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The paper presents an experimental validation of a method to locate partial discharges (PDs) on power distribution and transmission networks. The method is based on electromagnetic time reversal (EMTR) theory, and it uses a Transmission Line Matrix (TLM) model to describe the propagation of the PD signals in the reversed time. Since PDs are regarded as a symptom of insulation degradation, on-line PD location is considered an important approach to monitoring the integrity of a power distribution network, with the aim of detecting and preventing faults and improving network reliability. In this paper, the EMTR-based method is described and its effectiveness in PD localization using only one measurement point is demonstrated in three real 33 kV power lines. Its effectiveness is proved with and without an on-line electromagnetically noisy environment, and its accuracy is evaluated with respect to different signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) levels of the networks. The validation shows that the method is able to locate PDs with an error of 0.14% with respect to the total length of the line in the absence of noise, and with an error that is always lower than 0.5% for an SNR down to −7 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rogowski coil transducer's integrator will amplify the transmission error, which may lead to mal-operation of the relay. In this paper, a novel method of line relay based on the differential output of Rogowski coil is proposed. Besides, an improved fast distance relay based on the differential output of Rogowski coil is presented. Based on the equal transfer process of transmission lines(ETPTL), the voltage signal should be processed by the virtual Rogowski coil to solve the inconsistent transfer problem between voltage and current. Furthermore, this paper also presents the reconstruction method of voltage at the fault point and the least-square algorithm to solve the R-L differential equation, so as to improve the algorithm accuracy. Furthermore, the equal transfer process error of the virtual Rogowski coil is analyzed in the paper, and the design principle of low pass filter is also proposed. Simulation results and experiment results demonstrate that the improved fast distance relay scheme has high operation speed, which is signed prior to other distance relay schemes. The proposed method also provides a valuable reference for other types of transmission line relay based on Rogowski coil transducer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the fault traveling wave on the LCC-MMC HVDC transmission line, this paper analyzed its reflection and refraction characteristics at the DC buses and the fault point, plotted its propagation grid diagrams, obtained the relationship between the polarity of fault traveling wave and the boundary elements, and drew the conclusion that when the impedance of DC filter is far less than the wave impedance of transmission line, the existing fault location methods that need to distinguish these two waves according to their polarities are not applicable to the LCC-MMC HVDC system. On these bases, this paper proposed a modal traveling wave arrival time difference-based location principle for pole-to-ground fault, and a fault traveling wave propagation path ratio-based location principle for pole-to-pole fault, these principles neither need to identify the wave polarity, nor need the wave velocity value. In order to better extract the wave heads and their arrival time, this paper pre-treated the sampling data to make sure all the wave heads are extracted from the same frequency band, then the wave heads and their arrival time can be extracted with the empirical mode decomposition. The simulation results verified the effectiveness of the proposed fault location principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a modeling approach for characterizing the probability of wildfire ignition caused by faults on power distribution systems. The proposed model serves as a starting point in research literature to illustrate, from an analytical perspective, the many factors that influence wildfire ignitions in power distribution systems. This paper presents the series of events that leads to power-system-related wildfire ignitions, and characterizes the wildfire ignition probability as a combination of the probability that a fault occurs along a power distribution line segment, and the probability that the fault results in the sustained ignition of a vegetation fuel bed surrounding the line. The proposed model integrates a variety of data including environmental conditions, power system protection settings, and power system line flows. A case study is performed on a test 33-bus distribution system using observed historical weather data from a high-threat fire district in California. The California case study is utilized to investigate the effects of three primary factors (wind speed, line congestion, and protection settings) on wildfire ignition probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the back-flashover (BFO) phenomena in a high-voltage (HV) vertical double-circuit transmission line by means of numerical simulations. The single- and multiphase BFOs are analyzed considering 24 cases of AC-voltage angles and nonlinear characteristic of flashovers, taking advantage of the circuit analysis method in time domain. The models used in circuit analysis are the TEM-delay model, which can take into account the non-TEM characteristics of tower and line, and the conventional models. Prior to the BFO analysis, the characteristics of circuit models are compared and discussed with the numerical electromagnetic analysis results. In BFO analysis, it is clarified that the occurrence probability of the multiphase BFO is heavily depending on the bias AC-voltages. The relation of measured BFO phases and AC-voltages are well explained by the TEM-delay model with the valid lightning current magnitude. The conventional circuit models could have underestimated the occurrence of BFOs in HV transmission lines. The analysis and discussions shown in this paper can be utilized for advanced evaluation of lightning performance of transmission lines that considers the seriousness of lightning accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes high-frequency interactions between a Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) and High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) grid resonances by studying their effect on the system stability. The recent appearance of converter-related instabilities due to high-frequency oscillations at the converter's ac side raises concerns about whether similar interactions can also take place at its dc side. To determine the risks imposed by such interactions within an HVDC grid, this paper assesses the impact of the MMC internal dynamics and dc system resonances on the stability using an analytical impedance-based method. The effect of fault current-limiting inductors, grid topology changes and transmission line length is investigated, indicating that these parameters considerably influence the electromagnetic characteristics of the HVDC grid and consequently the system stability. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis of the MMC internal controller dynamics on the converter's non-passivity, causing the instability, is performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Travelling wave based protection functions require significantly higher sampling rates than protection functions based on time-domain superimposed quantities or fundamental frequency phasors. Integrating these high sampling rates in digital substations leads to a significant increase of the communication load of process-level networks and causes high computational cost for centralized protection systems. This paper builds on a distributed signal processing approach, which allocates the filtering operations among standalone merging units (SAMU). In particular, the paper presents a decimation filter design to integrate signals with high sampling rates at the process-level. Thereby, signal sequences with high, medium and low sampling rates are provided according to the requirements of the respective protection function. The decimation filter structure is optimized with respect to time delay by the Remez exchange algorithm and with respect to computational cost by a multistage approach and a sparse filter design algorithm. In addition, the filter response is verified against the accuracy constraints defined in IEC 61869-6 and IEC 61869-13. The paper shows that it is feasible to distribute the filtering operations among SAMUs, while keeping the time delay below the maximum allowable processing delay of 2 ms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible DC distribution networks have been widely developed because of their advantages of high efficiency, low cost, and easy access to renewable energy. However, as distribution networks have more ends than the two-terminal transmission line, it is more challenging to protect them and locate their faults. Therefore, this paper proposes a modified T-source circuit breaker to protect against DC faults. Based on the proposed circuit breaker, an integral fault location method using double-terminal asynchronous data is proposed. The accuracy of the algorithm is not affected by the fault resistance. There are no differential terms in the algorithm, which greatly reduces the sensitivity to noise. The integral algorithm can remain steady when the voltage and current are zero in oscillation and attenuation periods. This constitutes the main contribution of this paper. Finally, it is verified by simulation and experiment that the proposed circuit breaker can isolate the power source within a short time in the typical DC distribution network. Under a noise of 30 dB for simulation, the location error of the proposed algorithm is <0.4% when the fault resistance is 0.5 Ω–500 Ω. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fragility modeling and real-time risk assessment can be widely applied to evaluate and enhances the resilience of the power system to High-Impact and Low Probability events. In previous studies, fragility modeling generally targets extreme weather conditions other than thunderstorm. This paper proposes a fragility model to describe the relationship between the duration of a thunderstorm and the probability of lightning related trip-out. The duration of thunderstorms, which can usually be forecasted from the meteorological department, together with the fragility function expression can help a power company to predict the possibility of lightning related trip-out. Furthermore, this paper proposes a real-time risk assessment model that can dynamically adjust the risk value based on the update of the location, peak current, and subsequent stroke of real-time thunderstorm. A case study conducted on the lightning related trip-out data in Southwest China demonstrates that the average risk of transmission line trip-out in high risk group is about ten times that in low risk group. It clearly demonstrates that real-time risk assessment can efficiently distinguish the trip-out risks of different real-time thunderstorms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a revolutionary design for transmission lines was recently introduced by shifting phase configurations and sub-conductors into “unconventional” arrangements that were geometrically optimized to maximize natural power. The objective of this paper is to study the electromagnetic transients that result from the simultaneous and sequential line energization and re-energization of the previously developed unconventional high surge impedance loading (HSIL) lines. Statistical switching overvoltage (SSOV) studies are performed using a frequency domain method based on the inverse numerical Laplace transform. Compared to a conventional line, all unconventional HSIL line designs studied in this paper lead to very similar surges for long line lengths (400 km) and similar values for short line lengths (100 km), indicating additional advantages of these lines. The use of a frequency domain method for SSOV studies offers enhanced accuracy, simulation flexibility, and substantially lower computational burden compared with traditional time-domain methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inverter-based resources respond differently than synchronous generation sources during power system faults, challenging line protection reliability. To understand the reliability challenges, Sandia National Laboratories and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) led a collaborative study with four inverter manufacturers (mix of Type 3 Wind, Type 4 Wind, and PV Solar) and two North American protective relay manufacturers. As part of this study, an electromagnetic transients program (EMTP) with “real-code” models representing inverter firmware was used to investigate the protective relay response to faults on the modeled power system with the different inverter types. The currents and voltages obtained from the study were then played back through line relay hardware with settings typical of systems with conventional generation. The protective relays exhibited the expected reliability challenges but provided insight into the behavior of inverter-based resources during power system faults. In this paper, we share some of the challenging cases with the responses of the different line protection schemes. Using insight from the various event records, Part II of this paper shows how relay settings can be modified to obtain a substantial improvement in reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that for high voltage transmission lines in the range of 245 kV–525 kV, particularly in regions of high ground resistivity, lightning back flashover problems could be a major concern. Line arresters have been used successfully to address the problem. Underbuilt ground wires have been proposed as a viable alternative. The present paper shows that the full potential of additional ground wires could be achieved by optimizing their position on the tower. Such optimization often results in a preferred position at the level, or higher than the attachment height of the lower phase conductors; therefore the designation Embedded Ground Conductor. An essential requirement is that such positioning does not infringe in any way on the dielectric integrity of the electrical clearances and, under the influence of induced charge, does not become a source of positive streamers that may lead to additional radio or audible noise. It is found that a streamer- inhibited conductor, when properly placed, fully satisfies the above requirements. It is determined that for 245 kV, 345 kV and 420 kV lines, a streamer-inhibited embedded conductor could improve the back flashover rate by a factor of 10 or more [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some electromagnetic pulses, such as the high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP), can couple with power lines in the range of thousands of kilometers. Conventional numerical methods cannot efficiently predict the voltage induced by the early-time (E1) HEMP on the power lines in a large area. This paper presents an efficient model based on an artificial neural network (ANN) which can predict the coupled voltage induced by the E1 HEMP on distribution power lines quickly. Based on Agrawal's model of the electromagnetic field coupling with transmission lines, the important parameters which affect the coupled voltages of distribution power lines are analyzed firstly. The Baum-Liu-Tesche equation and inverse Fourier transform is applied to compute the voltage magnitude when the elevation angle, azimuth angle, and the polarization angle of the E1 HEMP change and more than twenty thousand numerical results are obtained. Then an ANN is developed and trained by the numerical results. Once the ANN is trained, the prediction time is on the order of milliseconds. The results show that the proposed model based on the ANN can provide accurate prediction results for the E1 HEMP coupling with power lines at different observation points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase of photovoltaic penetration, the power-electronic converter (PEC)-interfaced generators with traditional control strategy may cause severe power oscillations after being disturbed due to lack of inertia and damping. The photovoltaic power plant controlled by virtual synchronous generator (VSG) technology, while introducing virtual inertia and virtual damping to improve the stability of the system, will also inherit its oscillation characteristics and cause a new oscillation mode. Aiming at this problem, this paper analyzes the difference between the system low-frequency oscillation (LFO) modes before and after the VSG is connected to the two-area system by the modal analysis. It is pointed out that the PEC-interfaced renewable energy generators based on VSG control technology could change the oscillation mode of the original system. The influence of VSG's main parameters and capacity on system dynamics is analyzed. Finally, a synchrophasor-based inter-area oscillation suppressed comprehensive control strategy is proposed to suppress the LFO of active power on the tie line, and the superiority of the strategy is verified by DIgSILENT /PowerFactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the literatures dealing with time domain simulation of grounding system response to lightning surges use an electrostatic approach. In this approach frequency dependence of soil electrical parameters and plane-wave propagation constant are not included. In this paper, based on Hybrid Electromagnetic Method and simplification of it, a new method is developed to include frequency dependent parameters of soil in time domain simulation. Since only one convolution is used, the simulation time is significantly reduced. The consistency of the developed formulation while the plane-wave propagation constant is ignored is investigated through comparisons with experimental results and precise frequency domain approaches. Simulations results show ignoring both effects simultaneously can lead to high levels of error (140%), whereas the error significantly reduces when frequency dependence of soil parameters is considered. The developed model exhibits errors of about 2% to 25% compared to the results of models that take into account both effects. However, simulation results showed all these errors to be conservative. Due to neglecting propagation constant, the model is more suitable for lightning studies of grounding system with short length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In actual line-commutated converter based high- voltage direct-current (LCC-HVDC) projects, multiple HVDC transmission lines are usually installed on the same tower to save transmission corridors and reduce construction costs. However, electromagnetic coupling effect between adjacent lines can cause commutation failure (CF) in the non-fault poles when a line or pole fails. Hence, this paper deeply investigates the mechanism and the prevention strategy of CFs caused by line coupling effect in single- and double-circuit HVDC systems. The influencing factors of line coupling effect and the coupling characteristics under fault conditions are analyzed first based on the modeling of parallel transmission lines and the traveling wave theory. Then the mechanism of CF caused by line coupling effect is investigated with the consideration of different fault conditions, different line structures, and different system operation modes. Based on the above analyses, prevention strategies for CFs of non-fault poles in single- and double-circuit systems are proposed. Finally, the simulation results verify the correctness of the theoretical analyses and the effectiveness of the proposed control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct lightning poses a serious threat to the safety of power systems. In recent years, the lightning fractal model, which can reflect the fractal characteristics and randomness of lightning leaders, has been gradually applied to direct lightning protection for substations, transmission lines, etc. However, since few studies have linked simulations with experiments, the reliability of the lightning fractal model in terms of attachment probability prediction lacks experimental verification. In this paper, a series of attachment tests are carried out under a rod-rod gap. The equivalence between simulation tests and natural lightning is discussed, and the influencing factors of the attachment results are investigated. The attachment probability is simulated and compared to the test value under each test configuration. The test results show that the fractal dimension of discharge channel is consistent with the observation results of natural lightning. Under different configurations, the test value of attachment probability basically conforms to the simulation value. In general, the dispersion of the test results is slightly greater than the simulation results, but the average probability differences are all within 10%. The test results strongly indicate that the lightning fractal model is of good reliability in the prediction of strike probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The risk of unstable subsynchronous oscillations (SSO) in DFIG-based wind parks radially connected to transmission lines with series capacitive compensation is typically assessed with numerous electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulations, which is a time-consuming process. However, not all operating scenarios present risk of SSO and require such a detailed investigation. This paper proposes two charts based on impedance equivalents of wind generators obtained through frequency scans to quickly map which combinations of parameters can create unstable SSOs and which combinations are risk-free. With the information, engineers can immediately filter out scenarios with no risk of instability and conduct detailed studies on fewer scenarios that are truly critical. These charts can be obtained with simple equations that use only information readily available in practice to engineers, without the need to run any computer simulation. The charts also reveal the key operating conditions that can increase the risk of an unstable SSO and provide real-time quantitative insights into how close a wind park is to an instability. Application examples are provided to illustrate how this approach can help engineers speed up studies to identify the risk of SSO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an accurate and efficient model to represent the corona effect and frequency dependence of line parameters in electromagnetic transient simulations. The new method, named the voltage and frequency dependent line model (VFDLM), can be seen as a more general case of the well-known frequency-dependent (FD) or wideband (WB) line models, wherein the characteristic admittance and propagation function are considered voltage- and frequency-dependent parameters. The time domain traveling wave equations are solved using recursive convolutions and rational approximation through vector fitting (VF). Since the model can be represented by Norton equivalents, it is totally compatible with EMT-type programs. The model is validated through comparisons with three field measurement data available in the literature, and good agreement could be observed between them, showing that the VFDLM is a stable, efficient, and accurate approach to represent the corona effect in EMT-type programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tension insulator string is an important component for transferring the load of the conductor to the transmission tower. The damage of tension insulator strings may dramatically affect the operation safety of the grid power. In this paper, the dynamic response and fatigue life of the tension insulator strings under stochastic wind were systematically studied. Firstly, finite element models of conductors and the tension insulator string upon the actual transmission lines were established. The effects of height difference ratios on the dynamic tension of conductors and the dynamic response of tension insulator strings under a 10 m/s stochastic wind were investigated, respectively. Secondly, a simplified calculation method of stress time history is proposed to simplify the fatigue life analysis for tension insulator strings. Finally, based on the Rayleigh distribution, wind farms with the annual mean wind speed of 7 m/s were established to evaluate the fatigue life of tension insulator strings. The stress results revealed the at-risk parts in tension insulator strings and their failure modes. The fatigue life results showed 17.1 and 33.4 years for the GD (Guan Dian)-fittings and the upper U-shackles, respectively. This study can provide a useful guideline for optimization and safety evaluation of fittings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a reconstruction algorithm for the geometric shapes of static overhead transmission lines that is based on the spatial coordinate data (obtained by field mapping) and the corresponding inclination data (obtained by attitude sensors). The algorithm takes the piecewise cubic Hermite interpolation function as the basic framework and corrects the aforementioned two types of data based on the “minimum energy principle” of the transmission line system. The introduction of a new energy function in modified energy method (MEM) overcame the shortcomings of conventional energy method (CEM) in fairing strategy, and the new Fairing Criterion made result curves more consistent with the mechanical properties of transmission lines. In the numerical simulation tests, the two energy methods were compared in terms of load type, horizontal span, elevation difference, and anti-disturbance ability, which showed that MEM has a higher reconstruction accuracy (average Euclidean distance is less than 1 cm) and better robustness than CEM. Meanwhile, the key parameters involved in the algorithm were discussed to guide the application in practical engineering. In addition, measurement tests under non-uniform icing were carried out in the field test station, and the results showed that the maximum relative error is less than 0.1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presented an assessment of lightning energy absorption by dedicated surge arresters (SADT), which are provided to protect the distribution transformers on 10kV overhead distribution lines (OHLs). A hybrid Partial Element Equivalent Circuit-Multi-conductor Transmission Line (PEEC-MTL) code was applied to evaluate lightning surges on SADT. This method has the capability of modeling both short and long wires in OHL systems and is verified numerically and experimentally. A Monte Carlo procedure was adopted to assess the fault rate (FR) of SADT. It is found that the direct lightning strokes to the phase wire are the primary threat to the SADT, compared with the strokes to the poles as well as indirect strokes to the ground or structure nearby. Several protection schemes are identified, and their performance is evaluated from the aspects of lightning protection and economic cost. The full shielding wire (SW) scheme performs the best, but with the most expensive protection cost. The lightning energy absorption by SADT can be suppressed significantly by installing extra SAs on the adjacent poles. The scheme of two or four extra SAs together with a partial SW can achieve a balanced performance of protection effect and economic cost for the OHL. The SW for a section of the OHL alone is not enough to the lightning protection for SADT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transmission adequacy of power system has been challenged by high investment of new line construction and limit line-corridor space. In this paper, a novel solution to increase transmission capacity by altering HVAC lines into fractional frequency transmission system (FFTS) is proposed. FFTS is a transmission that utilizes a relatively low grid frequency, e.g., 50/3 Hz, to extend the transmission capacity of ac lines. The proposed solution can minimize the construction efforts since the existing HVAC transmission lines can be directly employed by FFTS without any change. The structure and principle of FFTS for transmission line conversion (TLC) are introduced firstly. Then, performance of conventional ac equipment in FFTS is evaluated and comparison with respective counterpart in HVDC is carried out. Next, the economic performance of FFTS for transmission capacity upgrade is conducted based on a typical benchmark, and sensitivity analysis results are presented to determine the economic zone of FFTS. The results show that the uniform annual value (UAV) of TLC into FFTS is 24.9% and 31.6% cheaper than TLC into HVDC and constructing new HVAC lines, respectively. Therefore, FFTS is a superior scheme for transmission capacity boost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The line parameters of power distribution systems stored in the dispatching center may have large errors due to the line aging and system operational dynamics. Such line parameter errors may directly affect the state estimation accuracy, and the advanced management functionalities rely on these parameters. This paper proposes an augmented state estimation method of erroneous distribution line parameters considering the presence of phasor measurement units (PMUs). The augmented state-space models under single and multiple measurement snapshots are established separately by combining the parameter state equation with the state-space model of the distribution network. The augmented state estimation based on the improved adaptive unscented Kalman filter (IAUKF) is developed. The proposed method can effectively perceive the process noise statistical parameter of the erroneous parameters during the estimation to accurately estimate line parameters. The proposed solution is validated through simulation experiments using the IEEE 33-bus system and the numerical results demonstrated its accurate parameter estimation performance.Also, the scalability of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated based on the simulation of the 118-bus system with distributed generators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today high speed protection of power system elements is necessary and realizable. This paper introduces time-domain protection techniques for transmission lines using voltage and current signals in Cartesian coordinates. Three techniques are proposed using this approach for line protection. Direction of fault is obtained using change in angle between Cartesian planes of voltage and current. In the second application on unit protection scheme, internal and external faults in transmission lines are discriminated using dot product of the normals to both end current planes. Fault type identification is obtained using the angle between incremental changes in currents in Cartesian coordinates. The output of each protection function using the new concept is derived in a quarter-cycle. The performance of each of the proposed techniques is tested for load variation, high resistance fault, different fault types, power swing, fault inception angles and signal with noise. Further, the proposed techniques are evaluated using field data from a 400 kV double circuit line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fault response of an inverter based resource (IBR) is dictated by its control scheme, making it markedly different from the response of a synchronous source. This has led to misoperation of distance relays when fed by IBRs. Published literature is mostly focused on changing the control design of inverters, but this approach is not practical, as these controls are proprietary and beyond the reach of utilities. To resolve this issue, this paper proposes a method for a source-agnostic distance relay that works in time-domain. Using only single ended measurements, the relay detects, classifies and locates any fault on the line it monitors. The method does not require any polarization technique. It is shown to work for unbalanced lines of any length, for transmission or distribution system with any number (even 100%) of IBRs, is immune to load encroachment, decaying dc offset and prefault currents. With very limited communication, it is also shown to be immune to fault resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an improved dynamic state estimation (DSE) based protection (DSEBP) scheme is proposed for transmission lines in MMC-HVDC grids. Firstly, a dynamic model of the protection zone (DC line of interest) is constructed using differential and algebraic equations. The impact of frequency dependent line parameters is mitigated through the utilization of the “line mode” transmission line model. Then, a novel Runge-Kutta (RK) discretization scheme is proposed to consider the dynamics of the control variables during electromagnetic transients, yielding reduced discretization error as compared to the conventional RK scheme. Finally, the batch mode regression framework based DSE is developed to formulate the protection logic considering errors of both measurements and historical estimates. Numerical experiments have shown that the proposed DSEBP scheme can dependably detect and trip internal faults, and securely ignore the external faults. The proposed scheme achieves improved reliability and operational speed as compared with the existing DSEBP schemes. The proposed scheme only requires a typical sampling rate of 10k samples per second, has the robustness to measurement noises, and the calculation burden is low enough for practical implementations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the validity of two extended transmission line approaches proposed for calculating the ground-return impedance and admittance of an underground insulated cable is evaluated taking as reference a full-wave approach based on the 3-D finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The transient responses of an underground cable with realistic radius are calculated for a wide range of soil resistivities and cable lengths. It is shown that the extended transmission line approaches lead to transient waveforms in good agreement with the FDTD method even for relatively short cables and high soil resistivity. The limitations of a traditional formulation that neglects the influence of the ground-return admittance on the calculation of the cable parameters are also demonstrated. Overall, the results confirm the accuracy of the newly-proposed expressions for the calculation of underground cable parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To calibrate non-contact sensors with fast response and high scale factor, it is critical to develop step pulse generators capable of generating standard high voltage step pulses and accurately measuring the generated waveform. In this paper, two types of step pulse generators are designed with output voltages of 2 kV and 100 kV. The 2 kV step pulse generator can generate a step pulse with a rise time of ∼300 ps and an adjustable pulse width. A step pulse with a rise time less than 5 ns and a pulse width over 1 μs can be generated with the 100 kV step pulse generator. The uncertainty of 2 kV step pulse generator is then analyzed by simulations and experiments. Finally, a performance comparison with step pulse generators in previous studies is carried out. Bandwidth, linearity and repeatability of the sensors can be verified with the designed two step pulse generators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When lightning strikes a transmission line tower or shield wires, electromagnetic waves propagate through the tower back and forth, increasing the voltage across insulator strings. This can eventually lead to a back-flashover (BF), which may cause damage to equipment or costly power outages. To calculate the over-voltages and predict the probability of a BF, an accurate model of the tower and its grounding system is needed in electromagnetic transient (EMT) type simulators. There are a number of theoretical models for the equivalent circuit of a transmission tower. However, they either are not accurate enough or they are derived for a certain type of transmission tower, which limits their applicability. Numerical electromagnetic analyses have less simplifications compared to the theoretical solutions and are by far less expensive than field measurements. They also have the flexibility to analyse any type of tower. In this paper, the direct method for the measurement of tower impedance is implemented by NEC4 and applied to a 400-kV double circuit tower with all its details. The process of obtaining the wire network of the tower used in this paper is completely automated and it can be applied to any other type of transmission tower. The results of the numerical simulations are compared to those obtained with existing tower models. The developed model in this paper is capable of considering all the details of the tower and including the finite resistance of the ground and grounding electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a statistics-based approach for analysis of transmission outage data. The method is applied to the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) transmission inventory and outage data collected and submitted by member utilities to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation's (NERC) Transmission Availability Data System (TADS). The developed model considers the random nature of Alternating Current (AC) circuit outages and introduces fourteen inventory attributes of the AC circuits as explanatory variables for the outage frequency. The main goal of the paper is to investigate statistical relationships between the number of automatic outages on AC circuits and AC circuit inventory attributes based on the TADS data from 2013–2018, which has proven to be sufficient in obtaining statistically valid results. Concepts associated with the statistical validation of performance indices are discussed with emphasis placed on analysis of distinct types of explanatory variables such as voltage class, mileage, number of terminals, circuits per structure, terrain, elevation, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mal-operation of distance protection relays during power swing (PS) condition can endanger the power system stability. Therefore, it is crucial to distinguish between short-circuit faults and PS by a power swing blocking (PSB) function to prevent undesired tripping of distance relay. This paper develops a novel and straightforward PSB method based on the rate of impedance angle change (RIAC). Not only can the proposed approach fairly discriminate both symmetrical and asymmetrical faults from PS, but also it can appropriately preserve protection scheme security during PS under single-pole tripping (SPT) on a transmission line. Furthermore, there is no need to perform extensive dynamic stability studies for setting the PSB function parameters. Unlike the rate of impedance change approaches utilized two blinders, the developed approach only needs an inner blinder. Thus, it can be used for networks running near their operational limits. The proposed method is evaluated through a modified IEEE-PSRC benchmark system in PSCAD/EMTC environment. The obtained results verify superior performance of the proposed method to traditional impedance rate of change method under different scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits the analysis of the well-known infeed effect on transmission lines distance protection. A new adaptive algorithm to overcome this drawback is proposed, which requires solely impedance data and the operational status of power apparatus to perform overreaching distance zones settings. A comparison of the proposed strategy and the traditional one is performed. The obtained results demonstrate that the proposed settings ensure the correct operation of overreaching zones. Thereby, the backup coverage is improved significantly, besides avoiding distance zones overlapping between adjacent lines. It reveals the proposed strategy usefulness and value from the practical point of view, since it can be implemented with technology readily available on the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper a new method to detect power swing instability on transmission lines has been proposed that is insensitive to operating conditions and system changes. Changes in system conditions, network topology or in generator statuses effectively reflects as variations in Thevenin's (source) impedances as seen from either ends of a transmission line. Thevenin's (source) impedances can also vary during a power swing. The proposed method to detect power swing instability is based on the apparent impedance differential as measured at the sending and receiving end substations of a transmission line. In this method, a transmission line is considered a part of a two-machine equivalent with associated Thevenin (source) impedances. Using the two-machine equivalent model and the impedance differential, critical variables - the rotor angle difference between the two machines, the swing-center location and swing-center voltage – that are necessary to detect power swing instability can be determined taking into considerations the uncertainty in source impedances. Necessary and sufficient conditions based on the above critical variables have been proposed to aid in the detection of power swing instability. Necessary conditions are based on the rate-of-change of real power flow in the transmission line, the rate-of-change of the real part of the impedance differential, swing-center voltage and its rate-of-change. Sufficient condition is based on a Lyapunov function that considers the rate-of-change of the rotor angle. The proposed method has been tested on a single-machine infinite bus system, multi-machine power system using PSCAD-EMTDC software, and on a large-scale power system using the Power System Simulator Software (PSS/E) to demonstrate its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expansion of power grids has resulted in the construction of multiple transmission lines within constrained spaces inevitably making them nonuniform in nature. Existing transmission line models available in electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulators are based on classical multiconductor transmission line (MTL) theory with the assumption that the transmission lines are infinitely long and have uniform cross-sectional dimensions. This paper develops a time-domain model, namely dispersive scattered field transmission line (DSFTL) model, for multiconductor dispersive nonuniform overhead transmission lines above lossy, frequency-dependent ground. The proposed model which consists of closed-form equations in the time-domain has been implemented using a modified finite-difference time-domain (MFDTD) algorithm and integrated into an EMT simulator (PSCAD/EMTDC). Results have been compared with and verified by those obtained using a full-wave approach and measured data available in the literature. Simulations of nonuniform structures that include nonlinear components (such as breakers) have also been carried out under fault conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the numerical validation of a new on-line location method of partial discharge (PD) in cables of Medium Voltage (MV) power networks based on the electromagnetic time reversal (EMTR) theory. Because PD events are a symptom of cable insulation degradation, PDs localization is a key topic for fault prevention on power networks, increasing their reliability and resilience and to guaranteeing electricity security. A description of the proposed EMTR PD location method is given and its effectiveness and accuracy are analyzed in lines with both homogeneous and inhomogeneous power cables. The accuracy of PD location methods is strongly affected by the distortion of the PD pulses during their propagation on power lines, caused mainly by the skin effect. For this reason, the accuracy of the proposed location method is analyzed using a lossy model of power networks that is able to reproduce PD signals distortion. The model used, realized using the transmission line matrix (TLM) method, is also presented here and theoretically validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a deep learning-based method for defect detection and classification of power distribution lines using video analysis. The first stage is dataset preparation in which different videos are recorded by a CoroCam 6D2 camera from distribution lines and labeled based on the defect type and the severity level of the defect. Then, a process is followed in such a way that a limited number of frames are used for processing, and power devices are detected in each frame using Faster R-CNN. The detector performance is improved by increasing the training dataset and changing the training hyper-parameters. Next, an equipment tracking technique is applied through the video frames. In the following, a method based on the classification of power equipment is presented. In this method, by corona color thresholding in all frames and applying a median filter over time, the connected components representing the corona are identified. Then, the frame containing the closest component to the component in the median image is selected. In the selected frame, the area around the component is cut and given to AlexNet or GoogleNet to determine the equipment type and the severity level of defect is determined. Also, the defective equipment phase is determined based on the insulators detected in the video. The proposed method not only performs better than the state-of-the-art but also is a practical method, and with the least dependence on environmental conditions, can automatically identify defects in distribution lines, even in videos containing several possible defective devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground wires (GW) struck by lightning are often exposed to transient impulse voltages in the MV range. This results in intense negative streamer-type corona, causing a considerable increase in the effective wire capacitance and a corresponding reduction in its surge impedance. Such variables have a significant influence on the tower top potential and on the electromagnetic coupling between the ground wire and phase conductors. Presently there is considerable uncertainty regarding the impulse corona parameters to be used in back flashover calculations. In the present paper a new method is formulated for determination of GW impulse corona parameters. The new approach is compared with two existing methods and with available experimental results. It is found that the method usually used within the IEEE has little physical justification and is excessively conservative. It is also shown that such corona parameters significantly depend on the GW height above ground, which has been totally ignored in the CIGRE method. This and other unjustified simplifying assumptions explain the surprisingly large discrepancy between values of the negative impulse corona constant recommended by CIGRE and IEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While not designed with communication applications in mind, power lines have been attractive targets for providing ancillary communication services for decades. Unfortunately, loads and switchgear can easily interfere with reliable communication in both direct and subtle ways. Power line communication (PLC) is therefore often relegated to non-critical control tasks like home lighting or appliance control, where communication difficulties or failure simply result in a walk to the light switch. For control applications that require low data rates, unexploited opportunities exist for increasing the reliability of PLC within governing regulatory rules. Reliable, low-bandwidth PLC facilitates new, inexpensive opportunities for demand-side management of the loads in a building or facility. This paper presents approaches for tailoring PLC for reliable low-bandwidth communication, and presents experimental demonstrations in a 24-floor high-rise building with challenging channel conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a time-domain method of characteristics to simulate the impulse corona with background space charge, and derives the ordinary differential equations of the space charge generated by the impulse corona along the electric field line. The corresponding boundary conditions, the selection of time step and space step, and the update strategy of space charge are given. The calculation result of the impulse corona onset voltage is consistent with the test result, proving that the background space charge has almost no effect on the impulse corona onset electric field which is obtained by Kaptzov's assumption. The q-u curve obtained by simulation is compared with the test results to verify the effectiveness of the simulation method. The simulation method is used to obtain the development process of space charge during the application of the opposite polarity impulse voltage. By analyzing the space charge distribution during the process of impulse corona, and the corresponding microscopic charge distribution and macroscopic charge amount at different corona states, the characteristics of impulse corona are explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free metallic particles are the main factor inducing flashover incidents and threatening the safety of gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) and gas-insulated transmission line (GIL) devices. Acoustic diagnosis is widely used to detect free metal particles due to its high sensitivity, but it generally fails under multiple particle conditions because of the overlap of acoustic signals. This paper proposes a new method of acoustically recognizing multiple free metallic particles. The pattern of Δt-Normalized N that can be used to distinguish single/multi-particles is determined first. Second, each particle's neighboring collision signals are extracted from raw data by the established physical relation between adjacent collision signals. Wire, lamellar, and spherical free metal double-particles’ mass values are calculated as per the numerical connection between adjacent collision signals. The geometry of the particles is assumed to be known, so the density of the spherical particles can be effectively estimated. The proposed method is validated in a scale concentric hemisphere platform. The results of this work may provide a workable reference for GIS free metal multi-particle monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel pilot protection scheme for LCC-HVDC transmission lines based on the measured surge impedance at tuning frequency. On the basis of amplitude-frequency characteristic of DC filter, it is found that the voltage forward traveling wave and reverse traveling wave at tuning frequency approximately satisfy total reflection at the line boundary after the internal fault. Then, combined with the traveling wave propagating processes for DC line internal faults and external faults, it is found that for internal faults, for two terminals of line, measured surge impedances at tuning frequency are both close to 0 Ω, whereas for external faults, the measured surge impedance at tuning frequency near faulty terminal equals line surge impedance, whose value is generally about 200∼300 Ω, and another value at the distance faulty terminal is close to 0 Ω. Thus, this difference is utilized for fault identification. Comprehensive simulations demonstrate that the proposed protection scheme has the ability to identify DC line internal and external faults accurately. Meanwhile, the protection scheme has no requirement for two-terminal data synchronization and has low communication requirement. Besides, it can respond to the high-resistance faults sensitively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toughened glass insulators installed in overhead lines play a key role in maintaining the reliability and safety of power systems. The singular properties of toughened glass make this material particularly suitable for this application on account of its excellent dielectric properties, high mechanical strength and easiness of inspection. If the glass was damaged, it would shatter completely leaving the remaining part of the insulator, called “stub”, still providing mechanical connection and being easily detectable from the ground by a visual inspection. In this paper, the mechanical reliability of toughened glass insulators is investigated through the analyses of experimental data obtained from laboratory tests. First, the mechanical strength of the toughened glass in insulators and the relationship between its failing load and the geometry of the insulator are investigated by means of a novel analytical approach. Afterwards, the risk of mechanical failure of glass insulators and stubs, with the shell broken off, is analysed. The results show the mechanical reliability of glass insulators for different string configurations and for large and complex systems deployed in 220 kV and 400 kV transmission lines. Finally, the effect of the shattering rate on the reliability is studied under the most adverse conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a robust pilot protection scheme based on waveform similarity that restricts the influence of outliers in fault line identification. By comparing two refactoring currents constructed using the time-domain sampling values of currents at the two terminals of a transmission line, a waveform similarity algorithm called the Kendall's Tau coefficient (KTC) is employed to distinguish two different datasets of a protected transmission line. A reliable fault identification is realized under different fault types, distances, and resistances. Proposed criteria that are robust against to current transformer saturation, synchronization error, and noise are proposed. The KTC is based on simply the rank order instead of the metric value and thus limits outliers to a moderate level, ensuring protection safety in cases where outliers that cannot be eliminated completely are included in the current waveforms. The simulation results demonstrate the excellent performance of the proposed robust pilot protection scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a novel frequency domain technique to globally evaluate the accuracy of electro-magnetic transient simulations. It is shown that simulation accuracy at low frequencies can sometimes be poorer than at high frequency. A modified approach which quantifies accuracy from a driving point as a function of frequency is also introduced that uses the Bilinear Transformation and Norton equivalents, to produce a “simulation accuracy spectrum”. This approach can be applied to large systems without explicitly forming state space equations. It also permits the accuracy analysis of networks with distributed components such as frequency dependent transmission lines. Two examples are used to verify the proposed technique, a small network with a frequency dependent transmission line modeled by the universal line model; and the IEEE 39 bus system connected with an LCC-HVdc system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an adaptive harmonic current extraction scheme using notch filters combined with a modified discrete wavelet-packet transform (DWPT). The scheme is applied to an MMCC-STATCOM for mitigating current harmonics distortion in a power line. The modified DWPT incorporates a data expansion technique to overcome the limitations of boundary effect. It identifies the rms values of the dominant harmonic elements of the non-stationary current in real-time, these being used to update the order and stop-frequency of a notch filter chain. This adaptive notch filter is embedded in the current control system for the MMCC-STATCOM to generate reference current. The results have shown that the modified DWPT tracks harmonic changes faster and more accurately than the conventional method. The technique enables the STATCOM to adapt quickly to load current changes, hence giving accurate elimination of current harmonics in real-time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a hybrid time-domain protection scheme for series compensated lines using incremental quantity combined with traveling wave principle is proposed. Each principle is assigned a zone of the protected section of the line to achieve fast protection. The incremental quantity-based method is assigned for close-in faults up to 35% and the traveling wave from 33.33% to 66.67% of the line from the relay end. The incremental quantity-based method compares a dynamic restraining quantity obtained from voltage and current to the operating quantity using current for the protection decision. The traveling wave-based method derives a decision by comparing the calculated line length, obtained using the first three arrival times measured at the relay location, to the actual line length. The proposed hybrid approach exploits the advantages of both principles to achieve better reliability and speed of protection for series compensated transmission lines. The proposed scheme is verified for a 400-kV, 300 km series compensated transmission line and results are compared with traditional impedance and incremental quantity-based methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate fault location plays an important role in the fault clearance of the transmission line. However, because of the influence caused by fault resistance and the remote end system, there are four unknowns in the two equations built by the fault phase. Thus, the equations cannot be solved. In this paper, a single-terminal fault location method for transmission lines integrated by the inverter-type source is proposed. For a single-phase to ground fault or phase-to-phase fault, due to the specific control strategy, the equivalent positive and negative-sequence impedances of the converter are unequal in most cases. However, the positive and negative-sequence impedances of other elements are approximately equal, and the boundary condition at the fault branch is definite. Combining the boundary condition and the sequence impedance difference, two uncorrelated equations can be built. Substituting them to the equations built by the fault phase, the fault location can be calculated accurately. And the influence caused by fault resistance and the remote end system is eliminated. The simulation results show that the proposed method can achieve fault location accurately. Moreover, it has higher reliability and is independent of control strategy, fault distance and fault resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a time-domain differential protection method based on the Bayes’ Theorem and on the current samples to determine the fault occurrence probability as a function of time. It also describes the theory involved in developing the proposed protection method when considering the differential protection of transmission lines. The authors performed fault simulations using an existing electrical system modeled in EMTP varying the fault type, phases involved, fault resistance, inception angle, and fault location, and carried out a sensitivity analysis regarding high impedance faults, current transformer saturation, noisy data, misalignments between terminal samples and power swings. The authors also tested the proposed method against actual fault events from four existing transmission lines of the Brazilian interconnected power system. All results indicate that the proposed solution is fast, accurate, secure, and dependable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several schemes are available in the literature to protect transmission lines (TLs). These schemes are either transmission network-specific or require modifications in case of any changes in the TL structure. FACTS devices are often incorporated in TLs to increase power transfer and improve controllability and stability. There have been many developments in the field of protection of FACTS-TL. However, the search for a scheme that can successfully adapt to the system changes and can be applied to almost any transmission network to identify the line faults is still ongoing. With advancements in communication technology and global positioning system-enabled time-tagged data, the voltage and current data can be synchronized and, therefore, the pilot relaying may become more viable. Utilizing these technological advances, a digital pilot relaying scheme, for the protection of TLs with or without series compensation and any type of short-circuit fault under any loading condition, is proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]