Refined Clearance Assessment of Overhead Lines Combining LiDAR, Climate Data, and PLS-CADD Finite Element Analysis

Recent advances in geospatial surveying and modelling technologies enable a significantly more precise evaluation of conductor behaviour and external clearances. High-resolution

LiDAR data provide detailed and up-to-date representations of terrain, vegetation, buildings, and infrastructure beneath overhead lines. In addition, the availability of location-specific climate datasets allows conductor temperature calculations that more accurately reflect real operating conditions. Finite element (FE) modelling of conductors using commercial overhead line design and analysis software enables accurate simulation of both mechanical and thermal behaviour across spans of varying length, inclination, and structural configuration. Together, these developments allow a refined and realistic assessment of clearance margins compared to traditional design-based approaches.

This paper presents a methodology that integrates LiDAR data, climate information, and FEbased catenary modelling to perform detailed clearance assessments of existing OHL systems.

Compared to prior LiDAR-based clearance studies, the key contributions are: (i) explicit coupling of local climate-based conductor temperature calculation with finite element modelling in alignment with national normative aspect (NNA) requirements, and (ii) a systematic span-by-span clearance margin analysis applied to a real TSO asset. The methodology is demonstrated using the 150 kV overhead line Zutphen-Lochem (ZP-LC150) in the Netherlands.

The results demonstrate that the combined use of LiDAR, climate data, and FE modelling significantly improves the accuracy and reliability of clearance assessments. The approach enables improved identification of localized clearance risks and supports informed decisionmaking for efficient network operation and asset management. The methodology is broadly applicable to existing overhead line systems and provides a robust technical foundation for future grid modernization and capacity-enhancement strategies.