The Causes and Forecasting of Icing Events on Power Transmission Lines in Southern China: A Review and Perspective

Abstract

The icing on power transmission lines, as a major hazard affecting the safety of electricity usage in China during winter, poses a significant challenge in systematically evaluating the weather conditions and their distribution characteristics during the icing period. Understanding the interaction between the microterrain and micrometeorology and achieving a refined analysis of the physical mechanisms during the icing process remain difficult tasks in this field. These are crucial aspects for the development of more accurate icing prediction models across southern China. Therefore, this study provides a comprehensive review and summary of the current research state and progress in the study of power transmission line icing in southern China from three perspectives: (1) large-scale circulation characteristics; (2) microphysical process, terrain–atmosphere interaction, microtopography and local micrometeorological conditions for the occurrence of icing events; and (3) numerical icing event modeling and forecasting. This study also looks ahead to the scientific issues and technological bottlenecks that need to be overcome for the prediction of ice coating on power transmission lines in southern China. The goal is to provide guidance for the causal analysis and forecasting warnings of power transmission line icing in the complex microterrain of the southern region.