AUGMENTATION OF DIRECT STROKE LIGHTNING
PROTECTION SYSTEM AT 110 kV GAS INSULATED
SUBSTATION VENNAKKARA-OPTIMIZED DESIGN
AND EXECUTION USING ROLLING SPHERE
METHOD
Mentor- Shri. Biya A. V, AEE, Substation Subdivision,
Palakkad
ICSTP-AE- Project-Transmission Group II
Gokul G.-1107465, Vaisakh K. V.-1107627, Shafeek A.1107464,
Rejitha G. K-1107438.
LIGHTNING PHENOMENON
• Lightning is a high-energy luminous electrical discharge from a
thundercloud to the ground accompanied by thunder.
• Lightning, being an unpredictable, probabilistic phenomenon, can be
the cause of severe failures in substations such as insulation flashover
and damage of substation devices.
• In our atmosphere, three types of discharges take place: one within a
thundercloud (intra-cloud), the second from one cloud to another
(inter-cloud) and the third, from cloud to ground (CG).
Mean pre-monsoon lightning flashes over Kerala region for
the time period 1995-2020
Lightning -Causes
A typical cumulonimbus type cloud
growth Downward Flash-Negative Cloud
Charge
Development of a Downward Negative Lightning Flash
Striking Distance
𝑟 = 𝐴. 𝐼𝑏
S=10𝐼0.65
First Negative Return Stroke Magnitude
Need for Lightning Protection of Substation
• Substations are complex installations of high investment cost.
• In case of lightning hit on the incoming overhead transmission line a
shielding failure or a back-flashover.
• Such an insulation fault results to the development of a travelling
wave, which will be directed to the entrance of the substation.
• The most vulnerable parts are joints and termination positions.
• Furthermore, a lightning surge can cause breakdown of the
transformers insulators or the transformers dielectrics, resulting to
thermal and electromechanical effects
Class of Lightning Level and Efficiency in IEC-62305-1
Fixed Angle Method for Shield Wires
Fixed Angle Method for Masts & for different Protection
Levels
Empirical Curve Method
Single lightning Mast Protecting Single Ring of Object—
0.1% Exposure.
Electro-Geometrical Model
Principle of the Rolling Sphere
Rolling Sphere Radius for Different Protection Levels
Multiple Shield Mast Protection for Stroke Current Is
Mesh Method
Protection Cone of a Mast
Transmission System Palakkad
Critical Nature of Vennakkara Substation
• 110kV Vennakkara substation meets the demand of Palakkad town
area as well as Kozhinjammpara, Mannarkad etc., and the suburban
areas around the district capital region.
• Average per day energy transaction at 110 kV GIS Vennakkara,
Substation during the current monsoon season is 0.85 MU.
• Another point to be noted is that the 110kV feeder from Vennakkara to
Mannarkad is a Single Circuit line with 2 numbers of 110kV
substations at Malampuzha and Kalladikode in between as LILO
arrangement.
• Altogether ensuring the reliability of 110 kV GIS Vennakkara, is very
crucial for Palakkad.
VENNAKKARA- GOOGLE EARTH VIEW
The Unprotected GIS-Yard at Vennakkara
CAD- Drawing of 110kV GIS Vennakkara- Yard
Design Problem
• There was no direct stroke lightning protection system (DSLP) provided to
the substation yard.
• While considering the installation of ground wire system, space constraints
for installation of gantry masts of sufficient height that provide adequate
shielding, requirement for proper monitoring and maintenance of earth
wires and their connections to Gantry Columns evolved as the demerits.
• Hence it was decided to provide masts with spike-rods (as air termination
systems) for direct lightning stroke shielding of 110kV GIS yard,
Vennakkara. The design of this DSLP system using Rolling Sphere Method
was taken up as our project for the ICSTP -AE.
Design Approach- (𝑿 − 𝒂)𝟐 +(𝒀 − 𝒃)𝟐 = 𝒓𝟐
Plan View of the Yard-after placing the air terminal masts (Black
Squares)
Yard View after the Construction of Masts
SIMULATION
• GNU Octave is a Scientific Programming Language with the
following features
• Powerful mathematics-oriented syntax with built-in 2D/3D plotting
and visualization tools
• Free software, runs on GNU/Linux, macOS, BSD, and Microsoft
Windows
• Drop-in compatible with many Matlab scripts.
SIMULATION RESULTS- SINGLE MAST
• Output • Enter factor of safety = 1
• Lightning Current in kA= 2.9 • Design safe distance from the mast is
9.836592
• Radius of rolling sphere is
19.978308 • Protected height at designed safe
distance is 2.589396
• Height of mast= 16.5
• Object of height 6.400000 is
• Point of strike to the ground level protected @ distance from mast
from the mast 19.673184 5.0184
• Height of the object to be protected=
6.4
SIMULATION RESULTS- SINGLE MAST
SIMULATION RESULTS- SINGLE MAST
SIMULATION RESULTS-DOUBLE MAST
• Output • Maximum possible separation between
masts is 39.346367
• Lightning Current in kA= 2.9
• distance b/w masts while protecting obj of
• Radius of rolling sphere is 19.978308 height 6.400000 is 34.730495
• Height of mast1= 16.5 • Maximum protected height for separation
of 31.000000 is 9.126564
• Height of mast2= 16.5
• Minimum width of protected area is
• Height of the object to be protected= 6.4 2.119388
• Do you want to enter the distance between• Lexternal is 5.018412
masts: (yes or no) yes
• Proposed distance between the masts= 31
ARDUINO BASED LIGHTNING DETECTOR
• Lightnings emit large amount of electromagnetic radiation in the VLF
(Very Low Frequency) and LF (Low Frequency) range, typically
ranging from 3kHz to 300kHz.
• VLF and LF operates at lower frequencies, and with an Arduino we
can capture frequencies around 7kHz.
• Our project uses an Arduino which has an antenna -a piece of wire that
will pick fluctuations in electromagnetic spectrum specifically around
the 7-9kHz. These fluctuations will induce a small voltage +ve or -ve
in the wire. We can pick these fluctuations using Arduino’s analog
pins.
ARCHITECTURE and RESULTS
AMS innovative AS3935 Franklin lightning sensor IC and
Coilcraft MA5532-AE dedicated antenna
HARDWARE IMAGES
HARDWARE IMAGES
HARDWARE OUTPUT WITH AS3935 SENSOR
CONCLUSION
• Did a preliminary literature survey of Lightning Phenomenon,
Mechanisms, and Occurrence History for the State of Kerala.
• Did a literature survey of the Direct Stroke Lightning Protection
Mechanism.
• Used Rolling Sphere Method to calculate the safe distance between
masts for 110kV GIS Substation-Vennakkara
• Validated the design using M-code written in Open Source GNU
Octave. Also the code developed could be used for DSLP design of any
substations. The Program also has scope for development and could
be developed to give required solution that would otherwise offered
by heavily priced Lighting Design softwares
CONCLUSION
• Developed a hardware circuit for Lightning detection on Arduino
Platform.
• Understanding that AC noises cause some noise to this circuit,
another lightning detector based on AMS innovative AS3935 Franklin
lightning sensor IC and Coilcraft MA5532-AE dedicated antenna
(sensor was purchased) was implemented on Arduino Platform.
References
1) IEEE Std 998-2012, IEEE Guide for Direct Lightning Stroke Shielding of Substations.
2) Franc B., Filipovic-Grcic B., Milardic V., Lightning overvoltage performance of 110 kV air-insulated substation,
Electric Power Systems Research, vol. 138, pp. 78–84 (2016).
3) IEC 62305–1 Ed. 2: Protection against Lightning – Part 1: General Principles (2010).
4) Jairo Mora Martinez, “Deduction of the Equations that allow to Analytically Determine the safe Location of a Lightning
Rod Assembly in Buildings Using the Rolling Sphere Method” December 19 2017.
5) Lee, R. H., “Protection Zone for Buildings Against Lightning Strokes Using Transmission Line Protection
Practice.” IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 465–470, 1978.
6) Donald W.Zipse, “Lightning Protection Systems: Advantages and Disadvantages” IEEE Transactions on
Industry Applications, vol. 30, no. 5,September/October 1994.
7) M. Nassereddine, A. Hellany, “Designing a lightning protection system using the rolling sphere method”,
Second International Conference on Computer and Electrical Engineering, 2009.
8) Sonia Ait-Amar, Gérard Berger, “A Modified Version of the Rolling Sphere Method” IEEE Transactions on
Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Vol. 16, No. 3; June 2009.
9) Adriano Urgena, Eric Elwell, “Designing Optimum Substation Lightning Shield Protection” IEEE/ PES
Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exposition (T&D) 2020.
