Development of lightning-resistant overhead ground wire

Overhead ground wires (GW) are vulnerable to strand breakage due to lightning strikes. With the wider application of composite fiber optic ground wire (OPGW), it becomes more important to protect GW from such damage. In this paper, the authors present the results of various investigations made in developing lightning-resistant GW/OPGW. Investigations included field experiments using rocket-triggered lightning, studies on materials and designs to improve lightning characteristics and various evaluation tests, such as DC arc tests, of several prototypes. As a result, the authors have developed lightning-resistant GW/OPGW applicable for conventional transmission lines