Towertalk
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd: Tower Permitting Spec's

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd: Tower Permitting Spec's
From: Grant Saviers <grants2@pacbell.net>
Date: Tue, 1 May 2018 08:46:29 -0700
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
The reference about power line cable oscillations is interesting, I think more applicable to wire antennas rather than masts. I found this thesis which delves into the issues for masts and how to use FEA tools to analyze them (it's an MS level thesis so is at least superficially readable by me w/o delving into the partial differential equations, etc.)

https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1627&context=etdarchive

One observation I have is the TT discussion is conflating spoilers which reduce the magnitude of the wind forces by spoiling the air flow with dampers which absorb the energy of oscillations. From the thesis:

a. Spoilers: which tend to change fluid dynamic characteristics of structures in such a way as to interfere with and weaken the exciting force resulting from vortex shedding. Some examples for spoilers are helical strakes <the car antenna spiral>, shrouds, slates, fairing,
splitter plate, and flags.
b. Dampers: which provide a mechanism for dissipation of energy and that leads to an increase in the structural damping of the mast and thus reducing the amplitudes
of forced vibration resulting from vortex shedding and finally reducing the
possibility of structural damage or failure. Some examples for dampers are tune
mass damper, tune liquid damper, impact damper <rope inside TH7DX elements>.

Some clever ME probably has one design to perform both functions.

Grant KZ1W


On 5/1/2018 5:45 AM, jimlux wrote:
On 5/1/18 12:31 AM, J Chaloupka via TowerTalk wrote:
Wondering, couldn't you wrap heavy gauge wire in a coarse spiral around the mast, similar to the wire wrapped around the proverbial automobile receiving antenna mast, in an attempt to dampen the vibration? (Aluminum wire on an Aluminum mast)(look at the 2013 Chrysler Town and Country van as example)


You can - and it can be plastic, or rope, or almost anything. What I don't know off hand is how big that spiral has to be. Obviously, wrapping a AWG 20 wire isn't going to do it.

One thing to think about, though, is that the vibration may be excited somewhere else (guys?) and the tower just happens to be the resonator.

The other thing is to make it stiffer (raise the resonant frequency) so it's not excited, or to make the diameter different in different places.

This is a pretty complicated phenomenon - you don't see aluminum flagpoles having the problem.


Interestingly, the phenomenon is probably more severe in moderate winds, rather than high winds (turbulence in the wind inhibits the effect)

Here's the formula:

f = 0.185 * V/D

f in Hz
V in m/s
D in meters

1 mi/hr = 0.48 m/s
1 " = 0.025 m

so a 2" mast in a 10 mi/hr wind (0.05 m, 4.8m/s) would tend to vibrate at 1.78 Hz.

On the other hand a 1/4" guy wire will be oscillating at 8 times that, around 14 Hz.

I'd guess that the guy wires are higher Q than the mast.


More info at:

 http://www.tdee.ulg.ac.be/userfiles/file/Vibrations_eoliennes_intro.pdf

http://sites.ieee.org/pes-resource-center/files/2015/08/PES-TR17-Aeolian-Vibration-of-Single-Conductors-Final-08-17-2015.pdf


_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk

_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>