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In this paper, the initial stage and the return stroke current waveform parameters of rocket-triggered lightning flashes to the ground and to the distribution line have been analyzed. The results show that the average current, the charge transferred and the action integral associated with the Initial Stage with return strokes are greater than the corresponding values without return strokes. For the initial stage, the presence of the distribution line greatly reduces the maximum current, average current, charge transfer, and action integral by a factor of 0.35, 0.42, 0.51, and 0.19, respectively. For the return stroke, the presence of the distribution line has little effect on the other parameters except for a 2.4-fold increase in the 10-90% risetime. The presence of the distribution line affects the initial stage parameters more significantly than the return stroke parameters, probably because the lightning channel equivalent impedance of the initial stage is much smaller than that of the return stroke. The lightning channel equivalent impedance of the initial stage estimated in this paper is about 145 ohms and the estimated lightning channel equivalent impedance for the return stroke is greater than 2000 ohms. [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]

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]

Wind turbines (WTs) can beseriously damaged by lightning strikes and they can be struck by a significant number of flashes. This should be taken into account when the WT lightning protection system is designed. Moreover, WTs represent a path for the lightning current that can modify the well-known effects of the lightning discharge in terms of radiated electromagnetic fields, which are a source of damage and interference for nearby structures and systems. In this paper, a WT struck by a lightning discharge is analyzed with a full-wave modelling approach, taking into account the details of the WT and its interactions with the lightning channel. The effects of first and subsequent return strokes are analyzed as well as that of the rotation angle of the struck blade. Results show that the lightning current along the WT is mainly affected by the ground reflection and by the reflection between the struck blade and the channel. The computed electromagnetic fields show that, for subsequent return strokes, the presence of a WT almost doubles their magnitude with respect to a lightning striking the ground. Such enhancement is emphasized when the inclined struck blade is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impulse grounding performance of distribution lines tower is the key factor to lightning protection. Few field high-current impulse test researches are conducted on distribution line tower. In this paper, we used a mobile high-current impulse generator to conduct test on a 10 kV distribution line tower. The peak value of the current injection is 6 kA to 16 kA. The impulse impedance and the surface potential distribution are measured and analyzed. Based on the CDEGS software, an equivalent modeling of the experiment was carried out. The influence of soil ionization was taken into account by the method of changing the conductor radius through two rounds of calculation. The simulation and measured results were basically consistent. Experiments have shown that the soil ionization effect has an important impact on lightning performance of distribution line tower. The graphite earthing modules (GEMs) and pulling wires can significantly reduce the impulse impedance of the tower. The potential rise of the earth surface at a distance of 30 m from the tower can reach 1 kV at peak, under an injection of 7.15 kA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-frequency overvoltages are most dangerous for the insulation of transformer coils. It is because high-frequency pulse voltage creates an uneven distribution of voltage across the windings. The coil's first turns receive a disproportionately high voltage drop, leading to the inter-turn circuit. The paper analyzes the types of lightning pulses and proposes a new suppression method based on the anomalous skin effect in a multilayer material and the design in the form of a coil. The developed device is simulated, and the results of overvoltage monitoring at the substation with the installed high-frequency overvoltage suppression device are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overhead lines are important parts of distribution networks at present. Assessment and prediction of their health status is of great significance to ensure the reliable operation of distribution network. This paper presents a method for assessing and predicting the health status of overhead lines based on health index (HI). First, the key features set of overhead lines including ontological and nonontological factors is determined. Then, a calculation method for evaluating HI based on analytic hierarchy process and technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution is proposed. Subsequently, the health assessment results of the actual 110 and 10 kV overhead lines located in China show that the proposed method could reflect the actual situation of overhead lines well. Finally, based on the proposed method, this paper takes two areas of China, Beijing and Nanjing, which have different climatic conditions, as research objects, and studies the influence of natural factors on the health status of overhead lines, respectively. Based on the analysis results, the health statuses of the overhead lines in the two regions are predicted. The research results of this paper can provide guidance for the operation and maintenance of overhead lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modeling of lightning return-stroke channel affects significantly the estimation of fast-front overvoltages arising across overhead line insulators, thus, also the lightning performance of power lines. This paper introduces a simplified method for estimating the minimum lightning currents causing shielding failure flashover and backflashover of overhead transmission line insulation, as affected by lightning channel equivalent impedance. The validity of the proposed methodology is demonstrated through ATP-EMTP simulations of typical 66 up to 765-kV overhead transmission lines with variable tower ground resistance. An assessment is made of the effects of lightning channel equivalent impedance on the lightning performance of overhead lines, that is, shielding failure flashover and backflashover rates. Lightning channel equivalent impedance values of 1000 and 400 Ω are suggested, respectively, for shielding failure and backflashover studies, based on the results obtained in this paper together with a discussion on the literature data regarding channel impedance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind turbine generators in a windfarm are connected by underground cables. Lightning sometimes strikes a nacelle or a blade. Lightning overvoltages due to a direct lightning strike to the system cause damages in the underground cable. Many parameters should be investigated to establish a rational lightning protection design for wind power generation system. Numerical simulation is a useful method to discuss the influence of the parameters on the lightning overvoltages. This paper uses an Electro-Magnetic Transients Program for the lightning surge analysis. This paper discusses the influence of grounding method of metallic sheath of the cable and grounding resistance on the lightning overvoltages for the direct lightning strike to the generation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems comprising overhead line (OHL) sections as well as cable sections, the dc cable system is exposed indirectly to lightning strokes. In case of HVDC cable systems with extruded insulation the present test recommendations do not specify lightning impulse test levels related to rated system voltage. Instead, preliminary electromagnetic transient studies are required to determine the absolute maximum lightning impulse voltage the cable might experience. Within this paper, the general lightning behavior of OHL-cable mixed systems subsequent to the occurrence of a backflashover as well as a shielding failure is investigated for a 525 kV HVDC transmission scheme. This paper presents a modeling method to calculate occurring lightning overvoltages along a dc cable embedded between OHL sections. Based on a detailed parametric study using time-domain simulation, maximum lightning impulse voltages along the cable system are determined, and evaluated with regard to impulse level and polarity. The impact of project related parameter such as cable length, tower design, and tower grounding conditions on lightning overvoltage affecting the cable is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voltage and current waveforms of transmission lines struck by lightning are calculated for use in back flashover analysis. Calculation by using equivalent circuits is the general practice, however, there are limited experimental results for reference to evaluate validity of developed equivalent circuits under various line conditions. Calculation results by numerical electromagnetic analysis can be used as references if they are proved reliable. In this paper, the voltage rises at a model of a 154 kV transmission line hit by lightning is calculated by Method of Moments (MoM) and FDTD for comparison. They solve Maxwell's equations by using different algorithms, so, if the calculated results by these methods reasonably agree under various line conditions, the results of these numerical analyses are regarded reliable. The calculated voltage and current waveforms by the two numerical methods agree well under a variety of footing resistance of transmission towers, thus the authors conclude that the calculated results by FDTD or MoM can be employed as references to evaluate validity of circuit models for back flashover analyses. Thus, the results calculated by circuit analysis are compared with those calculated by FDTD. The multistory tower model (Ishii model) better reproduces the voltage waveforms in a wide range of the footing resistance than simple circuit models of a tower, and can be easily tuned for further accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports on a second part of the lightning performance study that was conducted on overhead double-circuit lines 170 kV operated by Israel Electric Corporation (IECo). The first part of this study was published this year in TPWRD vol. 31 No. 2 ([1]) which introduces the local environmental data including a long-term lightning incidence records, tower footing resistance, and route terrain characteristics. The goal of the present paper is to demonstrate application of the data-inputs from [1] to analysis of the relationship between the line failure rate and its design and environmental parameters. The findings imply that the prevalent lightning failure mechanism in IECo Grid is direct-strike related. The acquired results prove a conclusion on that the ineffective shielding design in combination with local stroke current statistics, route topography, and long spans may seriously compromise line reliability, even with temperate local lightning activity. Disregarding the route terrain specificity may falsify the shielding flashover failure rate assessment and devaluate the line protection design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electromagnetic fields, which are produced by lightning currents flowing into a transmission tower and into overhead ground wires, spherically expand with time, and propagate as non-transverse electromagnetic (TEM) waves at least within the round trip time of the traveling wave along the tower. In this paper, a distributed-parameter line model of a vertical double-circuit transmission tower with an overhead line struck by lightning is composed considering the non-TEM characteristics. The surge impedances of the tower, ground wires, and phase conductors increase with time and reach their TEM-mode or steady state values with time constants determined from the configuration. In addition, the significant wave attenuation along the tower is included in the circuit model according to the propagation characteristic determined by the tower configuration. The virtual inductive grounding impedance or damping circuits for approximately representing the wave attenuation is no longer needed. The proposed model is applied to four types of transmission towers. Waveforms of voltages across insulator strings computed by the finite-difference time-domain method, which are regarded as the reference, are well reproduced by the proposed model. Computation efficiency is drastically improved by the proposed model comparing to the numerical electromagnetic field analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lightning peak current is one of the most important parameter concerning the studies of the lightning phenomena. Nowadays, with a continuous dissemination of elevated structures, such as telecommunication towers, the study of the lightning peak current could be intensified with the installation of measurement devices in large scale. Thus, it is useful to develop a device that is robust, compact, low cost, and allows data collection. This paper describes a high-current sensor operating in a range up to 100- and 7.7-kA resolution. The system consists of a self-integrating Rogowski coil connected to the electret sensor by a coaxial cable. The electret sensor is installed in a sturdy and inexpensive casing at the tower base. Measurements indicate a linear and precise correlation between the voltage generated by the coil, installed on the top of the tower, and the impulse current from lightning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present current pulses from upward lightning, which have been measured since 2011 at the new top structure of the Peissenberg Tower, Germany. The study comprises 38 negative and two positive flashes, which contained 199 current pulses. About 49 of them were return stroke current pulses, 133 of them were current pulses, which superimposed the initial continuous current (ICC-pulses), and 17 of them were M-component current pulses, which superimposed the continuing current of a preceding return stroke. The current pulses are used to evaluate the performance of the European lightning location system EUCLID. Fifty one (25.6%) out of the 199 current pulses were detected by EUCLID, 40 (81.6%) return stroke current pulses, and 11 (8.5%) ICC-pulses or M-component current pulses. The peak currents ranged from 0.1 to 40.8 kA. Two groups of current pulses could be identified. The first group is related to branches of nearby downward lightning which got in contact with the tower. Therefore, EUCLID reported much higher peak currents (more than 100%) compared to the peak currents measured at the Peissenberg Tower. The first group comprises the total of nine current pulses (six ICC-pulses, three return stroke current pulses). The second group of current pulses is related to upward lightning initiated from the top of the tower. The peak current inferred from EUCLID deviates much less from peak current measured at the Peissenberg Tower. The peak current was overestimated by about 20% by EUCLID. The second group comprises the total of 42 current pulses (4 ICC-pulses, 1 M-component current pulses, and 37 return stroke current pulses). The peak currents ranged from 3.1 to 40.8 kA, the geometric mean (GM) was 9.4 kA. About 30% of these events were misclassified as intra-cloud pulses by EUCLID. The GM of the location error was 161 m for all events, and 132 m considering only the return stroke current pulses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present the currents, which have been measured since 2008 at the new top structure of the Peissenberg Tower, Germany, and the associated electric fields in a distance of about 180 m from the tower. The study comprises 17 negative lightning, which contained 44 subsequent return strokes, 108 initial continuous current (ICC)-pulses, and 26 M-components. The analysis, based on the current waveform, revealed three different types for both the M-component current and the ICC-pulse. The impulsive current of type 1 has a more or less symmetrical wave shape. For this type, the electric field occurred on average 15.7 μs prior to the current pulse. The impulsive current of type 2 has a bipolar wave shape with current reversal. The impulsive current of type 3 has a wave shape, which exhibits a fast rise to peak and a much longer decay to low current values. For all types of impulsive currents (return strokes, ICC-pulses, and M-components), the electric field exhibits a first field change (ΔE1) followed by a second field change (ΔE2) of opposite polarity. For the ICC-pulses and M-component currents of types 1 and 3, the first field change (ΔE1) has typically an initial slow-rising section, which is followed by a fast-rising section. The transition point was time-correlated with the onset of the current. The transition point was at about ΔE1/3 for type 1 and at about ΔE1/2 for type 3. For type 2, the onset of the current pulse occurred during the second field change (ΔE2) of opposite polarity. Similar to type 1 and 3 pulses, the slow-rising electric field changed into a fast-rising electric field. The transition point for type 2 pulse was at about ΔE2/3. From the 44 subsequent return strokes, 8 of them contained one negative M-component of type 1. In that case, the M-component current was extremely strong. The arithmetic mean (AM) was 8.5 kA (GM: 5.4 kA) for the peak current and 747.8 mC (GM: 614.0 mC) for the transferred charge. The return stroke was also very strong, with an AM of 16.7 kA for the peak current (GM: 15.0 kA). In comparison, the AM was 10.4 kA (GM: 8.3 kA) considering all subsequent return strokes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the computed lightning-radiated vertical electric field and azimuthal magnetic field at the ground level at observing distances ranging from 0.3 to 50 km from the lightning channel for striking the cone-shaped mountain top, by using the two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method in cylindrical coordinate systems. It is found that the mountain height and the inclination angle have a significant effect on the lightning-radiated electromagnetic field both for the close and far observing distances. For the lightning-radiated vertical electric field, the enhancement of the far field beyond several kilometers (mainly radiation field component) is due to the reflection process in the transition between the mountain terrain and the flat ground, but the reduction of close field near the mountain terrain (mainly quasi-electrostatic field component) is due to the shadowing effect, but not due to such reflection. For the lightning-radiated azimuthal magnetic field, the field values for different mountain terrains, including the mountain height and inclination angle, increase both for close and far observing distances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unusual negative lightning flash was recorded at the Säntis Tower on June 15, 2012. The flash did not contain an initial continuous current typical of upward negative lightning, which is the most common type of event at the Säntis Tower. The flash contained four strokes, the last three of which were normal while the current associated with the first stroke resembled a Gaussian pulse with an unusually high peak value of 102.3 kA, a long risetime of 28.4 μs, and a pulsewidth of 53.8 μs, which was followed by an opposite polarity overshoot with a peak value of 8.5 kA. Our current records suggest the involvement of a long upward connecting positive leader in response to the approaching downward negative leader in the formation of this flash. Lightning location system (LLS) data indicate that a positive cloud-to-ground stroke occurred 1 ms prior to the first stroke of the flash. In this paper, we present a detailed description of the data associated with this event. Moreover, both a return stroke model and an M-component model are used to reproduce the far-field waveform of this bipolar stroke. The simulations result in a radiated electric field waveform that is similar to those of large bipolar events (LBEs) observed in winter thunderstorms in Japan. A sensitivity analysis of the used simulation models reveals that, by proper selection of the input parameters, all field waveform characteristics, except for the positive half-cycle width, can be made to fall in the range of LBE field characteristics reported in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct observation of lightning current is a fundamental approach to evaluating lightning parameters, which are among the most basic factors for the lightning protection design of various grounded objects. However, for a tall grounded structure, upward lightning flashes initiated from the top of the structure have usually been observed, and the direct observation results of downward flashes have been limited. We developed and installed a pair of Rogowski coils at Tokyo Skytree, which is a 634-m-high freestanding broadcasting tower in Japan (35.71°N, 139.81°E), and have conducted direct observation of lightning flashes striking the tower. As of November 2018, 70 lightning flashes striking the tower, 26 downward and 44 upward, have been observed since the end of February 2012. In this paper, we focus on the downward negative flashes that occurred at the tower for seven years from 2012 to 2018 and report on the observed results of typical waveform parameters of lightning stroke currents in comparison with other observed results on downward negative flashes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lightning surge propagation on telecommunication towers is essential to lightning protection design. Analysis of very fast surges in a telecommunication tower requires a full-wave solution of Maxwell's equations. This paper proposes a full-wave time domain partial element equivalent circuit (PEEC) method considering the effect of ground to evaluate the surge currents and voltages on vertical structures. The PEEC of the formulation is provided by using the method of image. This method can take into account the attenuation of the lighting surges, and has the potential to be implemented as a new type of solution for general lightning surge analysis. The proposed method is validated numerically with the finite-difference time domain method, and is used to analyze the surge propagation on cables mounted on two typical grounded telecommunication towers. The simulation shows that both the location of cable installations and the type of towers have a significant influence on the lightning protection performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we are interested in the study of electromagnetic (EM) field waveforms generated by a lightning strike to a tower located on a trapezoidal mountain. The latter has a height of 500 m and a steepness angle of slope of 45°. The EM field components are calculated at six points and in three directions from the tower. Among these six points, four of them are placed on a flat ground and located at close distances from the mountain bottom while the other two points are located on the mountain at close distances from the tower. Also, because of the three-dimensional (3-D) geometry of the problem being treated, the computation is performed in three dimensions by using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. In this computation, the lightning channel is represented by the transmission line model extended to include a tall strike object. To evaluate the influence of the presence of mountain on the EM field waveforms, a comparison between the results obtained in the presence and absence of the mountain has been done. On the other hand, the ground conductivity effect on the EM field components has been also studied. At the end of this study, we show that the trapezoidal mountain shadowing effect causes a reduction of the vertical electric field calculated on a flat ground at close distances from the mountain bottom, while the field is enhanced on the top of the mountain. The same conclusion is drawn for the azimuthal magnetic field. Furthermore, the initial peaks of the vertical electric field and the azimuthal magnetic field, above the ground, have been attenuated because of the finite conductivity of ground. The horizontal electric fields above the ground are characterized by oscillations due to the presence of tower and mountain. The underground horizontal electric field and azimuthal magnetic field have the same waveforms as those obtained above the ground but with smaller magnitudes. Thus, the underground vertical electric is initially bipolar and then essentially zero. Finally, the 3-D-FDTD developed program was validated (see the Appendix). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper gives the overview and review of the traveling current source (TCS) model, which describes the electrical processes during the lightning return stroke. It is shown that the main characteristics of the measured electric and magnetic fields can be reproduced with the TCS model. These are the ''initial peak” of the electric and magnetic field for near, intermediate and far distances, the ''ramp” (up to the maximum) of the near electric field, the ''hump” of the near magnetic field after the initial peak, and the ''zero crossing” of the far distant electric and magnetic field. The TCS model is based on the assumption that the lightning current is injected at the top of the increasing return stroke channel represented by a transmission line. The original model is presented and then extended to take into account the current reflections occurring at ground and at the upper end of the return stroke channel. To this end, the ground reflection factor ρ and the top reflection factor R are introduced. Due to the increasing return stroke channel, the top reflection factor is a function of the return stroke velocity. The total current is composed of the source current according to the original TCS model and the reflected currents. An example shows that the ground reflection causes significant variation in the peak values of the channel-base current and of the maximum current derivative. A major effect was also found for the initial peak of the electric and magnetic fields calculated at 3 km distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present an analysis of electromagnetic fields generated by a lightning return stroke to a tall tower in presence of a horizontally stratified two-layer ground. The electromagnetic fields are evaluated at a distance of 50 m from the tower for two observation points above and below the ground surface, by using the finite-difference time-domain method. The developed numerical model is validated using available experimental data obtained at the CN Tower in Toronto. To illustrate and discuss the effect of the soil stratification on the electromagnetic fields, we adopt two different cases characterized, respectively, by an upper layer less conductive than the lower level, and vice versa. The obtained results show, for the considered distance range (50 m), that the electromagnetic fields above ground at such close distance are nearly insensitive to the ground stratification. However, the underground electromagnetic fields are markedly affected by the properties of the soil layers. In the presence of a lower layer of higher conductivity, the horizontal electric field is characterized by a faster rise time, a significant decrease in amplitude and a bipolar wave-shape compared to that in the case of a homogeneous ground with the upper-layer characteristics. On the other hand, the presence of a lower layer with lower conductivity results in an increase of the peak value of the underground horizontal electric field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the growing power demand of the future, utilities and researchers have considered the addition of dc circuits in existing transmission corridors. The previous research has focused on analyzing the field environment, steady state induction and the negative effects of induction in the hybrid transmission lines. The overhead ground wires (OHGWs) have been used only for improving the lightning performance of overhead lines (OHL). In this paper, the spatial position of OHGWs has been studied with the objective of minimizing the steady state induction between power conductors as well as poorly grounded metallic objects like railroads and fences present near the ac-dc OHL. Candidate space for placement of OHGWs having shielding failure rate of less than four is identified using the conventional electro-geometric model. The steady state induction in the power conductors and nearby metallic objects is studied as a function of position of OHGWs using electro-magnetic transient simulation. The results indicate a strong correlation between the height of OHGWs and magnitude of induced voltage in power conductors, and metallic objects underneath the transmission line. The conscious effort in placement of OHGWs can reduce the magnitude of induced voltages while ensuring adequate lightning performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the coupling effect of an antenna near the lightning channel when the wireless base station lightning rod is attacked by lightning, the simulation models of lightning channel–communication tower and dipole antenna working on the communication frequency of 900 MHz are constructed in this paper based on the CST Studio Suite and FEKO. The results of $S_{2,1}$ calculated by the two simulation software are compared to verify the reliability of the models, then the coupling characteristics of the 900 MHz dipole antenna is discussed in terms of the heights of tower, the heights of the antenna, the horizontal distances of the antenna from the tower, and the polarization directions of the antenna. We find that the induced voltage of the antenna in vertical polarization is much larger than that in horizontal polarization. The further the antenna from the base station tower top, the smaller the induced voltage. When the antenna is within the range of 5 m below the tower top with set heights of 30, 25, 20, and 15 m, the induced voltage of the antenna decreases greatly in response to the reduction of antenna's height, and the closer the antenna to the tower, the greater the change. While outside the range, the induced voltage decreases slowly as the antenna's height reduces, until it almost remains unchanged, and the effect of antenna's horizontal distance from the tower on the induced voltage is not obvious. The induced peak voltage of the antenna is almost linearly decreased with its polarization rotation from vertical to horizontal polarization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the analysis of the lightning performance of high-voltage (HV) underground sections has become increasingly important, thanks to their increasing usage with overhead transmission lines. In this way, the objective of this paper is to investigate the sensitivity of the overvoltages, at the terminal of underground cables (UCs), due to the incidence of negative lightning flashes at the shield wire or the tower top. It is done by means of different representations of the grounding behavior, different points of lightning incidence, different values of soil resistivity, and considering or not the variation of the soil electrical parameters with frequency. It is observed that a reliable investigation on lightning overvoltages is important and it must consider a suitable representation of the grounding behavior. An improper modeling can lead to nonrepresentative results. In this way, it is highlighted how the frequency dependence of the soil parameters influences the results in many different situations. For long distances from the UCs and low soil resistivity regions, all the grounding models produce similar results. On the other hand, for regions with high soil resistivities, the use of a proper model for the tower grounding is important, since the discrepancies between the results produced considering or not the dependence of the soil parameters with frequency become substantial. The inclusion of the grounding behavior with frequency allows to obtain reliable simulations of the transient behavior of the insulated cables, which constitute the underground section under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lightning-related outages are of great concern for power utility companies especially in the tropical regions. Tenaga Nasional Berhad as the system operator in Malaysia realized the importance of this issue. In this paper, statistical information on transmission line outages, together with lightning stroke data, are presented. Lightning data were obtained from TNB Lightning Detection Network which generates lightning density map and other information, such as peak current, polarity, and location of the detected strokes with 500-m location accuracy. A case study on the 500 kV A-to-B line represents statistical information of collected strokes where 18 kA and 14 kA were reported as median values of current peak for negative and positive strokes, respectively. Mean values are 22 kA for negative strokes and 17 kA for positive strokes. About 93% of 658 619 collected strokes from 2004 to 2015 are negative whereas the remaining are positive. A total of 582 (90%) negative strokes and 65 (10%) positive strokes were recorded along a selected case line where 83% of outages were reported to occur on the top phase. Lightning stroke density, terrain characteristics, tower footing resistance, and monsoon activities were highlighted as contributing factors on line performance due to lightning in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a probabilistic evaluation of energy absorption capability of transmission line surge arresters (SAs), based on Monte-Carlo method. In the presented approach, a wideband model of tower-footing grounding system is adopted taking to account both constant and frequency-dependent soil electrical parameters. Furthermore, the effect of multistroke lightning flashes on the energy stress experienced by SAs is taken into account. To this aim, simulation is performed for a typical 400-kV transmission line which is modeled in EMTP-RV. From the simulation results, it is found that the absorbed energy is significantly affected by the modeling type of grounding system, i.e., static or wideband model. This effect seems to be more pronounced for the soil characterized by frequency-dependence electrical parameters. The presented results show that wideband modeling of grounding system can affect the estimated lifetime and the energy absorption capability of SAs. Hence, the wideband model of grounding system is suggested to be taken into account for the proper selection and sizing of SAs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The lightning-related outages remain a significant factor affecting overhead-line reliability in the Israel Electric Co. (IECo) Power Grid 170 kV. The estimates derived for years 2000–2013 show that the actual failure rate for some lines does considerably exceed the accepted indices. This paper reports on the lightning study whose primary goal was to examine relevant environmental data, including topography, tower footing resistance, and lightning incidence records provided by the IECo lightning location system. This paper presents long-term monitoring experience and local statistical data patterns gained for cloud-to-ground return strokes. The 295 outage-related flashes (265 of negative and 30 of positive polarity) were identified in the IECo database. The median peak current of the negative and positive flashes causing line outages is -12.0 kA and +26 kA, respectively. The local tower footing resistances are found to be lognormal distributed with a median of 4.77 \Omega and an SD of 1.44. The findings imply that revealed failure currents statistics, in combination with local route topography, are key factors controlling shielding performance of IECo lines. The acquired data will be involved in further case studies on IECo lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new approach to wideband modeling of tower footing grounding impedances. Appropriate representation of transmission tower footing impedances is essential in electromagnetic (EM) transient simulations for proper evaluation of overvoltages and flashovers in the system during fast-front transient conditions such as lightning strikes. In this paper, a field solver is used to precisely model the most popular types of tower footing grounding systems, i.e., rods, counterpoises, and ring electrodes, for a variety of dimensions and soil parameters. Results are stored in a lookup table and used for generating frequency-dependent models that are exported to EM transient simulators. The table and model generation tool can be used by utility companies to model tower footings while taking into account local variations along the right-of-way, such as local variations in soil resistivity. The presented examples show close agreement of results of lightning studies using developed electrode models included in EM tools, e.g., PSCAD, EMTP-RV, and ATP-EMTP. A sensitivity study shows that the maximum voltage at the tower top during a direct lightning strike can be up to 19% higher when using the adopted modeling procedure, as compared to a standard approach of using a fixed resistor equal to the power frequency resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lightning is a substantial cause that leads to serious lightning failures, which has a significant influence on the normal operation of the entire power grid. This paper mainly focused on several regions of China with serious lightning activity, presenting the lightning performance of power grids by statistics obtained from long-term monitoring data, and intended to indicate some general characteristics. The lightning tripout rate, the shielding failure tripout ratio, the occurrence frequency corresponding tripout failures of different phases of single-circuit or double-circuit transmission lines, and the multicircuit simultaneous tripout failures of multicircuit transmission lines were analyzed. These statistical results presented a panorama of the lightning protection effect of transmission lines in China. The statistical data in this paper are informative to guide the future research or engineering practice of lightning protection of transmission lines, and will be helpful to evaluate the analysis methods of lightning performance of transmission lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The operation experiences of power transmission lines show the lightning outage is still the main part of the total outage rate. So it is very important to calculate the lightning overvoltage across the insulators precisely and evaluate the lightning outage of the transmission lines correctly. Lightning flashover criterion of the insulator/gap is one of the most important factors that influence the precise calculation results of the lightning withstand level of transmission lines. In China, several ?800 kV ultra high voltage direct current (UHVDC) power transmission projects have been set up in recent years, and the altitude of the regions that the transmission lines across ranges from 0-3650 m. The paper mainly analyzed the influence of the modelling methods of insulator/gap on the lightning withstand level of ?800 kV UHVDC transmission lines by PSCAD/EMTDC program. The compared lightning flashover criteria of insulator/gap include the leader propagation model recommended by CIGRE, the volt/time curve recommended by IEEE and an improved leader propagation model, which is proposed based on the lightning flashover experiments of the ?800 kV UHVDC line insulators carried out at an altitude of 2100 m. Meanwhile, the influences of lightning current waveform and insulator structure were also considered and compared. The simulation results show that the calculated back-flashover lightning withstand level is much lower when using the improved leader propagation than that using other flashover criterions in the paper, it is lower under the 2.6/50 ?s double exponential lightning current than that under the 2.0/50 ?s Heidler function lightning current, and it is higher when using V-string than that using I-string insulator. Besides, the influences of the lightning current waveform and the insulator structure on the calculation of shielding failure lightning withstand level are little, but the flashover criterion has obvious influences on the shielding failure lightning withstand level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the companion paper, a methodology for computing transmission-line short circuits caused by direct and nearby ground lightning incidence was described. This paper presents the application of methodological and computational procedures of this methodology, regarding the calculation of lightning performance of transmission lines. From the computed results, focusing on 138- and 230-kV typical three-phase transmission lines, the effectiveness of the described process is clear, even when the line is modeled three-dimensionally or when nonlinear elements are present, for example, when arresters are installed in the line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is divided into two main parts. The first one describes the computation of the number of lightning strokes that directly hit transmission lines as well as those strokes that hit the earth’s surface near a line and can provoke very high overvoltages. The second one describes a process for computing the consequent short circuits in a line caused by both types of stroke incidence. In the companion paper, some application examples are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Models of one or several extremely simple transmission towers (pylons) are usually used for analyzing the influence of lightning strikes on power network. Models of more complex transmission towers with transmission lines, ground wires and even lightning channel are required. In this paper, first of all, the reason why one only focuses on the magnetic field at the observation points is briefly explained. Secondly, a method used to get the time-domain results from the frequency-domain results by Antenna Design Framework Electromagnetic Satellite (ADF?EMS) software is established and its validity is proved. Thirdly, the effects of the lightning channels with different geometries are discussed. Finally, this paper comes up with a complex multi-tower system under the following fault types of lightning strikes, 1) direct lightning strikes to the edge phase wire without flashover, 2) direct lightning strikes to the edge phase wire with flashover, 3) lightning strikes to the top of the tower without flashover, and 4) lightning strikes to the top of the tower with back flashover. The magnetic field waveforms from these fault types are very important for the follow-up activity to achieve the fault type identification of lightning strikes in the observation system automatically. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article proposes the deconvolution method to evaluate the lightning channel-base current from the lightning magnetic field. We have verified the method using the magnetic field with/;without noises. The deconvolution results are both in good agreement with the simulated current. Also, we have discussed the deconvolution results when the condition number of the deconvolution matrix, $U_{{0}}$ , is different, and found that the deconvolution results will oscillate if the condition number of $U_{{0}}$ is very large. Note that the deconvolution method presented in this paper also works when using other engineering current models, such as transmission line (TL) model, and the modified TL model with exponential current decaying with height model, and so on. The deconvolution method is an efficient method to evaluate the lightning channel-base current from the electromagnetic field. This approach is also useful in research related to lightning characteristics and lightning protection. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, the lightning shielding performance of a newly designed 400-k \textV double-circuit composite tower is investigated. Based on a revised electrogeometric model (EGM) method, traditional shielding failure regions located at both sides of a traditional tower are no longer a big issue for the fully composite tower, due to its unusual ^\prime Y^\prime configuration. Instead, a new unprotected region exists in the tower center. The maximum lightning current that can lead to shielding failure and the shielding failure rate of the new tower are calculated. To verify results from the revised EGM method, a scale model test is conducted. Spatial shielding failure probability around the tower is calculated based on the ratio of discharge paths recorded in the test. Moreover, based on test results, the maximum shielding failure lightning currents are obtained. Analysis and results derived from the revised EGM method and scale model test have a small deviation, verifying the feasibility of these two methods in the lightning performance evaluation of the fully composite tower. Both methods confirm that the unusual negative shielding angle of -\text60^\circ in the newly composite tower provides good lightning shielding performance. The feasibility of the novel composite tower is verified from the lightning protection point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In order to solve the frequently occurring lightning flashover problems on ±500 kV dc transmission lines in China, the authors have conducted the research on the dc line arrester since 2011. In this paper, the structure and installation, technical parameters, and protection performances, as well as their deterministic processes of the arrester are presented and analyzed in detail. In 2013, the authors successfully developed the arrester products, and the type tests show that they have excellent performance parameters and can act effectively against the lightning impulse and cutoff the dc follow current. By now more than 500 dc line arresters have been installed and used on seven ±500 kV dc transmission lines in eight provinces of China. About four years of operating experience shows that the arresters work safely and reliably over a long period of time, and have been effectively reducing the lightning flashover rate of the ±500 kV dc lines. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes the Powell (PPSO) method. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is combined with the Powell algorithm to identify the parameters of lightning channel-base current function. The method can overcome the problem of premature convergence for PSO algorithm, and improve the analysis accuracy. The Heidler function is used to represent the lightning channel-base current. We have compared the PPSO method and genetic algorithm (GA) on reaching the desired peak value of the current Im and the maximum time rate of change of current (di/dt)max. The results show that the parameters of Heidler function evaluated by the PPSO method can achieve more accurate values of Im and (di/dt )max than those evaluated by GA. Also, we have compared the PPSO method, the Nelder–Mead particle swarm optimization (NMPSO) method, and PSO method using the measured channel-base current. The results show that the PPSO method is better than the NMPSO and PSO method to determine the channel-base current function parameters. The PPSO method is an efficient method to identify the channel-base function parameters, which can improve the digitalization of lightning monitoring equipment. This approach is also useful in research related to lightning characteristics and lightning protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new method of risk assessment for lightning shielding flashover in transmission lines. This is used to improve the performance of lightning shielding failure which is a frequently serious problem. The method can be efficiently implemented in the optimization of a 3-D model. Three-dimensional laser scanning is used to derive the analytical 3-D model to high precision. This includes the data of the whole span line's structure and terrain parameters. In this study, the evaluation of lightning shielding flashover risk of each tower is calculated using the whole span calculation method associated with the laser scanning data and the given parameters of lightning activities. The evaluation results for the Gechen line in the zone near the Three Gorges area are presented based on the proposed method. Using a comparison of theoretical values and actual statistical data, this paper concludes that the proposed new method has better performance than the traditional method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Wind power plants are one of the most widespread sources of electric energy during the last few decades. Wind towers are quite often exposed to lightning strikes due to their tall height and long blades. In this paper, the lightning-induced voltages (LIVs) on a three-phase overhead line are computed for both first and subsequent strokes to a nearby grounded wind tower using the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method with homogeneous and horizontally stratified grounds. The horizontal electric fields are computed on the line and on the ground surface considering the transient grounding and characteristic impedances of the struck wind tower. The impact of the existence of wind tower on LIVs and horizontal electric fields is illustrated by removing the tower (i.e., return stroke to the ground surface). Finally, the influence of ground permittivity on the peak values of LIVs is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To study the lighting shielding of ultrahigh voltage (UHV) transmission lines across mountains and the hillside effects on discharge process, experiments have been carried out with a reduced scale tower model. As the spatial electric field is changed by the slope, the space of shielding failure is enlarged. When the high-voltage electrode is 5 m to the transmission line, the vertical length of shielding failure is 8 m for the 30° slope, which is larger than 5.17 m for the flat ground. The maximum probabilities of striking the lines are 95% for the slope and 75% for the flat ground. When the vertical distance from the high-voltage electrode to the hillside is less than that to the transmission lines, the probabilities of discharge striking the flat ground are 85% for the 5-m gap and 94% for the slope for the same gap. When the vertical distance from the high-voltage electrode to the hillside is equal to that to the flat area, the hillside does not affect the average discharge voltage apparently but discharge time and discharge dispersity. The results of this paper are valuable for lighting protection of UHV transmission lines in mountainous areas. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents the results of a radiated electromagnetic field due to lightning strike to a tall tower sitting on a mountainous terrain when considering both the first and subsequent return strokes. A cone-shaped ground with finite conductivity represents the mountainous terrain; and a cylindrical two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) scheme is used to determine the lightning-generated electromagnetic fields. The return stroke channel is modeled using the antenna theory model with fixed inductive loading which is appropriately incorporated into the FDTD algorithm. Simulation results are presented for different values of the cone angle and height, and for different values of the tower height. It is shown that when the first and subsequent return strokes hit a tower on a cone-shaped ground, the radiated electric and magnetic fields experience an enhancement in their amplitudes as compared to the case where the tower sits on a flat ground. Also, the current reflections from the tower base, influencing the current distribution along the tower and radiated electromagnetic field waveforms, depend on the cone angle and height, as well as the tower height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transient electric field distribution under lightning impulse voltage (LIV) is vital to the reliability of 750 kV composite cross-arm. However, the transient electric field of electrical equipment under impulse voltage has usually been substituted by the equivalent sinusoidal voltage, without considering the variation of permittivity with frequency. Using the frequency decomposition computation method (FDCM) based on finite element method (FEM), this paper presents the study of transient electric field under LIV for a 750 kV composite cross-arm. The LIV waveform has been decomposed via Fourier transformation. The complex dielectric functions of the insulation materials used in composite cross-arm have been investigated, and the computation parameters for the dc and each harmonic component of LIV have been obtained. Then, the transient electric field distribution can be computed through the superposition of responses from dc and each harmonic component. Moreover, the computation results have been compared with that using traditional method. The comparison indicates that the potential distribution of composite cross-arm is similar. The maximum percentages of electric field strength difference on fittings and silicone rubber sheath are 2.9 %, 14 %, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the current spreading of wind farms all over the world and their vulnerability to lightning strikes, it is important to investigate the lightning electromagnetic transients in wind farms. Underground cables are one of the essential parts in wind farms that link the turbines with the electrical grid. This paper investigates how the ground conductivity and relative permittivity, struck wind tower position, and rise time of lightning current influence the lightning electromagnetic fields impinging the underground cable sheath. The three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method is implemented for this study. The lightning current through the cable sheath and its associated electric field can be effectively mitigated by connecting the grounding systems of the wind towers by underground bare wires called as counterpoise. Accordingly, the mitigation effect of counterpoise on the lightning current through the sheath and its associated electric field is also investigated. The results show that the lightning current through the cable sheath and its associated electric field is higher with lower ground conductivity. Moreover, it is revealed that the effect of both ground permittivity and struck wind tower position on the associated electric field and the sheath current is dependent on the ground conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a theoretical analysis of the propagation effects of lightning electromagnetic fields over a mountainous terrain. The analysis is supported by experimental observations consisting of simultaneous records of lightning currents and electric fields associated with upward negative lightning flashes to the instrumented Säntis tower in Switzerland. The propagation of lightning electromagnetic fields along the mountainous region around the Säntis tower is simulated using a full-wave approach based on the finite-difference time-domain method and using the two-dimensional topographic map along the direct path between the tower and the field measurement station located at about 15 km from the tower. We show that, considering the real irregular terrain between the Säntis tower and the field measurement station, both the waveshape and amplitude of the simulated electric fields associated with return strokes and fast initial continuous current pulses are in excellent agreement with the measured waveforms. On the other hand, the assumption of a flat ground results in a significant underestimation of the peak electric field. Finally, we discuss the sensitivity of the obtained results to the assumed values for the return stroke speed and the ground conductivity, the adopted return stroke model, as well as the presence of the building on which the sensors were located. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave relay stations are key components in controlling power grids and maintaining their stability, but lightning strikes to the stations may cause faults, malfunctions, or even physical damage to microwave radio equipment. To protect equipment from lightning, it is necessary to predict surge phenomena in a microwave relay station, and design effective lightning protection methodologies. Recently, numerical electromagnetic field computation methods to solve Maxwell's equations have entered widespread use for analyzing surge phenomena in 3-D structures such as buildings and towers and in grounding structures such as grounding grids. In this paper, we apply the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method to the surge analysis of a microwave relay station. First, to validate the applicability of the FDTD method, we set up a reduced-scale model of a microwave relay station. Using this model, we measured the distribution of the currents flowing through the station and compared the measured results with those simulated by the FDTD method. Second, through FDTD-based surge simulations, we analyzed the effects of the reinforcing bars of a building, the route of the ground wire of a waveguide, and the layout of a deep earth electrode on the lightning current distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subject matter of this paper is the analysis of the high-frequency oscillation of the lightning currents which have been measured at the top of the Peissenberg Tower, Germany. The oscillations appeared only during the initial period of fast-rising currents. In 2007, the tower top section was removed and replaced by a smaller construction. As a result, the frequency of the oscillation changed from formerly ∼12.5 to ∼6 MHz. The oscillations could be reproduced with simulations using the computer code CONCEPT II. It was found that the high-frequency current oscillation is caused by the transient response of the top structure of the Peissenberg Tower. The currents at lower sections of the tower as well as the nearby electric and magnetic field (∼190 m from the tower) contained less significant pulsation. As a major result, the presence of the tower increased the risetime of the fast-rising currents. Probably for this reason, the highest maximum current steepness ever recorded was limited to 155 kA/μs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the evaluation of lightning performance of transmission lines considering the wide-band modeling of their associated tower-footing grounding systems. To this aim, first, the grounding system admittance matrix over the frequency range of interest is obtained by making use of the method of moments solution to Maxwell's equations. In the next stage, the matrix pencil method is used to infer the pole-residue identification of the obtained admittance matrix. Finally, the obtained pole-residue model is incorporated into the EMTP-RV in the form of a state-space block. The back-flashover analysis is done for a typical 132-kV transmission line, while the tower-footing grounding system is modeled in three different ways namely: 1) static-model, 2) wide-band model assuming constant electrical parameters for the soil, and 3) wide-band model assuming frequency-dependent electrical parameters for the soil. From the simulations, it is found that the inclusion of the wide-band model of the tower-footing grounding system can markedly affect the total probability of back-flashover in transmission lines. This effect is more pronounced when the frequency dependence of soil electrical parameters is taken into account. It is shown that considering the wide-band modeling of tower-footing grounding system can affect (either decrease or increase) the total back-flashover probability of transmission lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a technical/economic comparison between remedial measures aimed at improving the lightning performance of an existing Italian three-phase 150-kV overhead line. The line is characterized by a very high back-flashover rate (BFOR), due to large grounding resistance values. Two countermeasures are proposed: grounding system improvement with additional vertical rods and line metal oxide surge arrester (MOSA) installation on one or all phases. A Monte Carlo ATP-EMTP procedure developed by the authors, which takes into account both the tower grounding nonlinear transient response due to soil ionization and MOSA nonlinear response, has been applied to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of the proposed countermeasures. The installation of MOSA on all phases is technically the best option, but it is relatively expensive. Tower grounding improvement and MOSA installation on the lower phase yield very similar BFORs: the economic comparison strongly depends on tower's accessibility and soil nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]