The earliest studies of long wires embedded in a moving fluid motion dates to the late 19th century, when Vincenc Strouhal explained "singing" wires in terms of vortex shedding.1213 Gallop is now known to arise from a different physical phenomenon: aerodynamic lift. Ice accumulated on the wire destroys the circular symmetry of the wire, and the natural up-and-down "singing" motion of a wire changes the angle of attack of the iced wire in the wind. For certain shapes, the variation in lift across the different angles is so large that it excites large-scale oscillations.14
Mathematically, an unloaded extended wire in dead air can be approximated as a mass m suspended at height y by a spring with constant k. If the wind moves with velocity U, then it makes angle α with the wire, where
tan α = y ˙ U . {\displaystyle \tan {\alpha }={\frac {\dot {y}}{U}}{\text{.}}}
At large wind velocities, the lift and drag induced on the wire are proportional to the square of the wind velocity, but the proportionality constants CL and CD (for a noncircular wire) depend on α:
F j = 1 2 ρ ( U 2 + y ˙ 2 ) l ⋅ C j ( j ∈ { L , D } ), {\displaystyle F_{j}={\frac {1}{2}}\rho (U^{2}+{\dot {y}}^{2})l\cdot C_{j}\quad \quad \quad {\text{(}}j\in \{{\text{L}},{\text{D}}\}{\text{),}}}
where ρ is the fluid density and l the length of the wire.15
In principle, the excited oscillation can take three forms: rotation of the wire, horizontal sway, or vertical plunge. Most gallops combine rotation with at least one of the other two forms. For algebraic simplicity, this article will analyze a conductor only experiencing plunge (and not rotation); a similar treatment can address other dynamics. From geometrical considerations, the vertical component of the force must be
1 2 ρ l ( U 2 + y ˙ 2 ) ( C L cos α + C D sin α ) ≈ 1 2 ρ l U 2 ( C L | α = 0 − y ˙ U ( C D + ∂ C L ∂ α ) | α = 0 ) , {\displaystyle {\frac {1}{2}}\rho l(U^{2}+{\dot {y}}^{2})(C_{L}\cos {\alpha }+C_{D}\sin {\alpha })\approx {\frac {1}{2}}\rho lU^{2}\left(C_{L}|_{\alpha =0}-{\frac {\dot {y}}{U}}\left.\left(C_{D}+{\frac {\partial C_{L}}{\partial \alpha }}\right)\right|_{\alpha =0}\right){\text{,}}}
keeping only terms first-order in the regime ẏ ≪ U.16 Gallop occurs whenever the driving coefficient 1/2ρlU · (CD + ∂CL/∂α)|α = 0 exceeds the natural damping of the wire; in particular, a necessary-but-not-sufficient condition is that ( C D + ∂ C L ∂ α ) | α = 0 < 0 . {\displaystyle \left.\left(C_{D}+{\frac {\partial C_{L}}{\partial \alpha }}\right)\right|_{\alpha =0}<0{\text{.}}} This is known as the Den Hartog gallop condition, after the engineer who first discovered it.1718
At low wind velocities U, the above analysis begins to fail, because the gallop oscillation couples to the vortex shedding.19
A similar aeolian phenomenon is flutter, caused by vortices on the leeward side of the wire, and which is distinguished from gallop by its high-frequency (10 Hz), low-amplitude motion.2021 To control flutter, transmission lines may be fitted with tuned mass dampers (known as Stockbridge dampers) clamped to the wires close to the towers.22 The use of bundle conductor spacers can also be of benefit.
Moore, G. F. (1997), BICC Electric Cables Handbook, Blackwell Publishing, p. 724, ISBN 0-632-04075-0 0-632-04075-0 ↩
Guile, A.; Paterson, W. (1978). Electrical Power Systems. Vol. I. Pergamon. p. 138. ISBN 0-08-021729-X. 0-08-021729-X ↩
Pansini, Anthony J. (2004). Power Transmission and Distribution. Fairmont Press. pp. 204–205. ISBN 0-88173-503-5. 0-88173-503-5 ↩
Ryan, Hugh (2001). High Voltage Engineering and Testing. IET. p. 192. ISBN 0-85296-775-6. 0-85296-775-6 ↩
McCombe, John; Haigh, F. R. (1966). Overhead Line Practice (3rd ed.). Macdonald. pp. 216–219. ↩
For an example of a power outage caused by galloping resulting from ice buildup, see: "Delen van Diksmuide en Kortemark zonder stroom" [Parts of Diksmuide and Kortemark without power]. De Krant van West-Vlaanderen (in Flemish). 14 February 2013. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210415151223/https://kw.be/nieuws/delen-van-diksmuide-en-kortemark-uren-zonder-stroom/ ↩
Strouhal, V. (1878). "Ueber eine besondere Art der Tonerregung" [On an unusual sort of sound excitation]. Annalen der Physik und Chemie. 3rd series (in German). 5 (10): 216–251. Bibcode:1878AnP...241..216S. doi:10.1002/andp.18782411005. http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b4433702;view=1up;seq=230 ↩
White, Frank M. (1999). Fluid Mechanics (4th ed.). McGraw Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-116848-9. 978-0-07-116848-9 ↩
Den Hartog, J. P. (1985). Mechanical Vibrations. Dover. pp. 299–305 – via Knovel. https://app.knovel.com/hotlink/pdf/id:kt00AZTMV2/mechanical-vibrations/galloping-electric-transmission ↩
Blevins, Robert D. (1990). Flow-Induced Vibration (author's reprint; 2nd ed.). Malabar, Florida: Krieger (published 2001). pp. 104–152. ISBN 1-57524-183-8. 1-57524-183-8 ↩