An analytical model to quantify the technical benefits of interphase spacers to increase power system resilience against wet snow: the Italian case

The growing concerns about increasing frequency and severity of extreme events affecting the power systems urge Transmission System Operators (TSOs) to adopt appropriate tools and methods for resilience assessment, able to suitably assess the benefits of grid interventions in long term planning and to anticipate critical conditions in operational planning. This paper proposes an analytical model for Interphase Spacers (IS), capital light devices used to mitigate the effects of wet snow events on grid infrastructure, in order to quantify their benefits in the Terna-RSE risk-based resilience methodology aimed at evaluating investments to increase power system resilience. Simulations performed on a set of lines where such devices are being tested in field show that the model is able to catch the main effects of the devices and to quantify their benefits in terms of increase of the failure return periods of the line spans where they are installed.