SIXTH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM NIKOLA TESLA October 18 20, 2006, Belgrade, SASA, Serbia

Ground Fault Current Distribution for the Fault Anywhere Along the Feeding Line Consisting of Three Single-Core Cables
Ljubivoje M. Popovic1
Abstract The paper presents an original analytical procedure giving analytical expressions for the determination of ground fault current distribution for a fault located anywhere along a feeding cable line consisting of three single-core cables. The used analytical expressions are mathematically rigorous and take into account all the relevant factors without introducing some larger approximations or idealizations of the real electrical circuit. Correct estimation of ground fault current distribution is necessary in contemporary engineering practice due to at least two important reasons. One of them is the possibility to a correct estimation of dangerous potential differences, touch and step voltage, which may appear during a ground fault at grounding system of the supplied station. The second reason is the possibility to choose single-core cables of the feeding cable lines with a metallic sheath cross-section large enough to withstand thermal strains caused by fault currents. The final result of the use of the analytical expressions used here is the possibility to determine safe and cost-effective solutions regarding the grounding systems of the supplied stations and regarding the cross-sections of the metallic sheaths of single-core cables. Keywords cable sheath, ground fault current distribution, safety conditions, substation grounding.

I. INTRODUCTION
The reduction factor is a very important parameter of MV and HV power cables and its value must be taken into account when designing a grounding system of a supplied station. It is defined as the ratio of the part of the ground fault current returning to its supply sources in power system through the ground and the total ground fault current. It is assumed at that the metallic sheath (or sheaths, when the cable line consists of single-core cables) at the ends of the feeding line is connected with grounding electrodes/systems whose resistances /impedances to the remote earth is negligible, i.e. approximately zero (e.g. [1]). Based on such an assumption, the remaining part of the ground fault current appears in the sheath(s) solely as a consequence of the inductive coupling between the faulted phase conductor and the metallic ----------1

Ljubivoje M. Popovic is with PD "Elektrodistribucija-Beograd", Masarinova 1-3, 11000 Beograd, E-mail: ljubivoje@beotel.yu

sheath(s) of the cable. Since this part of the fault current does not circulate through the ground, it does not contribute to the creation of any potential on the grounding system of the supplied substation. Thus it may be said that the reduction factor expresses only the influence of the inductive coupling between the phase conductors and the metallic sheath(s) on the reduction of the fault current injecting into the surrounding earth through the grounding system of the supplied substation. Since three-core cables have only a single metallic sheath, the inductive coupling between the sheath and the phase conductors depends only on the designed characteristics of the cable. Thus the reduction factor represents mainly a characteristic of the cable itself and is usually given as the manufacturer's data. The situation is different with single-core cables. In a three-phase system a cable line consists of three such cables laid in the ground in different manners, forming either a triangular or a flat formation. When they are in a flat formation they may touch each other or may be laid on a certain distance from each other. Due to this, the reduction factor of the cable lines consisting of three single-core cables does not depend on the designed characteristics only, but also on their spatial disposition in each particular case. The following should be said about the relevant design characteristics of single core cables. According to [4] all PE and XLPE cables for voltages above 1.8/ 3kV should have a metallic shield (sheath). Its main function is to enclose the electric field inside the cable. This is accomplished by surrounding the insulation of a conductor with a layer of round copper wires, covered with a copper strap helically wrapped in opposite direction. A total cross section of the sheath has to satisfy ampacity requirements, especially during the fault conditions. Beside this, the cables planned for use under large mechanical stress have also mechanical protection, armor. The armor of single core cables is made of non magnetic material, usually an aluminum alloy. Based on the previously given definition of the reduction factor, a part of the ground fault current injected into the earth through the grounding system of the supplied station is equal

to the product of the reduction factor and the total ground fault current [1, 2, 3]. Thus it can be said that the knowledge of the reduction factor is of primary importance in the estimation of the safety conditions in the supplied substation. If a value of reduction factor higher than actual one is used, this results in conservative estimations regarding the required safety conditions and possibly to excessive (undue) expenses for their realization. If a value below the actual one is used, this may result in an erroneous conclusion that the safety conditions are fulfilled where this is not the case. These are the reasons why it is of prime importance for the designer of a supplied station to be able to determine the value of the reduction factor as accurately as possible. However, these are not the only reasons why the future users of this type of cables (power distribution companies) should have the data on the reduction factor as accurate as possible. If the procedure of the estimation of the reduction factor is such to give values significantly above the actual ones, this means that the manufacturer will produce cables with a significantly larger metallic sheath cross-section than the one corresponding to the real value of the reduction factor. Bearing in mind that the lengths of the MV and HV cables laid each year into the distribution networks are enormous and permanently growing, any undue increase of the sheath crosssection can mean higher cable costs to the user. It is also important to know the following. In three-phase MV cable networks, where, normally the cross bonding (the metallic sheaths transposition) is not used, each increase of the cross-section of the metallic sheaths increases the losses of electric energy caused by circulating currents [1]. Since the circulating currents appear under normal operating conditions, these increased losses exist during the whole time of the cable line utilization. Bearing in mind the enormous lengths of MV cable lines in distribution networks of urban areas, it is clear that this type of expenses also can reach high total amount. Also, additional losses in cable sheaths cause additional heating, which results in a certain decrease of the currentcarrying capacity of the cable lines and the whole distribution network. This unavoidably results in significant financial expenditures. According to the previous discussion the thickness (cross section) of the metal sheath must satisfy some contradictory requirements. Thus, it is economically justified to look for an optimal size when choosing the cross section of the metallic sheath for cables in a particular distribution network. To reach this goal we must have, inter alias, a method as accurate as possible, enabling the calculation of the ground fault current distribution for the fault at any place along the cable line. The problem of the determination of the reduction factor for the cable lines consisting of three single-core cables was for a long time without an adequate solution. The manufacturers give the data about the reduction factor that refers to one only, completely separated single-core cable (or as produced and sold by manufacturers). However, the distribution companies use them mainly in formation of three single-core cables laid in the same trench. The metallic sheaths of these cables are connected and grounded at the cable line ends.

A solution to this problem was offered in [1]. The analytical expressions derived in that paper enable the determination of the ground fault current distribution for a fault located anywhere along the line composed of three single-core cables. Analysis that will be presented in this paper is based on these expressions.

II. NECESSARY ANALYTICAL EXPRESSIONS

The most general case regarding the cables disposition is when the cables are laid in a flat formation with spacing. This case is shown in Fig. 1. At that, it is assumed that the ground fault current is in the core of one of the other cables (the worst case from the standpoint of the safety conditions in the substation being supplied and the inductive influence of the line [1]).

3 2rS

Fig. 1 Single-core flat formation with spacing The reduction factor in the case presented in Fig. 1, according to [2], is determined by the following expression

r=

R' S + Zm 2 Z+ Zm

2 Z Zm m Zm Z Zm

(1)

where - Z' represents the self impedance of one cable sheath determined by

Z ' = R' S +

0
8

+ j

0 ln ; 2 rS

/ km

( 2)

- Z'm represents
Z 'm =

the mutual impedance between two

adjacent cables

0
8

+ j

0 ln ; 2 d

/ km

(3)

- is equivalent earth penetration depth determined by

= 658
-

(4)

R'S is cable sheath resistance, /km ; d is distance between to adjacend cables ; rS is outer radius of the cable sheath, m ; is angular frequency, =2f ;

- 0 is magnetic permeability of vacuum 4107 Vs/Am - f is nominal frequency and - is equivalent soil resistivity along the cable line. The impedance Z'm2 is also determined by the Eq. (2), only according to Fig. 2 instead of "d" a "2d" appears in it. This is the reason why "2" is used in the index of the symbol for this impedance. Analytical Eq. (1) can be easy modified for the triangular cables formation that is frequently used in practice. In this case cables are buried in a bundle and their positions are such that their centers are placed on tops of an equal sided triangle (i.e. each cable is located at a mutual distance d2rS). This means that in this case the impedance Z'm2 is equal to the impedance Z'm (Z'm2= Zm). By introducing it into (1) we obtain R' S (5) r= Z '+2 Z ' m If we eliminate Z' and Z'm from this relation using (2) and (4) we obtain R' S r= (6) 0 0 ln + 2 ln R' S +3 + j 2 d rS

grounding resistance at the fault location) the current that would flow directly into the ground as a consequence of such damage would be negligibly small. Starting from the assumption that the influence of increased potentials in the stations A and B is negligible (Za0, Zb0), the currents through the metallic sheaths

L A lA lB B Ia IA FIB Ib
Za Zb

IEA

IEB

Fig. 2 Distribution of the total ground-fault current The notations in the given circuit have the following meaning: IA (IB) - component of the total ground fault current, Ia (Ib) - total fault current through the metallic sheaths toward/from the station A (B), IEA (IEB) fault current returning through the earth toward/from the station A (B), Za(Zb) - impedance of the grounding system of the station A (B). shown in Fig. 2 are determined by the following relations

After certain algebraic manipulations the given expression obtains the following more concise form R' S (7) r= 0 + j 3 0 ln R ' S +3 8 2 3 r d 2
S

With a negligible error the Eq. (7) can be also used for the cables laid in flat formation. The reduction factor for the fault anywhere along the line, according to [1], is given by the following expression

l (8) r; L It is not difficult to conclude according to the Eq. (8) that in the case of a ground fault near the supply station A (the beginning of the line) the reduction factor r(l) reaches a nearzero value. This means that in that case the total fault current If at the line section between the fault location and the supply station A returns to the power system solely through the metallic sheath of the faulted cable. However, in real conditions, especially in the case of HV networks, the total fault current represents the sum of two components, one arriving from the station A (IA) and the second one arriving from the station B (IB). In that case, according to the previous consideration and the principle of superposition, the total ground fault current is distributed in the manner shown in Fig. 2. The ground fault current distribution shown in Fig. 2 is furnished under the assumption that the insulating layer covering the metallic sheath in the fault location is not damaged. However, even if it is, in real conditions (large r (l ) =

l l Z l Z I a = 1 r A I A + r A I A F + r B I B F L L Z 'l A L Z 'l A l l Z l Z I b = 1 r B I B + r B I B F + r A I A F L L Z 'lB L Z 'l A

(9)

(10)

where ZF - grounding impedance of the sheath at the fault location determined according to the circuit shown in Fig. 2 using the relation

1 1 ZF = Z 'l + Z 'l B A

(11)

The currents through the sheaths Ia and Ib have their maximum values if the faults are located very near the station A (la0) and the station B (lb0), respectively. The highest one is the current through the sheath of the faulted cable, I1, (I1 > I2 > I3, or I2 = I3; where I2 and I3 denote currents in the sheaths of unfaulted cables). Using the scheme given in Fig. 2

it is not difficult to show that the values of this current at two critical locations (near the station A and near the station B) can be evaluated on the safe side by the following approximations

those at the end of the line (in the supply station). From the point of view of thermal stress of the metallic sheath the critical faults are those near the beginning of the line.

2 I 1 (l a 0) I A + rI B 3 2 I 1 (l b 0) I B + rI A . 3

(12) (13)

The larger one of the values obtained by these equations is necessary for the correct selection of the metallic sheath capable to withstand the thermal stress during the ground fault. As the impedances Za and Zb are neglected, these equations give results that are on the safe side. The given expression should be useful in selecting and dimensioning the cables metallic sheath which, according to [5], should be regulated through the corresponding national standards.

III. QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS

Based on the expressions presented here we will perform a calculation for a 10km long, 110 kV cable line consisting of three single-core cables in a solidly earthed 50 Hz network. The relevant data on the single-core XLPE-insulated cables with copper sheath (copper screen of wires and a helix) are rs = 0.0465 m and R's = 0.35 /km. The cables are laid in triangular formation (d = 0.097 m); while the other necessary data are: = 931 m (or, = 931m), Ifa =10 kA and Ifb =0. The results of the calculation are presented in Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 4 Reduction factors ra and rb It is also interesting to note that the total ground fault current do not decrease along the whole line length. It can be explained by the influence of the grounding impedance at the fault place.

IV. CONCLUSIONS
In this paper accurate analytical expressions are derived for the determination of the ground fault current distribution for a fault at any place along the cable line, which consists of three single core cables. The use of the derived expressions enables a correct estimation of the safety requirements for stations supplied by this type of cables, as well as the selection of the metallic sheath of the cable to satisfy the anticipated ground fault conditions.

REFERENCES
[1] Lj. M. Popovi, "Determination of the Reduction Factor for Feeding Cable Lines Consisting of three Single-Core Cables", IEEE Trans. Power Delivery, Vol. 18, pp. 736-743, July 2003. [2] Lj. M. Popovi, "Accurate Analytical Expressions for the Reduction Factor of Feedimg Lines Consisting of Three Single-Core Cables", International Congress, CIDEL Argentina, November 2006. [3] Int. Std., 2003, ref. CEI/IEC 60909-3, Short-circuit currents in three phase a.c. systems - Part 3: Currents during two separate simultaneous line - to line earth short circuits ant partial short circuits folowing through earth.

Fig. 3 Currents: Ifa, Iea, and Ieb, along the cable line According to these figures it is clear the following: From the point of view of safety conditions in the supplied station the critical faults are those in the station itself. From the point of view of inductive influence to exposed metal installations the critical faults are also

[4] Int. Std., ref. CEI/IEC 183, Guide to selection of high-voltage cables.