Download CHAPTER 4. OVERVOLTAGES

HIGH VOLTAGE
ENGINEERING
(HVE)
CHAPTER 4.
OVERVOLTAGES:
NATURE
AND
PROTECTION
General characteristic of
overvoltages
• Electrical and power systems are always
subjected to overvoltages that have their
origin in atmospheric discharges in which
case they are called external or lightning
overvoltages, or they are generated
internally by connecting or disconnecting
the system, or due to the systems fault
initiation or extinction. The latter type is
called internal overvoltages.
• This class may be further subdivided into
temporary overvoltages, if they are
oscillatory of power frequency or harmonics,
and switching overvoltages, if they are
heavily damped and of short duration.
Temporary overvoltages occur almost
without exception under no load or very light
load conditions. Because of their common
origin the temporary and switching
overvoltages occur together and their
combined effect has to be taken into
account in the design of high voltage
systems insulation.
Nature of overvoltages
• Fundamentally, lightning is a manifestation
of a very large electric discharge and
spark. Several theories have been
advanced to explain accumulation of
electricity in clouds. The present section
reviews briefly the lightning discharge
processes.
• Typically the negative charge centre may
be located anywhere between 500 m and
10 000 m above ground. Lightning
discharge to earth is usually initiated at the
fringe of a negative charge centre. To the
eye a lightning discharge appears as a
single luminous discharge, although at
times branches of variable intensity may
be observed which terminate in midair,
while the luminous main channel
continues in a zig–zag path to earth.
• The return stroke is followed by several
strokes at 10 to 300 m/sec intervals. The
leader of the second and subsequent strokes
is known as the “dart leader” because of its
dart–like appearance. The dart leader
follows the path of the first stepped leader
with a velocity about 10 times faster than the
stepped leader. The path is usually not
branched and is brightly illuminated.
• A direct hit on a human or animal is rare; they
are more at risk from indirect striking,
usually:
• (a) when the subject is close to a parallel
hit or other tall object,
• (b) due to an intense electric field from a
stroke which can induce sufficient current
to cause death,
• (c) when lightning terminating on earth
sets up high potential gradients over the
ground surface in an outwards direction
from the point or object struck.
Insulation coordination
• Electric systems insulation designers have
two options available to them:
• choose insulation levels for components
that would withstand all kinds of
overvoltages,
• consider, design and engineering
protective devices that could be installed
at the sensitive points in the system that
would limit overvoltages there.
• “Insulation level” is defined by the values of
test voltages which the insulation of
equipment under test must be able to
withstan
• The “protection level” provided by
arresters is established in a similar manner
to the “insulation level”; the basic
difference is that the insulation of protective
devices (arresters) must not withstand the
applied voltage.
Protection devices
• Special protective devices from
overvoltages are called arresters. The
development of metal oxide arresters
(MOA) represented a breakthrough in
overvoltage protection devices. It became
possible to design arresters without using
gaps which were indispensable in the
conventional lightning arresters, which
utilized non–linear resistors made of
silicon carbide (SiC) and spark gaps.
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• An ideal lightning arrester should:
conduct electric current at a certain voltage above
the rated voltage;
hold the voltage with little change for the duration of
overvoltage;
substantially cease conduction at very nearly the
same voltage at which conduction started.
In SiC arrester type the three functions are
performed by the combination of the series spark
gaps and the SiC elements. In the case of MOA
arrester the metal oxide valve elements perform all
three functions because of their superior non–linear
resistivity.