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Power Line Care

 Robots to clean the ice off of power lines
  (+3)
(+3) 		  [vote for,
against]

Ice has caused major power outages because they bulk up on power lines and the weight is too much for them. A simple ski-lift type robot could go back and forth on a power line and chip at the ice. No steering needed, maybe some mechanical genius to navigate amongst ceramic insulators and whatnot.

I admit that I don't really know anything about snow and ice (I think 60 is too cold for me). Here in sunny Hawaii we got no snow.

—twitch, Nov 30 2006

Same concept http://www.engadget...-of-getting-juiced/
My idea is used! Makes me feel good har har [twitch, Aug 20 2010]

[link]






       Would that work? Why don't they do that?
—twitch, Dec 03 2006
   

       I could see this working very well if the little shuttle was powered by the energy wasted radiating from the lines themselves, and perhaps it could just heat up melting the ice as it travels. I think that this would use less energy and minimize chances of damage to the cables. (+)   

       Oh yeah...and it's hovering at about minus twelve around here right now.   

       I should be lucky i'm not there. .. or wherever it's fffreezzzing right now. But then. i've always wanted to play in the snow.   

       I believe that my idea would consume less energy then trying to heat up all the wires. We don't have to melt all the ice off, just crack it, jolt it, knock it off.
—twitch, Dec 04 2006
   

       Ha, see link. engadget just validated my idea.
—twitch, Aug 20 2010
   

       This is a problem for lines with intermittant use. Under full load some newer very high voltage lines get nearer 400F. The temperature is part of the design and causes them to sag quite a bit too. This seemes like it would waste a huge amount of power, but it's still only a very small fraction of that transmitted.   

       I want the robot though, it'd be cool to see it scurrying along. Could also have a camera and a bond meter to test the cable as it goes.
—saedi, Aug 20 2010
   
      
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