Improvement the Reliability of HV – Power
Transmission Lines Protection by Means of Modern
Devices and Methods
Arif M. Gashimov
Azerbaijan Scientific-Research & Design-Prospecting
Power Engineering Institute
Baku, Azerbaijan
ahashimov@azerenerji.gov.az
Aytek R. Babayeva
Azerbaijan Scientific-Research & Design-Prospecting
Power Engineering Institute
Baku, Azerbaijan
sunlite10@gmail.com
Abstract— The increased voltage profile due to excess of
reactive power in low load operation mode in power grid is
observed. Because of HV overhead lines are distant from power
generating sources and variable load curve, the voltage profile
could grow over nominal level and at the same time power loss
would increase. The last is caused by changed reactive power
distribution at the system.
Commutation process for open-phase mode taking in account
residual voltages for 500kV, 300km length HV line is studied.
Calculations, performed in presence of controlled shunt reactors,
gain special importance. The evaluated parameters are the main
factors, which define a necessary number of used reactors. Such
HV lines usually equipped with nonlinear overvoltage limiters
and therefore then switching line on it is necessary to keep in
mind line’s VA function and residual voltages at the points of
limiters locations. At the same time at the open-phase operation
mode it is necessary to provide protection for overvoltage
limiters.
At the next stages the protection of overvoltage limiters from
quasi-steady overvoltages would be considered. The scientific
principles of protection from internal and external overvoltages
for transmission of electrical energy through polyphase (multi-
wire) overhead HV lines, which having been passive before, with
help of controlled shunt reactors and selection of VA functions of
overvoltage limiters becomes active, are proposed. The selection
of residual voltage at the overvoltage limiter and different control
functions of shunt reactors are considered.
Keywords — power transmission line, controlled shunt reactors,
overvoltage limiters.
I. INTRODUCTION
Outage in power supply system is a serious problem on
now days not only for Azerbaijan, but also for other countries
and this problem has to be solved immediately. The above
mentioned failures are connected with reactive power
compensation for transmission lines. Reactive power
compensation means are devices (equipment) installed at high
Modern Electric Power Systems 2015 – MEPS’15
www.meps15.pwr.edu.pl
978-1-5090-3101-6/15/$31.00 ©2015 IEEE
Fakhraddin L.Khidirov
Azerbaijan Scientific-Research & Design-Prospecting
Power Engineering Institute
Baku, Azerbaijan
fkhidirov@gmail.com
Ahmet Nayir
Fatih University
Istanbul, Turkey
ahmetnayir@gmail.com
voltage networks and their mission load flow control in
normal and transient mode of operation of power system and
consequently to increase power supply quality. To the moment
there is a tendency to tighten requirements to power quality,
because of new high technological and continuous processes
on the consumer side.
There are a number of equipment in operation which has
an ability more or less to compensate reactive power (RP) and
all of them has some advantages and drawbacks.
In extra high voltage networks reactive power
compensation and voltage normalization are provided by
means of non-controlled shunt reactors (SR). Shunt and
current limitation reactors are widely used at power grids in
the world. Shunt reactors (SR) are used at high voltage
networks to compensate excess of high voltage lines reactive
power in low load operation mode.
It is known that operation of non-controlled SR is
connected with some technical difficulties.
The main of them are:
• necessity of frequent commutation of SR during some
changes in transmission of power.
• there is a need to install circuit breakers to connect SR
to the lines.
• reactor commutation lead to transient overvoltage’s
and as a result-deterioration of isolation of high voltage
equipment and shunt reactor itself.
• reduced circuit breaker operation life time.
Therefore in high voltage network a series compensation
of power lines inductance became popular. This measure lets
to increase a transmission capacity of line which none the less
for lengthy lines is not exceed natural limit of transmission
capacity defined by natural power of line. Besides this
Wroclaw, Poland – July 6-9, 2015
measure cause some other difficulties which diminish
reliability of power transmission.
This situation could be overcome by application of more
effective controlled static reactive power compensators (SC),
reactors with excitation control (ECSR), transformer type
controlled shunt reactors (CSRT).
The purpose of this paper selection and coordination of
main parameter of protection devices and right places for their
installation to provide efficient protection of equipment in
electrical network from overvoltage’s caused by lightning or
appeared due transients.
At the same time the main solved problems are:
• selection and validation of models for calculation of
surge processes in multi-wire circuits, caused by
internal and lightning surges.
• search for more effective arrangement of protective
devices location.
II. MODELING OF ELECTROENERGETIC WAVE
PROCESSES IN MULTIWIRE ELECTRICAL NETWORK
Where:
Lk , rk - Inductance and resistances of model which considers
skin effect;
υ - diagonal matrice of EM wave speed propagation along HV
line;
0,5 - diagonal matrice;
τ - diagonal matrice of calculation step in time domain;
U p ,U q , i p , iq − known values of voltage and current column
matrices in points p and q of HV line with coordinates;
i f k - column matrice of known currents in k-branch of model
which considers skin effect in the point of HV line with
coordinates;
id k - column matrice of new values for current in branch k of
skin effect model at the same point of HV line with
coordinates.
Matrice zn/ has the form:
k

The equations to calculate column matrix of voltages and

current Ud and id for multi-wire transmission line with
coordinates (x,t) known as [1]: zn11 χ k11 zn12 χ k12 zn13 χ k13
z = zn 21 χ k 21
/
nk zn22 χ k 22 zn23 χ k 23 ,
(1 + hzg )U d + ( z + zn )id = Ap ½° (1)
¾
− (1 + hzg )U d + ( z + zn )id = Aq °¿
zn31 χ k 31 zn32 χ k 32 zn33 χ k 33

here Where χ k = ( Lk − τrk )( Lk + τrk ) −1 , k = 1,2,3.

Diagonal matrices z S k , χ k , zn* , of 3-wire line for example

n
A p = U p + zi p + θ , Aq = −U q + zi q + θ , θ = ¦ z k i f k , (2) has a view:
k =1

3
0,5υ ( Lk11 + τrk11 ) 0 0
id k = z S−k1U S + χ k i f k , U S = z n* (id − ¦ χ k i f k ), (3)
k =1 zS k = 0 0,5υ ( Lk 22 + τrk 22 ) 0 ,
0 0 0,5υ ( Lk 33 + τrk 33 )
There coordinates of d, p, q, f consequently (x,t), (x-h,t-IJ) ɢ
(x, t-2IJ):
zn11 0 0 χk 11
0 0
h – diagonal matrix of step evaluation for distance; *
z = 0 zn22 0 , χk = 0 χk 0
n 22
g – square admittance matrix of transmission line along its 0 0 zn33 0 0 χk
length; 33

z – matrix of line impedance without losses (square matrix) Where k=1, 2, 3 - a number of parallel branches in a model
considering skin effect.
−1 −1 −1
ª 3 −1 º ª 3 −1 º ª 3 −1 º
«¦ (Lk + τrk )11 » «¦ (Lk + τrk )12 » «¦ (Lk + τrk )13 » III. ESTIMATION OF OVL APPLICATION
¬ k =1 ¼ ¬ k =1 ¼ ¬ k =1 ¼ EFFICIENCY TO INCREASE LIGHTNING PROOFNESS
−1 −1 −1
ª 3 −1 º ª 3 −1 º ª 3 −1 º
zn = 0,5υ «¦ (Lk + τrk )21 » «¦ k ( L + τr )
k 22 » «¦ k ( L + τr )
k 23 » ,
OF OVERHEAD POWER LINES
¬ k =1 ¼ ¬ k =1 ¼ ¬ k =1 ¼
ª 3 −1 º
−1
ª 3 −1 º
−1
ª 3 −1 º
−1 To estimate an efficiency of OVL in different transient
«¦ (Lk + τrk )31 » «¦ (Lk + τrk )32 » «¦ (Lk + τrk )33 » modes of operation the efforts were continued in direction to
¬ k =1 ¼ ¬ k =1 ¼ ¬ k =1 ¼
increase the accuracy of mathematical modeling. For this
purpose besides of IEEE model there was used the
mathematical description of nonlinear resistor using interpola-
tion method.
 Considering volt-ampere function in the certain intervals
and using spline interpolation certain mathematical
expressions were written.
On the base of these expressions equations for multi wire
system are recorded in form of matrices. For studied multi
wire systems (multi-wire overhead transmission lines) the
conducted researches pointed out that the used algorithm has
to be improved. Therefore the above mentioned numerical
equations have to be expressed as matrices with equal rates.
To evaluate the system of non-linear equations the
iteration rule and Vegstain accuracy method are used [2].
Taking in account that surges caused by lightening is high
frequency process and non-interruptible operation of shunt
reactor, the variation of its parameters as a function of voltage
is demanding the acceleration of iteration, because reduction
of calculation step may increase the calculation period and
reduce the accuracy. The various mathematical methods were
studied and tested. Obtained preliminary results may us to
believe that better decision is resulted then using Aitken.
Taking in consideration the above mentioned methods the
evaluation of efficient protection of OVL from lightning using
developed algorithm is made. It is known that together with
OVL protection from lightning and surges caused by
commutation in grid it is necessary to protect OVL from
resonance condition. To perform such function research is
conducted with help of above mentioned algorithm and this
permit to evaluate overvoltages with different action time.
Study results provide OVL protection for different transients
in case of shunt reactors installed (Fig.1).
Fig.1. Interpolation current-voltage characteristics of the OVL
IV. APPLICATION OF CONTROLLED SHUNT
REACTORS. POSSIBLE PROBLEMS AND HOW TO
SOLVE THEM
It is known that controlled reactor in automatic mode
without commutation by switch is compensating reactive
power especially in lengthy 500, 230 and 110kV overhead
transmission lines.
The necessity for application of controlled shunt reactors
(CSR) depends only from lines voltage, length and
capacitances of reactive power components. CSR provides
both – a smooth automatic control of consumed power and
optimal regime concerning of voltage and reactive power
without commutation and service personnel interference [3].
During operation of HV line there could occur regular or
extraordinary open-phase mode with resonance circuits
including phase and interphase capacitances of HV line and
inductances of powerful reactors. In these modes there could
appear increased voltages on line itself as well as on connected
equipment (non-linear voltage limiters) which could lead to
isolation electrical durability failure and possible destruction.
We have to note that protective devices as OVL could not
withstand against resonance overvoltages because of limited
power of their varistors [4].
As an example take a look on failure development on
500kV, 470km overhead transmission line. Then it was
switched on after repair there took place a short circuit
because of OVL external isolation flash over (it may be caused
by humidity and moistening of sand filling internal cavity of
OVL if a repair took a long time and therefore OVL was not
under the voltage). In the studied case transmission line was
equipped by one phase automatic reclosure units, so if short
circuit (SC) takes place on one phase this phase is switched off
from both ends. Similar process may take place on the
Samoukh – Gardabany line (Fig.2). Taking all this in account
we have done a series of evaluation for automatic reclosure in
presence of OVL.
Fig.2. Communication of Azerbaijan power system with the Georgian energy
system
Then using CSR it is advisable to study not only normal
operation mode but pay attention on various kinds of regular
and non-regular open-phase commutation which take place
during operation and may be a reason for appearing of quasi-
stationary resonances occurred in commutation leading to
serious failure.
To estimate operation of CSR which let us to carry out a
smooth control in normal mode of operation of transmission
line with variable load and also optimal control of quasi-
stationary open-phase and non-symmetrical regimes to provide
a reliable operation of equipment connected to the
transmission line it is necessary to continue researches on live
line as well as on computer model.
The mathematical model to study electro-magnetic
transients in complex multi-wire lines and appropriate
algorithm were developed for open-phase and non-
symmetrical mode of operation.
The next problems were defined and solved:
1. Expressions to evaluate currents and voltages in
intermediate points of multi-wire network.
 2. Parameters of multi-wire overhead transmission lines The obtained results could be seen on Fig.4.
(OTL).
3. Parameters of model to take in account skin effect in
wires and ground.
4. Parameters of model to take in account corona effect for
multi-wire OTL.
5. Parameters of matrices for OTL evaluation expressions.
Application of CSR on transit transmission lines lets in
addition to solve a problem of premature deterioration of
switching equipment.
Other important moment is provision of necessary quality
of electrical energy transferred through interstate transmission a. - The voltage at the Samukh (without line reactor and OVL)
lines in accordance with international standards. In these
circumstances the using of CSR to normalize voltage level and
OTL operation improvement is necessity [5].
Operation speed of CSR is also very important parameter.
There is a wrong opinion that CSR is very sluggish device.
Provision of necessary regime in grid (phase-by-phase
power control, provision of ALR and repeated ALR, arc
interruption in ALR interval, etc.) all problems of impact of
occurred in grid overvoltages caused either by lightning or
switching procedure (impact of voltage surges on controlled
reactive power sources or vice versa, impact of sources on grid
in presence of overvoltages) are solved equally with slight
b. The voltage at the Gardabany (without line reactor and OVL)
time difference. With no load the time which is necessary for
CSR to reach nominal power level according to some
information sources is equal to 5 seconds [6].
There was formulated the task to define the action time for
CSR installed on OTL Samoukh-Gardabany.
The design scheme of transmission could be seen on Fig.3.

c. The voltage at the Samukh (availability reactor Mingechaur and Samukh)

d. The voltage at the Gardabany (availability reactor Mingechaur and

b Samukh)
Fig.3. Design scheme of power transmission: a - Presence in Mingechaur and
Samukh reactor: 1 - Mingechaur, 2- Samukh, 3- Gardabany; b. Presence in Fig.4. The obtained results
Mingechaur reactor, in Samukh reactor and OVL
 As seen from the curves the presence of OVL and reactor
stabilizes the voltage on line despite the absence of the reactor
at the node 3. This is due to the parallel connection of the
reactor at the node 2 of the OVL.
CONCLUSION
1. Algorithm for evaluation of HV-line commutation in
presence of controlled shunt reactor and surge limiter is
developed.
2. Algorithm for evaluation of multi-circuit HV-line
commutation in presence of controlled shunt reactor and surge
limiter is developed.
3. Evaluation algorithm and estimation of line isolation
protection from lightning in presence of controlled shunt
reactor and surge limiter.
4. Evaluation algorithm and estimation of multi-circuit
line isolation protection from lightning in presence of
controlled shunt reactor and surge limiter.
5. Scientific basis of multi-wire line protection from
internal surges and those caused by lightning under conditions
then line transforms from passive to active element of the grid
and the nature of this transformation is controlled shunt
reactor consuming extra reactive power and non-linear over-
voltage limiter with characteristics which are in good
compliance with residual voltages of OVL and this helps to
get various regulation characteristics of CSR.
REFERENCES
[1] Gashimov A.M., Dmitriyev E.V., Pivchik I.R. Numerical analysis of
wave processes in electric networks, Novosibirsk: Science, 2003, p.153
[in Russian].
[2] G.N.Lance, Numerical methods for high speed computers, Moscow:
1962, pp. 171-192 [in Russian].
[3] O.Matveev, Shunt reactors. Electrical news, #3(75), 2012, pp.1-3. [in
Russian].
[4] K.Kadomskaya, Efficiency and manageability of shunt reactors.
Electrical news, #6(78), 2012 [in Russian].
[5] S.V.Jatukova, Controlled shunt reactors to compensate reactive power
and regulate voltage in the power grids of single power system of
Kazakhstan. Electrical engineering, #1, 2003, pp.18-22 [in Russian].
[6] A.M.Bransev, A.G.Dolqopalov, Three-phase shunt reactor is controlled
by the capacity of 100 MVA. Electrical engineering, #1, 2003, pp.22-30
[in Russian].