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On the computation of the optimal damping of a
bundle of conductors equipped with spacer dampers,
by means of Finite Element Method
Elizabeta Bahtovska
Faculty of Technical Sciences
University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
Bitola, R. Macedonia
elizabeta.bahtovska@uklo.edu.mk; abahtovski@gmail.com
Abstract— The wind aerodynamic forces are distributed with
continuity through the span of the overheads electrical
transmission lines, so the aero-elastic problem had to be dealt
with innumerable, theoretically infinite degrees of freedom. The
equations to be solved include inertial, elastic and damping
characteristics of the bundle as well as the aerodynamic effect of
the wind. This result in a system of as many equations as the
degrees of freedom considered. The greater the number of
degrees of freedom considered, the greater is the accuracy of the
method, but the greater are also the numerical difficulties arising
in computation. On the basic of these considerations, a new
analytical method has been developed, based on the finite
elements method. It provides posibilities for application on any
number of conductors and subspans as well as placement of
different dampers at a uniform span.
The purpose of this paper is to describe in detail the calculation
method for determining the matrices of inertia, stiffness and
damping for a bundle of conductors equipped with spacer
dampers. Presented are the experimental and analytical results
from application of the method in the case of a bundle of two
conductors.
Keywords- optimization, bundle of conductors, spacer damper,
vibrations
I. INTRODUCTION
Today a lot of scientists in the world deal with problems of
damping of vibrations of conductors of long distance power
lines by means of dampers. Two types of dampers have so far
been mainly considered: linear and spacer dampers.
The linear dampers are constructed in a way that they
perform damping of a single conductor. Spacer dampers are
much more complex than the
Aleksandar Bahtovski
Executive Search Agency
VIP operator
Skopje, R. Macedonia
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linear ones and are intended for simultaneous damping of
vibrations of a bundle of two, three or several conductors of a
single phase. They are instaled in the way that they maintain
the prescribed distance between the individual conductors
irespective of the prevailing conditions, so that they prevent
their coming across one another due to wind induced
vibrations.
In this paper a new analytical method for determining of the
optimal damping in the complex modes of vibration of a
bundle equipped with spacer dampers has been developed,
based on the finite element method. It provides posibilities for
application on any number of conductors and subspans as well
as placement of different dampers at a uniform span. The
number of the degrees considered is strictly related to the
number of the bundle sections, which in its turn is chosen to
determine, with acceptable accuracy the deformation of the
span. The number of degrees of freedom considered is of the
order of some hundreds.
The purpose of this paper is to describe in detail the
calculation method and to give some results to compare with
experimental data.
II. CALCULATION METHOD
A span of one bundle of n subconductors is consedered. It
is subdivided into ns subspans, in their turn subdivided into a
number of nd elements, identically for all the subspans. As
independent variables are assumed the coordinates that define
the displacements of the extremities of the elements
considered. To be more precise, for each conductor, in the
plane orthogonal to the axis of the bundle, two displacement
components are assigned that are perpendicular to each other.
The behaviour of the bundle is thus defined by a finite
number N of coordinates (nodal displacements), connected
with the number of conductors and divisions along the bundle,
expressed as follows:
N = 2n ( ns nd - 1) (1)
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In computing N, the coordinates in the end sections of the

span are excluded, because in these sections the displacements in which [k] and [m] are elementary elastic and inertial
are always considered nil. In addition, subdivisions have matrices of the cable element:
always been made to coincide with the position of the spacers.
With the terminology used in Finite Elements Theory, from the
elastic and inertial point of view, the bundles consist of "cable 1 1  2 1 
elements" and "spacer elements", for wich, as will be seen  1  1  2 1
further on, it is necessary to determine the elastic, inertial and k   T  m  m s 
s  1 1  6 1 2 
damping matrices.    
 1 1  1 2
The system thus produced in shematic form is a system
(4)
with N degrees of freedom. Expressed as a matrix notation, the
differential equation that governs its movement is:
m is a mass per unit of length, and T is the tension of the
cable element.
M u  Bu  K u  Fa  (2) Knowing the elementary matrices [k] and [m], it is possible
to determine the elastic and inertial matrices of a bundle of n
in which: conductors between two successive sections:
{u} is the vector of N components, corresponding to the
nodal displacements
1 1 
{ Fa } is the vector of the aerodynamic forces acting on the  1 1 
nodes  
 . . 
[M] is the overall inertial matrix of the system  
 . . 
[B] is the structural damping matrix of the bundle T 1  1
kc    
[K] is the overall elastic matrix s  1 1 
 1 1 
[M], [B] and [K] are obtained by assembling the inertial,  
damping and elastic matrices of the individual cable and spacer  . . 
elements.  . . 
 
 1 1 
2.1. Determination of the [ mc ], [ bc ] and [ kc ] of the "cable 2 1 
element"  2 1 
 
 . . 
The following assumptions are made for determination of  
the inertial, damping and elastic matrices of the cable element:  . . 
ms  2 1
- Only the coordinates orthogonal to the axis of the mc    
cable are taken as independent variables to represent the 6 1 2 
displacements of the nodes of the "cable element";  1 2 
 
- The mechanical tension is assumed to be constant in  . . 
the "cable element" in question and as variable from one  . . 
element to the other;  
 1 2
- The strait line, that is a function of the displacements
of the nodes is taken as the shape function, to represent the The damping matrix of a bundle of n conductors can be
movement of the individual points in the cable between one determined directly from the elastic matrix, using the following
node and other; relationship:
If we indicate with
u1,u2 , u3 , u4 the vector of the
displacements in the extremities of the cable element, and with  (5)
bc  kc
Fe1, Fe2 , Fe3 , Fe4  and Fi1, Fi 2 , Fi3 , Fi 4  the vectors of elastic and 
inertial forces in the direction of the displacements 
respectively, we have the following matrical relationships:  is the damping coefficient and
- frequency of vibration of the cable element
Fe1, Fe 2 , Fe3 , Fe 4   [k ]u1, u2 , u3 , u4  (3)
Fi1, Fi 2 , Fi 3 , Fi 4   [m]u1, u2 , u3 , u4 

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2.2. Determination of [ md ], [ bd ] and [ k d ] of the "damper
element"
For testing of the response of a bundle of cables to any type
of dynamic excitation, it is of special interest to have
knowledge on the dynamic characteristics of spacer dampers.
The formulation of the so called dynamic matrix of generalised
stiffness enables reduction of the number of degrees of
freedom of the damper to the number of degrees of freedom
characterizing the bundle. In [2], are determined the matrices of
generalized stiffness, inertia and damping of the spacer
damper.
spacer dampers were performed in the Dynamic Testing
Laboratory at IZIIS – Skopje. The damper was fastened to a
bundle of two aluminum-steel conductors 490/65 placed in a
horizontal plane parallel to one another, at a distance of 450
mm. Both cables are tensiled by the same tensile force of 30.6
kN and providing the same working stress at that under
operating conditions. The strains at the hanging points of the
conductor and the points of placing of the damper are measured
by using LVDT-s placed at a distance of 89 mm from the
hanging points of the damper. Fig 2. Shows the time history of
the strains at the hanging points for a) a bundle without a
damper, b) a bundle with a damper DP60 at the first resonant
frequency f=3.28Hz

2.3. Determination of the overall inertial, damping and elastic

matrices of bundle of conductors equipped with spacer
dampers

Knowing the matrices of inertia, damping and stiffness for

the individual elements of the bundle, as well as those referring
to the dampers and rearranging the subvectors representing the
global coordinates of the elements constituting the bundle, it is
possible to compute the total matrices of inertia, damping and
stiffness for the bundle of conductor equipped with spacer
dampers. [M], [B] and [K] are obtained by summing up of the a)
inertial, damping and elastic matrices of the individual "cable
elements" and "damper elements". Fig.1 presents schematically
the finite element method for formulation of the total stiffness
matrix [K].

b)

Figure 2. Experimentally computed values of the maximum strains at the

hanging points

Analytically computed values of the maximum strains at

the hanging points of the same bundle are presented in Table 1

TABLE I.
Resonant Maximum strain [s] Maximum strain [s]
frequency (Without a damper) (With a damper DP60)
[Hz]
Figure.1 Schematic presentation of the formulation
of the matrix [K] 3.28 458 170

The same holds also for the inertia matrix [M] and the
damping matrix [B]. Knowing matrices [M], [B] and [K], it is As it can be seen, the experimentally measured values of
posible to solve the main dynamic equation for the system, the maximum strains are quite close to those ones determined
(equation 2). analytically.

III. COMPARISON OF THE ANALITICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL IV. CONCLUSION

TESTS The natural frequencies of the bundle equipped with spacer
Experimental tests of the bending strains in the cables of dampers are so densely distributed that practically a continuous
overhead lines for a bundle of two conductors equipped with resonant system has to be damped. The damping devices as are

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spacer dampers have to be proportioned and distributed in such

a way that the strains at the hanging points of the conductors
and the fixation points of the damper are smaller than the
allawable ones (150 ), within the ctitical range of
frequencies.
The bending moments introduced by the damper clamps in
the cable have therefore mainly a local effect, which may
however be quite important. This shows that data on the
complete complex impedance matrix are necessary if the
bending strains in the cable are to be evaluated. For each
particular damper/cable combination, the computations have to
be carried out separately, because the strains depend on a large
number of parameters.

REFERENCES
[1] [1]E. Bahtovska „On the computation of the bending strains in the
cables of overhead lines at the location of the damper, Proceedings of
the 16th International conference ICMFMDI 2000, Tosic S., pp 1-1 to
1-3, ISBN 86 – 7083 – 395 - 6, Belgrade, December 2000.
[2] [2]E. Bahtovska, „An improved mathematical model for bundle pf
conductors equippped with spacer dampers, by means of FEM“, 3rd
International Conference of UPS 2004, Mostar BiH, 2004
[3] [3]E. Bahtovska, Lj Taskov, Lj Todorovska A., E. Hristovska, Z.
Simjanovski, „Fatigue tests on twin spacer damper DP60, Proceedings
of the 1. Symposium of Engineers of Macedonia, Mickovski J., pp
263-266, ISBN 9989-57-145- 7, Struga, October 2002.
[4] [4]R.Claren, G. Diana, „Mathematical Analysis of Transmission line
vibration“, IEEE Power apparatus systems PAS 88, 1989, No 12, pp
1741-71

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