Technology helps safeguard power grid from winter storms
2024-02-09 19:02:02
By Li Caiyun, Yichang International Communication Studio
Today is Chinese New Year Eve, and families are busy preparing for their annual reunion dinner and celebration activities.
Meanwhile, power company workers are making sure that the electricity supply is stable despite the recent snowstorms. In winter, when ice builds up on a high-voltage power line, the line will start to sag, leading potentially to a break in the line or a short circuit.
It started snowing heavily in Yichang at about 10 pm on February 2, accompanied by freezing rain and hail. By February 4, 15 to 27 millimeters of snow covered most of the city.
In the past, the Yichang branch of the national utility State Grid relied mainly on manual work and vibration to remove ice from power lines, but this method was scattershot and inefficient.
Today, operators use an advanced monitoring system nicknamed “Ice-Observing Genie”, which monitors ice thickness on the cables, sending real-time data to the operation center.
Today is Chinese New Year Eve, and families are busy preparing for their annual reunion dinner and celebration activities.
Meanwhile, power company workers are making sure that the electricity supply is stable despite the recent snowstorms. In winter, when ice builds up on a high-voltage power line, the line will start to sag, leading potentially to a break in the line or a short circuit.
It started snowing heavily in Yichang at about 10 pm on February 2, accompanied by freezing rain and hail. By February 4, 15 to 27 millimeters of snow covered most of the city.
In the past, the Yichang branch of the national utility State Grid relied mainly on manual work and vibration to remove ice from power lines, but this method was scattershot and inefficient.
Today, operators use an advanced monitoring system nicknamed “Ice-Observing Genie”, which monitors ice thickness on the cables, sending real-time data to the operation center.
Yichang State Grid staffers observe icing on cables with binoculars.Up in snowbound Huangkouping village – 1,100 meters above sea level – cloud and mist have been making it difficult for power grid workers to observe the condition of the cables. Fortunately, real-time data from “Ice-Observing Genie” enables them to react quickly to spots where heavy icing could potentially cause a cable break or a short circuit.
Yichang State Grid staffers check the icing on cables.Another helpful new technology is “DC Ice-Melting”, which uses direct current to heat up the cables and melt the ice clinging to it.
Operators need to be on the alert to prevent ice accumulation, tower collapse and broken lines. The power lines most affected by ice are generally at the top of a mountain, meaning that it is difficult and sometimes dangerous for operators to reach and clear them, said deputy director Fu Zhengzhou.
On February 4, after the “Ice-Observing Genie” had informed technical personnel that the icing on a 220 KV “Yunfengzi” transmission line in Zigui was increasing, Yichang State Grid staffers used DC Ice-Melting technology to eliminate it.
These new technologies help guarantee a safe and reliable power supply in challenging weather caused by snowstorms and low temperatures.
