Resolution of an Environmental Noise Problem Caused by a 345 KV Power Pole

A remote long term sound monitoring and weather acquisition system was used to successfully solve an environmental noise problem related to a singing power pole. Residents adjacent to a recently installed 345 KV power pole complained the pole would sing during gusty wind conditions. The intermittent nature of the noise, unpredictability of wind conditions and the pole's remote location created a conundrum for acoustical consultants trying to obtain the sound, frequency and wind data necessary to determine the cause. The electric utility tried numerous corrective actions without a noticeable improvement. Scheduling power line outages needed to be made several weeks in advance and at a high cost. For safety, modifying poles with high voltage active power lines wasn't an option. Unfortunately, the trial and error approach was turning into a multi-year problem. To further complicate the issue, the noise was observed from only a few poles - even though hundreds of poles utilizing similar components and designs were installed. The problem was solved by collecting and analyzing the remote data over a several week period. The sound and wind data were correlated with analytical calculations and component sound tests. The offending poles were also reviewed for similarities.