The effect of surface strands, angle of attack, and ice accretion on the flow field around electrical power cables

The influence of surface strands, angle of attack, and ice accumulation on the flow field around electrical power cables of various geometries is not clearly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of these factors on the near wake flow field of three stationary wind tunnel models, namely, Model 1 (smooth and heavily iced), Model 2 (stranded and lightly iced), and Model 3 (stranded and heavily iced). Some angles of attack, θ, significantly altered the flow field by encouraging a rise in Strouhal number for all models at θ=0°, for Model 2 at θ=150–160°, and for Model 3 at θ=180°. Under certain conditions (θ=0°, U >22 m/s, Re>42,000) for Model 3, dual vortex shedding frequency peaks were present. These changes in Strouhal number may potentially predispose models to low drag and high lift forces.