TITLE:
Design Optimization of a Lattice Tower: Structure and Foundations
AUTHORS:
Cossi Télesphore Nounangnonhou, Guy Clarence Semassou, Kossoun Alain Tossa, Noémie Sintondji
KEYWORDS:
Lattice Tower, Wheelbase, Cost, Optimization, Foundation
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.14 No.2,
February
29,
2024
ABSTRACT: Produced in power
plants, electrical energy is transported to places of consumption via the
electricity network. At the heart of this network are the supports that allow
electricity to be efficiently transported over long distances, guaranteeing the
security and supply of energy to the various centers of use. In the
construction of a line, supports occupy an important part in terms of safety
and construction cost. It is therefore essential to optimize their use to
reduce the cost of transmission lines. This work addresses this problem, which
focuses on the optimal utilization of X-lattice towers in the construction of
overhead power lines. The challenge is to reconcile the search for optimal cost
and respect for the design, resistance and service constraints of the
structure. To do this, a parameter having a strong correlation with the weight,
foundation and construction cost of the X-lattice tower for 161 kV lines is
determined as an important cost variable. This parameter is the wheelbase of
the towers. The junction point between the structure and the foundations is
obtained by measuring the forces at the base of the tower following the
lowering of the loads. These efforts make it possible to size foundations which
are of the inverted or isolated sole type. The results obtained reveal that
from 8 meters in width, the wheelbase gradually changes until the optimum is
obtained at 6.29 meters. With this wheelbase, the production cost is optimal.
It clearly emerges from this study that the construction of lattice pylons with
a wheelbase of approximately 6.29 meters makes it possible to optimize the cost
of construction of 161 kV lines in the Republic of Benin.