UNIT-1

EXTRA HIGH VOLTAGE AC TRANSMISSION

1. Introduction:
The generation & consumption of electrical energy has been increasing at a tremendous rate
throughout the India during past many decade. This increases the huge amount of transmitting power.
To transmit such a large power it is essential to increase the transmitting voltage.

Voltage levels for Transmission lines:

(i) High Voltage AC (HVAC) - Below 300KV

(ii) Extra High Voltage AC (EHVAC) - 300 KV to 765 KV

(iii) Ultra High Voltage AC (UHVAC) - Above 765 KV

In India, most adoptable EHV transmission voltage is 400KV.

Data for 400KV lines:

S.No. Particulars Data

1 Nominal Voltage 400 KV

2. No. of sub conductors per Phase 2

3. Span 400met

4. Conductor Name Moose

5. Conductor Size 54/3.53mm Al & 7/3.53mm Steel

6. Sub conductor Diameter 3.177 cm

7. Bundle configuration Horizontal

8. Bundle Spacing 450mm

9. Interphase Spacing 11met

10. Resistance per phase per KM 0.0274 Ohm

11. Reactance per phase per KM 0.3321

12. Shunt admittance per phase 3.298 * 10-6 Ohm /KM

13. Surge Impedance 282 Ohm

 14. Surge Impedance Loading 500MW

15. Current Carrying Capacity at 400 C 900 Amp.

16. Tower Height 30.4 met

17. Conductor Height at Tower 20.75 met

18. Conductor Sag at 00 C 8.4 met

2. Need for EHV AC Transmission system

The necessity of increasing the transmission voltage to EHV range has been primarily due to the
following reasons:

(I) Reduction of line losses :

The main advantage of higher transmission voltage is reduction of line losses. For same power
the voltage is inversely proportional to the current. As we increase the transmission voltage
the current will be decreased. Hence, this will cause in reduction of I 2R losses. R is line
resistance.

(II) Increase in Size of generating units :

In order to reduce the investment cost per KW, the size of generating units has been constantly
increased during the past many years. Transmission of large amounts of power over long
distance is technically & economically feasible only at EHV range.

(III) Large Capacity power plants:

The cost of transportation is an appreciable part of the cost of coal, especially for regions
situated far away the coal fields. Some times problems in transportation tend to starve the
steam plants resulting in fall of generation. One method to avoid such situations is to have
super thermal power plants near coal-fields. These steam plants are known as pithead steam
plants. Similarly, some hydro sites are also situated in remote areas.

EHV transmission systems are needed to transmit large amounts of power over long distance
from these plants to load centers.

(IV) Surge Impedance loading :

The surge impedance loading or SIL of a transmission line is the MW loading of a

transmission line at which a natural reactive power balance occurs. If the voltage of
transmission line is V then SIL is given by :

PSIL =3V2/Zc

Where Zc is called surge impedance of line.

Hence, it is seen the SIL of line is proportional to the square of transmitting voltage.
 Some typical values of SIL with their voltages:

Rated Voltage of line (KV) 132 220 400 765

SIL (MW) 40 125 500 1700

(V) Right of way:

Right of way is the distance between the outer two conductors of the transmission line. For
installing a transmission line, the power company pay for the land occupied by it to the owner
of land. At high voltage, the requirement of no. of circuits is decreased and so land
requirement for transmission lines decreases. Following table provides the right of way
requirement.

S.NO. POWER (MW) Distance Type/Voltage(KV) Right of way

(KM) (met)

1 600 250 1 Ckt/400 40

2 600 250 2Ckt/200 60

3 600 250 2Ckt/400 20

4 600 250 1Ckt/1050 8.5

(VI) Line Cost :

The line installation cost per MW per KM decreases with increase in voltage level. The
transmission losses and hence cost of losses decreases with increase in transmission voltage.
Other cost like cost of insulation, cost of tower etc has been increased. But the overall effect
to decrease in line cost.

(VII) Interconnection :

It is practically not possible to have interconnections of the power systems on a large scale
without EHV transmission.
3. PROBLEMS OF EHV TRANSMISSION LINES:

The major problems associated with extra high voltage transmission lines are :

(I)Corona Loss & Radio Interference :

Transmission line voltage level being a governing factor in the corona loss, it is more acute in
EHV under bad weather condition this loss further increases. The power line also disturbs the
radio & TV broad casting.

To reduce the corona loss, the spacing between the conductors & conductor diameter can be
increased. Here if conductor spacing is increased, the cost of line support increased highly.

The diameter of a conductor can be increased by using hollow conductor or ACSR conductor.
But the cost of both these type of conductor is high & their handling is also difficult. Wind &
snow loading is also higher with these conductors.

Bundled conductors offer an economical solution for minimizing corona loss & radio
interference for EHV lines. These conductors have filler material or air space inside, such that
overall diameter is increased. Sometimes two or more conductor per phase are used in case of
EHV lines.

(II) Line support:

EHV lines has larger mechanical loading on towers due to bundled conductors, larger air &
ground clearances, considerable dynamic forces due to broken conductors etc. Transmission
line towers with fabricated steel are used. The tower cost is varied from 30% to 50 % of total
cost of line. So better & cheaper tower design must be evolved to effect economy.

Recent design for line supports included in the following points.

(i) Composite design using standard structure steel for lightly loaded members & high
tensile steel for highly loaded members.

(ii) Use of guyed aluminum tower (instead of steel )

(iii) Suspension tower employing reinforced concrete tubes.

(iv) Standard wooden pole structure

(v) H-frame structure supported by steel

(III) Erection Difficulties

 The erection of EHV lines causes wide range of problems requiring extremely skillful
workmanship & of transportation of structural material.

(IV) Insulation Requirements:

The magnitude of line voltage surges determines the required line insulation level. These
surges may be due to internal causes or due to external causes.

The order of lightening surge is near about 1000 to 1100 KV and order of switching surge is
near to 3.5 times the normal voltage. So in the EHV transmission as the operating voltage is
more than 400 KV, the switching surge predominate the lightening surges. Hence the
insulation is done according to the switching surges. So the insulation requirement is more
and much costlier as we go on higher voltages.

(V) Power station & Sub Station Equipments

For EHV transmission, the size & rating of generator, transformer, circuit breakers, relays etc.
have to be increased. Surge arrestors of high voltage is to be used. All these affect causes
handling and transportation problem of equipment as the substation are situated in remote
areas.

(VI) High short circuit currents

Due to increase in voltage of EHV transmission, short circuit current are very high. For such
fault, the circuit breaker of high capacity are required which are costly.

(VII) Surge arrestor :

Gapless metal oxide arresters are required instead of gap type silicon carbide arresters for both
lightning & switching impulse duties because in EHV transmission the switching over
voltages are predominant.

(IX) Single pole switching & Auto reclosing:

In the case of EHV transmission, single pole switching & auto reclosing is required for
maintaining transient stability. In the case of any fault at single line if single pole switching is
available instead of multipole there is two line present in circuit which supply opens & after
some times it recloses & maintain the supply.

(X) Surface Voltage Gradient :

For EHV lines surface voltage gradient is high by which corona lines losses increases. Due
to high surface voltage gradient, conductor attracts the dust particles and it causes the further
increment of corona loses.
(XI) Shunt Reactors:

In EHV transmission, shunt reactors for compensation are required to absorb the excessive
reactive power generated by line capacitances. It will increase the cost of line.

(XII) High Electrostatic Field:

In EHV transmission, high electrostatic field is generated and this may harm to human,
animals & plants. So a sufficient height of conductor must be maintained in this case.

(XIII) Bundled Conductor

The Transmission line using bundled conductor becomes heavier. So tower must be more
stronger to withstand the weight of the bundled conductors. Also the cost of bundled
conductors is high.

(XIV) Insulation Coordination

In EHV transmission the insulation Co-ordination should be based on switching surges since
switching surges are more predominant in EHV.

(XV) Series Capacitors

The use of series compensation introduces a few problems too. Some of these are:

(i) Sub Synchronous resonance

The series capacitor introduces a Sub Synchronous frequency (Proportional to the square
root of compensation) in the system. In some cases this frequency may interact with weak
steam turbine generator shafts & give rise to high tensional stresses. In hydro turbine
generators the risk of sub-synchronous resonance is small because the tensional
frequencies are about 10 Hz or even less.

(ii) Line Protection :

Series compensation can lead to mal-operation of the distance relays of the line protection,
if the degree of compensation & capacitor location are not proper. To ensure correct
operation of the distance protection, the series compensation is limited 40% ( When the
installation is located at the middle of the line) & 30% per bank ( When the installation is
located at one third of the line.).

(iii) Ferro Resonance

When an unloaded or a lightly loaded transformer is energized through a series

compensated line, Ferro resonance may occur. The frequency of oscillation is an integral
multiple of the system frequency. This can be suppressed by using shunt resistors across
the capacitors or by short circuiting the capacitor temporarily through an isolator or a
bypass breaker.

(XVI) High Recovery Voltage

Series capacitor produces high recovery voltages across the circuit breaker contacts.