Numerical simulation of dry-band arcing on the surface of ADSS fiber-optic cable

Deregulation of telecommunication networks and utility companies has led to a worldwide increase in the use of fiber optic cables on long-span overhead power transmission lines. The cable jacket is subject to the deterioration caused by dry-band arcing, which is believed to be the major cause of failure of cable in service. This paper establishes an arc model based on the physical mechanism and experimental observation, and performs simulation of the transient of dry-band arcing on ADSS fiber optic cable. The basic theories concerning the dynamics of arc, arc extension along the electrolytic surface and its speed, and dry-band arcing on ADSS cable are reviewed. The differential equation systems composed of the dynamic equation of the arc and its interaction with the circuit components are proposed with state variable method. And the equations are solved numerically with Runge-Kutta method. The proposed differential equations can be used to simulate dry-band arcing on experimental setup in laboratory and predict the dynamic behavior of dry-band arcing on ADSS cable in transmission network. Hence the damage caused to cable can be evaluated. Experiments are performed to verify the simulation results.