Introduction: This project will use the test rig facility to gather 2 years of conductor and weather data. This data will be analysed to validate and update overhead line ratings, update existing tools and methodologies, and produce a software tool that will enable GB DNOs to further optimise regional or line specific ratings.

Objectives:

• To monitor the weather conditions and co-incident temperatures of various conductors at various current levels in order to provide a new dataset for the assessment of the weather risk element of probabilistic ratings and to derive a methodology for quantifying this risk, in combination with load risks, in order to calculate line ratings.
• To update ENA ER P27 and ENA ACE 104.
• To validate the updated CIGRÉ methodology for calculating conductor temperature from load and weather data, allowing the possibility of future “desk top” re-runs of the project to cover different locations and time periods.
• To update existing software tools, and to provide a new software tool to enable more comprehensive (regional or line specific) rating assessments to be made.
• To engage with the Met Office to enable rapid provision of appropriate weather data sets.

Expected Benefits:

• Sufficient data collection to build a robust model of overhead line ratings.

• Analysis of that data to produce a model that enables more robust rating of overhead lines than the current model.

• A new software tool to enable more comprehensive (regional or line specific) rating assessments to be made.

• A robust, accurately informed revision of ENA ACE 104 and ENA ER P27.