Analysis of Lightning Strike Treatment Scheme for Optical Fiber Composite Overhead Ground Wire

Optical fiber composite overhead ground wire (OPGW), also known as optical fiber overhead ground wire, is a ground wire of a power transmission line that contains an optical fiber unit for communication. As a special optical cable dedicated to power systems, it has the advantages of high strength, stable performance, and no electrical corrosion. It has two functions. One is to serve as a lightning protection line for power transmission lines, which provides shielding protection for power lines against lightning discharges. It is an optical fiber that is compounded in the ground wire. As a medium for transmitting optical signals, it can transmit audio, video, data and various control signals to form a multi-channel broadband communication network. At present, it is widely used in optical fiber communication backbone networks of power systems.
 
But because it is erected on the same pole as the high-voltage line and doubles as the ground line, the problem has become an important factor affecting the safety performance of OPGW. How to improve the lightning strike resistance of OPGW has become one of the most severe challenges facing OPGW.
 
There are two methods commonly used in current operations:
 
First, to improve the structure of the optical cable and the shape of the strands, it is mainly to leave an air gap between the outer strands and the inner strands to prevent the outer layer of heat from being conducted to the inner layer and the optical fiber to protect the inner layer of optical fiber.
 
Second, adjust the proportion of the outer strand material in the area prone to lightning strikes, and improve the lightning resistance of the outer monofilament. However, this method has drawbacks. Because of the increase of materials, the weight of the optical cable itself is increased, which puts pressure on the weighing of the iron tower, increases the difficulty of construction, and also increases the production cost.

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FATECH ELECTRONIC LTD.

April. 06, 2020