For his contribution to counter the effect of icing on overhead lines
Pierre Van Dyke is an internationally renowned researcher at the Hydro-Québec Research Institute (IREQ) whose expertise is on aeolian vibrations, subspan oscillations and conductor galloping. His work has led to the development and commercialization of products to counter the effect of ice accretions on power transmission lines, namely:
- Aeolian vibration dampers with elastomeric articulations that resist dynamic loads associated with ice shedding or galloping and aeolian vibrations on a conductor with ice accretion.
- Adjustable length interphase spacers to prevent conductor flashovers due to galloping or ice shedding.
- Suspension clamps with elastomers at each end whose thickness increases gradually to minimize bending and fatigue of conductors under the effect of vibrations.
He has technical responsibility for exceptional facilities including a 1.6 km experimental line, a 63,5 m laboratory span, six spans for conductor / clamp testing, a 57 m span with a capacity of 800 kN as well as other test facilities.
In addition to his great involvement in the CIGRE working groups, he is the Canadian representative of B2, in charge of B2.06 and has been appointed president of B2 Overhead lines. He is very active at the international level for technical exchanges, training and consulting.
He has authored or co-authored more than 50 CIGRE, IWAIS, IEEE and other publications. He is co-author of the chapter on galloping in the EPRI orange book and he is lead author of a chapter in the book Atmospheric Icing of Power Networks and a chapter in the green book CIGRE Overhead lines, both published by Springer. He has contributed to the writing of several CIGRE technical brochures.
He has been a guest speaker and he has organized or been involved in the organization of CIGRE, CIGRE-CEI, IWAIS and International Symposium on Cable Dynamics conferences.
He was an adjunct professor and thesis co-director at UQAC and is now at the University of Sherbrooke. He was also a lecturer at the École Polytechnique de Montréal.
He received the “CIGRE Technical Council Award” in 2020.