Numerical Analysis of the Induced Corona Vibrations on High-Voltage Transmission Lines Affected by Rainfall

Droplets formation on high-voltage transmission lines affected by rainfall amplifies the corona discharges from the conductors. The induced corona vibrations intensify the fatigue of high-voltage conductors and supporting elements. The alternating presence of space charge and the ionic wind associated with the corona discharge are the main causes of this phenomenon. The objective of this paper is to validate a numerical simulation method to investigate the effects of different parameters (electric field strength and polarity, rain intensity, transverse wind velocity) on the amplitude of the induced corona vibrations. The finite element method was used to develop the numerical model of the conductor movement under the action of mechanical and electrical forces, while time discretization was made with the finite difference method. The numerical simulation results were in good agreement with the experimental data available in the literature. The model enables better comprehension of the induced corona vibration mechanism.