The growth limits of rime ice accretion on fixed conductors (Q1121127)

When an airflow carrying freezing-fog or supercooled droplets impinges on an overhead transmission line, rime ice accretes on the windward side of the conductor. This work is concerned with properties of axial growth. It is assumed that a freezing-fog or supercooled droplet impacting on the iced conductor sticks. However, as the resulting ice spike grows outward with time, it is expected that its shape becomes progressively more streamline to the extent that the droplets can no longer be captured from the airflow. Clearly it is of considerable importance to establish the growth limits of the rime-ice-accretion surface. Equally important are the details of the mass and centre of mass of ice accreted as a function of the time, wind speed and conductor diameter. From this information the ice torque density near the anchors can be deduced and this is germane to the construction of a full dynamical model of the interaction of the ice- accretion kinetics with the aeroelastic system.