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Millimeter Wave Based Sag Measurement Using

Parabolic Approximation for Smart Grid Overhead
Transmission Line Monitoring
1
Ayman Uddin Mahin, 2S. N. Islam and 3Md. Farhad Hossain
1,3
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology
Dhaka - 1000, Bangladesh
2
School of Engineering, Deakin University
Geelong, Australia
1
aumahin125@gmail.com, 2shama.i@deakin.edu.au, 3mfarhadhossain@eee.buet.ac.bd

Abstract— Power transmission monitoring and control are
essential components of a smart grid. Power transmission
capacity of an overhead transmission line is greatly dependent
on the sag of the line. When the sag is lower, more power can
be transmitted safely through the line. Due to this, real-time
sag measurement and monitoring is important for effective
transmission of power through the line. In this paper, a
mmWave based sag measurement technique incorporating
parabolic approximation is proposed which improves the
accuracy of sag calculation. Impact of different system
parameters on the calculated value of the sag is also
investigated. The results show that the proposed method can
achieve better accuracy even with smaller number of samples,
though the accuracy degrades with error in angle of arrival.
Index Terms—sag, mmWave, received power, angle of
arrival, number of samples
I. INTRODUCTION
With the advancement of information and
communication technologies, effective monitoring and
control of power transfer from generators to the end users
have been enabled by smart grid network [1]. Smart grid
incorporates bidirectional information flow among different
components in the power system network and thus, integrate
intelligent decision making, as well as adaptation
capabilities [2]. The real time monitoring of smart grid
systems requires accurate information on different
parameters that regulate optimum power flow in the
network. One such parameter is the transmission line sag,
that is, the difference in level between the points of support
for the transmission line and the lowest point on the
conductor [3].
When power flows through the line, it heats up the
conductor. Due to this, the conductor gets extended causing
increased sag. Fault can be caused if the sag crosses its limit
and damage the power system infrastructures. On the other
hand, for a stable and safe grid operation, a minimum
ground clearance is necessary [4, 5]. These facts indicate the
importance of real-time monitoring of the sag of overhead
HV transmission lines.
Existing research papers on transmission line sag
measurement include techniques incorporating artificial
intelligence algorithms [6] and stochastic optimization
techniques [7] to perform sag estimation for complex
transmission line configuration. On the other hand, the
variations of signal propagation between power line carrier
(PLC) stations is considered as an indicator of the sag in
overhead high voltage transmission lines [8]. The authors in
[9] evaluated the impact of transmission line sags on the
electric field using 3D techniques that include the impact of
line and terrain topologies. It has been shown in [10] that the
lightning stroke rates on ground wires with long spans are
increased with the transmission line sag. The impact of
errors on sag calculation is incorporated in [11] which
depends on individual sag values, temperature and creep
factors.
Since accurate sag calculation and forwarding this
information with low latency is critical for real-time
monitoring of smart grid, the communication protocol needs
to satisfy the low latency and high reliability requirements.
In this regard, millimeter wave (mmWave) technologies can
be quite suitable to accommodate massive number of smart
grid monitoring and control devices [12]. mmWave is the
band of frequency spectrum lying between 30 GHz and 300
GHz. In smart grid, mmWave technology can be used for
measuring sag of overhead transmission line, as it offers
availability and bandwidth. Since antenna size depends on
the frequency or wavelength used, antenna size can be
greatly reduced by using mmWave signal resulting into
compact devices. The frequencies between 30-40 GHz in
mmWave band can be used for monitoring and
communication purposes in smart grid, since these
frequencies experience lower air attenuation [13].
A mmWave based sag measurement method was
proposed in [14] by the authors that uses a transmitter on the
transmission line and a transceiver on the overhead ground
wire. This method suffers from large error, requires ground
wire and strict alignment between the transmitter and the
transceiver. As a result, an improved sag measurement
method based on mmWave is required that can eliminate the
drawbacks of the previous method in terms of accuracy and
placement of the devices. Thus, in this paper, we make the
following contributions:
• We propose a method that considers the transmitter and
transceiver placed on the same transmission line. Based
on the received power and angle of arrival (AoA) of the
transmitted mmWave signal, parabolic approximation is
used to calculate the sag of the transmission line.
• It is shown that the proposed method can achieve better
accuracy than the existing method using smaller
number of samples.

978-1-5386-8099-5/19/$31.00 ©2019 IEEE

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• The simulation results indicate that an error in AoA
information can cause significant inaccuracies in sag
estimation, hence, it is important to extract AoA
information with high precision.
Moreover, the proposed method uses more simple
system configuration than the existing methods of sag
calculation. Furthermore, it doesn’t require any complex
algorithm for calculating sag.
The remainder of the paper is as follows. Section II of
this paper presents the related works, Section III describes
the proposed method, Section IV shows the numerical
results followed by a conclusion of the paper in Section V.
II. DIFFERENT METHODS OF MEASURING SAG
A. DGPS Based Sag Measurement
In this method of measuring sag, a differential global
positioning satellite (DGPS) device is placed on the line at
the middle of the span. The device contains a rover GPS
integrated with communication module. The position of the
device is located using GPS system and with the help of this
information sag can be calculated [15], [16]. This method
provides good accuracy and does not depend on the weather
condition, temperature and tension. The drawback of using
this method is use of complex algorithm for measurement of
sag.
B. Measuring Sag from Current and Flux Density
To measure flux density, uniaxial magnetic sensors are
installed at the top of the pole. Data collected from the
sensors are time sampled and sent to the substation. Data of
current is collected from current transformer of the
substation and processed with magnetic field data using a
unified algorithm to determine sag [5]. The disadvantage of
using this method is that synchronization is needed between
magnetic field data and current data.
C. Temperature Based Sag Measurement
As sag is dependent on temperature of the transmission
line, sag can be calculated by measuring temperature. A
mathematical model is used to extract the value of sag from
the measured temperature. Using temperature sensors like
resistance thermometers, thermistors and thermocouples,
temperature of a particular point on the conductor can be
measured. Temperature in power line varies in both radial
and axial direction [17]. Thus, measuring sag at one point
can cause error.
D. Tension Based Sag Measurement
Tension can also be measured to determine sag.
Using load cell, tension at the suspension point is
measured. Sag is related to the inclination angle, which
is dependent on the tension. The inclination angle or the
tension varies with sag. The load cells should be capable
of determining small change in the tension to keep the
error within its limit [18].
E. Laser Technique for Measuring Sag
An infrared (IR) laser scanning system for measuring
sag is proposed in [19]. In this procedure, the laser device is
installed approximately 25 meters away from the line on the
ground. A scanning beam is transmitted and a backscattered
signal is achieved from the target conductor. Comparing the
relative temporal position of the two signals, clearance to
the ground is determined. This method provides good

accuracy but this is not suitable for continuous data
collection as staff presence is a must for this purpose and the
devices used in this method are costly.
F. Measuring Sag Using Video Camera
To measure sag using a video camera, a calibrated
camera is installed on the line support and a target label is
attached with the conductor. The real-time image of the
target is compared with previously stored image and the sag
is determined [20]. To supply energy to the camera, a small
solar system may be needed, as capturing and image
processing activity may drain the battery fast.
G. Vibration Based Sag Measurement
In vibration based sag measurement, vibration sensors
are placed directly on the overhead transmission line. Based
on the measured fundamental vibrating frequency, sag is
calculated. As the vibration travels along the entire line, the
sensor can be installed at any point of the line. This method
also doesn't require any additional data. Main disadvantage
of using this method is that all external conditions such as
wind, snow, suspension movement etc. can affect the
fundamental frequency, which cause error in the calculated
sag [16].
H. Fiber Bragg Grating Based Sag Measurement
A sag measuring technique incorporating optical sensor
is proposed in [21] that is insensitive to high
electromagnetic field and temperature. Among the fiber
bragg grating (FBG) sensors, chirped fiber bragg grating
(CFBG) type is selected for increased sensitivity and
accuracy. In this technique, the sensor is attached to the line
and a light is directed to the sensor via an optical circulator
using optical fiber. The reflected optical spectrum is then
directed to an optical spectrum analyzer through the
circulator. Depending on the received optical spectrum, sag
of the line is determined.
III. PROPOSED METHOD
A. System Model
In the proposed method, a transceiver is installed on the
transmission line at the end of the span and a transmitter is
placed at any point on the conductor. The transmitter sends
mmWave signal to the transceiver on a regular interval for
real-time monitoring purpose. The received power of the
transmitted mmWave signal depends on the distance
between the transmitter and the transceiver. This distance
increases with increase in sag of the line. At the same time,
the angle of arrival (AoA) of the signal also changes with
sag. The AoA of the incoming mmWave signal is
determined using AoA sensors. The sag related information,
namely, received power and AoA is sent to the control
center of smart grid. Depending on the received power and
Fig. 1. Block diagram of sag measuring procedure.
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IV. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

Fig. 2. Sag measurement setup.
AoA, location of the transmitter is detected to calculate the
sag. When a transmission line is placed in between two line
supports, its shape can be approximated as a parabola, if sag
is smaller compared to the span of the line [22]. This
approximation is considered for sag calculation. Fig. 1.
shows the block diagram of sag measuring procedure of the
proposed system.
Fig. 2. shows the diagram of the sag measurement setup.
Here, l is the length of span between two adjacent line
supports, s represents the sag, yd is the vertical distance
between the transmitter and the transceiver, (x1, y1) is the
location of the transceiver and (x2, y2) is the location of the
transmitter.
A. Simulation Setup
A point on ground is considered as reference point (0, 0)
and the transceiver is considered to be located 21.64 m
above the ground level at point (0, 21.64). The standard
deviation of shadow fading is 3.76 dB. For simulation,
frequency is set as 30 GHz. Different parameters are varied
to observe the impact on the calculated sag.
B. Impact of x2
Though the transmitter is initially placed at a fixed point,
the horizontal distance (x2) between the transceiver and the
transmitter can change with sag. It is also important to find a
suitable point for placing the transmitter. Fig. 3. (a)-(c) show
the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of error (in
percentage) for single sample considering no error in AoA
measurement for demonstrating the impact of horizontal
distance x2. It is clear that the range of error increases with
the increase in the horizontal distance between the
transmitter and the transceiver. For instance, error range is
around -2.5% to +1% for x2 = 5m, while the range is
increased to -25% to +8% for x2 =40 dB though the
probability of higher error is negligible.
Impact of three values of x2 (5 m , 20 m and 40 m) on
the calculated sag is shown in Fig. 4. If x2 is increased,
calculated sag differs from the actual value more, causing
increased error and calculated value is more affected when
the sag is high. On an average, calculated value of sag
contains error of 0.45%, 1.93% and 3.89% for x2 of 5 m, 20
m and 40 m, respectively for sag with range of 0-15 m, on
an average.

B. Sag Calculation
In the proposed model, the position of the transceiver
(x1, y1) is fixed and known but the position of the transmitter
(x2, y2) varies with sag. Depending on the received power
level, the distance d is calculated with the help of 5GCM
path loss model. In this case, 5GCM path loss model for
urban micro scenario is taken into consideration. Other
scenarios can also be considered in a similar manner.
Equation (1) represents the path loss equation defined in the
5GCM model, where d3D is the same as distance d of our
proposed system, fc is the carrier frequency f of the
transmitted signal and X is zero mean Gaussian distributed
random variable with standard deviation  [23].
(a)
PL= 32.4 + 21 log (d3D) + 20 log (fc) + X (1)

After determining d based on received power or path

loss and the AoA , location (x2, y2) of the transmitter is
determined using equation (2) and (3).
x2 = d cos (2)
y2 = y1 - d sin (3)
After determining the position of the transmitter, sag is
calculated with the help of equation (4).
s ={(y2-y1) / ((x2-0.5l) 2-(x1-0.5l) 2)}(x1-0.5l) 2 (4)

(b)
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(b)
(c)

Fig. 3. CDF of error for (a) x2 = 5m, (b) x2 = 20m, (c) x2 = 40m.

(c)
Fig. 5. Error in calculated sag for (a) n = 1, (b) n = 10, (c) n = 20.

carried out for number of samples (n): 1, 10 and 20,

considering no error in AoA measurement. The transmitter
is placed at horizontal distance of 20 m from the transceiver.
Value of calculated sag differs 0.017 m, 0.029 m and 0.036
m for n of 1, 10, 20, respectively, on an average from the
actual sag. Whereas, the average error was 4.05 m, 1.87 m
and 1.53 m for the same set of values of n in our previous
method. So, using smaller number of samples more accurate
calculation of sag is possible for the proposed method.
Fig. 4. Impact of horizontal distance x2 on calculated sag.

C. Impact of Number of Samples

For real-time monitoring of transmission line, data can
be collected every 15-30 minutes. The number of samples
indicates number of sag related data collected within a
specified time. Fig. 5. (a)-(c) show how number of samples
affects the error in calculated value of sag. Simulation is

(a) Fig. 6. Impact of AoA error.

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D. Impact of AoA error
Error in measurement of AoA plays a big role in sag
measurement. When sag is small, slight error in
measurement of AoA has potential to cause large error in
the calculated sag, but error is significantly lower for higher
value of sag. Fig. 6. shows the relationship of average error
with AoA error. For example, in case of AoA error of
e=0.1  , average error is around 20% when sag is 1 m and
2.4% when sag is 15 m. So, the AoA measuring sensors
should provide high accuracy for accurate measurement of
sag.
V. CONCLUSIONS
In this paper, a technique for measuring sag of overhead
transmission lines has been proposed that incorporates
mmWave communication. The proposed method uses only a
transmitter and a transceiver installed on the overhead
transmission line. The transmitter sends mmWave signal to
the transceiver and based on the received power and the
angle of arrival of the signal, sag has been calculated.
Impacts of parameters, namely, horizontal distance between
the transmitter and the transceiver, number of sample, error
in AoA measurement have been investigated. Among the
three parameters, AoA error plays a major role in sag
calculation. Error in the calculated value of sag increases
significantly with increase in AoA error. So, AoA
measuring device should provide high accuracy for
calculating sag more accurately. It has also been found that
error in calculated sag can be reduced by increasing the
number of samples and reducing the horizontal distance.
Our future work includes designing a relay aided improved
sag calculation technique that demonstrates robustness
against AoA error.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors acknowledge CASS foundation to support
the cost for presenting this paper in SmartGridComm 2019.
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