De Angeli Prodotti in collaboration with Set Distribuzione worked to resolve ice accumulations on the lines, creating "Anti-Ice" conductors, which were installed on a delicate crossing near the Masetti area in Lavarone
It seems strange to talk about ice with the high temperatures recorded during last summer and this unusually warm autumn, but prevention is a must when talking about the resilience of overhead power lines.
De Angeli Prodotti in collaboration with Set Distribuzione, a company belonging to the Dolomiti Energia group which manages the medium and low voltage electricity network in the autonomous province of Trento, has in fact innovated and worked in this direction, supplying brand new “Anti-Ice” Conductors, which were installed on a delicate crossing near the Masetti area in Lavarone.
The problem: network blackouts due to ice accumulations on the conductors
In fact, during the winter period, this line was often subject to breakage of the conductors due to overloads due to accumulations of wet snow and ice, which caused network blackouts and malfunctions, with considerable inconvenience for users and companies. Restoring the complete functionality of the network was also very laborious and not very timely due to the impossibility of quickly reaching the area with the necessary means. But as often happens, new formidable ideas emerge from hardships!
The Solution: “Super-Hydrophobic” Anti-Ice Conductors
De Angeli Prodotti has therefore developed an anti-ice conductor which, thanks to a special super-hydrophobic coating, repels accumulations of wet snow and ice, protecting the network from mechanical overloads which can cause the conductors to fall in extreme situations.
The anti-ice conductor supplied by De Angeli Prodotti seems to have solved the problem very well, given that it has already successfully survived 3 winters without any breakage.
De Angeli Prodotti and SET Distribuzione now present themselves as pioneers of this technology, which we hope will be applied in other critical points of our national Transmission and Distribution network in the future.
