A multi-variable DTR algorithm for the estimation of conductor temperature and ampacity on HV overhead lines by IoT data sensors

The transfer capabilities of High-Voltage Overhead Lines (HV OHLs) are often limited by the critical power line temperature that depends on the magnitude of the transferred current and the ambient conditions, i.e., ambient temperature, wind, etc. To utilize existing power lines more effectively (with a view to progressive decarbonization) and more safely with respect to the critical power line temperatures, this paper proposes a Dynamic Thermal Rating (DTR) approach using IoT sensors installed on some HV OHLs located in different Italian geographical locations. The goal is to estimate the OHL conductor temperature and ampacity, using a data-driven thermo-mechanical model with the Bayesian probability approach, in order to improve the confidence interval of the results. This work highlights that it could be possible to estimate a space-time distribution of temperature for each OHL and an increase in the actual current threshold values for optimizing OHL ampacity. The proposed model is validated using the Monte Carlo method.