BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – There are thousands of power lines underground that make it possible to use the phones, laptops, and devices we use every day. A Virginia Tech research team will use a grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to develop new technology to enhance the way underground power lines are manufactured.
“The problem we're trying to solve is the challenge of setting up the electric grid the way we currently do it,” said Dr. Joseph VanTassel of Virginia Tech's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “This means that most of the electricity delivered to homes and businesses is routed through overhead power lines.”
Dr. VanTassel will lead a team that is revolutionizing the way underground power lines are constructed across the country.
“What we're looking at is the alternative of drilling underground. And this is something that's already been done. Currently it's very expensive and it's very dangerous,” Dr. Van Tassel said. Told.
This research was supported in part by a $2.5 million grant from ARPA-E. New technology makes underground drilling safer.
“What we are proposing is a system that allows drilling operators to essentially see in front of where they are drilling,” Dr. VanTassel explained. “So we have sensors on the drill head itself. We have complementary sensors on the surface. And we use this artificial intelligence, machine learning predictive model to analyze the data from the drill head, the surface We're going to take the data that we're measuring and put it all together and present it to the drill operator.”
Congressman Morgan Griffiths (R-9th District) announced the grant on behalf of ARPA-E. He said this project is more important than ever.
“When there are strong winds and cold temperatures, power outages like what we are seeing here are more likely to occur,” Griffiths began. “It's the same thing with ice storms. Ice storms cause power outages because ice builds up on the lines and causes them to collapse.”
Underground power lines could help prevent catastrophes like the Maui fires we saw last year.
“Last year, we held public hearings related to the Maui fires. [above ground] It’s a power line,” the lawmaker explained. “High winds hit the island, knocking out power lines. . . . If it was underground, we wouldn't have these problems.”
Congressman Griffiths says as our nation's technology advances, so will our power grid.
“There's a lot more electrical equipment, so we need to install more power lines. The more we can do, and the more we can do some of it underground, the stronger the grid becomes. I think it's important,” said Congressman Griffiths.
Dr. VanTassel says their research will have an impact not only in our hometown, but also in building more underground power lines across the country.
“The real idea is to develop this system so that it can be used throughout the United States. So we're not just looking at how do we improve the electrical system here at Virginia Tech, but actually across the United States. We're looking at how to improve… All across the United States, we have these challenges about how to put utility lines underground, and that's why the Department of Energy is working to develop these projects. , I think that's why we're seeing funding for our projects and putting so many resources behind all of this,” Dr. VanTassel explained.
Dr. VanTassel is teaming with colleagues from Virginia Tech, Brigham Young University, and the Colorado School of Mines. He plans to use the grant to begin his research immediately.
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