Evaluation of breakdown characteristics of gas insulated switchgears for non-standard lightning impulse waveforms - method for converting non-standard lightning impulse waveforms into standard lightning impulse waveforms -

To lower the lightning impulse withstand voltage of gas insulated switchgear (GIS) while maintaining the high reliability of its insulation performance, it is important to define in an organized way the insulation characteristics for non-standard lightning impulse voltage waveforms that represent actual surge waveforms in the field and compare them with the characteristics for the standard lightning impulse waveform quantitatively. In the preceding researches, lightning surge waveforms and disconnector switching surge waveforms at UHV, 500 kV, and 275 kV substations were analyzed and five to six kinds of non-standard lightning impulse waveforms with basic frequencies of 0.6 to 5.0 MHz were identified. Then, the dielectric breakdown voltage ? time characteristics were measured under several different conditions on the quasi-uniform SF6 gas gaps and partly the coneshaped insulating spacers that represent insulation elements of GIS for six kinds of nonstandard lightning impulse waveforms. In this paper, the resultant breakdown voltages were evaluated in terms of the overvoltage duration, which led to their formulation in a unified way. On the basis of these insulation characteristics and their unified formulation, the paper investigated a method for converting non-standard lightning impulse waveforms into standard lightning impulse waveforms with equivalent stress for the insulation. When the constructed algorithm was applied to five examples of representative two type waveforms in the lightning surge time region, they were converted into standard lightning impulse waveforms with crest values reduced by 20% to 34%, suggesting potentiality for reduction of lightning impulse insulation specifications of GIS.     

Evaluation of breakdown characteristics of gas insulated switchgears for non-standard lightning impulse waveforms - analysis and generation circuit of non-standard lightning impulse waveforms in actual field

To lower the insulation specifications (specifically, the lightning impulse withstand voltage) of a gas insulated switchgear (GIS) and thus cut the equipment cost while maintaining the high reliability of its insulation performance, it is necessary to define in an organized way the insulation characteristics for non-standard lightning impulse voltage waveforms that represent actual surge waveforms in the field and compare them with the characteristics for the standard lightning impulse waveform quantitatively. In this paper, first, lightning surge waveforms and disconnector switching surge waveforms at UHV, 500 kV, and 275 kV substations were analyzed and five non-standard lightning surge waveforms with basic frequencies of 0.6 to 5.0 MHz were identified. Next, high-voltage circuits that generate these non-standard lightning surge waveforms were designed and constituted using EMTP (electro magnetic transients program) based on a circuit with a gap, inductors, and resistors connected in series and resistors and capacitors connected in parallel. Further, circuits were actually constructed, to obtain voltage waveforms approximately equal to those designed. Finally, the dielectric breakdown voltage-time characteristics were measured under several different conditions for the quasi-uniform SF₆ gas gap that represents an insulation element of a GIS. As a result, it was found that, in the tested range, the dielectric breakdown values for non-standard lightning impulse waveforms were higher than for the standard lightning impulse waveform by 6% to 32%     

Voltage-time and voltage-number characteristics of insulation elements with large scale oil-immersed transformers under field-use conditions

In order to attain reduction in insulation test voltages, voltage-time (V-t) characteristics for ac voltage and voltage-number (V-N) characteristics for lightning impulse voltage were experimentally investigated on the turn-to-turn insulation model, coil-to-coil insulation model and barrier-oil-duct insulation model of core- and shell-type transformers under non-standard of field-use conditions. The conditions used for experiments on insulation characteristics in view of field-use consisted of "clean oil" and "hot oil" as the conditions for insulating oil, "trapezoidal waves", "alternate applications of positive and negative voltages", and "steep front waves" as the conditions for applied voltages, and "low dielectric constant pressboards" as an insulating object in experiments. Although the measured V-t and V-N characteristics varied depending on the conditions, the total evaluation in terms of insulation coordination showed that results under standard conditions were satisfactory in almost all the cases and some cautionary points in a few cases were recognized     

Insulation characteristics of CO2 gas for nonstandard lightning impulse oscillations: Evaluation method of nonstandard lightning impulse waveform for CO2 gas insulation

SF₆ gas is widely used in electric power apparatus such as gas‐insulated switchgears (GIS), because of its superior dielectric properties; however, it has been identified as a greenhouse gas at COP3 in 1997, and alternative insulation gases to SF₆ have recently been investigated. One of the candidates is CO₂ gas, which has lower global warming potential (GWP). However, CO₂ gas has a lower withstand voltage level than SF₆ gas; therefore, it is necessary to rationalize the equipment insulation level and reexamine the insulating test voltage for electric power apparatus as low as possible. From our previous investigation, in SF₆ gas insulation system, we obtained that the insulation requirements of the real surges (called nonstandard lightning impulse waveform) are not as severe as those of the standard lightning impulse waveform. This paper describes the evaluation method for real surges, based on insulation characteristics of CO₂ gas gaps. Furthermore, the method was applied to typical field overvoltage waveform in the lightning surge time region for 500‐kV systems and it is obtained that the equivalent peak value of the standard lightning impulse waveform is possibly reduced by 10 to 15%. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 163(3): 1– 9, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20560     

Breakdown characteristics of gas‐insulated switchgear for nonstandard lightning impulse waveforms under nonuniform electric field

To improve the insulation specification of gas‐insulated switchgear (GIS), it is necessary to recognize the insulation characteristics of SF₆ gas during actual surges (called nonstandard lightning impulse waveforms) occurring at field substations. The authors observed the insulation characteristics of SF₆ gas gap under various types of nonstandard lightning impulse waveforms and compared them quantitatively with those obtained with standard lightning impulse waveforms. The experimental results were used to derive an evaluation method for real surges, which was applied to typical surges for various UHV and 500‐kV systems. In the preceding study, therefore, only the case of a quasi‐uniform electric field (with a typical range of field utilization factors in the bus of a GIS) was investigated. In the present investigation, the insulation characteristics of an SF₆ gas gap for a nonuniform electric field were observed experimentally and an evaluation method for converting nonstandard lightning impulse waveforms equivalently to the standard lightning impulse waveform was investigated. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 177(1): 11–18, 2011; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.21144     

Insulation characteristics and its evaluation method of N2 gas for nonstandard lightning impulse waveforms

Until recently, SF₆ gas has widely been used as the best insulating medium in substation equipment. However, SF₆ gas was specified to be a greenhouse gas at COP3 in 1997 because of its high global warming potential (GWP), and alternative insulation gases to SF₆ have been sought for a long time. Alternatives using the natural gases are considered to be suitable, but none of them show better properties for insulation as well as good environmental compatibility. Therefore, it is necessary to rationalize the equipment insulation level and reduce the test voltage of electric power apparatus to as low a level as possible. The actual lightning surge waveform (so‐called nonstandard lightning impulse waveform) occurring in the actual field is different from the standard lightning impulse waveform (1.2/50 μs). There are many cases in which the actual lightning surge waveform has a steep rise and large decay of overvoltage, and the insulation requirements are not as severe as those for the standard lightning impulse waveform. In this paper, we focused our research on N₂ gas as an SF₆ substitute and investigated the insulation characteristics of N₂ gas for a single‐frequency oscillatory waveform with various frequencies from 2.7 to 20.0 MHz and damping ratios. Based on the experimental results, it might be possible to reduce the test voltage of N₂ gas insulation by evaluating the crest value of the actual lightning surge waveform that has been converted into an equivalent standard lightning impulse waveform. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 167(2): 10–20, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20754     

Dielectric breakdown characteristics of an insulator with a sharp edge in SF6 gas under lightning impulse voltage

This article discusses the dielectric breakdown characteristics of an insulator with a sharp edge that forms inhomogeneous gaps in SF₆ under a lightning impulse voltage. The high voltage electrode is a plane electrode, and the grounded electrode is a plane electrode with a column insulator, which has an inside electrode. The column insulator has a height of 50 mm and a diameter of 50 mm. The inside electrode in the column insulator has a height of 20 mm or 30 mm or 40 mm. The inside electrode changes the electric field on the surface of the column insulator. The SF₆ gas pressure is 0.225 MPa. Dielectric breakdown does not occur at the edge of the column insulator, but rather at the top plane of the column insulator. The dielectric breakdown voltage is defined by the electric field at the center of the column insulator     

Relation of insulation resistance and deteriorated ratio ofreference voltage of oil-immersed surge arrester elements enclosed inpole transformers

About ten years have passed since oil immersed surge arrester elements enclosed in 6.6 kV pole transformers were first used. At present, technical developments are being demanded to judge the soundness of these oil immersed surge arrester elements by a simple method, allowing one to judge easily whether these elements can be used or not onsite. The authors empirically investigated the correlation between the insulation resistance and the deteriorated ratio of the reference voltage of these oil-immersed surge arrester elements. It was found that the deterioration of the oil-immersed surge arrester elements can be detected by measuring the insulation resistance     

10 kV油变和箱变战略采购LCC研究与应用

针对上海市电力公司战略采购设备10kV油变和箱变,利用全寿命周期成本(LCC)方法,结合抽检试验得到的相关技术评价情况开展了研究和实际评标工作.根据10kV油变和箱变设备在全寿命周期的运行特点,估算各设备在全寿命周期所耗费的费用,在经济评估中结合技术指标,充分发挥战略采购优势,以使企业更为合理地进行采购及设备管理,降低企业的成本,并有效节约社会资源.     

Evaluation and application of oil-immersed zinc oxide elements enclosed in pole-mounted distribution transformers

Voltage due to lightning surge is now a major problem to be overcome to ensure full reliability of any power supply. Hence, gapless oil-immersed surge arresters using zinc oxide elements have been applied to pole transformers. These surge arresters are used as a means of insulation coordination for pole transformers. These arresters contribute to the reduction of the number of failure of pole transformers. This paper describes applications and effects of specially developed oil-immersed surge arresters in pole transformers on 6.6-kV distribution lines. © 1997 Scripta Technica, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 121(2): 37–46, 1997     

A disk-to-disk breakdown and arc modeling method for fault diagnosis of power transformers during impulse testing

Impulse tests are performed on power transformers to assess their insulation integrity. During these tests, impulse voltages are applied, and the resulting voltage and current waveforms are recorded. After postprocessing of these data, the presence of faults in the winding should be detected. Different methods and models have been developed for pattern recognition of transformer winding current and classification of impulse faults, . The drawback of these methods is the representation of a fault as a short circuit with constant conductance. In this paper, the breakdown and arc were modeled to represent a more realistic fault during impulse tests. Using this model, it is possible to generate more realistic data, which are necessary to develop more reliable fault-detecting algorithms and, as a result, better pattern recognition and classification of impulse test waveforms. The model has its roots in the classical Mayr equation, and it is simulated with TACS and MODELS modules in EMTP. The simulation results verify the ability of the suggested method to represent disk-to-disk breakdown and arc fault during impulse testing.     

Flashover characteristics of vapor-mist dielectrics under lightning impulse and means to increase the flashover voltage

It has been reported that the flashover voltage of gaseous dielectrics may increase greatly when they are mixed with carbon-halide mist. However, the factors which bring about the increase of the flashover voltage still are not clarified fully. Based on the study on the basic flashover characteristics of vapor-mist dielectrics, the authors have suggested the scarcity of initial electrons as the predominant factor. This paper investigates further the effect of UV light irradiation, flashover characteristics under forced supply of initial electrons, and for lightning impulse superimposed on dc voltage. These results have verified that the scarcity of initial electrons is the decisive factor in increasing the lightning impulse flashover voltage of vapor-mist dielectrics. It is clarified also that the scarcity is attributed principally to: (1) the reduction of effective period (lifetime) of initial electrons, and (2) the suppression of photoelectric emission from electrodes.     

AC V-t and impulse V-N characteristics of shell-form transformer insulation model

To evaluate an appropriate level of ac test voltage for 1000-kV transformers, it is necessary to make an accurate estimation of ac V-t characteristics. For the level of impulse test voltage, V-N characteristics are important to evaluate effects of impulse stress repetition. Since both of the characteristics are dependent on insulation structures and manufacturing processes of transformers, it is important to make accurate simulations on transformer insulation for reliable insulation data. To obtain some of the basic data for 1000-kV transformer test levels, long-time ac V-t tests and impulse V-N tests of up to 1000 times voltage application were carried out on an insulation model simulating fundamental structure of shell-form transformers. The model is composed of a parallel electrodes system with a compound structure of pressboard barrier and oil gap. The tests showed the following characteristics: ac V-t characteristics of up to several ten days could be described by two lines, each representing short-time and long-time characteristics. V-N characteristics of lightning and switching impulse were expressed by relatively flat lines, which showed a decrease in breakdown voltage by less than 10 percent after 1000 times impulse application.     

Insulation characteristics of SF6 gas for nonstandard impulse voltage polarity reversal pulse waveforms

Evaluation of insulation strength for lightning surge that actually enters into substations is important in estimating insulation reliability of gas‐insulated equipment. The standard lightning impulse voltage (1.2/50 µs) is used for factory tests. However, the actual lightning surge waveforms in substations are complex and are usually superimposed with various oscillations. Insulation characteristics of SF₆ gas as a function of such complex voltages have not been sufficiently clarified. This paper deals with gap breakdown characteristics in SF₆ gas under submicrosecond pulses. Breakdown voltages are lower under a polarity reversal condition than under a monopolarity condition. The cause of this difference is discussed while observing discharge propagation using an image converter camera. The electrode size effect is also discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 146(4): 18–25, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.10246     

Insulation characteristics of GIS under nonstandard lightning impulse oscillations: Insulation characteristics under double‐frequency oscillations with various frequencies and damping ratios

To improve GIS insulation specifications, it is important to recognize the insulation characteristics under oscillatory overvoltage waveforms occurring in the field. This paper describes investigations of insulation characteristics for double‐frequency oscillatory waveforms with various frequencies and damping ratios. It was found that minimum breakdown voltages (V_min) were irrelevant to frequency changes in the range of experimental conditions under the same damping conditions. On the other hand, V_min rose with the damping ratio rising under the same frequency conditions. The insulation characteristics at a valley of oscillation were investigated using actual breakdown voltages. It was found that the insulation characteristics were treated all‐inclusively based on the characteristics of V_min for damping time. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 146(2): 11–19, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.10245     

一种基于MIA的油浸式变压器放电性故障定位新方法

为解决油浸式电力变压器中低能放电、高能放电等放电性故障的定位问题,提出了基于油中金属分析(Metal In-Oil Analysis,MIA)的放电性故障定位方法。通过对变压器内部高故障概率构件进行表面处理,将潜在的故障信息源预置于构件表面,并应用示位金属(Metal for Position Indication,MPI)进行发生故障构件的确定。在此基础上,结合已有的局部放电、油中溶解气体分析等在线监测系统进行软、硬件的整合,可以实现较为完善的变压器放电性故障的诊断与定位。研究结果表明,该方法在提高放电性故障定位精度的同时,还可以降低对原有某种特定故障定位方法在精度方面的要求,并通过连续监测使运行维护人员对变压器的潜伏性故障信息有更为全面的掌握,为变压器状态检修的实现提供了新的技术支撑。     

Voltage-time and voltage-number characteristics of insulation elements with oil-filled transformers in EHV and UHV classes

In order to attain reduction in insulation test voltages, voltage-time (V-t) characteristics under AC voltage and voltage-number (V-N) characteristics under lightning impulse and switching impulse voltages were experimentally investigated on the turn-to-turn insulation model, section-to-section insulation model and barrier-oil-duct insulation model of core- and shell-type transformers in EHV and UHV Classes. First, V-t characteristics for AC voltage were obtained in a short time range of a few tens of milliseconds to a long time range of three to four months. The n-values (inclination) of V-t characteristics are distributed around 40 for the short time and several hundreds for the long time characteristics. These values are of essence in determining the AC withstand voltage test. Next, V-N characteristics for both lightning and switching impulse voltages were acquired for up to 1,000 times of application. The n-values (inclination) of V-N characteristics are in most cases distributed around 70 for both impulse waveforms and about 40 in only turn-to-turn insulation models This result will be useful for evaluating the effect of frequent surges on apparatus insulation. Finally, insulation coordination studies were performed based on these experimental results.     

Evaluation procedures for lightning impulse parameters in case ofwaveforms with oscillations and/or an overshoot

Definitions of standards IEC 60 and IEEE Std 4 are insufficient for the evaluation of lightning impulse parameters of waveforms with oscillations and/or overshoot. This has brought about different interpretations in the estimation of these parameters, especially when using digital recorders. Large discrepancies have resulted from the different interpretations. The working group 33.03 of CIGRE has collected various opinions about this problem. These are presented, analysed and discussed in this paper. Different ways of determining mean curves of impulses with oscillations and/or overshoot are proposed. In addition, different alternatives for the definitions of overshoot amplitude and duration are suggested for impulses with overshoot. The problems and alternative solutions are discussed in the light of analyzing three impulses of the IEC Test Data Generator. This illustrates clearly the need to change the above mentioned standards. Simple, easily applicable, reproducible and technically justified definitions are required in order to take advantage of the accuracy and facilities of digital recorders in impulse measurements. This paper offers the basis for further discussion on the subject before WG 33.03 of CIGRE makes its final proposal. Further studies with practical test impulses are still needed