Abstract Description: As its name implies, Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) is a dual-purpose cable that serves as a shield wire for overhead transmission lines as well as a communications cable used for SCADA and data transmission. As such, it is a vital component in ensuring system reliability and resilience, and it is critical that designers understand how to effectively utilize OPGW in their systems. Yet lightning resistance remains a murky and misunderstood subject for many OPGW users. When it comes to lightning protection, system designers typically have two main areas of concern…how to determine what level of lightning protection is required for a given application and how OPGW can be designed or selected for improved lightning resistance. Over the span of nearly 40 years of designing and manufacturing OPGW, AFL has accumulated significant experience related to the design and use of OPGW cable, including regarding lightning resistance. We will draw on this experience to help answer these important questions related to OPGW design and selection for lightning resistance. Topics will include theoretical considerations for designing OPGW cable for lightning resistance, experimental results of simulated lightning tests, recommendations for OPGW design and selection, and collected field experience related to OPGW lighting resistance.
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