2014 IEEE 8th International Power Engineering and Optimization Conference (PEOCO2014), Langkawi, The Jewel of Kedah,

Malaysia. 24-25 March 2014

Analysis of Influential Factors in Determining Very

Fast Transient Overvoltages of GIS Substations
Maziar Babaei

Mehdi Babaei

Ghasem Nourirad

Electrical & Computer Faculty

Semnan University
Semnan, Iran

High Voltage design Dept.

Faraniroo Co.
Tehran, Iran

Electrical Engineering Faculty

University Putra Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

These transients have a rise time in the range of 4-100 ns

and their magnitude is in the range of 1.5 to 2.0 per unit of the
line-to-neutral voltage crest, but they can also reach values as
high as 2.5 per unit [2]. Vey Fast Transient overvoltages
associated with high frequency content and magnitude about
tens of kilo Ampere called Very Fast Transient Currents [4].
Although these values are generally below the Basic Insulation
Level (BIL) of the GIS and the connected equipment of lower
voltage classes and VFT cant be very harmful, it will be of
great concern at ultra high voltages systems, for which the ratio
of the BIL to the nominal system voltage is lower and this issue
necessitates accurate analyzing of VFT for the purpose of
insulation coordination of high voltage equipment.

Abstract - High voltage Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) is

threatened by Very Fast Transient Overvoltage (VFTO) which is
high amplitude and high frequency transient within the range
from 100 kHz up to 50 MHz in power systems. Operation of
Disconnecting Switch is the main origin of these overvoltage
phenomena that is analyzed in this paper. In this study, the
effects of several parameters that influence on VFTO amplitude
have been discussed. The focus of this paper is on the VFTO
study of "Siah-bishe" power plant 400kV GIS substation. The
study was carried out by modeling all pieces of equipment in
EMTP-RV and careful consideration of different modeling
guidelines and instructions described in available standards.
KeywordsVery Fast Transient (VFT), Very Fast Transient
Overvoltage (VFTO), Very Fast Transient Current (VFTC),
EMTP, Gas Insulated Substation (GIS), Disconneting switch
operation,Basic Insulation Level (BIL)

I.

VFT in GIS can be divided into internal and external modes

[2]. Internal transients can produce overvoltages between the
inner conductor and the enclosure, while external transients can
cause stress on secondary and adjacent equipment. This paper
concentrates on the internal transient and investigates the very
fast transient overvoltages resulted from the operation of
disconnector switches at different sensitive points in the special
and practical case of Siah-bishe 400kV GIS and some of
effective factor influencing on the amplitude and frequency
content of resulted VFTO wave shapes.

INTRODUCTION

With the introduction of GIS, a new type of overvoltages

called Very Fast Transients was created. They contain
frequencies higher than those originated in conventional air
insulated substations and cause unexpected problems for the
GIS insulation and other equipment connected to the GIS.

Siah-bishe 400kV GIS substation is situated in a

mountainous region of Iran at about 125km north of Tehran
and 100km south of Caspian Sea in north of Iran. This
geographical feature of the site location at 2500m above the sea
level became the major concern over design of insulation
withstand levels for the equipment due to low air density. The
substation is connected to a pumped-storage 1000MW power
plant via a 400kV cable led through a tunnel at a distance of
300m (Fig.1).

Very Fast transient phenomena are generally generated in

one of two ways: Either the voltage at some point in a GIS
collapses as a result of a dielectric failure to ground or the
voltage across a Disconnector Switch (DS) or Circuit Breaker
(CB). The collapse of voltage across the contacts of switching
device occurs in 3-5 ns and this is sufficiently rapid to
stimulate resonance within the GIS up to about 50MHz [1].
Due to the relatively slow speed of the moving contact, a large
number of pre- or re-strikes can occur during a disconnector
operation and these transients can cause stress due to high
voltage and high density current on all equipment.

The project was performed by Faraniroo Co. (Iran, Tehran)

as one of the leading EPC contractor in Iran affiliated with
Hyosung Corporation (South Korea, Seoul) as GIS supplier.
According to Fig.2, the project included establishment of four
400kV incoming lines as 400kV cables with length of about
300m from power plant unit 250MVA transformers and three
out of four 400kV outgoing lines. (By considering the required
space for another 400kV outgoing line for future extension) all
in a double busbar with bypass DS arrangement.

Very Fast Transient Overvoltages (VFTO) also known as

Vey Fast Front Transients has the highest frequency range of
transients in power system in the range of the 100 kHz up to 50
MHz [2]. The shape of a very fast front overvoltage is usually
unidirectional with time to peak<0.1 ms, total duration<3 ms,
and with superimposed oscillations at frequency 30 kHz<f<100
MHz [3].

978-1-4799-2422-6/14/$31.00 2014 IEEE

79

2014 IEEE 8th International Power Engineering and Optimization Conference (PEOCO2014), Langkawi, The Jewel of Kedah,
Malaysia. 24-25 March 2014

x In most off the cases, thee capacitance of GIS compoonent

is dominannt rather than tthe inductancee.
x Because each
e
phase is iin a separated encapsulationn, the
modeling and simulatioon of VFT is
i performed as a
single phase circuit
x Componennts with equivvalent circuit about tens of
o pF
and short busbars
b
with ttransit time leess than 1ns caan be
neglected without
w
any ddecrease in sim
mulation accuracy.
Each
E
GIS seection can bee simulated by its equivvalent
capaacitance and inductance, which can be
b determineed as
follo
ows [5]:

L=
Fig. 1. Siah-bisheh GIS-Cable--Transmission linne configuration

(
(1)

C=

(
(2)

Ln

Z= =

60 Ln

(
(3)

Wheere, C and L are resppectively the capacitance and

indu
uctance of GIIS busbar, r iis the outsidee diameter off GIS
busb
bar, R is the innner diameter of GIS enclossure (Fig.3).
In
I Table I, eqquivalent circuuits of GIS co
omponents annd the
valu
ue of differentt parameters iin modeling and
a simulation are
pressented [2].

Fig. 2. Single line diagram of Siah-bishe

S
400kV
V GIS substation
L: Line feeder, T: Transformer feedder

II.

MODELING OF
O GIS COMPO
ONENTS

I
Internal
effectts of VFT muust be analyzeed by represennting
GIS sections as low-loss distrributed param
meter transmission
liness, each sectionn being characcterized by surrge impedancee and
a traansit time [5]. Traveling wavves are reflectted and refractted at
everry point wheere they encoounter a channge in the surge
s
impeedance. The generated trransients deppend on the GIS
conffiguration andd on the superrposition of thhe surges refleected
and refracted onn line discoontinuities likke breakers, T
junctions or bushiings. As a connsequence of multiple
m
reflecctions
and refractions, traveling volltages can inncrease abovee the
origiinal values annd very high--frequency osccillations occuur. It
shalll be noticed that
t
accordingg to Fig.1, inn our special case:
Siaah-bishe 4000kV GIS suubstation, thee combinationn of
overrhead transmission line, GIS and caable with seeveral
diffeerent surge impedances, the phenom
menon of VFTO
V
becoomes more sevvere due to theese reflectionss and refractioons of
traveelling waves.

Fig. 3. Bus duuct cross section

R: Inner diametter of GIS enclosuure, r: Outside diaameter of GIS buus duct
TABLE I.

EQUIVALENTT MODELS OF GIS

S COMPONENTS

Componeent
Poweer Transformer
Curreent and voltage Transformer
T
Surgee Arrester
Spacer and Flanges
Elbow
w
GIS Busbar
B

Note
3 nF Capacitancce to ground
200 pF Capacitaance to ground
15 pF Capacitan
nce series with 0..1
ohm Resistancee to ground
25 pF Capacitan
nce to ground
6 pF Capacitancce to ground
Transmission Line
L with Distribuuted
Parameters with
h Zo=84 , V= 285
2

Cablee Terminal

VFTO causedd by disconneector operationn is influenceed by

V
all thhe GIS components, Thereefore transientt modeling inn GIS
subsstations needds modeling all apparatuus like Bussbars,
Bushhings, Elbowss, Power trannsformers, Cuurrent and Vooltage
Trannsformers, etcc. For the purrpose of simuulation of VF
FT in
GIS,, we must consider som
me factors foor modeling GIS
Com
mponents:

SF6 to
o Air Bushing

Cablee

500 pF Capacitaance to ground

Lossless Transm
mission Line withh
Zo=250 and 200
2 pF capacitancce
to ground
Transmission Line
L with Distribuuted
Parameters with
h Zo=60 , V= 165

80

2014 IEEE 8th International Power Engineering and Optimization Conference (PEOCO2014), Langkawi, The Jewel of Kedah,
Malaysia. 24-25 March 2014

A different model
m
has beenn selected forr open and cllosed
statees of switchhes. Open sw
witches are modeled as two
transsmission lines in series with
w
a capaciitance in betw
ween
wherreas in the closed
c
state, the mentioned capacitancce is
replaaced by a trannsmission linee with the sam
me parameterss [6].
Usinng the actual dimensions of various components
c
w
which
makke up sectionns of GIS, thhe individual surge impeddance
valuues are calcullated for circuuit breaker (iin both openn and
closeed positions), disconnectorrs and (in bothh open and cllosed
posittions), earth switches (in open positionn only) from their
geom
metry. These components are
a modeled as
a shown in Fig.4.
F
Behaavior of the DS
D during cloosing operationn is modeled by a
fixedd resistance in series with
w
exponenntially decreaasing
resisstance [2]:
R S + R0
R=R

dayss) as a result of leakage thrrough spacerss. By assuminng the

DS minimize the trapped chargge on switchg
gear, the reliaability
of th
he switchgear can be improvved.

(44)

Wheere R0 is takenn as 10 , iss 1 ns and r = 0.5 [2].

12

Figg. 5. Input sourcee model in EMTP

P-RV


Fig. 4.
4 DS & CB Equuivalent Circuit, a)
a DS (Z1=35 ,, L1=50cm, C1= 88pF,
C2=20pF), b) CB
B (Z1=58 , Z2=
=19 , L1=56cm
m, L2=93cm, L3=440cm,
C1= 20ppF, C2=200pF)

F
For
input soource, a ram
mp voltage with
w
a magnnitude
deterrmined by thee voltage acrooss the switchh has been chhosen
[5], therefore
t
a ram
mp voltage soource with maagnitude of 343 kV
and 5 ns rise time is applied to the
t DS duringg operation (Fiig.5).
Outggoing transmisssion lines actt only as surgee impedances (350
) thhen there is noo reflection in the end of thee line.
E
EMTP-RV
is used to simulate the substtation under study.
The Simulation tim
me step and simulation
s
tim
me is taken 1nss and
5 s respectively.
III.

Table
T
II show
ws the effect oof trapped chaarge on VFTO
O and
VFT
TC magnitude in different ppoints of our caase study. It can be
seen
n that the trappped charge hhas a great efffect on VFTO
O and
VFT
TC amplitude.. For examplee based on Tab
ble II, by channging
the trapped
t
chargee from 0 to 1 pp.u, VFTO in transformer feeder
f
(C02
2) varies froom 696.7kV
V to 1037.8k
kV which means
m
increeases by 1.499 times. Alsoo VFTC in transformer
t
f
feeder
(C02
2) varies from
m 17.6kA to 222.9kA which means
m
increasses by
1.29
9 times. Fig.6 shows wavess shape of VF
FTO with diffferent
trapp
ped charge vaalues. From tthese waveforrms, it is obseerved
that increase in trrapped chargee lead to shiftt transient waave in
initial times up.
TABLE II.

RESULTED VALU
UES OF VOLTAGE AND
A
CURRENTS IN
N
DIFFERENT LOCATIONS
L
WITH DIFFERENT TRAPPED CHARGES

RESULTS

Effect of trappped charge on VFT:

A. E
W
When
a DS is opened, on a floating sectioon of switchgeear, a
trappped charge may
m be left [77]. The maxim
mum value of the
VFT
TO depends on
o the voltagge drop at thhe DS just before
strikking along with
w
the speccific location.. Trapped chharge
remaaining on thee load side of
o the DS must
m
be taken into
conssideration. Thhe trapped charge voltage behavior stroongly
depeends on the coontact speed. A lower contaact speed resuults in
a loower trapped charge voltagge and proviides an addittional
safetty margin com
mpared to the calculation based
b
on a traapped
charrge voltage off -1 pu [6]. Therefore the amount
a
of traapped
charrge depends on
o switch typpe and load siide. For a noormal
slow
w speed DS with
w the maxim
mum trapped charge, it caan be
abouut 0.5p.u. and result in overrvoltages in thhe range of 1.7p.u.
and reach 2.0p.u. for specific caases [8].The potential
p
causeed by
the trapped
t
chargge will normallly decay veryy slowly (houurs to

81

Trap
pped charge

0 pu

0.5 pu

1 pu

VTr2(kV)
VTr3(kV)
VCT2(kV)
VCB2(kV)
VBUSH1(kV)

696.7
904.2
488.8
496.2
828.5

867.7
923.7
496.9
507.9
842.5

1037.99
943.5
508.77
537.99
856.99

ITr2(kA)
ITr3(kA)
ICT2(kA)
ICB2(kA)
IBUSH1
(kA)
B

15.2
7.1
24.6
17.6
6.2

18.8
8.3
28.4
20.9
7.1

23.9
9.5
32.2
22.9
7.8

2014 IEEE 8th International Power Engineering and Optimization Conference (PEOCO2014), Langkawi, The Jewel of Kedah,
Malaysia. 24-25 March 2014

TAB
BLE III.

(a)

RESSULTED VALUES O
OF VOLTAGE AND
D CURRENTS AT PO
OWER
TRANSF
FORMERS WITH D
DIFFERENT CAPACITANCES

Capacitance(nF
F)
VTr2 (kV)
VTr3 (kV)

3
696.7
904.1

5
689.2
821.7

10
672.44
693.55

Capacitance(nF
F)
ITr2 (kA)
ITr3 (kA)

3
13.77
7.2

5
14.5
5
8.2

10
15.22
10.99

C. Effect
E
of Rise time on VFT
During
D
voltagge breakdownn in DS, trav
velling waves are
geneerated and proopagate in oppposite direction
n from the loccation
at which
w
breakdow
wn occurs. A conducting sp
park channel with
w a
timee lag of a few
fe nanoseconnds is generated after vooltage
collaapse. During this time Tr, the resistaance of the spark
chan
nges from a veery large valuue to a very sm
mall value [10]]. For
hom
mogeneous fiellds, the rise tim
me of the surg
ge is obtained from
equaation (5):
Tr=1
13.3kt /(

(b)

(
(5)

In which
w
is thhe voltage jusst before the breakdown
b
(inn kV),
kt is Toepler Sparrk constant (kt= 50kV.ns/cm
m), s is spark leength

(in cm)
c [10].
c be approxximately obtaiined from equuation
can

(6):
u/ss =(E/P)0 P

(66)

In th
his equation (E
E/P)0= 860 kV
V/cm, P is gass pressure (in MPa)
M
and is field utiilization factoor. Emeann/Emax= 0.5-0.8 for
GIS normal dessign. Protrusiion, excessiv
ve roughness and
particles lead to longer
l
rise tim
mes. Typically
y Tr varies from 5
to 20ns
2
dependinng on field innhomogeneity.. For investiggating
the effect
e
of rise time
t
on VFTO
O magnitude, different risee time
valu
ues have been chosen for trransient wave calculation. Table
T
IV shows
s
the effeect of changess in rise time in
n VFTO variaations
at different locatiion including CB of busbarr coupler, Busshing
of feeeder (C05) annd busbar itseelf.

(c)
Fig. 6.
6 VFTO wave shapes
s
with differrent trap charges.. (a)Trap charge=
=0 p.u.
(b)T
Trap charge=0.5 p.u.
p (c) Trap charge=1 p.u.

B. E
Effect of Entraance capacitannce on VFT
T investigatee Very Fast Transient
To
T
Oveervoltages, duue to
traveelling nature of the wavess, power trannsformer has been
moddeled as a cappacitance that is called entrrance capacitaance.
The value of capaacitance variees from 3nF to 10nF depennding
on the
t design of the power trransformer [9]]. In table IIII, the
effecct of entrance capacitance on
o VFTO andd VFTC magnnitude
has been
b
shown.

It
I can be seen from Table IV
V that increasee in rise time value
v
resu
ults in decreassing the peakk magnitude of
o the VFTO
O, but
theree is no sensiblle change in V
VFTO wavefo
orm. The reasoon for
that is eliminationn of very higgh frequency components
c
o the
of
transients.

I is obvious that
It
t
with increasing the entrance capacittance
from
m 3nF to 100nF, the peaak magnitudee of VFTO in
transsformer feederr (C03) decreaases from 904.1kV to 693.55 kV
and in transformeer feeder (C002) decreases from 696.7kkV to
672.4kV which means decreasing by 1.33 and 1.05 times
t
respeectively. Alsoo peak magnnitude of VFT
TC in transfoormer
feedder (C03) channges from 7.2kkA to 10.9kA and in transfoormer
feedder (C02) chaanges from 133.7kA to 15.22kA which means
m
increeasing by 1.511 and 1.11 tim
mes respectiveely. Thereforee it is
conccluded that enntrance capacittance incremeent causes the peak
magnitude of VFT
TO to be decreeased but the peak
p
magnitudde of
VFT
TC in the traansformer to be increased.. Fig.7 showss the
VFT
TO waveformss in transformer feeder (C022) and (C03). Also
it caan be seen from
m Fig.7 that increase
i
in enntrance capacittance
will result in decreeasing the volttage ripple.

It
I shall also bee noted that thhe increase off the rise time from
0 to 5ns shows a much greaterr influence on
n VFTO magnnitude
than
n the same inncrease of riise time in bigger
b
valuess (for
instaance 15 to 20nns). For exampple, with increeasing the risee time
valu
ue from 5 too 10ns, VFT
TO magnitudee decreased about
a
1.11
1kV and with increasing
i
froom 15 to 20ns,, it decreased about
a
8.6k
kV. Fig.8 show
ws the peak m
magnitude off VFTO for 0--20ns
rise times for diffe
ferent values of trapped charrge.

82

2014 IEEE 8th International Power Engineering and Optimization Conference (PEOCO2014), Langkawi, The Jewel of Kedah,
Malaysia. 24-25 March 2014

TABLE
T
IV.

RESULTED VALUES OF VOLTAGE AT

T VIEW POINTS WIITH
DIFFERENT
T RISE TIMES

Rise time (ns)

VCBCOUP. (kV)
VBush5(kV)
VBB (kV)

5
454.8
533.8
539.7

10
452.1
532.8
538.6

15
450.6
530.9
52.6

20
4447.3
5
528.3
5
524.1

(aa)
Fig
g. 8. VFTO maggntude peaks in diifferent rise timess and Trapped charge

D. Effect
E
of GIS bus
b duct dimeension on VFT
T
For
F a range off frequencies llower than 10
00 MHz, a buss duct
can be representeed as a lossleess transmissio
on line. The surge
impeedance and the
t travel tim
me can be caalculated from
m the
physsical dimensioons of the ductt [2]. As it meentioned before, the
charracteristic imppedance of thee bus duct has been derived from
equaation (3) and cylindrical sshape of the GIS compartm
ment.
Fig.9 shows the innput data for ssimulation of the
t bus duct of 4 m
leng
gth in this studdy. In Siahbiishe 400kV GIS
G substationn, the
radiu
us of bus ducct and internaal conductor are
a R=49.2cm
m and
r=12
2cm respectivvely. Thus the characteristicc impedance of
o the
bus duct in this sttudy is about 85 . The surrge impedancee and
traveeling wave veelocity in GIS
S is obtained from
f
equationns (1)
and (2).

(bb)

Table
T
V dem
monstrates thhe appeared voltage at power
p
transformer and bushing
b
resultted from diffferent values for
f R
and r. It can be seeen that increaasing the surgee impedance of
o the
bus duct due to thhe applied chaanges in bus duct
d
and condductor
dimeensions will result
r
in decreasing the peak
k magnitude of
o the
VFT
TO.

(cc)
Fig. 7. VFTO wave shapes
s
with diffeerent entrance cappacitances (a) C = 3 nF
(b) C = 5 nF (c) C = 10nf

Fig. 9. input data

d for simulatioon of the bus ductt in EMTP-RV

83

2014 IEEE 8th International Power Engineering and Optimization Conference (PEOCO2014), Langkawi, The Jewel of Kedah,
Malaysia. 24-25 March 2014

TABLE V.

RESULTED VALUES OF VOLTAGE AT VIEW POINTS WITH

magnitude of VFTO while there is no significant

change in the waveform.

BUSBAR CHARACTERISTICS

Characteristics of
Busbar
R=49.2cm,
r=15cm
R=49.2cm,
r= 12cm
R=60cm,
r=12cm
R=60cm
,r=8cmm

Tr2
(kV)

Tr4
(kV)

Tr6
(kV)

Bushing
1 (kV)

Z=71.33

863.6

814.9

883.4

769.7

Z=84.7

853.8

808.0

840.3

745.5

Z=96.5

840.3

803.1

826.9

737.5

Z=120.9

814.9

787.7

819.9

700.0

x The physical dimensions of conductor and bus duct

have remarkable effects on changing the surge
impedance and the traveling wave velocity. In this
regard, the higher surge impedance will result in lower
peak magnitude of VFTO.

REFERENCES
[1]
[2]

IV.

CONCLUSION

In this paper, analysis of the internal effects of VFT in a

400kV GIS substation was conducted using EMTP-RV based
on equivalent circuits for GIS components, such as DS, CB,
busbars, Current and Voltage Transformers and etc.The various
conditions for DS operation were simulated and the analysis
results can be summarized as follows:

[3]
[4]

x Due to the remarkable effect of trapped charge on the

magnitude of VFTO and VFTC, it is of great concern in
GIS substations.

[5]
[6]

x The peak magnitude of VFTO and VFTC increases with

increasing trapped charge.

[7]

x With decrease in Trapped charge value the VFTO

waveshape will become smoother.

[8]

IEEE Std C37-122 "Guide for GIS". 1993

J.A. Martinez (Chairman), P. Chowdhuri, R. Iravani, A. Keri, D. Povh
"Modeling Guideline For Very Fast Transients in Gas Insulated
Substations", Report Prepared by the Very Fast Transients Task Force of
the IEEE Working Group on Modeling and Analysis of System
Transients
IEC 60071-1 Insulation Coordination-Part 1: Definitions, Principles
and Rules 2006
M. M. Rao, M. J. Thomas, and B. P. Singh, Frequency characteristics
of very fast transient currents (VFTC) in a 245 kV GIS, IEEE Trans.
Power Del., vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 24502457, Oct. 2005
Electric Power Engineering Handbook Second Edition Edited by
Leonard L. Grigsby 2007 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
IEC 60071-4 Insulation Coordination-Part 4: Computational guide to
insulation co-ordination and modeling of electrical networks 2004
V. Vinod Kumar, Joy Thomas M., and M. S. Naidu Influence of
Switching Conditions on the VFTO Magnitudes in a GIS IEEE
Transaction . Power Delivery, Vol. 16, No. 4, October 2001

[8] Lui C. Y. and Hiley J., Computational study of very fast transients
in GIS with special reference to effects of trapped charge and risetime
on overvoltage amplitude, IEEE Trans. Distrib, Vol. 141, No. 5, pp.
485-490, Sep. 1994.
[9] U. Riechert, M. Bosch, M. Szewczyk, W. Piasecki, J. Smajic, A. Shoory,
S. Burow, S. Tenbohlen Mitigation of Very Fast Transient
Overvoltagesin Gas Insulated UHV Substations CIGRE 2012
[10] Vey Fast Transient Phenomena Associated With Gas Insulated
Substations International Conference on Large High Voltage Electric
Systems 1988, CIGRE

x The peak magnitude of VFTO decreases with increasing

the entrance capacitance. And peak magnitude of VFTC
increases with increasing the entrance capacitance.
x For VFT study in GIS substations we must take into
account the effect of rise time and proper rise time must
be chosen. The shorter rise time results in higher peak

84