FAULT TYPES

Transient faults are common on transmission lines. They will disappear after a
short “dead interval” and self distinguish. Lightning is the most common reason for
transient faults. The by lightning induced overvoltages will cause flash-over in an
insulator chain.
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The fault must be cleared to clear the arc. After a short interval,
to allow deionisation, the voltage can be restored without causing
a new fault.
Transient faults can also, further to lightnings, be caused by fac-
tors such as swinging lines, falling trees and birds.
Approximately 80-85% of faults at HV lines are transient. The fig-
ures appearing at lower voltages are less.
Persistent faults can be caused by a broken conductor, a falling
tree, a mechanically damaged insulator etc. These faults must be
localized and the damage repaired before the normal service can
be reestablished. The system is during the reparation in an ab-
normal but safe condition.
1.3 SPECIAL FAULT TYPES
In double circuit lines (two lines at the same tower) simultaneous-
and inter-line faults can occur.
Simultaneous fault are most likely to be two single phase to
earth faults that will occur on different phases on the two lines on
the same transmission line tower. Both faults will though then be
in the same tower. The common footing resistance will compli-
cate the detection of this type of fault.
The Inter-line fault is a connection between two phases of the
parallel lines on the same transmission line tower with the arc.
The probability for simultaneous fault and interline fault is low.
The fault resistance at a multi-phase fault consists only of arc re-
sistance and can practically be ignored. At cross country faults,
an earth resistance is added to the arc resistance and the fault
resistance will then be significant. The probability for this type of
fault is very small in a solidly earthed system and is mostly ig-
nored. In systems earthed over Petersén reactors where fault is
not immediately disconnected this type of fault can’t be ignored.
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99The fault resistance can’t be ignored in case of an earth fault. When the fault
occurs at a tower the footing resistance is added to the arc resistance. The
footing resistance depends on the line design and is almost always less than ten
ohms but the resistance can be tens of ohms in extreme cases. When earth faults
between the towers, called mid-span faults, occurs the footing resistance is beyond
control and can in extreme cases be up to tens of kiloohms. Mid-span faults can be
caused by growing trees, bush fire or objects touching the phase conductors.
One very serious type of mid-span faults are caused by mobile cranes. The mid-span
faults have to be payed special attention due to the risk of injuries to people if
they not are cleared properly.