Framework for Measuring the Resilience of Utility Poles of an Electric Power Distribution Network

Abstract

The utility poles of an electric power distribution system are frequently damaged by wind-related disasters. This study notes that the wooden poles are particularly vulnerable to such disasters and the failures of the poles can cause a network-level failure leading to short- or long-term power outages. To mitigate the problem, this study proposes a framework for measuring the resilience of the wooden utility poles based on the angular deflection of a pole due to the wind force. Given the existing inclination angle of a pole, the angular deflection is measured by finite element analysis using ANSYS^® Workbench¹ to determine the resilience area under various wind speeds. For this, the conditions of load and support for a pole, which are called boundary conditions in ANSYS^®, are generated. The proposed framework also includes an approach to cost–benefit analysis that compares different strategies for corrective action. The results of the case study in which the framework was applied show that the proposed framework can be effectively utilized by electric power distribution companies to increase the resilience of their systems.

Keywords

Angular deflection / Cost–benefit analysis / Finite element analysis / Pole damage / Utility system resilience / Wind-related disaster

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