2.

Slow-Front Overv-oltages OVER-VOLTAGES 1

❑ Slow-Front Overvoltage previously called Switching Overvoltage
1. Load Connection
2. Applied Voltage and Re-closure
3. Faults
4. Disconnection of Load Current

❑Switching operations can cause significant stress between switchgear terminals (contact
gap)

❑ Magnitude and shape of overvoltage depends on switchgear used for current disruption
and network properties (L, C, load)
➢ network configuration and instantaneous value of voltage and current at the moment when switchgear
is opened or closed
2. Slow-Front Overvoltages OVER-VOLTAGES 2
2. Slow-Front Overvoltages OVER-VOLTAGES 3
2. Slow-Front Overvoltages OVER-VOLTAGES 4
❑ LOAD CONNECTION
▪ CONNECTING A CAPACITOR: Peak value of overvoltage depends on instantaneous voltage at moment
of switch closure
➢ Maximum peak value is 2.0 p.u.
➢ Angular frequency ω caused by connection is typically ~ 100 Hz
➢ Asynchronous closure +Earthing technique +Resonance= Super positioned oscillations over 2 p.u.

▪ CONNECTING A MOTOR: Similar peak value as capacitor (2.0 p.u.)

➢ Steeper overvoltage
➢ Voltage stress concentrated at the beginning of the winding
(not evenly distributed)
2. Slow-Front Overvoltages OVER-VOLTAGES 5
❑ LOAD CONNECTION
▪ NO-LOAD LINE VOLTAGE APPLICATION: Applying voltage to a no-load line is one of the major causes
for overvoltage at high operating voltages (≥245 kV).
➢ Applied voltage creates a travelling wave which doubles the voltage once it reflects back from the
end of the line
2. Slow-Front Overvoltages OVER-VOLTAGES 6
❑ NO-LOAD LINE VOLTAGE APPLICATION
▪ Voltage at end of line after closure:
➢ no trapped charge (disconnected from network for some
minutes)
➢ with trapped charge -1,0 p.u. (when re-closed, trapped
charge is seen as an opposite sign voltage)
2. Slow-Front Overvoltages OVER-VOLTAGES 7
❑ FAULTS
▪ Different network failures can cause over-voltages (earth fault is most common)
▪ The onset of a fault and its removal both cause transients

Circuit breaker is Network side voltage oscillates

Tripping and settles eventually at value
Fault causes tripped (opened)
action results determined by the network
voltage drop to remove voltage
in overvoltage supply voltage
drop

▪ Typically, slow-front over-voltages related to faults do not exceed:

➢ Onset of fault: umax < 2k – 1 k = earth fault coefficient
➢ Removal of fault: umax = 2
2. Slow-Front Overvoltages OVER-VOLTAGES 8
❑ DISCONNECTION OF LOAD CURRENT
▪ When a switch is opened, arcing may occur over the gap between terminals

▪ Basic Situation: Arc is permanently extinguished at zero current, followed by a voltage transient.
Voltage drop in the network caused by current (arcing) oscillates and attenuates and voltage settles at
the continuous operation level.

▪ It takes some time for ionization in the contact gap to disappear and for the switch to regain its
insulating properties

▪ Immediately after arcing is extinguished (zero current), voltage over the contact gap is formed by the
supply network and the load side potential difference (recovery voltage ur)
2. Slow-Front Overvoltages OVER-VOLTAGES 9
❑ DISCONNECTION OF LOAD CURRENT
2. Slow-Front Overvoltages OVER-VOLTAGES 10
❑ DISCONNECTION OF LOAD CURRENT
▪ If the recovery voltage exceeds the voltage withstand strength of the contact gap this leads to

▪ Restrike : Magnitude of overvoltage depends on moment of occurrence

➢ Reignition: Voltage at both terminals have same polarity this gives small overvoltage
➢ Restrike: Voltage at terminals have opposite polarity this gives large overvoltage

▪ Most common cases of restriking occur when:

➢ Disconnecting CAPACITIVE current
➢ Disconnecting small INDUCTIVE current
2. Slow-Front Overvoltages OVER-VOLTAGES 11
❑ DISCONNECTION OF LOAD CURRENT
1. Disconnecting Capacitive Current
▪ No-load line or cable disconnection from grid
▪ Disconnection of storage capacitor

▪ Once arcing is extinguished, a trapped charge (value = peak voltage)

remains in the capacitor (a.)
▪ If switch cannot regain insulating properties fast enough (recovery
voltage higher than withstand voltage), restriking occurs at peak of
supplied voltage (b.)
▪ Restriking creates another transient which can provide an even
greater trapped charge to the capacitor
▪ L, C and Cs define oscillation frequency of transient. If
restriking continues repetitively at the peak value of the
supplied voltage, an extremely large overvoltage is created.
2. Slow-Front Overvoltages OVER-VOLTAGES 12
❑ DISCONNECTION OF LOAD CURRENT
2. Disconnecting Small Inductive Current
ii. Disconnecting transformer no-load current
iii. Disconnecting HV motor starting current
iv. Disconnecting reactor current

▪ Disconnection may occur before current has reached zero level because the breaker’s breaking
capacity significantly exceeds the magnitude of the current to be interrupted.
▪ Energy remains in the load inductance L2 and causes the LC circuit (formed by L2 and C2) to oscillate.
2. Slow-Front Overvoltages OVER-VOLTAGES 13
❑ DISCONNECTION OF LOAD CURRENT
2. Disconnecting Small Inductive Current
2. Slow-Front Overvoltages OVER-VOLTAGES 14

END

Slow-Front Overvoltages