Power system faults

3 - phase
short circuit

2 - phase
short circuit

1 - phase
earth fault
 The nature of short circuit current

i
     90 I=?
is
2 I k' ' R L

U
2 I k' ' 2 Ik

t / ms

i     0

2 I k' '
2 I k' 2 Ik X d' '  X d'  X d
t  I k' '  I k'  I k
The nature of short circuit current
u  2 U sin(t  )
 = switching time after the voltage zero crossing,
the time t is computed since this moment
di
Ri  L  2 U sin(t  )
dt


2U
Z
 R t
sin(t    )  e L sin(  ) 
L
Z  R 2  (L) 2 :: tan  
R

Peak short circuit current:

I S  H 2 I K' '
R
H  f    attenuation factor
X
I K' '  subtransient short circuit current
At transmission voltages:
R 
H  1,8   0,07 
X 
Note: Ik’’ is rms value
 IS  2,5 I K' ' Is max instantaneous value
 Example: 3-phase short circuit in a power plant
Sk' '  1100 MVA
One line diagram:
Sk  800 MVA
ZTh
110 / 10 kV, 16 MVA
'' u x  10 %, u r  1 %
X SV Xt

U Th XT X g' ' Rt 8 MVA

G ux  6 %
16 MVA xr  1%
RT Xm
x d  100 %
x d ´´  57 % S  S m

Subtransient current Ik’’ = ? M M M  8 MVA

Computation at 10 kV voltage level IS / I n  6

1. Power transmission grid : z v 2. Generator influence z g

z v  R T  j (X T  X SV ' ' ) U2 10 2
zg  j x d ' '  j 0,57  3,563 90 
U2  U2 U2  Sk 16
 ur  j  u x  
ST  S T S k 
' '
 0,0625  j 0,716   0,719 85 
Example: 3-phase short circuit

3. The motors zm
z m  R t  j (x t  x m )
U2  U2 U2 
 ur  j  u x  
St  St I s / I n  Sm 
 0,125  j 2,833   2,836 87,5 

4. The Thevenin impedance

1
1 1 1 
z Th      0,494 86,1 
z z z 
 v g m 

10
u Th   0 kV
3
u
 I k ' '  Th  11,69   86,1 kA
z Th
Example: 3-phase short circuit

A simple way : R << x, ol. R ~ 0 Sk' '  1100 MVA

Sk  800 MVA
 computation using powers S
110 / 10 kV, 16 MVA
u R  10 %, u r  1 %
Subtransient short circuit power in busbar :

Sk ' '  Sk','sv  Sk','g  Sk','m G

8 MVA
ux  6 %
16 MVA xr  1%
1. Transmission grid : x d  100 %

S ' '  SkT 1

x d ´  57 % S  S m

S ''
 k ; SkT   S  160 MVA M M M  8 MVA
Sk ' '  SkT
k,sv ux IS / I n  6

1100 160
 MVA  139,7 MVA
1100  160
1
2. Generator : Sk,' 'g  S g  28,1 MVA
xd ''
3. Motors :
Skm  Is / I n  Sm  48 MVA
S S
S ''
 kT km ;
Sk, t 
1
S 
8
 133,3 MVA
SkT  Skm
k, m
ux 0,06
133,3  48
 MVA  35,3 MVA
133,3  48
Example: 3-phase short circuit

Sk ' '  Sk','sv  Sk','g  Sk','m

 139,7  28,1  35,3 MVA
 203,1 MVA

Sk ' '  3 U Ik ' '

Sk ' '
 Ik ' '   11,73 kA
3U

Steady state Ik ? (motors do not affect)

Sk  Sk,sv  Skg
Sk  SkT 1
  Sg
Sk  SkT xd
800  160 1
   16 MVA  149,3 MVA
800  160 1,0
Sk
 Ik   8,62 kA
3U
 Example : MV-distribution line & 3-ph vs. 2-ph faults

16 MVA
10 % z j  R j  j Xj  8  j6 
r + jx = 0,4 + j 0,3 km
212
21 kV
20 km XT  u x   2,76 
Sk = 900 MVA 16
U 2 212
Xv&Xt grid&transformer reactance Xv     0,49 
Xj&Rj line reactance&resistance S 900

3-phase fault current

Xv XT Xj Rj

~ Uv Iv

Uv Uv Up 21
Ik   ; Uv  
z R j  j(x v  x T  x j ) 3 3
21
 kA
3  12,23 49
 0,99  49 kA
2-phase fault current

ER Z
R
ES Ik Z
S T
ET Z
T
Ik 3 1

1
 U Th  E S  E T
 1
 ZTh  2 Z S R
ES  E T 3 E R   90
Ik  
2Z 2Z

With the numbers:

3 ER 3
Ik    0,99 kA (  0,86 kA)
2 Z 2

3
I k2v   I k3v
2
(holds, when Z1  Z 2 )
 Symmetrical components
The relation between phase quantities and symmetrical components:

 U L1  1 1 1  U 0 
 U   1 a 2 a   U1 
 L2  
 U L 3  1 a a   U 2 
2

The left hand vector includes the phase voltages, the right hand vector zero-,
positive- and negative sequence voltages. The transformation matrix is defined
using the phase shift operator a = 1120. The inverse transformation is:

U 0  1 1 1   U L1 
  1 
 a   U L 2 
2
 
U 1
3  1 a
U  1 a 2 a   U L 3 
 2

U2,L2 U2,L1
UL3 U1,L3

UL1 U0,L1
U0,L2 U1,L1 U2,L3
U0,L3

UL2
U1,L2
An example case of phase voltages
And the corresponding symmetrical components
 Symmetrical components

Positive sequence system includes the normal symmetric three phase system.
Computations can be done using a one line diagram.

The negative sequence components are similar to positive ones, but they rotate in
An opposite order. For passive components, the impedance Z1 and Z2 are equal, but
not for rotating machines.

The zero sequence component is similar in all the three phases. It causes a current, which
has to return through neutral wire, where the current I0 is hence three-fold. For this
reason the impedance of the neutral wire is also taken three fold.

E Z0
Z I1 Z1 I2 Z2 I0
Z
E1 E2 E0
Z 3ZN
ZN

Network example Positive sequence network Negative sequence Zero sequence

2-phase short circuit using symmetric components

E Z
R
Ik IR = 0
S
IT = - IS
T
Ik

I0 1 1 1 IR 1.
1 a = 1120
I1 
2
1 a a IS 2.
3 2
I2 1 a a IT 3.

1.  I 0  0
2. & 3. & I T   IS  I 2   I1
Voltage source is symmetric:
 E1  E R ; E 2  0 ; E 0  0
 2-phase short circuit using symmetric components
One line diagram:

I1 I2 I0  0
Z1 ER
I1 
Z2 Z1  Z 2
E1 I 2   I1

IR 1 1 1 I0
IS  1 a
2
a I1
2
IT 1 a a I2

Let us solve the IS :

I S  a I 1  a I2
2

a E R  a ER 3 E R   90
2
 
Z 1  Z2 Z1  Z 2
IF Z1  Z 2  Z , then
3 E R   90
IS 
2Z
 Single phase earth fault
One phase conductor is connected into the ground. The fault is
unsymmetric. The zero sequence system strongly depends on how
Neutral is grounded.

The earth fault differs clearly from the short circuit faults. In ungrounded
or compensated neutral systems, the fault current is small. The voltage
between sound phases and ground rises (up to the line voltage).

In Finland the 10 kV and 20 kV systems usually are ungrounded

or compensated neutral systems.

EL1 Z UL1

EL2 IL1
Z UL2

EL3 Z UL3
Zf

ZM

One phase earth fault

 One phase earth fault
EL1 Z UL1

EL2 IL1
Z UL2

EL3 Z UL3
Zf
ZM

Solution using symmetric components

During the earth fault:U L1  Zf I L1

 U L1  1 1 1  U0 
I L2  0  U   1 a 2 a   U1 
 L2  
I L3  0  U L3  1 a a   U 2 
2

It follows: U 0  U1  U 2  Zf I L1  a = 1120.

I 0  a 2 I1  a I 2  0
I 0  I1  I 2
I 0  a I1  a I 2  0
2

 U 0   Z0 I 0
U1  E1  Z1 I1
U 2   Z2 I 2

  Z0 I 0  E1  Z1 I1  Z 2 I 2  3 Zf I 0
 One phase earth fault
U1 U2 U0

I1 I2 I0
~
E1 Z1 Z2 Z0

3Zf

I0 = I 1 = I 2

Component networks are in series connection

Which gives for the zero sequence current:

E1 E1
I0  
Z0  Z1  Z 2  3 Z f 3 Z  3 ZM  3 Zf

The total fault current is three times the zero sequence current:

3 E1 E1
If  3 I0  
Z0  Z1  Z 2  3 Zf Z  Z M  Zf
Transformer windings in zero sequence networks
Winding Zero sequence network
connection
(Δ) in Primary (Δ) in Secondary

3ZL 3ZL

ZL

Zm0

3ZL Zm0

ZL
 Solution for 1-phase earth fault :
ZT EP Zi

ZT
C

C = capacitance
between phases
Zm Zi
Rf Ce = capacitances
Zm Ce Rf phase to earth

I0 = I 1 = I 2

3E P EP
I f  3I 0   Z0
Z0  Z1  Z 2  3R f 3 ( Z 0  Z1  Z 2 )  R f
1
3Rf
Z1

0-network Positive seq. / negative seq. ntwk EP

Z2
Z0j Z1j Z2j

Z0T
Z0 Ce Z1 C1 ZkT Z2 C2 ZkT C1 = Ce + 3C
3Zm C1 = C 2
Comparison of 1-ph, 2-ph, 3-ph faults
for fault currents (Thevenin’s method) :

EP
1-ph: If 
3 ( Z 0  Z1  Z 2 )  R f
1

3EP
2-ph: If 
Z1  Z 2  R f

EP
If 
3-ph: Z1  R f

Ep is phase voltage; Rf is fault resistance

Z1,Z2,Z0 are sequence impedances
Earth faults in ungrounded systems :

1
Z0 
jC e
Z0  Z1 & Z0  Z 2

 one line diagram:

Rf

If
EP 3Ce U0

 EP
 f I 
1
 R 
j 3C e
f

 U0 1
 
 E P 1  (3  C e R f ) 2
Voltages during an earth fault :
T

UT
UT

US
UR
S R
US

In sound network
U R  US  U T  U P

During earth fault, if Rf = 0

U R  0 ; UT  3 UP ; US  3 UP
Voltages during an earth fault :

Rf > 0
U 0  Ie R f   U P
S
T

US UT
U0

R
IeRf

UT  3 UP ?
Max. voltage for UT, when
1
R f  0,37
j C 0
And UT = 1,05  3  UP
Compensated neutral systems : Zm = Le
Inductance Le is selected such that
the current of Ce is cancelled

1
Y 0  j C e   0
j 3L e

One line diagram:

If Rf

R0 is the network
leakage resistance
EP 3Ce U0
R0 Le

If 100 % compensation :
 E
I 
 f R R
 f 0

 U0  R0
 E R0  Rf
 Earth fault currents in an ungrounded system

The current measured at the substation (I0) includes the current in the
fault location less the current which flows through the earth capacitances
of the faulty line:
C 0  C 01
 I0  C0
I ef

where C0 is total earth capacitance of the network, C01 is earth capacitance

of the line concerned and Ief is the total earth fault current.

4
IE4

3
IE3

2
IE2 IE2 + IE3 + IE4
IE1
1
IE1 4
IE =  IEi
1
 Earth fault currents in a compensated system

4
IE4

3
IE3

IL
2
IE2
IE
1
IE1
IL IE + IL = If

IE

If
U0

Current in the fault location in

case of 100% compensation IL