Geo-magnetically induced current

A coronal mass ejection

Aurora

GEO-MAGNATICALLY INDUCED CURRENT

By
S.Thirumal
Mobile:9025227208
E-mail:thirumaleee@gmail.com
 INTRODUCTION
• Geo-magnetically induced currents (GIC), affecting the normal operation of long electrical conductor
systems, are a manifestation at ground level of space weather. During space weather events, electric
currents in the magnetosphere and ionosphere experience large variations, which manifest also in the
Earth's magnetic field.

• The surface electric field causes electrical currents, known as geo-magnetically induced currents (GIC), to
flow in any conducting structure, for example, a power or pipeline grid grounded in the Earth.

•
This electric field, measured in V/km, acts as a voltage source across networks

• The largest magnetospheric-ionospheric current variations, resulting in the largest external magnetic field
variations, occur during geomagnetic storms and it is case to largest geo magnetic storm.

• Heavy geo magnetic storm are the solar observations provide a one- to three-day warning of an Earthbound
coronal mass ejection (CME), depending on CME speed. Following this, detection of the solar wind shock
that precedes the CME in the solar wind,, gives a definite 20 to 60 minutes warning of a geomagnetic
storm (again depending on local solar wind speed).
Geomagnetically induced currents (GIC),
affecting the normal operation of long electrical
conductor systems, are a manifestation at ground
level of space weather A severe geomagnetic storm
caused the collapse of the Hydro-Québec power grid
in a matter of seconds as equipment protection
relays tripped in a cascading sequence of events.

During space weather events, electric currents in the

magnetosphere and ionosphere experience large
variations, which manifest also in the Earth's
magnetic field. These variations induce currents
(GIC) in conductors operated on the surface of
Earth.

The basic principle for the generation of GIC:

variations of the ionospheric currents (I(t)) generate
an electric field (E(t)) driving GIC.

The (nearly direct) currents induced in these lines

from geomagnetic storms are harmful to electrical
transmission equipment, especially generators and
transformers — induces core saturation,
constraining their performance (as well as tripping
various safety devices), and causes coils and cores
to heat up. This heat can disable or destroy them,
even inducing a chain reaction that can blow
transformers throughout a system.
 Effect On Power System and Transformer
• Faraday's Law of Induction, an electric field at the surface of the Earth is induced in association
with the time variations of the magnetic field. The surface electric field causes electrical currents
that are known as Geo-magnetically Induced Currents (GICs) to flow into any conducting
structure.

• Ground currents induced during geomagnetic storms can create excess currents in the electrical
grid.

• These excess unregulated currents have the power to melt the copper windings of electrically
stressed transformers at the core of many mains power distribution systems.

• In this case will called as cascading system failure or catastrophic failure. It can be avoided by
using simple voltage division and current division principals.
• Voltage divider

• Current divider
This quasi-direct current GIC flowing through
transformer off-sets the power frequency
magnetization curve so that the magnetic circuit
operates asymmetrically on the B-H curve.

The changing magnetic field induces currents in the

large loops of conductor made up of transmission
lines connected through the earthed neutrals of
transformers and substation grounding to “true
earth”, and the current flowing through the earth
between those transformers, as illustrated in Fig 1.

Under normal conditions, with most flux in the

magnetic core, the non-magnetic plates carry little
flux and generate only small losses. Under half wave
core saturation, the losses in some parts of the
leakage flux shields may increase significantly,
causing localized heating.

It is clear that simulation results are going to depend

very much on how the transformer modeled since the
effects on the power system due to GIC are to
transformer half cycle saturation and it characteristic
was an non linear function.

GIC offset the magnetic flux of the transformer,

resulting in a magnetizing current waveform with a
greatly increased amplitude that is present for only
half a cycle.
• Transformers are usually operated over a narrow range of the magnetization curve producing a relatively
small excitation current as shown in the figure. Asymmetrical or half-cycle saturation of transformer cores
can be caused by GIC on the order of 10 to 100 amperes

• GIC also cause an increase in reactive power consumption by the transformers and an increase in even
and odd harmonics which are generated by the half-cycle saturation.

• The half-cycle saturation of a transformer for a long enough time can cause stray flux to enter transformer
structural tank members or current windings and produce overheating resulting in shortening of
transformer lifespan or other permanent damage. GIC-induced saturation can cause transformers to be
vulnerable to thermal degradation and excessive gas evolution.

• The susceptibility of transformers to GIC-induced saturation can be determined from the flux path of
zero-sequence open-circuit excitation. As a result, the susceptibility of transformer banks to GIC-induced
saturation can be categorized as either strong or weak

• The transformer reactive power consumption can be calculated as follows

Transformer reactive power (VA) = V(Iexc + 2.8Idc)

Where
Iac = transformer exciting current (without dc),
Ibc = direct current in the transformer winding.
 Half-cycle saturation of power transformers due to geo-magnetically induced currents.

• Ф1-Curve of normal magnetizing flux

• Ф2-Flux during half cycle saturation due to the presence of GIC
• I1- Curve of normal magnetizing current
• I2-Current resulting from half cycle saturation
 Protection Systems and Its Operation

• GIC can cause relay and protection systems to fail in three different ways

• First, relays for static VAR compensators, capacitors, and line relay operations can mistake the
harmonic currents produced by saturated transformers for a fault or current overload.

• Second, the protection system can fail to operate as desired. The output of a CT for a
transformer differential protection scheme can become distorted due to GIC and cause the
protection scheme not to operate when there is a fault condition.

• Third, the protection system. can operate slower than desired because of the presence of
remanent flux in a CT caused by GIC. The remanent flux reduces the CT’s time-to-saturation.

• The relay systems that have the most problem with GIC are those for current unbalance,
transformer neutral current, line residual current, and voltage unbalance protection systems

• Differential relay schemes on transformers are particularly susceptible to malfunction in the

presence of GICS. This malfunction can be caused by CT saturation as well as by harmonics
generated by saturation of the power transformers being protected .

• The increased magnitude of the secondary arc current caused by GIC increases the time
needed for the arc to extinguish and decreases the probability of a successful line reclosure
for a given single-phase dead time.
 GIC On HVDC Station
• HVDC loading is to be adjusted to between 40% and 90% of normal full-load rating in response to
magnetic disturbance forecasts. Loading can be adjusted to even lower levels if deemed necessary.

• The low order harmonic current case the overloading of static var compensators it will minimize the
likelihood future of SVC tripping to minimize this effect is advisable to broaden the knowledge of such
voltage and currents and to find out if certain parts of the system are more sensitive to geomagnetic
disturbance then others.

• To computing the GIC there are tow different approaches are possible: First approach, each transformer is
represented as a source of harmonic currents with amplitudes proportional to GIC values phasing of these
sources of harmonic currents then becomes a major consideration.

• With the second method, the saturation characteristic of the transformer’s magnetizing core is modeled
with a program such as EMTP.

• The series capacitors that are to be installed have a very high impedance for GIC and will thus block them.
However, short lines and many tie lines will not be compensated, and this means creation of “loops”
where GIC will continue to flow and to saturate transformers. This in turn will generate harmonics which
will flow thought the system, since they will not be blocked by series capacitors.

• Capacitors installed between transformer neutrals and ground can be very effective in blocking ground
induced current.
 HVDC System and Static VAR Compensator
• Operations at or near the minimum or maximum current rating of HVdc circuits increases the
potential for commutation failures.

• These systems require a sinusoidal voltage to properly commutate current transmission.

Voltage distorted by harmonics may be severe enough to cause commutation failures and
result in shutdown of such systems.

• Filter banks, including capacitor banks, associated with these systems will tend to overload
due to harmonic current and may result in tripping.

• The operation of an HVDC system in China leading to transmission system capacitor bank
failures. The study shows how the cause of the problem was analyzed and how mitigation
methods for the existing substation, and how that strategy might be modified for newer
installations.
 Natural Form of GIC
• In sun surface due to the sun gravitational force ejection of material from the solar corona, usually observed
with whit light coronagraph. Arcs rise above an active region on the surface of the Sun. ejected materials is a
primarily of plasma consisting primarily of electron and protons in addition to small quantities of heavier
element such as helium, oxygen and iron, plus the entraining coronal magnetic field. It is main case to geo-
magnetic field.

CME on solar corona

• Solar storms produce only minor disquieting affects on Earth. Typically one might expect short-term
electrical power blackouts, short lived communication outages, rerouting of aircraft, loss of a few satellites
and a beautiful “aurora borealis”.

• Great solar storms occur approximately once per decade. Table lists the great solar storms over the past
150 years. The largest solar storm ever recorded occurred on 1-2 September 1859. It was the greatest solar
storm in the past 450 years. But this still leaves open the question.
 Schematic of Earth Magnetosphere
• During magnetic storms, in particular, flows can be several times faster; the interplanetary
magnetic field may also be much stronger.

• That alone would tend to line them up in the Sun-Earth direction, but the rotation of the Sun
skews them (at Earth) by about 45 degrees, so that field lines passing Earth may actually start
near the western edge ("limb") of the visible Sun.

• Earth's magnetosphere is formed by the impact of the solar wind on the Earth's magnetic field.
It forms an obstacle to the solar wind, diverting it, at a distance of about 70,000 km, forming a
bow shock 12,000 km to 15,000 km further upstream.

• The magnetosphere is full of ions trapped as the solar wind passes the Earth. Perturbations in
te solar wind increase this flow of ions
Structure of the magneto sphere