Vibration and Fatigue in Electrical Conductors

This paper deals exclusively with the phenomenon ``vibration.´´ No reference is made to the allied phenomenon ``dancing.´´ The purpose of the paper is to stimulate further research in an endeavor to provide a fundamental preventive of vibration and the resulting fatigue. Economic features such as reducing tensions and spans, are not treated. Published information is referred to and the need of attacking the fundamentals causing vibration is investigated and demonstrated. Experiments using water as a medium on some special cable sections are described in detail. The paper shows that certain peculiar but not altogether impractical sections minimize the tendency of vibration and the resulting fatigue. The ideas underlying the design of these sections are discussed and conclusions drawn. Practical objections to these proposed cable sections are included. Further research is indicated.