Thesis

Driving power grid resilience and capacity expansion with distributed sensing and data analytics

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2026
Thesis identifier
  • T18061
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 202181727
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Abstract
  • Ensuring the reliability and longevity of overhead power transmission lines is fundamental to the stability and efficiency of modern electrical grids. As global energy demand rises and the transition towards smart grid infrastructure accelerates, the need for advanced realtime monitoring technologies has become increasingly critical, particularly those capable of operating accurately under challenging environmental conditions. This thesis presents the development, implementation, and experimental validation of fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors for structural health monitoring (SHM) of overhead line (OHL) conductors. FBG sensors offer several advantages over conventional electrical sensing techniques, including immunity to electromagnetic interference, multiplexing capability, compact size, and suitability for remote sensing over long distances. This work exploits these advantages by developing an FBG-based monitoring approach for key mechanical and thermal parameters, including conductor sag, strain, temperature, and vibration, under varying mechanical loading and thermal cycling conditions. The novel contributions of this PhD thesis include the design and optimisation of a mechanically robust FBG-based sag sensor mounting assembly for OHL conductors; the laboratory characterisation of the sensor response to force and temperature over operating conditions relevant to power networks; the assessment of measurement uncertainty associated with force, temperature, wavelength, and sag estimation; the field deployment and validation of the sensor system on an OHL test span at the Power Network Demonstration Centre (PNDC); and the development of a fatigue-assessment methodology using FBG sensor data, rainflow counting, Miner’s rule, and stress-life analysis to estimate the operational durability of both the sensor and conductor. Experimental results confirm that FBG sensors are capable of reliably detecting structural variations in OHL conductors, enabling early identification of changes associated with sag, thermal loading, and vibration. The findings demonstrate the potential for integrating FBGbased SHM systems into future smart grid infrastructure, providing a lightweight, scalable, and high-fidelity solution for continuous condition monitoring and predictive maintenance in power transmission networks.
Advisor / supervisor
  • Niewczas, Pawel
  • Livina, Valerie N.
  • Fusiek, Grzegorz
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