Solar Power Heated

Power LinesPREPARING FOR ICE STORMS

PHYSICS AND HUMAN AFFAIRS WITH PROFESSOR MELODY THOMAS

Presented by Jill Green, Jaewung Ryu, Scott Stilwell

What is an ice storm?

The U.S. National Weather service defines an ice storm as the accumulation of at least .25 inches of freezing rain. Freezing rain is caused by rain droplets that encounter freezing or sub freezing temperatures at the surface. The rain freezes on contact with the ground or objects near the surface. Ice accumulates on the roads, tree limbs, power lines, etc.

Just one inch of ice on a single span of power line weighs as much as 1,250 pounds!

Ice Storm of NWAJanuary 2009

Ozarks Electric Cooperative storm statistics

• 65,800 members at the time of storm

• 50,000 without power initially

• 17 days to fully restore power

• $17 million to repair damaged infrastructure

• 200-210 personnel brought in to assist in restoration efforts

• $400,000 in lost revenues to Ozarks Electric

Photos taken in Springdale, AR during January 2009 ice storm

Sagging lines require repair-even if they don’t actually snap

Could we bury the power lines to reduce outages?

• Cost – Would require investing over $3-5 billion The estimated cost per mile…$1million

• Time – 5600 miles of overhead lines would take decades to complete

• Maintenance-the maintenance requires extended downtime and disturbs landscaped yards

• Misconception about immunity to outages-outages still occur due to excavation, burrowing animals, flooding

• Greg Anderson of GE Engineering stated In some areas Arkansas Bedrock prohibits feasible/economical access to allow burial.

Solar Powered Heated Power Lines…

A new alternative?

• What is it? A single stranded line overlapping existing overhead line that is warmed with solar power

• How does it work? With stored solar power it prevents freezing rain from freezing on lines

• What would it cost? - Approximately $22,000 per mile

• Installation – requires no digging and minimal personnel

• To be used where? Used on overhead lines near critical areas not subject to falling trees/limbs

With No Heating System in PlaceWith No Heating System in Place

Electric pole

Ice Precipitation

Broken Power Lines

The accumulation of ice causes added weight to thelines, results in downed out of service power lines.

Improved Concept with Heated System

Improved Concept with Heated System

DC Electric Storage

Melted Ice

Solar Energy Captured by solar panel for storage, transferred to storage. (battery)

Thermostat- When the temperature reaches 33° F, it controls when the heated wires are active.

Ground

Power wire from storage to heating elements.

Solar Panel- used to gather the Suns energy to be converted into DC electricity.

Heating elements wrappedaround, power lines.

Materials and CostsCost

Supplies-

Thermostat- 31.27, Radiant DualTemp Non-Digital Thermost, This thermostat Monitors both, air temp, and wire temp. http://www.masterwholesale.com/radiant-dualtemp-non-digital-thermostat.html

Heated Wire-103.90/ 100ft http://www.masterwholesale.com/masterheat-120v-coated-wire-spool.html

Solar Panel-237.99 per panel

http://www.amazon.com/Ramsond-Monocrystalline-Photovoltaic-Battery-Charging/dp/B005QUALBW/ref=sr_1_27?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1366233065&sr=1-27

Electricity Storage System-199.99x2, 2 six volt deep cell batteries wired in series to make a 12 volt system http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/search/Deep+Cycle+&+Marine+Batteries/N0056/C1980.oap?keyword=6v+batteries&page=2&results=20&sortBy=1

Shelter for Storage System-99.00, 23.5Lx46W, plastic waterproof storage container

http://www.lowes.com/Outdoor-Living-Recreation/Patio-Furniture/Deck-Boxes/_/N-1z0zyd8/pl?Ns=p_product_avg_rating|1&cm_sp=SeasonalLiving-_-OutdoorLiving|PopularCat-_-|Deck_Boxes&cm_cr=Patio+Furniture+1.4-_-Web+Activity-_-Patio+Furniture+TF+revamp-_-SC_Patio+Furniture_TopFlexible_Area-_-124125_7_Deck_Boxes#!

Cost to heat 100 meters of single strand power line-

Roughly- $1380.00

Works Cited 

“Winter Storms.” The Weather Channel Storm Encyclopedia.www.weather.com

“When ice and heavy snow bring down limbs and power lines.” Tipmont REMC

Touchstone Energy Cooperative. www.Tipmont.org. Jan 2011

Shackelford, Scott. “Bury Lines.” NWA Online. NW Arkansas Times. 3 Feb 2009

 

Photo 1: www.exploringweather.com/winterstorms.html

Photo 2: www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu

Photos 3,4 and 5: www.extremeinstability.com/09-1-28.htm

Photo 6:

www.firsthandweather.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/icestormoklahomadec17t

h2011.png

Photo 7: energytrendsinsider.com

Photo 8: www.extremeinstability.com/09-1-28.htm