Actual and design wind loads for overhead transmission lines in the Central European part of Russia

Abstract

This paper reveals an impact of the climatic loads on the sustainable operation of power grid facilities. An overview is provided considering various international standards related to the design of overhead transmission lines. The aim of the research was to analyze and compare the actual and design values of wind loads for transmission lines located in the Central European part of Russia and operated by the power grid company “Rosseti Center and Volga Region”. An analysis of wind load dynamics has been carried out considering the territory of 9 subjects of Russia and 1983-2022 timeframe. The actual climate data were computed according to the direct measurements of the weather stations. Nomograms of the maximum annual wind speeds are formed utilizing the first limiting Gumbel distribution for two climatic regions of the research area. The retrospective wind loads values were compared against the design values. The results of the study show that climate standards should be updated more frequently as it is the case nowadays, in particular, it relates to revision of existing wind loads or recalculation of wind speed correction factors for the near future.