impacts of power lines can use this information to better anticipate concerns in power pole retrofitting that may derive from field-modification of retrofitting equipment.

Perch Management May Reduce Raptor Electrocution Risk on Horizontal Post Insulators

Raptor electrocutions on overhead power lines occur globally. To evaluate a mitigation strategy designed for horizontal post insulators, a common configuration in the 25–69-kV range, we quantified perching by two Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) and seven Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) on non-energized 25-kV and 69-kV horizontal post insulators installed below vertically mounted perch deterrents. We quantified how often and how long raptors perched on horizontal post insulators beneath perch deterrents, and how often and how long raptors simultaneously contacted both ends of horizontal post insulators, to simulate phase-to-ground electrical contacts. Across 900.0 min of video recordings, raptors usually perched at the distal end of the insulator away from the perch deterrent, but 56 of 1095 perches (5.1%) included at least some time perched below the perch deterrent (Σ = 34.0 min). We never observed any Great Horned Owls simultaneously contact both ends of an insulator. We observed three occurrences of Red-tailed Hawks simultaneously contacting both ends of an insulator (twice on the 25-kV insulator; once on the 69-kV insulator). We speculate that in the absence of the perch deterrents, raptors would have perched toward the center of horizontal post insulators with higher frequency, resulting in a greater frequency of bridging both ends of horizontal post insulators. On energized poles, such behavior would increase electrocution risk. This suggests that perch deterrents may reduce raptor electrocution risk on vertically configured power poles. This study should be repeated with a design that evaluates perching on horizontal post insulators with and without perch deterrents, with larger sample sizes, and with additional raptor species, particularly Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos).

THE PROBLEM OF MESOECONOMIC SYNTHESIS OF CLUSTERS DEVELOPMENT AND INTERNATIONAL INTEGRATING FORMATION CONCEPTS

Topicality. Nowadays, global order is concentrating in the vicinity of great power poles. European Union with its growing economic significance becomes such a pole and faces a demand for development and implementation of a certain model of mutual relation between peripheral regions of different states, which could meet principles of the EU regional policy and facilitate newer forms of cooperation in “region-region” format. Increasing global instability problems at the beginning of XXI century demand for development newer forms of cross-border cooperation along with euroregions, such as “cross-border clusters”, “cross-border industrial zones”, “cross-border partnerships”, cross-border innovations projects”. The significance of regional cross-border cooperation increases under the conditions of European integration processes opening newer opportunities for economic activation at the peripheral territories of Ukraine increasing their economic competitiveness. The demand for newer theoretical approaches to problems of generation and development competitiveness within meso-economic sphere became ripe long ago and demands for studying global experience. Aim and Objectives. Aim of this work consists in reviewing a problem of meso-economic synthesis of cluster-type development concept and international integration formations as well, as checking scientific hypothesis supposing that the cluster approach represents the most efficient mechanism of development of international economic cooperation under prevailing conditions being, finally, a meso-level for competitive international integration systems and necessary condition of advanced integration of Ukraine into European economic space. Research Results. Industrial corporate networks are becoming essential objects of economic management in post-industrial economic system. They take a form of network clusters under the influence of globalization processes. Network clusters are catalysts and participants of technological transformation, since they incorporate entities carrying on scientific research activities and entities facilitation their results’ commercialization and implementation into manufacturing within an individual cluster. Cluster approach becomes the most efficient mechanism of development of international economic cooperation under modern prevailing conditions and is, finally, forming a meso-level of competitiveness of international integration systems and necessary condition of quality advance of integration within European economic space. Conclusion. Priority of essential deployment factors experiences substantial transformations in the modern post-industrial paradigm of euroregional development. This phenomenon changes functions of peripheral territories from physical basis, i.e. location of material manufacturing factors (resources) to spacious environment for development of human capitals, innovations and regional self-development. Thus, there is a proven necessity to generate, format and identify essential characteristics of international integration meso-levels, representing organizations or management structures of intrabranch and interbranch cooperation in the form of cross-border cluster systems, incorporating macro- and micro- integration levels of national economies.

The influence of excavation of combined foundations of high-voltage transmission towers and spoils loading on landslide stability

With the construction of “West-to-East Power Transmission” and national networked engineering projects, high-voltage transmission towers, which are important components of transmission lines, are important power engineering facilities. They are inevitably erected on the ridges, edges of steep slopes, and river banks. Therefore, induced by internal factors and external factors, it is easy to cause landslide disasters in these areas, resulting in power grid accidents such as tilting of power poles, disconnections, and trips. This article takes the Yanzi landslide in Badong County and 500kV transmission tower on the landslide as the research object. For the combined foundation excavation form of the tower foundation, the relative positions of different tower foundations and landslides and the loading of spoil are analyzed. The influence of excavation of transmission tower foundation and pile dumping on the stability of the landslide is discussed. The research results show that the effect of the combined foundation excavation on the stability of the landslide is negligible, but it will affect the stability of the local landslide, and the stability of the local landslide is related to the relative position of the tower foundation and the landslide. In addition, the pile loading of spoil will also affect the stability of local landslides, and the degree of impact is related to the size of the spoil pile.

Climate change impacts and costs to U.S. electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure

This study presents a screening-level analysis of the impacts of climate change on electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure of the U.S. In particular, the model identifies changes in performance and longevity of physical infrastructure such as power poles and transformers, and quantifies these impacts in economic terms. This analysis was evaluated for the contiguous U.S, using five general circulation models (GCMs) under two greenhouse gas emission scenarios, to analyze changes in damage and cost from the baseline period to the end of the century with three different adaptation strategies. Total infrastructure costs were found to rise considerably, with annual climate change expenditures increasing by as much as 25%. The results demonstrate that climate impacts will likely be substantial, though this analysis only captures a portion of the total potential impacts. A proactive adaptation strategy resulted in the expected costs of climate change being reduced by as much as 50% by 2090, compared to a scenario without adaptation. Impacts vary across the contiguous U.S. with the highest impacts in parts of the Southeast and Northwest. Improvements and extensions to this analysis would help better inform climate resiliency policies and utility-level planning for the future.

Sensing system for low cost condition monitoring of remote assets

Local councils, power and road agencies have tens of thousands of assets such as road signs, power poles, and public artworks. Asset management plans dictate that these assets need to be inspected periodically, for example once per year. In between inspections the assets are vulnerable to random events such as weather and adverse human interactions. Asset managers need to know when these events occur, as damage to these assets can impact public safety. Traditional instrumentation for this high volume, low asset value application has been too costly to install. This paper presents a low cost design and associated edge-processing strategy to enable low-power transmission of a vibration signal notifying of change in state of an asset. The design is demonstrated using a COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) microcontroller, MEMS (microelectromechanical system) accelerometer and a LoRa (Long Range spread spectrum modulation technique) module. We name our device RAMI (Remote Asset Management Indicator). The design draws less than 1 mA in normal operation, lasts over a year between battery changes, costs less than AU$100 (US$65) to construct and can transmit around 400 metres in an urban setting and up to 3 km in a rural setting. The open-source design and code are available for download.

How Can Low-Frequency Noise Exposure Interact with the Well-Being of a Population? Some Results from a Portuguese Municipality

Noise pollution is the second most harmful environmental stressor in Europe. Portugal is the fourth European country most affected by noise pollution, whereby 23.0% of the population is affected. This article aims to analyze the effects of exposure to low frequency noise pollution, emitted by power poles and power lines, on the population’s well-being, based on a study of “exposed” and “unexposed” individuals in two predominantly urban areas in north-western Portugal. To develop the research, we used sound level (n = 62) and sound recording measurements, as well as adapted audiometric test performance (n = 14) and surveys conducted with the resident population (n = 200). The sound levels were measured (frequency range between 10 to 160 Hz) and compared with a criterion curve developed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The sound recorded was performed 5 m away from the source (400 kV power pole). Surveys were carried out with the “exposed” and “unexposed” populations, and adapted audiometric tests were performed to complement the analysis and to determine the threshold of audibility of “exposed” and “unexposed” volunteers. The “exposed” area has higher sound levels and, consequently, more problems with well-being and health than the “unexposed” population. The audiometric tests also revealed that the “exposed” population appears to be less sensitive to low frequencies than the “unexposed” population.

Nest site selection and its implications for conservation of the endangered Oriental Stork Ciconia boyciana in Yellow River Delta, China

SummaryAvian nest site selection is crucial to breeding birds especially for large endangered waterbirds. We investigated the population dynamics, nests and breeding habitat selection, offspring numbers and reproductive success rate of Oriental Stork Ciconia boyciana from February to June 2017 in Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve (YRD NNR), Shandong, China. We measured the characteristic variables of 32 control plots by random selection and 62 nest plots, including 40 nests on power poles, 14 nests on artificial poles and eight nests on pylon poles. We used conditional logistic regression and model-averaging to quantify data and model characteristic variables affecting nest site selection. Our results showed that human disturbance was the main negative factor affecting Oriental Stork’s selection of power pole nests. Meanwhile, distance from highways was the most important variable for the selection of artificial nests. Distance from sightseeing sites was the main explanatory variable that contributed to the selection of pylon nests. Based on our findings, we recommend promoting conservation of this species by reducing human disturbance, such as forbidding use of car horns in nest site areas and providing enough suitable nest sites.

Mitigation techniques to reduce avian electrocution rates

ABSTRACTFrom August 2013, we undertook a 1‐year trial of mitigation techniques at an electricity power line in the Mongolian steppe with a high avian electrocution rate. We examined 2 mitigation methods at phase‐1 conductors on the top of power poles (i.e., reconfiguration of the insulator mount and insulation covers on the conductor wire) and 3 mitigation methods at phase‐2 and 3 conductors on pole cross‐arms (i.e., perch deflector brushes, rotating‐mirror perch deterrents, and insulation covers on the conductor wires). The perch management techniques selected for the trial are currently widely adopted by power line managers in Mongolia. In comparison with the control, with no mitigation, electrocution rates were reduced both by the reconfiguration of insulator mounts and insulation of conductor wires at phase‐1, though the reduction was greater for the former—73% mean reduction for reconfigured mounts and 59% for insulation covers. Electrocution rates were reduced by the placement of rotating‐mirrors and insulation of conductor wires at phases 2 and 3, with the reduction being greater for the former—91% mean reduction for mirrors and 66% for insulation covers. Deployment of metal perch deflector brushes at phases 2 and 3 had no effect on electrocution rates and should not be used as mitigation. Most electrocutions occurred at phase 1 on the top of the pole, indicating that mitigation should be prioritized at this phase. In terms of cost and efficacy, reconfigured mounts represented the best option as a permanent fix at phase 1. At phases on cross‐arms, the relative merits of mirrors and insulation covers need to be assessed over a longer period, and these temporary mitigation measures should be compared with alternative permanent fixes. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.

Probabilistic performance assessment of power distribution infrastructure under wind events

The electric power delivery infrastructure directly contributes to essential societal functions, the economy, and the general quality of life. Recent extreme wind events, such as Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and more recently Hurricane Michael resulted in power outages that affected millions of customers and led to major social and economic disruptions throughout communities. The longer the outage duration, the greater the incurred losses. Power distribution systems have proven to be highly vulnerable to such events and responsible for 90% of the outages. Distribution structures are built according to safety standards to ensure the safety of assets in operational and extreme conditions, but the dynamic nature of the wind loading is often overlooked or only considered empirically. Therefore, in this paper, such effects are included in a comprehensive risk-informed framework to assess the performance of electric power distribution components. This methodology explicitly accounts for the inevitable uncertainty in predictions of the component response. The focus is on characterizing wind events and the component-level risk analysis of physical components of the electric power system. For this purpose, a power pole–conductor system is modeled in which wind events are simulated as one-dimensional multivariable stochastic processes along the height of the poles and the conductors. Three-second peak gust wind speeds are used as a modeling reference. A probabilistic framework is developed to estimate the capacity of the distribution poles under different aging mechanisms. The response of the power distribution poles due to the simulated wind speeds is then computed using a finite element analysis. Fragility functions are generated to estimate the probability of exceedance for different damage states. A set of hazard mitigation strategies, the associated costs, and estimated benefits are implemented, and the improved fragility functions for elements are generated. A probabilistic life-cycle cost analysis is used to assess the long-term benefits of investing in different components of the power distribution system.

Contending logics of strategic partnership in international politics

Faced with the emergence of strategic partnerships (SP), international actors have approached this new phenomenon in the international system through different logics of action. Such logics are tightly associated with the purposes that the SPs are intended to fulfill for the initiating actor. They also tend to reflect the worldview of the initiators as well as their perceptions of the major organizing principles of the international system. In this article, we investigate three different logics: the conventional, the relational, and the functional. These three logics correspond to the strategies of strategic partnering of the United States (US), China, and the European Union (EU) and reflect both the dominant foreign policy orientation of these actors and their self-perceptions as major poles of power in the world. We analyze the construction of these logics by focusing on the relative importance that each of them accords to interests and values when setting up SPs around the world. We contend that an important conceptual gap exists between the major initiators of strategic partnerships, the US and China, which are both to a large extent driven by a self-perception as Great Powers, although the logics with which they seek to fulfill this role diverge substantially. The EU pursues SPs according to a functional logic which in itself also diverge in significant aspects to both the US and China. Taken together, the interests which dictate the necessity of strategic partnerships and the values which condition their feasibility form four distinct patterns of partnering: the homogenous, marriage-of-convenience, come-in-handy, and heterogeneous SPs. These ideal forms of SPs have distinct but contrasting implications for the structure of the international system.

Foucault with Marx by Jacques Bidet

Reviewed by: Foucault with Marx by Jacques Bidet Alex Moskowitz Bidet, Jacques. Foucault with Marx. Translated by Steven Corcoran, Zed Books, 2016. 272 pp. Jacques Bidet's recent work is a significant contribution to the surge of interest in the ways in which Karl Marx's and Michel Foucault's thought overlaps. In Foucault with Marx, Bidet seeks to form a theoretical framework that contains the two eponymous figures. Bidet rightfully argues that most scholarship that strives to open a dialogue between Marx and Foucault merely results in monologues where Foucault mobilizes categories of race and gender while Marx focuses on class analysis. While any comparative study runs the risk of descending into banality, Bidet's refreshing attentiveness to both the Foucauldian and Marxist projects allows for a singular encounter that locates the two in what Bidet calls a "general theory of modern society" (4). The central concern of Bidet's book is to construct a "metastructural edifice" that is able to sustain an extended encounter between Foucault and Marx. That metastructure, Bidet writes, is the "fiction" that the notion of the "modern social 'structure'" presupposes: "that is to say, that [the structure] produces as the real condition of its existence" (6). Bidet's metastructure is not a preexisting foundation upon which modern society is built; rather, the metastructure only appears after the fact as a precondition of society. Bidet's second chapter is perhaps the most foundational section of the book. Here, Bidet begins to develop the coordinates of the metastructure he forms in opposing Marxist "property-power" to Foucauldian "knowledge-power."1 Bidet argues that property-power—the concept that power emanates from the holders of capital—provides an incomplete picture of how power functions in society. Foucault's theory of knowledge-power, "the other pole of power and domination within modern society," serves as a necessary supplement to Marxist theory (59). Whereas property-power is centered around the concentration of capital, knowledge-power is focused on individuals who possess intellectual competencies of various types, from university professors to office [End Page 119] administrators. While there are undoubtedly members of the capitalist class who find themselves leading various institutions, Bidet is interested in demonstrating how knowledge-power and its immense organizational capacities enable forms of capitalist domination in the first place. Though it seems at times that Bidet simply wants to identify aspects of the social world that Marx does not account for, the conclusion of his second chapter makes clear that Bidet aims to read Foucault and Marx against one another. Bidet uses Foucault's notion of knowledge-power to redraw the lines of class struggle. He argues, for instance, that to practice Marxism today requires a new understanding of social class, one that finds its enemy not only in the power wielded by exploitative capital, but also in modern techniques of domination that exceed capitalist relations. Very much in the lineage of post-Marxist thinkers such as Ernesto Laclau, Chantal Mouffe, and Étienne Balibar, Bidet recasts the concept of class struggle by loosening some of the subjectivizing mechanisms in orthodox Marxism. Bidet argues that the relations of domination to which knowledge-power gives rise only become perceptible by and through the intellectual activities of those who wield it. Foucault's notion of the "specific intellectual" thus serves as a more refined version of Antonio Gramsci's organic intellectual. For Bidet, specific intellectuals produce new kinds of subversive knowledge through their direct contact with knowledge formed in the disciplines they practice. By introducing the notion of the specific intellectual and relating it to the theory of class struggle, Bidet broadens Marxism's social and political concerns. If Chapter Two highlights a weakness in Marxism and compensates for it by adding Foucault's insights to the equation, Bidet's third chapter pinpoints where Foucault's thought is lacking and returns to Marx in search of a solution. In this chapter, Bidet's objective is to overcome the contradiction between Foucault's nominalist and Marx's structuralist systems. By placing both in a larger political theory, Bidet seeks to account for a greater "diversity of forms of social subversion" than either system could provide on its own (124). Bidet...

The Architecture of Fauna in Turkey: Birdhouses

The development of modern society in cities has recently led to rapid urbanization, which has significantly reduced the amount of green spaces (Furness & Greenwood, 1993). However, large green areas in a city (parks, cemeteries, golf courses, wetlands and forests) play a significant role in urban biodiversity and provide the necessary conditions for a great range of bird species to live (Blair, 2004). Due to the gradual decrease in the number of green areas, birds began migrating to natural places. As for those who struggle to survive within cities, they started to build their nests on power poles, thus causing power cuts and bird deaths in increasing numbers. According to these circumstances, birdhouses have become vital for the survival and well-being of birds. The aim of this study is to examine and render historical details of natural and artificial birdhouses trying to survive in cities and natural places, and to call attention to and raise awareness about the sustainability of birdhouses. In line with this objective, the significance of birdhouses in Turkey is emphasized, and solutions are introduced in order not to lose the longstanding design perspectives and practices.

Population genetics of the main population of brown bears in southwest Asia.

Genetic studies of the Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos) have so far focused on populations from Europe and North America, although the largest distribution area of brown bears is in Asia. In this study, we reveal population genetic parameters for the brown bear population inhabiting the Grand Kaçkar Mountains (GKM) in the north east of Turkey, western Lesser Caucasus. Using both hair (N = 147) and tissue samples (N = 7) collected between 2008 and 2014, we found substantial levels of genetic variation (10 microsatellite loci). Bear samples (hair) taken from rubbing trees worked better for genotyping than those from power poles, regardless of the year collected. Genotyping also revealed that bears moved between habitat patches, despite ongoing massive habitat alterations and the creation of large water reservoirs. This population has the potential to serve as a genetic reserve for future reintroductions in the Middle East. Due to the importance of the GKM population for on-going and future conservation actions, the impacts of habitat alterations in the region ought to be minimized; e.g., by establishing green bridges or corridors over reservoirs and major roads to maintain habitat connectivity and gene flow among populations in the Lesser Caucasus.

Effects of PCB power layouts design on switching transient performance of SiC MOSFETs

This paper investigates the effects of Printed Circuit Board (PCB) layouts design of power stage on the switching transient performance of SiC MOSFETs-based Bidirectional Switching Power Pole (BSPP). SiC MOSFETs have compelling merits such as low power losses, high breakdown voltage, high thermal conductivity, high operating temperature capabilities, and excellent reverse recovery characteristics. To realize those features, it is challenging to design PCB layers for the power stage with low parasitic inductance to achieve high switching speed operation with an acceptable amount of ringing and overshoot in the switching transient waveforms. Therefore, this work introduced critical PCB design keys to achieving low parasitic inductance as well as symmetrical switching transient performance for both high and low side SiC MOSFETs based BSPP. A broad coupled traces method is used to design the PCB power traces with a minimum parasitic inductance for given geometric dimensions. Mathematical formulas are used to calculate the parasitic inductance of the PCB prototypes. The formulas purely depend on the geometric dimensions of the PCB layers and the thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate material. Cadence simulation tools are used to verify the parasitic inductance calculations of the experimental PCB prototypes by comparing both experimental and simulation switching transient performances.

Study Regarding the Defense Expenditure Analysis in Nato

Abstract Armed conflicts are a reality of the present world. Military power is an active actor in domestic and international relations. Defense must have the financial allocations necessary to sustain a flexible and modern army. The macroeconomic and geostrategic factors, including the change of power poles from the West to the East, the demographic changes and the limited resources are elements that will deeply reconfigure the trends in military expenditure. This is the case in less developed areas of the world where trends will bring instability and will put additional, internal and external pressure on the challenges of defense and security. NATO countries have assumed the 2% of GDP target for defense expenditure, but are making great efforts to reach this level. In 2016, only 4 out of 29 NATO members, or 14% reached the target of 2% of GDP for military expenditure and 20 out of 29 NATO countries spent less in absolute terms in 2016 compared to 2014

Evaluation of Classification Performance of Pole-Like Objects from MMS Images Using Convolutional Neural Network and Image Super Resolution

Mobile mapping systems (MMS) can capture point cloud and continuous panoramic images of roads and their surrounding environment. These data are widely used for the maintenance of road-side objects and the creation or update of road ledgers. For these purposes, there is a need to detect and classify each object from captured data, and localize them on 3D maps. Many studies have been reported on the detection and classification of pole-like objects using point clouds captured by a mounted laser scanner. Although MMS images contain valuable information related to color and shape about objects, they have not been well utilized to date for this purpose. It is reasonable to extract shape and color features from images and use them for classification. In this paper, we focus on MMS images rather than point clouds, and evaluate the classification performance for pole-like objects, such as power poles, street lamps, street-side tree, signal lights, and road signs. For classification, Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is used, because it is known to provide better classification results than conventional methods where hand crafted features and machine learning techniques are commonly used. We also use image super resolution (ISR) techniques based on deep learning for MMS low-resolution images. In contrast to conventional methods in which entire points of pole-like objects are evaluated, our approach selects functional parts attached to the top of the pole (e.g., three-color traffic lights) for classification, because these parts represent unique characteristics of each class of object. We demonstrate the classification performance of our proposed approach through various experiments using MMS images. We also compare the difference in classification results depending on the imaging angles.

Ukrainian Conflict A New Type of Warfare

Currently the rules of warfare have changed, switching from classic war to hybrid war. This new form of warfare is not explicitly incriminated by the international legislation. The Ukrainian conflict represents a tangible manifestation of hybrid war, after which the state has lost a part of its territory, it being annexed by the Russian Federation through a referendum semblance. Unfortunately, the required measures have not been taken in order for the Russian Federation to stop its disguised actions that pursue to reunite the former power pole, fact which represents a regional security threat.

Deep convolutional neural network processing of aerial stereo imagery to monitor vulnerable zones near power lines

The monitoring of vegetation near high-voltage transmission power lines and poles is tedious. Blackouts present a huge challenge to power distribution companies and often occur due to tree growth in hilly and rural areas. There are numerous methods of monitoring hazardous overgrowth that are expensive and time-consuming. Accurate estimation of tree and vegetation heights near power poles can prevent the disruption of power transmission in vulnerable zones. This paper presents a cost-effective approach based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm to compute the height (depth maps) of objects proximal to power poles and transmission lines. The proposed CNN extracts and classifies features by employing convolutional pooling inputs to fully connected data layers that capture prominent features from stereo image patches. Unmanned aerial vehicle or satellite stereo image datasets can thus provide a feasible and cost-effective approach that identifies threat levels based on height and distance estimations of hazardous vegetation and other objects. Results were compared with extant disparity map estimation techniques, such as graph cut, dynamic programming, belief propagation, and area-based methods. The proposed method achieved an accuracy rate of 90%.

Review and synthesis of research investigating golden eagle electrocutions

ABSTRACTGolden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) electrocution on power poles is a global conservation problem with an estimated 504 eagles electrocuted annually in North America alone. Despite widespread use of mitigation techniques to retrofit existing poles and to build new poles to avian‐friendly standards, electrocution remains a leading anthropogenic cause of death for the golden eagle. To assist electric utilities, wildlife managers, and the public in understanding eagle electrocution risk, we reviewed and synthesized risk factors and mitigation techniques from published literature from 1940 to 2016. Eagles have 8 electrocution risk factors: pole design, eagle age, morphology, land cover and topography, prey availability, season, weather, and behavior. Pole configuration was the most frequently identified electrocution risk factor and electrocution incidents were most often associated with distribution level (<69 kV) equipment poles. Age was the second most frequently identified risk factor, with juvenile eagles electrocuted at approximately twice the rate of subadults or adults. Risk was also associated with large body size, high‐quality habitat, high prey density, winter dispersal, inclement weather, and intraspecific interactions. Risk modeling based on these factors may assist electric utilities and other stakeholders in identification of high‐risk poles at the regional scale. High‐risk poles need prioritization for retrofitting by electric utilities. Compensatory mitigation funding becoming available through eagle take permitting may be useful in offsetting costs to utilities. Electrocution mitigation efforts strategized by region to target high‐risk poles could result in substantial reductions of golden eagle annual mortalities. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.