Etg 1 02
Etg 1 02
OHL
Authors:
Stelian Gal CN TRANSELECTRICA SA
Traian Fagarasan SC SMART SA
H. S. Brewer HUBBEL POWER SYSTEMS
G. Enachescu EXIMPROD GRUP SA
1. SYNOPSIS :
The paper presents the possibility to improve Power Quality, Reliability of the
Romanian Transmission System, trough selective installation of surge arresters in one
of the 400 kV OHL, a 2,76 km segment where the ground wires are missing. The
installation works will be performed live, with the energized OHL.
2.INTRODUCTION
2.1 CN Transelectrica SA at a glance
CN Transelectrica, as the transmission and system operator of the Romanian Power System, to
accomplish its mission, has undertaken the following objectives:
To increase the quality norms and safety conditions in supplying the customers of the
transmission power grid.
To ensure the conditions of interconnection with the member systems of UCTE.
To increase the companys turn over and operating efficiency.
Transelectrica manages the balance between performance (operation), costs ( maintenance,
rehabilitation, modernization) and risks ( ageing, failing, critically, impact).
With the elaboration of the OHL maintenance policy, there were identified new methods and
possibilities of accomplishing the maintenance works by;
live working
aerial OHL inspections
GIS (Geographical Informational System)
applying the Reliability-Centered Maintenance concept.
Theoretical approach.
Invariably, lightning on OHL without ground wire will strike one of the phases. As a result,
the current will displace in both directions, like a shock wave. The suiting shock intensity is the
product from current and suiting shock impedance U(t) = Z c i(t). /2.
Let's suppose, a current of 20 kA, as a result form a direct lightning, which will divide in two
shock waves, each with 10kA intensity. Both shock waves will pass an electrical line with shock
impedance of 350 (typical for a OHL of 362-525 kV). As a result, the shock intensity will be
about 3500 kV. This value exceed more than the lightning impulse withstand voltage of (1425 kV or
1550 kV). This means, for a line without ground wire, that a lightning will determine a flashover of
the insulation and an interruption of the OHL
Effects of lighting on Power System
Time to crest of voltage wave is very short
Wave travels ~ 300 meters / microsecond
Effect of voltage is very localized
First structure will be most impacted
Could lead to:
- insulator flashover (line to ground fault following)
- power quality, reliability issues
- equipment damage ( transformer, cable regulators, etc.)
Ways to Improve Lightning Performance
Add insulation
Add shield wire / improve shield angle
Improve footing resistance
Add arresters
Typical parameter for an electric OHL in case of an atmospheric over voltage is the specific
number of line tripping (ntr), which express the number of interruptions in an year and 100km line
length (izokeraunic zone B, 44 days with oraje phenomena).
The factors involving in specific number of faults caused by lightning are:
- external (relief and characteristic of the terrain of the line route, izokeraunic
characteristics of the line zone, soil characteristics along the route)
- design factors (the value of the footing resistance, line insulation and ground
wires).
A ground wire on a line may exclude, in theory, the possibility of lightning on active
conductors of OHL (direct break over).
A good insulation level and a low OHL resistance (<10 ohm) may minimize the number of
inverse break over.
Number of lightning on an OHL (N) depends of lightning density characteristic to crossed
zone, characterize by izokeraunic index.
Nt = 0,004 x Td1,25 x (28 x H0,6 +w)
Nt = 0,012 x Td x ( 4x H1,09 + w)
(Eriksson)
(Anderson)
where,
Nt number of lightning / 100 km*year
Td izokeraunic index ( days of storm / year)
H height effective of OHL ( m )
W distance of ground wires ( m )
3
The incident statistic on the 400 kV OHL Brasov Gutinas 2001 2005 is shown in fig.5.
Following aspects are relevant:
the number of incidents is
very high ( 4 10 )
successful
and
unsuccessful
autoreclosing ( 17 )
trips
with
out
autoreclosing ( 9 )
Fig. 5
5.The Solution
5.1 Installation of surge arresters
The purpose of protection methods is to minimize line insulation flashover, since line insulation
flashover will cause an interruption until the resulting live to ground fault is cleared.
Within the section 130 145, the line operates without ground wires. For protecting the OHL
against lightning, the Fezability Study recommends the installation of OHL surge arresters, in
parallel with each insulator string, on this section.The surge arresters will be installed on phase of
the line.
This solution is recommended in
the case of OHL that cross the mountain
zones, of which the earth electrodes are
with a high resistivity ( usually rock) and
they are characterized by high
isokeraunic indecs, these factors
resulting in a great number of flashes
over of the insulator strings
Such zones are hardly accessibile and
the maintenance costs are high
The relatively high price of surge
arrests is compensated by increase of the
line reliability in operation and the low
Fig. 6
maintenance costs.
The line equipping with surge arresters for limiting tripping, is a very good solution, from the
following aspects point of view:
- the tripping rate for a line equipped with such mechanisms tends to zero;
- the operation in the outdoor environment is assured by:
ZNO plates and the rubber envelope are not damaged under the permanent
potential operation;
In the case of the surge arrester possible failure, the line can operate normally;
It is solid, light, assuring an easy handling and operation in hardly accessible
zones.
The metal oxide surge arrester
used in this grounded 400 kV system has
Maximum Continuous operating Voltage
[MCOV] of 255kV. The MCOV of a
surge arrester is the continuous 50 Hz
line to ground voltage that can be
supported for the life of the arrester fig 6.
The metal oxide surge arrester is
connected electrically in parallel with the
line insulation. The metal oxide surge
arrester limits the surge voltage across
the line insulation by going into
conduction at a voltage below the
flashover voltage of the line insulation.
The relationship between the discharge
Fig. 7
voltage of the 255 kV MCOV arrester
and the flashover voltage of the line insulation is shown in fig.7.
6
Fig. 8
performing
Their maintenance at a constant value of the outdoor disruptive space, between the OHL wires and
the surge arrester inlet terminal, thus to assure its priming at the over voltage dangerous value (
fig.8, fig.9).
The
surge
arrester
earthing
connection to the towers is made
through one flexible, copper wire,
provided one hole for earthing.
The connection between the
arrester and the powered conductors
will be made of copper wire, with
the conductibility equivalent to that
of the ACSR 973/228 sq mm. wire.
Taking into account the surge
arresters high cost, a more
economically solution is the
protection of OHL both with surge
arresters and with vertical lightning
rods, installed on the peaks of some
towers.
The
land
configuration
recommends the towers at the stones
134, 136, 138 and 143 for the
Fig. 9
protection through lightning rods
alternative, due to the fact that the towers are arranged on heights, the protection zone of the
lightning rods is more extended. We specify that these lightning rods protect the towers and the
powered conductors, situated in the highest zone, which is implicitly, the most exhibited to
lightings.
Under this alternative, the total investment can decrease by 20% around, compared with the
alternative of the surge arrester protection of the complete section 134 145.
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The number of faults resulted from atmospherically over voltages, is zero when the line ( line
section) is protected by surge arresters, installed on all phases and on all towers.
In the case in which surge arresters are installed on all phases, buy every 2 towers, the rate of
faults is 72% of the initial one, when the line is equipped with surge arresters.
Taking into account that our solution is to install surge arresters on 75% of the towers, it
results that the rate of fault is much lower, even without taking into calculation the lightning rods
impact .
5.2 Assessment of the solution advantages
For the 400 kV OHL Gutinas-Brasov, 128 km length, where on just a 2,8km segment is
without ground wire (poles 130-145), the numbers of interruptions is 2,7 vis a vis of 0,466 if the line
is equipped entirely (126 km) with ground wire, according to table 1:
Table 1
Tripping number of OHL 400 kV Gutinas Brasov / 119,7 km with ground wires
x year
2,8 km - without ground wires
Type of faults
119,7 km with ground wires
Inverse flashovers
0,36
Direct flashovers
0,05
Total flashovers
l0,41
Total flashovers on the OHL
It must be mentioned also the fact that the majority of direct strokes, in principal, due to
direct lightning on active conductors of unprotected lines through ground wire, may conduct to
possible faulting for the aluminum jacket of Al/OL conductors, because of local superheating owing
lightning current of high intensity, on the impact location.
This fact may have negative repercussion on safety operation of the OHL.
The 400 kV OHL was modeled to determine the lightning performance of various protection
option. The results are summarized in table 2.
Shield wire
None
None
None
None
2 wires
P*L placement
None
All 3 phases
Middle phase
External phases
None
Span
Length
(m)
Footing
Critical
Percent
resistance
current
flashover
(Ohms)
(kA)
245
245
245
245
245
15
15
15
15
15
96%
0%
88%
8%
21%
9.4
NA
9.4
10.2
10.2
Table 2
Maximum
Average
number of
number of
flashovers
flashovers
per year
62
0
58
5
18
316
0
280
30
96
7. Conclusion
8. Bibliography
1. Harold S Brewer
OHIO BRASS COMPANY
Reduction of lightning caused interruptions on Electric Power Systems 2005
2. Dr.Ing. Anca Popescu ISPE BUCHAREST
Ing. L. Boncu
- ISPE BUCHAREST
Ing. Emil Kaytar
- ISPE BUCHAREST
400 kV OHL Gutinas Brasov protection against lightning trough surge arresters
installation Fezability Study 2005
3. Prof. Bogdan Nicoara UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST
Surge arresters selection guide
4. Ing. H. S. Wechsler
- SC FICHTNER ROMELECTRO ENGINEERING
Dr.Ing G. GHEORGHITA - SC FICHTNER ROMELECTRO ENGINEERING
Ing . L. D. Nicolae
- SC FICHTNER ROMELECTRO ENGINEERING
400 kV OHL Gutinas Brasov protection against lightning Study -2003
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