Proceedings of the 16th International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering

ISBN 978-0-620-44584-9 Copyright c 2009 SAIEE, Innes House, Johannesburg

A CALCULATION OF SWITCHING TRANSIENT OVERVOLTAGE ON

COMBINED TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS
C.K. Jung*1 J.W. Kang1, K.S. Lim2 and J.B. Lee2
1
Transmission and Distribution Research Lab.
KEPRI(Korea Electric Power Research Institute), 103-16 Munji-dong , Daejeon, South Korea
2
Department of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering
Wonkwang University, 344-2 Shinyong-dong , Iksan, South Korea
*Email: chekyun@kepri.re.kr

Abstract: Switching overvoltage may cause the breakdown of power cable or joint box on
combined transmission systems. This paper describes the characteristic of switching transient
overvoltage on 154[kV] combined transmission systems. The switching transient is analysed by
various fault conditions including fault resistance, the amplitude of trapped charge and
underground power cable rate using statistical approach. This paper is also analysed the reduction
effects of switching transient by surge arrester installation.

1. INTRODUCTION combined transmission systems, and 3-phase reclosing

Some kinds of overvoltage are generally generated by
lightning surge, switching surge and ground fault, etc.
on combined transmission systems[1-2]. Accurate
analysis of these overvoltages is also very important to
the reliable estimation of power system operation
because it has effect on the insulation design of
underground cable and various power devices.
Switching impulse withstand level of extra high
voltage transmission line insulators are also generally
lower than the lightning impulse withstand level[3-4].
Therefore, some measurements are needed to protect
the transmission line against switching overvoltages.
Moreover, the study on effect of the switching
overvoltage needs in special transmission systems such
as combined transmission systems. The combined
transmission system means the system which is mixed
overhead transmission with underground cables. The
transient characteristics are different between the
combined transmission system and just overhead
transmission or just underground power cables.
has been considered. The switching transient is
evaluated by various fault conditions including fault
resistance of 1[] to 50[], trapped charge of 100[%]
and 110[%]. This paper also considers the underground
power cable rate, and analyses the reduction effects by
surge arrester.
Switching overvoltages caused by line energization, 3-
phase reclosing under various fault conditions have
been investigated by statistical approach. The
calculations are only performed by computer
simulation of EMTP/ATP, the results can contribute to
the insulation co-ordination redesign on 154[kV]
combined transmission systems.
After brief review of the combined transmission model
system and fault conditions in second section, the
switching overvoltages will be evaluated by statistical
approach in section 3. The last section concludes the
paper.
2. MODEL SYSTEM

This paper discusses the characteristic of switching The diagram of combined transmission system to be
transient overvoltage performance on 154[kV]
154kV
ACSR 330
3 phase
reclosing ......

XLPE 2000

Overhead line section(1km, 3km, 5km) Underground power cable section(5km, 10km, 15km, 20km)

Figure 1: 154kV combined transmission system

modelling.

Pg. 1 Paper G-27

 Proceedings of the 16th International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering
ISBN 978-0-620-44584-9 Copyright c 2009 SAIEE, Innes House, Johannesburg

discussed in the paper is shown in figure 1. It consists For the 100 operation study, the closing angle of the
of the overhead transmission system of ACSR 330[] circuit breaker contact has normal distribution and its
and the single core cable of XLPE 2000[] with the standard deviation is 1[ms], the open time is 0.02[s]
voltage of 154[kV]. Each length of overhead and the reclosing time is 0.05[s]. The circuit breaker
transmission line section and underground power cable model accommodates variations in the pole closing
section is 5[km] to 20[km] and 1[km] to 5[km], speed according to a normal distribution with a
respectively. specified standard variation and limited 2 .

In this paper, the single line to ground fault of phase A 3.1. Cases
is supposed to occur at 1[km] from cable head, 12 cases assumed in this paper are expressed in table 1.
EMTP/ATP program is used for system modelling and As shown in table 1, cases are divided by underground
simulation. The calculation frequency is 1[kHz]. Fault power cable rate. The underground power cable rate is
resistance is assumed to be 1[], 10[], 30[] and 4.76[%] to 50[%].
50[], the trapped charges of 100[%] and 110[%] are
also considered.
Table 1: Cases description
The V-I characteristic curve of applied 154[kV] surge
Case OV[km] : UG[km] Rate[%]
arrester is shown in figure 2, they can be installed at Case 1 Case 1-1 5:1 16.7
termination of overhead line and underground power Case 1-2 10 : 1 9.09
cable and cable head, respectively. Case 1-3 15 : 1 6.25
Case 1-4 20 : 1 4.76
Case 2 Case 2-1 5:3 37.5
400000 Case 2-2 10 : 3 23.1
Case 2-3 15 : 3 16.7
350000
Case 2-4 20 : 3 13
300000 Case 3 Case 3-1 5:5 50
Case 3-2 10 : 5 33.3
250000 Case 3-3 15 : 5 25
Voltage[V]

200000
Case 3-4 20 : 5 20
OV : Overhead transmission line, UV : underground power
150000 cable, Rate : underground power cable rate
100000

50000
3.2. Switching overvoltage according to
underground power cable rate
0
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 Figure 4 shows the switching overvoltage of each case
Current[A]
in case of fault resistance of 1[], the measurement
points are sending end of overhead line section, cable
Figure 2: V-I characteristic curve of 154[kV] arrester head, middle and receiving end of underground power
cable section, respectively.

As shown in figure 4, the overvoltage of each case at

3. SWITCHING OVERVOLTAGE sending end of overhead line section shows less than
CALCULATION 1.6[p.u.], but it is increasing at the underground power
cable section. The overvoltage is also increasing at the
In this paper, in order to verify the influence of fault high underground power cable rate.
initiation angle, 100 shots of uniform distribution are
used for the fault switch using ATP statistical approach 2.4

as shown in figure 3. 2.2

switching overvoltage[p.u

2
AIMING POINT
1.8
CLOSING TIME
1.6

1.4 case 1-1(16.7%)

case 1-2(9.09%)
1.2 case 1-3(6.25%)
case 1-4(4.76%)
1
OVERHEAD CABLE HEAD MIDDLE RECEIVING
t
t0 tA tC tB point

(a) Case 1
POLE SPAN
2 + 2

Figure 3: Uniform distribution

Pg. 2 Paper G-27
 Proceedings of the 16th International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering
ISBN 978-0-620-44584-9 Copyright c 2009 SAIEE, Innes House, Johannesburg

2.6 2.6

2.4 2.4

2.2 2.2

overvoltage[p.u.]
overvoltage[p.u.]

2 2
case 1-1(16.7%)
case 1-2(9.09%)
1.8 1.8
case 2-1(37.5%) case 1-3(6.25%)
case 1-4(4.76%)
case 2-2(23.1%) case 2-1(37.5%)
1.6 1.6
case 2-3(16.7%) case 2-2(23.1%)
case 2-4(13%) case 2-3(16.7%)
1.4 1.4 case 2-4(13%)
case 3-1(50%)
case 3-1(50%)
case 3-2(33.3%) case 3-2(33.3%)
1.2 case 3-3(25%) 1.2
case 3-3(25%)
case 3-4(20%) case 3-4(20%)
1 1
OVERHEAD CABLE HEAD MIDDLE RECEIVING OVERHEAD CABLE HEAD MIDDLE RECEIVING

point point

(b) Case 2 and case 3 Figure 6: Switching overvoltage according to

underground power cable rate(fault resistance : 50[])
Figure 4: Switching overvoltage according to
underground power cable rate(fault resistance : 1[]) 2.6

2.4

In figure 4(a), in case of fault resistance of 1[], case 2.2

1-1(16.7%) which is the highest cable rate shows the

overvoltage[p.u.]
2
maximum overvoltage value of 2.2208[p.u.] compare case 1-1(16.7%)
case 1-2(9.09%)
1.8
to other case 1. In case 2-1(37.5%) and case 3-1(50%), case 1-3(6.25%)
case 1-4(4.76%)
case 2-1(37.5%)
the trend is almost similar, and each maximum 1.6
case 2-2(23.1%)
case 2-3(16.7%)
overvoltage is 2.3001[p.u.] and 2.3429[p.u.]. The 1.4 case 2-4(13%)
case 3-1(50%)
overvoltage is also more increasing at receiving end 1.2
case 3-2(33.3%)
case 3-3(25%)
case 3-4(20%)
compare to cable head and middle of cable section. 1
OVERHEAD CABLE HEAD MIDDLE RECEIVING

point
2.4

2.2

Figure 7: Switching overvoltage according to

2
underground power cable rate(trapped charge :
overvoltage[p.u.]

1.8 100[%])
1.6

2.6
1.4 case 1-1(16.7%)
case 1-2(9.09%) 2.4
1.2 case 1-3(6.25%)
case 1-4(4.76%) 2.2
1
overvoltage[p.u.]

OVERHEAD CABLE HEAD MIDDLE RECEIVING 2

case 1-1(16.7%)
point case 1-2(9.09%)
1.8
case 1-3(6.25%)
case 1-4(4.76%)
1.6 case 2-1(37.5%)
case 2-2(23.1%)
case 2-3(16.7%)
(a) Case 1 1.4 case 2-4(13%)
case 3-1(50%)
1.2
case 3-2(33.3%)
case 3-3(25%)
case 3-4(20%)
2.6 1
OVERHEAD CABLE HEAD MIDDLE RECEIVING

2.4 point

2.2
overvoltage[p.u.

2
Figure 8: Switching overvoltage according to
1.8
case 2-1(37.5%)
case 2-2(23.1%)
underground power cable rate(trapped charge :
1.6
case 2-3(16.7%) 110[%])
case 2-4(13%)
1.4
case 3-1(50%)
case 3-2(33.3%)
1.2 case 3-3(25%) Figure 5 to figure 8 show the switching overvoltage in
case 3-4(20%)
1
OVERHEAD CABLE HEAD MIDDLE RECEIVING
case of the fault resistance of 10[ ] and 50[] as well
point
as trapped charge 100[%] and 110[%], respectively. As
shown these 4 graphs, the trend of overvoltage is very
similar to figure 4. The maximum overvoltage shows
(b) Case 2 and case 3 2.4954[p.u.] at the highest cable rate of case 3-1 with
trapped charge of 110%.
Figure 5: Switching overvoltage according to
underground power cable rate(fault resistance : 10[]) This paper also analyses the switching overvoltage by
just underground power cable rate regardless of case
orders. Examination orders rearranged by cable rate are
as follows;

Pg. 3 Paper G-27

 Proceedings of the 16th International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering
ISBN 978-0-620-44584-9 Copyright c 2009 SAIEE, Innes House, Johannesburg

Case 1-4( 4.76%) case 1-3(6.25%) case 1-2(9.09%) In analysis by fault conditions, the overvoltage is some
case 2-4(13%) case 1-1(16.7%) case 2-3(16.7%) higher at the trapped charge of 110% and 100%
case 3-4(20%) case 2-2(23.1%) case 3-3(25%) compare to fault resistance from 1[] to 50[]. As the
case 3-2(33.3%) case 2-1(37.5%) case 3-1(50%) fault resistance increases, overvoltage is also little
increasing, but the difference is not big.
Each trend of switching overvoltage at cable head,
middle and receiving end of cable section is also 3.3. Effects of surge arrester
analysed by only underground power cable rate order
In this section, the reduction effects are discussed by
in figure 9 to figure 11. As the cable rate increases
surge arrester installation. V-I curve of 154[kV] surge
from 4.76[%] to 50[%], the overvoltage is gradually
arrester is expressed in figure 2.
increasing regardless of the amplitude of fault
resistance and trapped charge.
Table 2: Switching overvoltage without surge
3 arrester(fault resistance : 50[])

2.5
Fault resistance : 50
2
Case
Cable head Middle Receiving
overvoltage[p.u.

Mean SD (M+2) Mean SD (M+2) Mean SD (M+2)

1.5
p.u. () p.u p.u. () p.u p.u. () p.u

1
Case 1-2 2.225 0.5571 3.3392 2.2395 0.5638 3.3671 2.269 0.5757 3.4204
1 ohm
10 ohm Case 2-2 2.028 0.5355 3.099 2.034 0.5413 3.1166 2.0875 0.5567 3.2009
30 ohm
0.5
50 ohm
100%
Case 3-1 1.9215 0.481 2.8835 1.9955 0.5172 3.0299 2.0635 0.5505 3.1645
110%
0 Case 3-2 2.0755 0.5121 3.0997 2.075 0.4978 3.0706 2.1385 0.5271 3.1928
case 1-4 case 1-3 case 1-2 case 2-4 case 1-1 case 2-3 case 3-4 case 2-2 case 3-3 case 3-2 case 2-1 case 3-1
Case
4.76% 50%
10% 30%

Figure 9: Switching overvoltage according to

Table 3: Switching overvoltage without surge
underground power cable rate(cable head)
arrester(trapped charge : 110[%])
3

Trapped charge : 110%

2.5

Case
Cable head Middle Receiving
2
Mean SD (M+2) Mean SD (M+2) Mean SD (M+2)
p.u. () p.u p.u. () p.u p.u. () p.u
overvoltage[p.u.

1.5
Case 1-2 2.3365 0.6619 3.6603 2.3515 0.6703 3.6921 2.382 0.6760 3.7339

1
Case 2-2 2.202 0.6146 3.4313 2.209 0.6197 3.4484 2.2595 0.6355 3.5305
1 ohm
10 ohm Case 3-1 2.0225 0.5629 3.1484 2.104 0.6064 3.3168 2.179 0.6499 3.4789
30 ohm
0.5
50 ohm Case 3-2 2.137 0.6089 3.3548 2.139 0.6170 3.3730 2.205 0.6400 3.4851
100%
110%
0
case 1-4 case 1-3 case 1-2 case 2-4 case 1-1 case 2-3 case 3-4 case 2-2 case 3-3 case 3-2 case 2-1 case 3-1
Case
4.76% 50%
10% 30%
Table 2 and 3 show the switching overvoltage of
Figure 10: Switching overvoltage according to underground cable section at fault resistance of 50[]
underground power cable rate(middle) and trapped charge of 110[%] in case of no surge
arrester condition. In fault resistance of 50[], in case
3 that the surge arrester is not installed on the system, the
overvoltage is from 2.8835[p.u.] to 3.4204[p.u], it is
2.5
from 3.1448[p.u.] to 3.7339[p.u.] in trapped charge of
110[%].
2
overvoltage[p.u.

1.5
Figure 12 to figure 14 compare the overvoltage
according to with or without surge arrester installation.
1 As shown in these graphs, in case of no arrester, the
1 ohm
10 ohm overvoltage is gradually increasing as underground
30 ohm
0.5
50 ohm cable rate is decreasing. However, it is significantly
100%
110% reduced by surge arrester. The average reduction rate is
0
case 1-4 case 1-3 case 1-2 case 2-4 case 1-1 case 2-3 case 3-4 case 2-2 case 3-3 case 3-2 case 2-1 case 3-1 expressed in figure 17.
Case
4.76% 50%
10% 30%

Figure 15 and figure 16 are the probability distribution

Figure 11: Switching overvoltage according to function of switching overvoltage of case 1-2 and case
underground power cable rate(receiving end) 3-1. The comparison of the curves in these 2 graphs
also indicates that surge arrester can reduce the
Pg. 4 Paper G-27
 Proceedings of the 16th International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering
ISBN 978-0-620-44584-9 Copyright c 2009 SAIEE, Innes House, Johannesburg

switching overvoltage for the whole range of conditions. The reduction rate range of case 1-2 is from
accumulated frequency at all fault conditions. 32.5% to 44.4% according to fault condition, and the
maximum reduction rate of case 2-2, case 3-2 and case
3.5
3-1 is 36.3%, 31.6% and 27.7%, respectively.
3
10 ohm(with arrester)
30 ohm(with arrester)
2.5 100
50 ohm(with arrester)
overvoltage[p.u.

100%(with arrester)
2 110%(with arrester)

probability of overvoltage[%
80 10 ohm(without arrester)
30 ohm(without arrester)
1.5 case 1-2(without arrester) 50 ohm(without arrester)
case 2-2(without arrester) 100%(without arrester)
60
case 3-2(without arrester) 110%(without arrester)
1 case 3-1(without arrester)
case 1-2(with arrester)
0.5 case 2-2(with arrester) 40
case 3-2(with arrester)
case 3-1(with arrester)
0 20

OVERHEAD CABLE HEAD MIDDLE RECEIVING

point
0

1 .0 5

1 .1 5

1 .2 5

1 .3 5

1 .4 5

1 .5 5

1 .6 5

1 .7 5

1 .8 5

1 .9 5

2 .0 5

2 .1 5

2 .2 5

2 .3 5

2 .4 5

2 .5 5

2 .6 5

2 .7 5

2 .8 5

2 .9 5

3 .0 5

3 .1 5

3 .2 5

3 .3 5

3 .4 5

3 .5 5

3 .6 5

3 .7 5
[PU]

Figure 12: Comparison of switching overvoltage

according to surge arrester installation(fault resistance : Figure 15: Probability distribution function of
10[]) switching overvoltage(case 1-2)

4 10 ohm(with arrester)
100 30 ohm(with arrester)
50 ohm(with arrester)
3.5
100%(with arrester)
110%(with arrester)
Probability of overvoltage[%
80 10 ohm(without arrester)
3
30 ohm(without arrester)
50 ohm(without arrester)
overvoltage[p.u.

2.5 100%(without arrester)

60
110%(without arrester)

40
1.5 case 1-2(without arrester)
case 2-2(without arrester)
case 3-2(without arrester)
1 case 3-1(without arrester) 20

case 1-2(with arrester)

0.5
case 2-2(with arrester)
case 3-2(with arrester) 0
case 3-1(with arrester)
1 .0 5

1 .1 5

1 .2 5

1 .3 5

1 .4 5

1 .5 5

1 .6 5

1 .7 5

1 .8 5

1 .9 5

2 .0 5

2 .1 5

2 .2 5

2 .3 5

2 .4 5

2 .5 5

2 .6 5

2 .7 5

2 .8 5

2 .9 5

3 .0 5

3 .1 5

3 .2 5

3 .3 5

3 .4 5

3 .5 5

3 .6 5

3 .7 5
0
[PU]
OVERHEAD CABLE HEAD MIDDLE RECEIVING

point

Figure 16: Probability distribution function of

Figure 13: Comparison of switching overvoltage switching overvoltage(case 3-1)
according to surge arrester installation(fault resistance :
30[]) 50
10 ohm
45 30 ohm
50 ohm
4 40 100%
110%
Reduction rate[%]

3.5
35
30
3
25
overvoltage[p.u.]

2.5
20
2 15

1.5 case 1-2(without arrester) 10

case 2-2(without arrester)
case 3-2(without arrester) 5
1 case 3-1(without arrester)
case 1-2(with arrester) 0
0.5
case 2-2(with arrester) Case 1-2 Case 2-2 Case 3-2 Case 3-1
case 3-2(with arrester)
case 3-1(with arrester) Case
0
OVERHEAD CABLE HEAD MIDDLE RECEIVING

point
Figure 17: Average reduction rate for underground
cable section by surge arrester
Figure 14: Comparison of switching overvoltage
according to surge arrester installation(trapped charge :
100[%])
4. CONCLUSION
In figure 17, the average overvoltage reduction rate of
underground cable section is expressed by surge In this paper, the switching overvoltage has been
arrester installation at all fault conditions. As shown in investigated by statistical approach on 154[kV]
this graph, the average reduction rate is the highest in combined transmission systems. The influence of fault
case 1-2. According to analysis by fault conditions, in resistance, trapped charge and surge arrester is also
trapped charge of 110%, it is higher than other evaluated. The results can be summarized as follows;

Pg. 5 Paper G-27

 Proceedings of the 16th International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering
ISBN 978-0-620-44584-9
1) The switching overvoltage of overhead line section
is lower than that of underground cable section, it is
increasing at the high underground power cable rate.
2) In underground cable section, the overvoltage is also
more increasing at receiving end compare to cable head
and middle of cable section
3) As the cable rate increases from 4.76[%] to 50[%],
the switching overvoltage is gradually increasing
regardless of the amplitude of fault resistance and
trapped charge.
4) The switching overvoltage is higher in the trapped
charge of 110[%] and 100[%] compare to fault
resistance, and it is also little increasing, but the
difference is not big.
5) In case of no arrester, the switching overvoltage is
gradually increasing as underground cable rate is
decreasing, but it is significantly reduced by surge
arrester.
Pg. 6
Copyright c 2009 SAIEE, Innes House, Johannesburg
6) In trapped charge of 110[%], the average reduction
rate is higher than other conditions by surge arrester
installation, the maximum reduction rate is 44.4[%].
5. REFERENCES
[1] J. B. Kim, W. B. Shim, J. W. Shim, Switching
overvoltage analysis and air clearance design on
the KEPCO 765kV double circuit transmission
system, IEEE Trans. on PWD. Vol. 15, N0. 1, Jan.
2001.
[2] KEPCO brochure, Underground transmission
cable system, Dec. 2002.
[3] A. Carvalho, M. Lacorte, O. Knudsen, Improved
EHV line surge control by application of MO-
arresters and controlled switching, IEEE catalogue
No. 95TH8130, pp. 292 297, 1995
[4] D. A. Woodford, L.M. Wedepohl, Transmission
line energization with breaker pre-strike, IEEE
CAT. NO. 97CH36117, pp. 105-108, 1997
Paper G-27