Calculated Short-Circuit Behaviour and Effects

of a Duplex Conductor Bus

Variation of the Subconductor Spacing

Amir M. Miri
1)
and Norbert Stein
2).


1)
Institute of Electric Energy Systems and High-Voltage Technology, University of Karlsruhe,
Kaiserstrasse 12, D-76128 Karlsruhe,Germany, E-mail: miri@ieh.etec.uni-karlsruhe.de
2)
Forschungsgemeinschaft fr Elektrische Anlagentechnik und Stromwirtschaft Mannheim
P.O. Box 810169, D-68201 Mannheim,Germany, E-mail: norbert.stein@fgh-ma.de


Abstract - The paper presents a study on the dynamic
behaviour and effects of a duplex conductor bus of a 400
kV substation due to short-circuit. The study is performed
using the Finite Element Method. Three bus parameters
are varied: sub-conductor spacing, short-circuit duration
and the number of spacers. The analysis is performed for
the stresses at the dead end, on the spacers and the portal
foundations. The study was done to prepare and
accompany the current FGH /VDE short-circuit test series
on full scale arrangements in the interest of CIGRE 23-03
and IEC TC 73.
I ndex Terms- Mechanical short-circuit effects, Finite
Element Method, Structural analysis.

I. INTRODUCTION

Close bundling of flexible bus bars is not associated
with major short-circuit contraction effects. Substantial
peak forces due to the contraction of sub-conductors
will occur at the dead end and on the spacers in the case
of larger sub-conductor spacing. Their magnitude and
their eventual static equivalent effect (ESL = equivalent
static load) on support structures and foundations de-
pend, apart from a number of additional parameters of
Configuration and state, as well as of the electrical
short-circuit data, on the spacing between the sub-
conductors, their number and configuration, the
conductor type itself, and the number and the design of
the spacers (rigid, partially or multiply elastic).

Apart from UK 121.2 and AK 121.2.2. of the Ger-
man Electro technical Committee DKE and IEC TC73,
WG2 (Calculation of the effects of short-circuit
currents), it is CIGRE 23-03 ESCC Task Force (Effects
of short-circuit currents) of SC 23 (Substations) that is
strongly engaged with the state of the art and the deve-
lopment of the IEC standard 60865-1.
Close bundling of multiple conductors, with a
spacing between sub-conductors approximately
equivalent to conductor diameter, minimizes the direct
and indirect effects of contraction. Up to 400kV this
technique is absolutely viable for substations and has
become largely standard for more recent German
installations. Wide bundle distances are still quite usual
in older installations also below 400kV whose reserves
now need to be investigated and in other countries
where a bundle spacing as on overhead lines is the
normal technique. Close bundling is, of course, no
longer feasible with stranded conductors for higher
system voltages.

The paper presents the results of a numerical para-
meter study of different conductor/spacer configurations
from close to wide bundling. They are intended to
prepare and accompany the current series of short-
circuit test at the FGH test site.

A schematic view of the typical flexible conductor
configurations of open-air substations is given in Fig.1


Fig. 1. Flexible conductor configurations of open-air
substations - Cases A - F
A: horizontal bus connected by insulator chains to steel structures,
B: vertical dropper between bus and apparatus,
C: horizontal connection between components,
D: jumper connecting two bus sections,
E: end-span droppers (classical or spring loaded),
F: first span to overhead line.

The present study is concerned with the case A plus
B long-span horizontal bus connected by insulator
chains to portal structures where the bus conductors are
twin bundles. The dropper B is connected at midspan
and does not carry current.
The sub-conductor centre line distance is varied
from 60 to 400 mm in four individual values.
??. CALCULATION OF SHORT-CIRCUIT BEHAVIOUR

The simplified methods of calculation in IEC/ VDE
are useful and necessary for typical design cases by
hand or computer-aided [1] calculation and allow
parameter-sensitive investigations in a very short time
using personal computers. Only general input data are
required, and the results are the maximum values of
tensile forces and displacements. The procedures are
adjusted to practical requirements and contain
simplifications with safety margins.
Advanced methods, on the other hand, use Finite
Element or finite difference modelling, and powerful
software is available on workstations and personal
computers. They can be applied to any structural con-
figuration with single and bundle conductors and
forcing function [2]. The computation of the dynamic
response of the complete structure including the
nonlinear behaviour is possible, and accurate results can
be obtained, limited only by the degree of detail in the
modelling and the availability of reliable basic stru ctural
data. The calculation of eigenfrequencies, time histories
of forces, moments and deformations allows to study
the system behaviour, to detect and improve weak
points, and to ascertain the circuit strength even for
complex cases. Also the range of validity of simplified
methods can be investigated.
During more than 20 years, the users of the
advanced methods have acquired an excellent know-
how in the modelling and computation of substation
structures. Test results have always been taken for
comparison and adaptation.
The possibilities and experience gained with these
detailed methods now allow to fill out and extend the
required framework set up by singular test result data by
inter- and extrapolation varying the original test para -
meters in a degree that could not be done in actual
testing.
The control basis for the development of simplified
calculation methods for new applications can thus be
laid.
The dynamic short-circuit behaviour of high-voltage
substations has been studied numerically at the Institut
fr Elektroenergiesysteme und Hochspannungstechnik
of Karlsruhe University for more than 20 years. As part
of this program, calculation proceduress based on the
Finite Element Method were developed to simulate the
behaviour of the entire structures for rigid busbars and
busbars with flexible conductors in single and bundle
configuration, including droppers.
The present study applies the Finite Element Method
to outdoor substations of different configurations of
bundle conductors, with close and wide bundling.
To discretize high-voltage substations, the following
elements are generally applied:
Beam elements of different, appropriate cross-
section for stiff conductors, gantries, post insulators
and spacers,
Truss elements for the flexible conductors, strain
insulators and droppers.
For bundle conductors, dashpot elements are used to
damp the relative motion of the mar ginal nodes of
the truss elements toward each other in the three
main axis directions.
For bundle conductors one also requires additional
contact elements. These contact elements consist of
a massless spring element with a damping element
in parallel [3].

III. INVESTIGATED ARRANGEMENT

In this study flexible busbars (with 2 ACSR
537/53) are investigated in the FGH/VDE 400 kV test
arrangement of 40 m span length and phase distance a =
3m shown in Fig. 2. The droppers are of 1 ACSR
537/53. For a given short-circuit current of 40 kA r.m.s.
(fully asymmetric) with twin conductor bundles, the
following parameters were varied:

the number of spacers n

AH

the sub-conductor centre-line distance a

T

the short-circuit current duration T

K
.

The usual practical solution for a close bundle
conductor in Germany is a
T
2 x conductor diameter
for the applied conductor type ACSR 537/53 a
T
= 65
mm was used.
For the so called wide bundling, 100, 200 and 400
mm values of a
T
were considered.
Fig. 2 shows the studied arrangement.
Fig.2. The studied arrangement fully discretized

The structure is discretized in a full-detail FE model,
using the appropriate beam elements for the framework
of the portals and adjusting the model to achieve first
the proper stiffness and then eigenfrequency values.
From prior tests the stiffness values are known to be
S
N
= 1.086 kN/mm, S
M
= 1.223 kN/mm (S
res
= 0.575
kN/mm).
The relevant first eigenfrequencies excited at the
mid crossarm, i.e. next to the suspension points, are 9
Hz for the N-portal crossarm and 9.5 Hz for the
M-portal crossarm, while the complete portals have
basic frequencies of 3 Hz and 4.3 Hz, respectively, the
M-portal having the stiffer construction (see above).The
FEM software applied is ABAQUS [4].
In the case of single conductors, only repelling
forces act between conductor and return conductor
during the entire short-circuit period, accelerating both
conductors away from each other.
In the case of twin bundle phase conductors we have
two parallel current-carrying conductors and two
current-carrying return conductors. As a result, two
phenomena need to be distinguished during short-
circuit, which are not necessarily one after the other:
The contraction phase, during which the sub-
conductors, which have a relatively small distance
compared with the distance of the phases, attract
each other very strongly although the current in each
of the sub-conductors is only half the full short-
circuit current, until they touch in so-called plastic
impulse.
The second phase is the swing-out phase, where the
repelling forces acting between the phase
conductors, accelerate them away from each other.
While these two original phenomena happen during
the short-circuit, the accelerated phase conductors will
continue their motion after the short-circuit.
The maxima of constraints observed during these
three separate phases are termed:
1. Contraction maximum F
Pi
,
2. Swing-out maximum F
t

3. Fall-of-span maximum F
f
.
Fig. 3 shows a schematic oscillograph of the tensile
force and the respective maxima.












Fig. 3. Main conductor tensile forces, schematic
oscillograph:
0 - Static load, F
st
: 1 - Contraction maximum , F
p
;
2 - Swing-out maximum, F
t
; 3 - Fall-of-span maximum

The reactions of the support structure on the tensile
forces acting upon it are to be quantified and validated
in terms of so called "Equivalent Static Loads" ESL.

IV. CALCULATION RESULTS

The results of the calculations performed on the
structure of Fig. 2 are given in the following. Figures
4.a and b give an example of the reactions of the support
structure upon the short-circuit of 100 kA 40 kA
rms

0.3 s on the 400 mm bundle phase conductors with 1
spacer at mid span.




































Fig. 4. a, b. Exemplary oscillographs of constraints at:
a) dead end; b) foundation.

The comparison of Fig. 4. a against Fig. 4. b shows
the relative reduction of 50 and 100 Hz phenomena
during the short-circuit. on the way from the dead-end
fixing point at cross arm to the bottom end of the tower
(i.e. foundation).
Fig.5 exemplarily shows the calculated displace-
ments of a bundle conductor at the spacer location for
the same arrangement and short-circuit data as above
except t
K
=0.1 s. Fig.6. gives the same for a point at 1/4
span, i.e. in the middle between spacer position and the
suspension point. The first sequence of figures - Fig. 7a,
b and c - gives a collection of the calculation results for
the respective tension forces at the dead end in terms of
the recorded maxima F
pi
, F
t
and F
f
for the variants taken
into account in the calculation. One must consider that
the value of t
K
= 0.1 s is of a rather theoretical nature.
s.c. current
time
Tensile
force
F
pi
1
F
t
2
F
f
3
F
st
0
0.0 0.4 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
time [s]
Force
[10
3
kN]
0.2
0
-0.2
-0.4
-0.6
0.0 0.4 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
time [s]
Force
[kN]
80.0
60.0
40.0
20.0
0














Fig. 5. Bundle conductor displacement at midspan
(position of spacer)














Fig. 6. Bundle conductor displacement at 1/4 span (in a
location without spacer)

The contraction effect rises with the sub-conductor
distance and the number of spacers to become the rele-
vant short-circuit tension forceat the suspension points
for three spacers at a
T
= 400 mm. The positive effect of
close bundling and a small number of spacers is
obvious.
The dependency of the second and third maxima on
the number of spacers must be attributed to the reduc-
tion of sag (i.e. effective conductor length available for
the contraction) by the contraction with increasing sub-
conductor distance a
T
and number of spacers n
AH
during
the short-circuit. Also the existence of the droppers may
lead to a reduction of the kinetic possibilities of the span
during the swingout and the fall-of-span phases.
In comparison to the above the same sequence is
used for the reactions at the foot of the towers, at the
transition to the foundation in Fig. 8a, b and c. The
static ratio between the exciting tension force and the
considered reaction force at the tower foot is 1 : 6,2 .
Of course the respective values of Fig. 8.a contrac-
tion - for equal conditions must remain independent of
the short-circuit duration. (Mind the different scales for
1 spacer 3 spacers
84,6
26,3 26,3 26,4
39,6 39,8 40
54,7 55,2 55
83,1 83
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
0,1s 0,3s 0,5s
short-circuit duration
F
o
r
c
e

/
k
N
60mm
100mm
200mm
400mm
117,2 117,6 116,7
30,3 29,6 29,7
58,8 58 58,1
83,5
86,4
88
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
0,1s 0,3s 0,5s
short-circuit duration
1 spacer 3 spacers
42,9
41 41 40
40,8
30,2
38
41
27
55,9
39,9
31,8
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
0,1s 0,3s 0,5s
short-circuit duration
F
o
r
c
e

/

k
N
41 40,8
32
40
40
27
38
50,6
28
62,9
42,8
31
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
0,1s 0,3s 0,5s
short-circuit duration
60mm
100mm
200mm
400mm

Fig. 7.a, b, c. Calculation results: a) Contraction maxima,
F
pi
; b) Swing-out maxima, F
t
; c) Fall-of-span maxima, F
f

1 and 3 spacers)

The number of spacers and the sub-conductor
distance have a severe increasing effect on the reactions.
The fall of span is generally the more important against
swing-out. Up to 100 mm sub-conductor a
T
, the reaction
to contraction can be neglected against all other
maxima.
Yet, if the calculation and, in particular, the chosen
damping is right, the contraction plays the dominant
part among the other maxima at a
T
= 200 mm and
above.
1 spacer 3 spacers
60,5
54
47,2
60
54
35
56,3 56,9
46,8
78 79,1
56
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
0,1s 0,3s 0,5s
short-circuit duration
F
o
r
c
e

/ k
N
60mm
100mm
200mm
400mm
106,5
60,6
55
34,8
58
54,7
40
70 71
57,5
89
79
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
0,1s 0,3s 0,5s
short-circuit duration
Fig. 8. Reaction at transition tower/foundation: a) due to
contraction; b) due to conductor swing-out; c) due to fall of
span.

With one spacer and a
T
= 200 mm, the ESL factor
for contraction is slightly less than 1, while for 400 mm
it is 1.2. For a larger number of spacers the factors are
even higher.
Finally, the maximum spacer compression was
considered. Fig.9 gives the results of that calcu-
lation. Spacer compression has lately come into
renewed interest through the publications of Lilien
and Papailiou [5].

1 spacer 3 spacers
-616,2 -621,8 -626,2
0 0 0
-94,2 -94,3 -93,7
-336 -338 -338
-1000
-900
-800
-700
-600
-500
-400
-300
-200
-100
0
short-circuit duration
0,1s 0,3s 0,5s
F
o
r
c
e
/ k
N
60mm
100mm
200mm
400mm
0 0 0
-237 -238 -237
-605 -608 -612
-993 -997 -985
-1000
-900
-800
-700
-600
-500
-400
-300
-200
-100
0
short-circuit duration
0,1s 0,3s 0,5s
Fig. 9. Maximum spacer compression


V. CONCLUSION

This FE study is dedicated to predict the short-
circuit behaviour of long spans of high-voltage flexible
buses. With the support structures, the conductors of the
bundle 2 ACSR 537/53, the span of 40 m and also the
short-circuit current values 100 kA, 40 kA
rms
given,
three parameters were varied:
sub-conductor spacing a
T

short-circuit duration T
K

number of spacers n
AH
.
The calculations were done in preparation of the
current test series conducted by FGH/VDE with bundle
conductor buses with a wider sub-conductor distance
than the one defined by so-called close bundling. The
said tests, in a first stage, consider duplex conductors in
horizontal arrangement at up to a
T
400 ... 500 mm.
They will also consider the influence of inter-phase
spacers in a later stage.

REFERENCES

[1] PC Programme IEC 60865, University of Erlangen,
1999
[2] Miri, A.M., Schwab, A.J., Kopatz, M.: Kurzschluss-
strme und Leiterbewegungen in Hochspan-
nungsschaltanlagen in Seilbauweise, Elektrizitts-
wirtschaft 87 (1988), pp. 429-436
[3] Stein, N., Meyer, W.; Miri, A.M.: High Voltage
Substation Stranded Conductor Buses with and without
DroppersTests and Calculation of Short-circuit Con-
straints and Behaviour, Proceedings 8th International
Symposium on Short-circuit Currents in Power Systems,
Brussels 1998, pp. 115 121
[4] Hibbit, Karlsson & Sorenson Inc.: ABAQUS Theory
Manual, Version 5.4, 1994
[5] Lilien, J.L., Hansenne, Papailiou, Kempf: Spacer Com-
pression for a Triple Conductor Bundle, IEEE PE-805-
DW RD, April 4, 97
1 spacer 3 spacers
-616,2 -621,8 -626,2
0 0 0
-94,2 -94,3 -93,7
-336 -338 -338
-700
-600
-500
-400
-300
-200
-100
0
short-circuit duration
0,1s 0,3s 0,5s
F
o
r
c
e

/

k
N
60mm
100mm
200mm
400mm
0 0 0
-237 -238 -237
-605 -608 -612
-993 -997 -985
-1200
-1000
-800
-600
-400
-200
0
short-circuit duration
0,1s 0,3s 0,5s
1 spacer 3 spacers
-413,8
-272
-223
-175
-267
-221
-89
-240
-261
-158
-378
-244
-1000
-900
-800
-700
-600
-500
-400
-300
-200
-100
0
short-circuit current
0,1s 0,3s 0,5s
F
o
r
c
e

/

k
N
60mm
100mm
200mm
400mm
-273
-233
-87
-262
-237
-124
-353
-339
-244
-663
-745
-509
-1000
-900
-800
-700
-600
-500
-400
-300
-200
-100
0
short-circuit current
0,1s 0,3s 0,5s
1 spacer 3 spacers
-286
-135
-132
-141 -131
-128
-51
-99 -128
-81
-274
-192
-1000
-900
-800
-700
-600
-500
-400
-300
-200
-100
0
short-circuit duration
0,1s 0,3s 0,5s
F
o
r
c
e

/

k
N
60mm
100mm
200mm
400mm
-184,9
-427,6
-511,6
-133
-47
-132 -132
-44
-132
-240
-160
-74
-1000
-900
-800
-700
-600
-500
-400
-300
-200
-100
0
short-cicuit duration
0,1s 0,3s 0,5s