A Vibration-Based Structural Health Monitoring System for Transmission Line Towers

In this paper, we present a vibration-based transmission tower structural health monitoring system consisting of two parts that identifies structural changes in towers. An accelerometer group realizes vibration response acquisition at different positions and reduces the risk of data loss by data compression technology. A solar cell provides the power supply. An analyser receives the data from the acceleration sensor group and calculates the transmission tower natural frequencies, and the change in the structure is determined based on natural frequencies. Then, the data are sent to the monitoring center. Furthermore, analysis of the vibration signal and the calculation method of natural frequencies are proposed. The response and natural frequencies of vibration at different wind speeds are analysed by time-domain signal, power spectral density (PSD), root mean square (RMS) and short-time Fouier transform (STFT). The natural frequency identification of the overall structure by the stochastic subspace identification (SSI) method reveals that the number of natural frequencies that can be calculated at different wind speeds is different, but the 2nd, 3rd and 4th natural frequencies can be excited. Finally, the system was tested on a 110 kV experimental transmission line. After 18 h of experimentation, the natural frequency of the overall structure of the transmission tower was determined before and after the tower leg was lifted. The results show that before and after the tower leg is lifted, the natural frequencies of each order exhibit obvious changes, and the differences in the average values can be used as the basis for judging the structural changes of the tower.