Utility companies employ a combination of advanced technologies and traditional methods to pinpoint issues on overhead power lines quickly:

• Smart Grid Technologies & Sensors: Modern grids are increasingly integrated with IoT sensors that monitor parameters like current, voltage, temperature, and sag in real-time. This data allows for predictive maintenance and rapid identification of anomalies.

• Fault Locators and Indicators: Devices installed along the line can detect changes in current or voltage indicating a fault location, often signaling visually or transmitting data wirelessly.

• Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR): This technique sends a signal down the line and analyzes the reflection to determine the distance to a fault.

• Visual Inspections (Ground and Aerial): Linemen conduct ground patrols, and increasingly, drones and helicopters are used for aerial inspections, especially after storms, to visually identify downed wires, damaged poles, or vegetation encroachment.

• Substation Monitoring: Oscillographs and other digital equipment at substations provide precise data on current and voltage fluctuations, helping engineers calculate the approximate distance of a fault using Ohm's Law and impedance analysis.

• AI and Machine Learning: Some advanced systems use AI to analyze historical data and sensor inputs to predict potential fault locations or identify patterns that suggest an imminent failure.

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