Study Committee B1 Insulated Cables

Overhead to Underground Transmission Line Coupling Technical Recommendations to Brazilian Utilities

Louredo, N.H.G.R de; Karabolad, E.F; Lopes, J.C.R Vale, P.A.M do Peixoto, C.D
EDS Engenharia e Consultoria LTDA Inovatec CEB Light SESA

Motivation
Transitions installations in Brazil are found in closed areas ( substations ) : breakers , switches, CTs and PTs. Unsucceed several recent solicitations >probably due to the high costs and visual impact of the transition substations required by utilities in Brazil. Currently in Brazil the experience related to overhead to underground transitions in HV and EHV voltage classes is somewhat limited. Creation of WG B1-05, to elaborate a recommendation based on international practices and concrete technical arguments, in order to make feasible and to facilitate the implementation of safe and compact transitions. The main issues are: easy access to installation, visual impact, availability of areas with appropriate dimensions, people protection, connections, maintenance, costs and so on.

Some survey graphics

Do your utility have overhead to underground (or viceversa) transitions on transmission lines? What are the voltage classes of these lines?

What type of transition(s) is (are) installed in your utility system?

Method/Approach
To survey about existing mixed transmission lines among the Brazilian utilities Search of international technical papers regarding mixed transmission lines Assess the results of the survey and the research on technical papers to propose recommendations regarding protection schemes and reclosing criteria for mixed transmission lines in Brazil Regarding to the protection and switchgear devices, what is (are) the type(s) that is (are) installed in the transition site?:

Objects of investigation
Survey : Questionnaire >It should be noted that the research was developed with Brazilian utilities that have underground HV lines. International Technical Papers: CIGRE: TB s 250 and 338 SC B5- Paper 315-Colloquium 2007 Madrid Spain Tziouvaras : Protection of HV AC cables Zihan Xu T.s. Sidhu Power cable protection Session CIGRE 2002 WG 21-108 XIII ERIAC 2007 Papers B1-01 and B1-02 Regarding to reclosing, how the utility operates these lines?:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

http://www.cigre.org

Study Committee B1 Insulated Cables

Overhead to Underground Transmission Line Coupling Technical Recommendations to Brazilian Utilities
continued
Set of transitions and switching to overhead branch output (138 kV Utility: AES Eletropaulo UG /OH ScaniaWheaton)-Sao Bernardo do Campo SP -SouthEast Brazil OH/UG Transition Brasilia Centro Mangueiral ( 138 kV Utility : CEB Brazil Federal District - Central-West -Brazil

Conclusion Recommendations
Protection Transition Structure (concrete pole) with surge arresters (138 kV Utility :LIGHT SESA UG/OH Recreio) Rio de Janeiro RJ Southeast Brazil 1.Protection device: common practice > surge arrester 2.Protection relays: Relays most commonly used in the overhead lines, cannot localize precisely typical faults in UG: i)Protection schemes using distance relays: Not recommended due to difficulties presented primarily by the fact that the relay would look different impedances for the various types of grounding (nonlinearity of the zero sequence impedance, ii)Protection schemes using differential relays: There are applications that using differential relays, but in this scheme mainly the effects of charging currents and shunt-reactor (if applicable) should be compensated.)high costs solution) iii)Protection schemes using impedance relays: This alternative can replace the differential relays, but at the time of commissioning tests it is necessary to make measurements of the impedance parameters (underground length less than overhead length). Reclosing i)In systems where the length of the UG portion is approximately 10% of the total length of the circuit is usually enabled the autoreclosing. ii)When the length of underground transmission line is very short, less than 300 meters, it is allowed high-speed reclosing. iii)In some cases, it is more economical that the underground transmission line portion is thermally rated.

Transition Santa Catarina ( Continent and Island sides) 230 kV Utility ELETROSUL Biguau Desterro SC -South Brazil

http://www.cigre.org