TEEE 2204: POWER SYSTEM II

Theory about
Transients in Power
Systems
Al-Mas Sendegeya, PhD
Lecturer, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Faculty of Engineering, Kyambogo University
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Tel: +256 704 938778 (Whatsapp only)
 What are Power Systems
Transients?
• The power system transient is the outward appearance of a
sudden change in circuit conditions as when a switch opens or
closes or a fault occurs on a system.

• Also the classic definition of power systems transients: A

transient event is referred to as an instantaneous change in the
state leading to a burst of energy for a limited time.

• The causes can be both internal and external, with the result
being sequential and affecting the other parts too. As per
classification, we have the impulsive and oscillatory
transients.
Causes of power systems transients
The various causes of transients can be classified as
• Internal causes (device switching and arcing)
• External causes (lightning and poor electrical connections)
Internal Causes:
• Facility load switches
• On/off disconnects
• Capacitor banks switch
• Tap changing (transformers)
External Causes:
• Lightning strikes
• Poor or loose connection
• Accidents and Human error.
• Weather and animals
 EXTERNAL OVER VOLTAGES
This type of over voltages originates from atmospheric disturbances,
mainly due to lightning. This takes the form of a surge and has no direct
relationship with the operating voltage of the line. It may be due to any
of the following causes:
a) Direct lightning stroke
b) Electromagnetically induced over voltages due to lightning
discharge taking place near the line, called 'side stroke'.
c) Voltages induced due to atmospheric changes along the length of the
line.
d) Electrostatically induced voltages due to presence of charged clouds
nearby.
e) Electrostatically induced over voltages due to the frictional effects
of small particles like dust or dry snow in the atmosphere or due to
change in the altitude of the line.
 INTERNAL OVER VOLTAGES
These over voltages are caused by changes in the operating
conditions of the power system. These can be divided into two
groups as below:
a) Switching over voltages or Transient over operation voltages of
high frequency: This is caused when switching operation is
carried out under normal conditions or when fault occurs in the
network. When an unloaded long line is charged, due to Ferranti
Effect the receiving end voltage is increased considerably
resulting in over voltage in the system. Similarly when the
primary side of the transformers or reactors is switched on, over
voltage of transient nature occurs.
b) Temporary over voltages: These are caused when some major
load gets disconnected from the long line under normal or steady
state condition.
 What are the types of power
system Transients?
1. Based upon origin
2. Based upon the made of generation of transients
3. Based on transient classification with respect to the
frequency group
4. Classification of transients on frequency ranges
5. Classification depending on its nature
6. Classification depends on control on the transients
7. How and where transients are generated,
8. Effects of lightning transients
 Broad classifications of power system
transients

In other words we discuss the various types of power

system transients

Depending upon the duration of transients they can be

broadly classified in to three groups

a) Ultra-fast transients
b) Medium fast transients
c) Slow transients
 Ultra-fast transients
• These types of transients are caused either by
lightning or by the abrupt but normal network
changes resulting from normal switching operations.

• These transients are entire electrical in nature and

they generally last only for few milliseconds.

• Such transients give rise to high voltages.

 Medium fast transients
• These transients occur due to abrupt short circuit in
the system causing abnormal structural changes in the
system.

• It is also entirely electric in nature and are responsible

for excessive currents in the system.

• Short circuit system may be present in the system.

 Slow transients
• These transients are electromechanical in nature
causing mechanical oscillations of rotors of
synchronous machines.

• Such oscillations may cause instability of the

interconnected power system by putting some or all
of the machines out of synchronism.
 Classification according to the sources of
transients

In this case the classification is as:

1.Switching transients and

2.lightning transients
Classification depending on the
nature of transient
Depending on the nature

1.Impulsive and oscillatory

2.Impulsive low frequency transients

3.Medium frequency transients

4.High frequency transients

 Impulsive low frequency transients
An impulsive transients is a sudden change in the steady state condition of
voltage, current or both that is unidirectional in polarity .

Impulsive transients are normally characterized by their rise and decay times.

They are damped quickly by the resistive circuit elements and do not
propagate for from their source.

The most common cause of impulsive transients is lightning.

These types are the most common transients recovered on a power system.
Easily propagated but they can also amplified by a power system resonance
phenomenon

Measurement of this types of transients should be useful for all classes of

application.
 Medium frequency impulsive transients

These transients may not propagate as easily as the

low frequency types but may cause arcing faults on
the power distribution system which result in
voltage sag on many user power systems.

It is most appropriate to measure these types of

transients for trouble shooting and laboratory
classes.
 High frequency types
• With high amplitude can be observed only near
where the phenomenon occurs.

• The high frequency impulsive transients has duration

below 50ns and the frequency of the frequency
oscillatory type ranges between 0.5and 5MHz
 Low frequency transients
• Low frequency transients are caused when a
discharged power factor correction capacitor is
switched on across the line

• The capacitor then resonates with the

inductance of the distribution system. The peak
of this waveform, in theory.
 Extremely fast transients (or) EFTS
• Extremely fast transients have rise and full times
faults, such as bad brushes in motors, and are
rapidly damped out by even a few meters of
distribution wiring.

• Standard line filters, included and most all

electronic equipment, remove EFTS.
 Subsidence transients
• In coupling capacitor voltage transformers and bushing
capacitor voltage transformer

• The elements L and C contains stored energy.

• When a disturbance such as a fault occurs on the primary

the n subsidence transient is produced.

• Due to this sudden reduction of voltage produced on the

primary , this voltage may be oscillatory or at may be
unidirectional.

• Due to this severe secondary transient is produced.

 Effects of transients in power systems

• Under severity, black out of power system

will be produced.
• Lightning transient produce steep fronted
wave on transmission line.
• Travelling wave produced due to transient
will shutter the insulations and week poles.
• Cause damage to windings of transformer
and generators.
 EFFECTS OF OVER VOLTAGES ON
POWER SYSTEMS
• Over voltage tends to stress the insulation of the
electrical equipment’s and likely to cause damage to
them when it frequently occurs.

• Over voltage caused by surges can result in spark

over and flash over between phase and ground at
the weakest point in the network, breakdown of
gaseous/solid/ liquid insulation, failure of
transformers and rotating machines.
 Causes and Effects of Transient Voltages
• Transient activity is believed to account for 80% of all
electrically-related downtime

• Lightning accounts at least 5% of Insurance claims and

costs significantly to the utility

• Effective transient voltage suppression equipment can

double or triple the life of electrical and electronic
equipment.

• A systems approach to transient voltage surge suppression

can result in dramatic performance in terms of return-on
investment
Importance of transient study in power
system designing and planning
• If severe transients occurred it would end up with partial
black-out or total black-out.
• Switching transients geared to the system voltage cause
severe damage.
• For economic reason also we have to limit and control the
switching surges
• The transients produced in one region travel towards the
remote end and cause difficulties at that region also. Since
integrated power system is required.
 What is transient Recover Voltage?

• A transient voltage is developed across the

contacts of a switch when they start to open.

• This voltage, known as transient recovery

voltage (TRV), is present immediately after the
current zero, and in actual system its duration
is in the order of milliseconds.
 Discuss in detail about the adverse
effect of transients on power systems
The effect of a transient on a specific load will depend on
the level of susceptibility of that load to one or more of
factors.
• Effects on insulation
• Effects on semiconductors
• Effects on electromechanical contacts
• Noise generation
 Discuss in detail about the adverse
effect of transients on power systems …
In order to characterize the transients the following
factors are considered which is as follows.
a) Peak(or crest) value of the transient
b) Area of the transient
c) Maximum rate of rise of the transient
d) Duration on the transient
e) Frequency on the transient
 Some of the effects of Transients on
power system
1. Main issue is accurate working of electronic equipment
is less
2. With transients , the efficiency of the equipment/
components is attached.
3. Motors may easily get heated up which leads to
insulation failure.
4. Power electronics components e.g., IC’s may be burnt.
5. In many cases, it is too difficult to detect the fault.
Therefore , the life of the device gets shortened.
 Some of the effects of Transients on
power system …
6. Hysteresis loss is increased and lead to more current being
injected in to the motor for the same output.
7. Transient activity is believed to account for 80% of all
electrically – related features or downtime or running outages.
8. Effective transient voltage suppression equipment can double
or triple of the life of electrical and electronic equipment
9. Transient voltage surge suppression is the most immediately
apparent, and the most cost effective means of improving you
power quality.
10. A system approach to transient voltage surge suppression can
results in economic performance in terms of return on-
investment.
 Over voltage induced by faults
When the lightning strikes one conductor line, then the
waves will be developed. there are two pair of waves in
either direction on both lines, due to these waves, the
current injected into the line by lighting stroke get
dispersed.

The surges on the adjacent conductor were including by

electromagnetic coupling.
 Over voltage induced by faults …
Over voltage due to ground fault

The overvoltage are induced when ground fault occurs on one of

the conductor

Due to the occurrence of ground fault, instead of a current being

injected, a voltage is suddenly applied.

The voltage due to fault is equal and opposite to that of existing

voltage on the conductor at that time

For the protection of circuits from overvoltage caused by faults,

the circuit breakers must be carefully designed
 Over voltage induced by faults …
A line to ground fault can produce an overvoltage on an unfaulted
phase as high as double the normal line to natural voltage on a
three phase line.

The oscillogram of line-to- ground voltage obtained on

TNA(Transient Network Analyser) at midpoint of 180mile,three
phase line for single line-to-ground fault at that point.

From the oscillogram,it is observed that the maximum

overvoltage occurs at the midpoint of the line .

The overvoltage decreases slowly as fault location changes,

 briefly explain Over voltage induced by faults
When the lightning strikes one conductor line, then the waves will
be developed. there are two pair of waves in either direction on
both lines, due to these waves, the current injected into the line by
lighting stroke get dispersed.

The surges on the adjacent conductor were including by

electromagnetic coupling.
briefly explain Over voltage due to ground fault
The overvoltage are induced when ground fault occurs on one of
he conductor

Due to the occurrence of ground fault, instead of a current being

injected, a voltage is suddenly applied. T

he voltage due to fault is equal and opposite to that of existing

voltage on the conductor at that time
SWITCHING TRANSIENTS
 Introduction
When load break switches, circuit breakers,
disconnectors, or fuses operate, a switching action
takes place in the network and parts of the power
system are separated from or connected to each other.

The switching action can be either a closing or an

opening operation in the case of a switching device.
 Introduction
Fuses can perform opening operations only. After a
closing operation, transient currents will flow through
the system, and after an opening operation, when a
power-frequency current is interrupted, a transient
recovery voltage or TRV will appear across the terminals
of the interrupting device.

Closing a switch or circuit breaker in a dominantly

capacitive or inductive network results in inrush
currents, which can cause problems for the protection
system.
 What is resistance switching?

Resistance switching is a deliberate connection

of a resistance in parallel with the contact space

(arc) is made to overcome the effect of transient

recovery voltage.
What is the need for resistance switching?

The shunt resistors are connected across circuit breaker

have two functions.

• To distribute the transient recovery voltage more

uniformly across the several breaks.

• To reduce the severity of transient recovery voltage at

the time of interruption by introducing damping in to
oscillation.
 What is meant by abnormal switching
transients?

Due to some other circumstances like transients the

voltage and current magnitude may rise high. The
transient occur due to the trapping of the energy and its
subsequent release somewhere in the circuit. Such
transients are referred as abnormal current and voltage
transients.
Differentiate normal and abnormal switching
transients
• Normal switching transients are circumstances in which
voltage or current within the normal peak values Closing
switch or circuit in a dominantly capacitive or inductive
network results in inrush currents which can cause
problems for the protection system.

• Abnormal switching transients are circumstances in

which voltage or current are far in excess of twice in
normal peak values. Insulation of high voltage circuit
breakers typically can over voltages up to 2.5 times over
its normal voltage.
 Give any four causes of switching surge.

a) Interruption of low inductive currents by high

speed circuit breaker
b) Interruption of small capacitance current
c) Ferro resonance
d) Energization of loaded line
 Define switching over voltage factor

The peak value of the transient recovery voltage

ITRV) can be very high.

In testing and standardization, the damping is

expressed by the overvoltage amplitude factor,
defined as the ratio between the transient peak
value and the steady state value.
 What do you mean by ferroresonance?

Ferro resonance or non linear response is a type of

resonance in electric circuits which occurs when a
circuit containing a non-linear inductance is fed from a
source that has series capacitance, and the circuit is
subjected to a disturbance such as opening of a switch.
 Give a power system example for the
occurrence of ferroresonance.

1. Opening one (or) two phases, either intentionally (or)

accidently

2. The cable system had either light load (or) no load.

3. Common place under groundcable service drop from

an overhead line.
 What is current suppression?

When interrupting low inductive currents such as

magnetizing currents of the shunt reactor, the rapid
deionization of the contact space and blast effect may
cause the current to be interrupted before the natural
current zero. This phenomenon of interruption of the
current before its natural zero is called current chopping
or Current suppression.
 What is capacitance switching?

The shunt capacitors are employed to correct a lagging

power factor, or in some cases, to provide support for the
system.

In some applications they are switched in and out quite

frequently as the system load varies and the system
voltage fluctuates.
 Multiple restriking transients
Meaning of multiple restriking transients: When a
couple of re-ignitions occur is called multiple restrike,
very high voltages build up across the interrupting
chamber, and it is most likely that a flashover takes place
on the outside chamber of the interrupter.

Why multiple restrike occur due to capacitance

switching? Some capacitance will exist on the source
side of the breaker which will introduce higher frequency
disturbances. So multiple restrike occur during
capacitance switching.
Define arcing ground: If neutral of three phase wires was not
earthed in long enough voltage transmission lines a serious
problems called acing ground is produced. The arcing ground
produces severe oscillations of three to four times the normal
voltage.

What does the phenomenon of current suppression lead

to? Rapid deionization of contact space and may cause the
current to be interrupted its natural zero.

What is meant by switching surges? The disturbance

produced by the switching operation in a system which sets up
travelling wave which travel along the connected lines to and
fro. These disturbances are called switching surges.
LIGHTNING TRANSIENTS
 Introduction
• Overvoltages in a power system can be caused by transient
currents and by transient voltages after switching actions during
normal operation or after clearing fault situations.

• The overvoltages originate from the state of the system. There are
also overvoltages that come from outside the system as a result of
atmospheric discharges.

• Large parts of the power system are formed by overhead

transmission lines interconnected by outdoor substations.

• It is necessary that our power systems should be protected against

lightning strokes.
 Introduction …
For the analysis of the lightning-induced overvoltages, a
difference is made between the following
1.Lightning strokes in the vicinity of high-voltage
transmission lines, which do not hit the conductors
themselves,
2. Direct lightning strokes on the line conductors injecting a
current wave on the line, and
3.Lightning strokes on the transmission towers or on the
ground wires.
 Explain the Lightning phenomenon
• In the majority of cases, the lightning strike (or cloud-to-
ground) is downward-moving.

• The discharge phenomenon is initiated by a success of

pre-discharges from the cloud to the ground, progressing in
a series of steps (stepped leader).

• As an electrical storm builds, various mechanisms create a

stratified charge within the storm cloud, with an electrical
charge at the base of the cloud.

• Since we are mostly concerned with cloud-to-ground

lightning, we are concerned primarily with the charge on the
base on the storm, as that charge induces a “shadow” of
opposite charge on the surface of the earth beneath it.
 Explain the Lightning phenomenon …
• As the storm charge builds, so does the cloud base
charge.

• Since like charges repel, and opposite charges attract,

the cloud base charge induces an opposite charge on
the surface of the earth beneath it – it pushes away the
same charge and pulls in the opposite charge.

• The cloud base charge attracts, or pulls, on the ground

charge, trying to pull it off the surface of the earth. It is
this tendency for the storm base charge and the ground
charge to equalize through the intervening air which
causes cloud-to-ground lightning.
 Explain the Lightning phenomenon …
• As the storm cloud travels over the earth’s surface, it drags this ground
charge along beneath it.

• When the ground charge reaches your facility, the storm cloud charge
pulls it up on, and begins concentrating ground potential on your
facility.

• If, before the storm cloud travels away, it manages to concentrate

enough ground potential on your facility so that the difference in
potential between the storm cloud base charge and the charge on your
facility exceeds the dielectric strength, or resistance, of the intervening
air, the air breaks down electrically, and a potential equalizing arc
occurs; a lightning strike.

• Since we are concerned with lightning strikes to objects and structures

on the surface of the earth, and most of the ground strikes are negative
cloud-to ground lightning, for the purpose of this discussion we will
describe negative cloud-to-ground lightning.
 What are the mechanisms by which lightning strokes
develop and induce over voltage on over head power lines?

A lightning strike is an electric discharge between the

atmosphere and an Earth-bound object.

They mostly originate in a cumulonimbus cloud and

terminate on the ground, called cloud to ground (CG)
lightning.

This is overcome by "lightning", a complex process

referred to as the lightning "flash".
Direct lightning stroke
 Direct lightning stroke
A lightning stroke is defined as a direct stroke if it hits either tower or
the shield wire or the phase conductor.

This is illustrated in fig. The tower flashes over by direct hit either to
the tower or shield wire along the span it is called backlash.

If the insulator string over by a strike to the phase conductor, it is

called a shielding failure for a line shielded by shield wires.

Of course, for an unshielded wire, insulator flashover it caused by

backflash when the stroke hits the tower or by direct contact with the
phase conductor.

It varies according to the type of the applied voltage, eg DC,AC,

Lightning or switching surges
Indirect Lightning Stroke
 Indirect Lightning Stroke
The voltage induced on a line by an indirect lightning
stroke has four components.
• The charged cloud above the line induces bound
charges on the line, while the line itself it held electro
statically.
• The charges lowered by the stepped leader further
induce charges on the line.
• The residual charges in the return stroke induce the
electrostatic field in the vicinity of the line and hence
induced voltage on it.
• The rate of change of current in the return stroke
produces a magnetically induced voltage on the line.
What are the protective devices used to protect
power system equipments against lightning?

(a)Ground wires
(b)Rod Gaps
(c) Expulsion gaps
(d)Surge arresters
(e) Surge arresters
(f) Protective tubes
(g)Protective tubes
 Discuss the interaction between lightning and
power system
• When a lightning strikes a power line, a current is
injected into the power system.

• What voltages this current will give rise to, depend

upon its wave shape and the impedance through
which it flows.

• According to this concept, current coming into a line

by lightning stroke from a cloud disappears into the
ground either by flashover of line insulators, or by
operation of a protective device or through the
ground wires giving an induced path to the ground.
 Discuss the interaction between lightning and
power system …

• On the ground or objects on the ground such

as transmission line, charge is induced by
charges in the cloud & are bound by it.

• Whenever the charges in the cloud move due

to motion of the cloud or redistribute due to
cloud flashes, the induced the induced charges
on the ground or the lines also move and
redistribute.
What is a ground wire? It is the conductor run parallel to the
main conductor of the transmission line supported on the same
tower and earthed at every equally regularly spaced tower. It is
run above the main conductor of the line.

What are the types of protection afforded by ground wires?

A shield wire reduce the magnitudes of the over voltage
associated with nearby strokes. As this effect is due to the
coupling between the shield and phases wires, the voltage
reduction will occur regardless of the position of the shield wire
with respect to the phase conductors. The greater the coupling,
the more significant is the voltage reduction. The effectiveness of
the shield wires in improving the indirect lightning performance
of distribution lines.
 WAVESHAPE OF THE LIGHTNING CURRENT
• Lightning currents differ in amplitude and shape. The majority of
the cloud-to-ground lightning strokes vary from kilo Amperes to
several tenths of kilo amperes.

• The shape of the current wave and the related voltage wave is
rather unpredictable and different for every stroke.

• To facilitate testing in the laboratory and computations either by

hand or by computer, the shape of the current wave of the return
stroke is standardized.
 Differentiate between direct and indirect
lightning stroke

Direct lightning stroke is the one which strikes either the phase
conductors or the tower or shield (ground wire generates very high
voltages in the power line

Indirect lightning stroke is a very high voltage can be generated in

the power line due to the stroke which hits the nearby ground. Such
strokes are called indirect lightning stroke or induced lightning
stroke.