With the continuous development of fiber optics for telecommunications and measurement, overhead power lines are becoming the best example of the interplay between electric power transmission and long-distance light propagation. The gradual replacement of ground wires with optical ground wires (OPGW) over the years has made it clear that the two go hand in hand in long-distance power lines, providing high-speed communication and the modern Internet in every corner of the world.

It started with OPGW and telecommunications, but it doesn’t end there. Being dielectric in nature, optical fibers will offer more and more possibilities for overhead power lines, which are high-voltage environments with a high electric field. For example, thanks to the successful implementation of optical fibers in the ground wire, OPGW is becoming an element of power line monitoring systems, and in many different forms. Such systems can determine locations of increased environmental temperatures in the event of forest fires or lightning strikes on transmission lines, as well as short circuits and unauthorized activity in protected or hazardous high voltage areas, all with a spatial accuracy of just a few meters.

Application of modern fiber optic monitoring systems on the OPGW allows to:

• reduce time to determine the location of the event, potential threat or damage already happened
• estimate the wear and tear index of power line elements
• build statistics and prevent mechanical damage to poles
• plan reconstructions for the line

Interested in this technology? Contact us for details!

Also take a moment to read our case study and watch our short educational videos:

⚡DFOS monitoring technology for overhead power HTLS conductors installation

⚡FOS technology integrated in OPGW

⚡Monitoring of suspicious activity near power lines using OPGW