This research activity aims to mitigate the formation of ice and snow sleeves, caused by extreme weather events, on overhead phase conductors and guard wires. The ultimate goal is to reduce service disruptions in the electrical grid, and the associated restoration costs. The presented study focuses on the synthesis of elastomeric coatings with anti-ice and anti-snow properties and the evaluation of their performance.

The icephobic properties of the coatings have been studied by variyng the polymerization treatments (curing) and the pre-polymer:crosslinker ratio. The deterioration of the samples was also evaluated by ageing tests. The best materials are the softer elastomers, as they are capable of reducing the ice adhesion up to 4.5 times compared to the reference, even after aging. For these materials, thermal curing speeds up the polymerization process, with little influence on anti-ice properties.
A measurement tool for ice adhesion on planar surfaces has been developed, enabling an expanded range of measurement parameters. Through Design Of Experiment, an optimization of the applied experimental parameters has been performed, achieving a data analysis repeatability above 80%, an excellent value compared to literature.

Within the Artificial Snow Laboratory (LNA), activities have been carried out on snow characterization and sleeve growth. These aimed at introducing snowphobicity tests to provide an initial evaluation of the anti-snow properties of the tested materials. The advantage of this activity is the ability to control the environmental conditions during the growth of snow-sleeves and their detachment, overcoming the variability of real meteorological events. However, outdoor experimentation remains essential for an effective evaluation of the anti-snow behavior of the coatings.

In the LNA, it is possible to produce snow with liquid water content ranging from 3 to 35% and create snow-sleeves with different types of snow, evaluating their growth rate and eventual detachment phase. Activities conducted in the LNA have also enabled the development of a finite element model that simulates the growth and detachment of a snow sleeve around a conductor cable.

The most promising samples have been prepared in large dimensions and installed at the WILD experimental station for the winter 2023-2024. In the test facility, thickness sensors have been installed. By combining the thickness values with camera images and data from a load cell, it will be possible to achieve a more accurate quantitative evaluation of the snow sleeve growth around the conductor sections under test.

The report concludes with a literature analysis of the latest anti-ice coatings, which could be considered for future developments in RSE.

The document is available on the site in Italian