OVERVOLTAGE PHENOMENON AND

INSULATION COORDINATION IN
ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM

BY:
CHEURNEVEE F. RAMIREZ
BRYN IVAN P. ORTIGUERRA

EE-5A
LIGHTING
PHENOMENON
– is a peak discharge
in which charge
accumulated in the
clouds discharges into
a neighbouring cloud
or to the ground.
 Charge Formation in the Clouds
SIMPSON’S THEORY MASON’S THEORY REYNOLD’S THEORY

 The ice splinters should  The hail packets get

carry only positive negatively charged
charge upwards. when interrupted by
warmer ice crystals.
 Therefore, the lower
portion (warmer) will  When the temperature
have a negative charge conditions are reversed,
density and positive the charging polarity
charge for upper portion reverses.
(cooler).
Mechanism of Lightning Stroke
Direct Strokes
• When a thunder cloud directly discharges
onto a transmission line tower or line
wires.
• Most severe form of the stroke.

Induced Strokes
• When thunderstorm generates negative
charge at its ground end, the earth
objects develop induced positive
charges.
Overvoltage Due to Indirect Strokes

Shielding wire
(ground wire) The transmission line and
the ground will act as a
huge capacitor charged
Tower with a positive charge and
hence overvoltages occur
due to these induced
charges. This would result
Phase Conductor of in a stroke.
a overhead
powerline
More About Lightning
 The electric field developed within clouds before lightning strike occurs is
10kV/cm
 Maximum voltage gradient at the ground level due to a charged cloud before
lightning strikes, can be as high as 300V/cm, while the fair weather gradients
due to charge is 1V/cm
 The velocity of wind currents reqd. for charged separation inside the moving
clouds is 10 to 20 m/s
 1. 5x107 m/s – velocity of leader stroke lightning discharge
 0.1 C – velocity of return or main stroke
 10 to 100 kA – peak value of lightning stroke currents
 0.6 – accumulative probability of a 10kA lightning stroke
 100kA/us – rate of rise of current
Mathematical Model for Lightning
When a streamer discharge occurs
where:
to ground by first a leader stroke,
followed by main strokes with I0 = lightning stroke current
considerable currents flowing. If the Z0 = source impedance discharging to earth
stroke strikes an object, the voltage ≈ 1000 to 3000 
built across it may be taken as: Z = line surge impedance
*less than 500
*overhead lines = 300 to 500
*towers = 10 to 50
* ground wires = 100 to 150
Z/Z0 <0.1, hence can be neglected
“Thunderstorm days” (TD) known as “Isokeraunic
Level”
• The number of days in  Lightning accounts for most of the
a year when thunder is power interruption.
heard or recorded in a
particular location. Ground Flashover Density
• The number of ground 𝑵𝒈 = 𝑲𝟏 (𝑻𝑫)𝒃
flashovers can be
computed from the TD where:
level. From the past 𝐾1 = 0.04 and b = 1.25 (Anderson) or
records and past 𝐾1 = 0.054 and b = 1.1 (Mac Gorman)
experience,

𝑵𝒈 = 𝟎. 𝟏 𝒕𝒐 𝟎. 𝟐 𝑻𝑫 /𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒔 /𝒌𝒎𝟐 -year

Induced voltage computation

𝛿𝐴
𝑉𝑖 = 𝛻∅ + ℎ Typical lightning parameters
𝛿𝑡
are given as

where: Total Charge = 80 C

𝑽𝒊 = induced voltage Front duration = 20 us
∅ = electric potential caused by Max dI/dt = 2.4kA/us
static charges (electrostatic) Stroke duration = 230 us
A = electromagnetic
h = height of conductor above
the ground
Travelling Waves on Transmission Lines
Usually these travelling waves are high frequency disturbances and travel
as waves. They may be reflected, transmitted, attenuated or distorted
during propagation until the energy is absorbed.

In Fig. 8.14, a
typical two-wire
transmission line is
shown along with
the distributed
electrical elements,
R, L, C and G.
The voltage drop in the positive x-
direction in the elemental length dx
due to the inductance and resistance Taking Laplace transform with
is respect to the time variable t, the
equations can be put in the
𝑑𝑉 𝑑𝑖
= 𝑅 + 𝐿( ) operation form as
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑡

𝛿𝑉 𝛿𝑖
=Z∙𝑖 = YV
The shunt current through the 𝛿𝑥 𝛿𝑥
leakage conductance (G) and
capacitance (C) is
Where:
𝑑𝑖 𝑑𝑉 Z = R +Ls Y = G +Cs
= 𝐺 + 𝐶( )
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑡
Classification of Transmission Lines
a. IDEAL LINES b. DISTORTIONLESS LINES
R=0 and G=0 If for any line R/L = G/C =𝛼

 Surge Impedance  Then,

𝒁= 𝑳/𝑪 𝜸 = 𝒁𝒀 = 𝑳𝑪 (𝒔 + 𝜶)

 Surge Admittance  Surge Impedance

𝒁(𝒔) = 𝑳/𝑪

 Velocity of Propagation
𝟏 c. LINE WITH SMALL LOASSES
𝒗= i = 𝒀𝒔 ∙ 𝑽
𝑳𝑪
Rectangular Travelling Wave
Case (I): Open Ended Transmission Line Of Surge Impedance Z:

 Voltage of the reflected wave,

e′ = Γe = e = EU(t)

 Voltage of the transmitted wave,

e” = (1+Γ)e = 2e = 2EU(t)
Rectangular Travelling Wave
Case (II): Short-Circuited Line

The total current at the junction point

OVERVOLTAGE DUE TO SWITCHING
SURGES, SYSTEM FAULTS AND
OTHER ABNORMAL CONDITIONS
ORIGIN OF SWITCHING SURGES
Overvoltage may go as high as
six times the normal power
frequency voltage.

In circuit breaking operation,

switching surges with a high rate The switching surges may
of rise of voltage may cause include high natural frequencies
repeated restriking of the arc of the system, a damped normal
between the contacts of a circuit frequency voltage component, or
breaker, thereby causing restriking and recovery voltage
destruction of the circuit breaker of the system.
contacts.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SWITCHING SURGES
De-energizing of transmission lines, cables, shunt capacitor, capacitor banks, banks, etc.

Disconnection of unloaded transformers, reactors, etc.

Energization or reclosing of lines and reactive loads

Sudden switching of loads

Short circuits and fault clearances

Resonance phenomenon like ferro-resonance, arcing grounds, etc.

Switching Overvoltage in EHV and UHV
System
Interruption of low inductive currents by high speed circuit breaker.

Interruption of small capacitive currents, such as switching off of

unloaded lines

Ferro-resonance condition

Energization of long EHV or UHV lines.

Power Frequency Overvoltages in Power
System
Sudden loss of loads

Disconnection of inductive loads or connection of capacitive loads

Ferranti Effect, unsymmetrical faults

Saturation in Transformers, etc.

Control of Overovervoltages due to Switching

a. Insertion of Resistors

b. Phase Controlled Closing of circuit breakers

c. Drainage of Trapped Charges before reclosing

d. Shunt Reactors

e. Limiting switching surges by suitable surge diverters

a. Protection Using Shielded Wires or Ground Wires

G – Ground Wire qs – Shielding angle

P – P – Phase wires h – Height of the ground wire from the earth surface
Figure 1. Shielding arrangement of overhead lines by ground wires
b. Protection using Ground Rods and Counter – Poise Wires
c. Protective Devices

Surge Arrester

Rod Gaps
Expulsion Gaps Protector Tubes
mounting
PRINCIPLES OF INSULATION
COORDINATION ON HIGH-VOLTAGE
Basic Impulse Level (BIL)
 The minimum insulation impulse withstand voltage of any
equipment.
 Usually, 25% to 30% more than the protective level

Switching Impulse Level (SIL)

 The standard switching impulse at a specific standard atmospheric
condition.
 The illustrate the principles of Insulation coordination, an example of a 132-kV sub-
station is given below.
In case a rod gap is used for the
protection of a transformer, the rod
gap with a negative sparkover
voltage of 440 kV (59 cm gap) may
be chosen to give the 25% margin.
The protection is good for surges
having a front time not shorter than 2
μs. But the switching surge
sparkover voltage which is about 380
kV is very near the maximum
switching surge generated in the
system and hence may cause many
outrages. If a rod gap of 66 cm is
used, the protection becomes
doubtful, as the impulse sparkover
voltage for 2 μs front wave is 600 kV.
 A general guideline that can be adopted for different EHV
and UHV system for maximum switching surge levels are
given in table 1.1 below.

Highest system voltage (kV) 420 525 765 1150

Maximum switching surge level 2.5 2.25 2.0 1.8 to
(kV) = highest system voltage 1.9
multiplied by
Table 1.1

Usually Statistical Methods are adopted based on the

given risk of flashover.
The Risk of Failure over the entire voltage range

 Risk of Failure,

𝑉𝑖
R= ‫׬‬0 𝑃𝑜 𝑉𝑖 ∙ 𝑃𝑑 𝑉𝑖 ∙ 𝑑(𝑉𝑖 )

Where:
𝑃𝑜 𝑉𝑖 = probability of the occurrence of a surge voltage
𝑃𝑑 𝑉𝑖 = probability of the insulation flashover
Remember!
 Surge arrester – devices that provide low resistance path for
overvoltages through an alternate ground path.
 Spark gap – act as fast acting switch
 Non-linear arrester - provide low impedance ground path
 Sample Problem #1
Solution:
A 3-phase single circuit
transmission line is 400 km long.  Surge Impedance, Z =
𝐿
If the line is rated for 220 kV and 𝐶

has the parameters, R = 0.1 1.26x10−3

= = 374.2
0.009x10−6
ohms/km, L = 1.26 mH/km, C =
0.009 μF/km, and G = 0, find (a)  Velocity of Propagation,
The surge impedance and (b) 1/(LC)^1/2
The velocity of propagation = 3x10^5 km/s
neglecting the resistance of the
line. (c) If a surge of 150 kV and
infinitely long tail strikes at one  Time taken for the surge to travel at the
end of the line, what is the time other end
400
taken for the surge to travel to the =
5
= 𝟏. 𝟑𝟑 𝒎𝒔
3x10
other end of the line?
 Sample Problem #2

Solution:
A transmission line of
surge impedance 500 𝑒 = 500 U(t) kV Coefficient of reflection,
ohm is connected to a 𝑍1 = 60 Z2−Z1 500 − 60
Γ= = = 0.786
cable of surge 𝑍2 = 500 Z2+Z1 500 + 60
impedance 60 ohm at
the other end. If a surge
of 500 kV travels along Magnitude of the Transmitted Wave to the Cable
the line to the junction = (1+I)𝑒 = 1.786 x 500
point, find the voltage Junction Voltage = 893kV
build-up at the junction?
THANK
YOU