Proceedings of the International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility

(EMC’98 ROMA), Roma, Italy, September 1998, Paper C1-7, pp. 100-103.

IMPROVED DESIGN OF POWER TRANSMISSION LINE

GROUNDING ARRANGEMENTS FOR BETTER PROTECTION
AGAINST EFFECTS OF LIGHTNING
Leonid Grcev
University “St. Kiril i Metodij”, Elektrotehnicki fakultet,
Kapros II bb, P.O.Box 574, 91000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

Abstract – Power transmission line grounding are
usually assumed as concentrated grounding sys-
tems. Dynamic behavior of such grounding sys-
tems is usually analyzed taking into account only
the soil ionization effects. In such cases the propa-
gation effects are usually neglected. Also usually
the design requirements for power transmission
line grounding are based only on its commercial
frequency resistance. This paper considers im-
proved design of power transmission line ground-
ing for better transient performance when they are
subjected to fast fronted currents. In such cases
propagation effects are dominant in the early time,
even in the cases of grounding systems that are
usually assumed as concentrated.
I. INTRODUCTION
It is accepted that the dynamic behavior of ground-
ing systems at high impulse currents generally de-
pends on two different physical processes. The
first one is the non-linear behavior of soil due to
soil ionization in the immediate proximity of the
grounding electrodes in case of high current im-
pulses, and the second is the propagation of elec-
tromagnetic waves along grounding electrodes and
in soil. It is usually assumed that the first process
is dominant in concentrated and the second in ex-
tended grounding systems.
Power transmission line grounding are usually
classified as concentrated or extended, based on
their size. For example, an extended grounding is
defined in [ 1 ], “... as that system where the travel
time of the electromagnetic field along the ground-
ing electrode is comparable with that along the
tower itself. This generally applies to grounding
systems with physical dimensions exceeding 20
meters, e.g. counterpoises.” However, if an ex-
tended grounding system is considered as the one
where the propagation effects have to be taken into
account, than the electrical dimensions should be
considered, not the physical ones. That means that
the physical dimensions should be compared with
the wavelength of the electromagnetic waves in
soil. Therefore, an alternative definition of the
extended grounding system may be formulated as
follows. An extended grounding system is the one
which physical dimensions are comparable or lar-
ger than the wavelength of the electromagnetic
waves in soil, for the largest frequency of interest
in the transient study.
The largest frequency of interest in the transient
study depends on the frequency content of the cur-
rent and voltage impulses. For example, broadly it
may be assumed that such largest frequency for
current impulses of the lightning first stroke is
about 100 kHz and for the return strokes about 1
MHz [ 2 ]. On the other hand, the wavelength of the
electromagnetic waves in soil also depends on the
soil resistivity. Therefore, the classification of the
grounding systems as concentrated or extended
may by quite different in different soils and for
different current impulses.
Usually the design requirements for power trans-
mission line grounding do not take into account
dynamic behavior, but are based solely on its com-
mercial frequency resistance. Usually only a maxi-
mum permissible value of the resistance to ground
is specified.
This paper proposes simple steps for improved
design of power transmission line grounding for
better transient performance when they are sub-
jected to fast fronted current impulses, that is, with
high frequency content. In such cases grounding
systems that are usually assumed as concentrated
behave as “extended”, which results in large peak
of the transient voltages near the discharge point,
during the rise of the current impulse. Proposed
design procedures are aimed at reducing such ex-
cessive transient voltages. Although many of such
procedures are already known, an attempt is made
in this paper for their systematization.
II. PROPAGATION EFFECTS IN
CONCENTRATED GROUNDINGS
Fig. 1 shows impedance to ground of 3-m vertical
electrode in soil with resistivity 10 Ω⋅m and rela-
 10
8 Inductive Behavior
Impedance (ohm)

|Z| / R
1
4

2 Capacitive Behavior

0
100 1000 10000 100000 1E6 0.1100
Frequency (Hz) 1000 10000 100000 1E6
Frequency (Hz)
(a)
Fig. 2 - Frequency dependence of impedance to
ground.
Response to current surge
8
1 (A) 0.2/50 (µs/µs)
0.5/50 (µs/µs)
6 III. INDUCTIVE AND CAPACITIVE
Voltage (V)

1/50 (µs/µs) BEHAVIOR

4
2 shows the ratio of the impedance module and the
5/50 (µs/µs)
0 that two frequency ranges may be distinguished:
0 1 2 3 4 5
Time (µs)
(b)
Fig. 1 - (a) Impedance of 3-m vertical rod.
(b) Transient voltage at discharge point as re-
sponse to different current impulses.
tive permittivity 10. Such electrode is always clas-
sified as “concentrated” grounding, based on its
physical dimensions. However it is obvious from
Fig. 1(a) that due to propagation effects the im-
pedance to ground is frequency dependent above
about 200 kHz. When current impulse that have
lower frequency content than 200 kHz are used as
an excitation, the response does not include any
propagation effects, such as double exponential
current impulse with peak value 1 A with time to
maximum 5 µs and time to peak half value 50 µs
in Fig 1(b).
However, impulses with shorter front time have
higher frequency content and propagation effects
result in excessive transient voltage peak, such as
impulses with 1 µs, 0.5 µs and 0.2 µs times to
maximum, in Fig 1(b).
This paper considers design procedures for reduc-
tion of such peaks.
Figure 2 shows typical frequency dependence of
grounding systems impedance to ground. Figure
low frequency resistance to ground. It can be seen
low frequency (LF) range, where the impedance is
nearly constant, that is, frequency independent,
and high frequency (HF) range, where impedance
is changing with frequency. The limiting fre-
quency is some characteristic frequency F c [ 2 ].
Such characteristic frequency F c may be in the
kHz range or up to MHz range, depending on the
earth resistivity, electrode length and location of
discharge point. The characteristic frequency F c is
larger for smaller dimensions of the electrode and
larger values of the earth resistivity and for central
discharge point.
Capacitive behavior is highly advantageous since
the HF impedance is smaller than the LF resistance
to ground. Unfortunately, such capacitive behavior
is typical for electrodes with smaller dimensions
and in highly resistive soil, and in nearly all other
cases the grounding electrode behavior is induc-
tive.
Fig. 3 gives the regions of inductive and capacitive
behavior of grounding electrode depending on the
characteristic length and the soil resistivity. Here
we define characteristic length of ground elec-
trodes as the distance from the discharge point to
the most distant point of the electrode. Although
vertical electrodes are more effective for ground-
ing than horizontal, Fig. 3 is approximately appli-
cable for both horizontal and vertical electrodes.
 16 10
14 2

>
Characteristic Length (m)

1 2
12

10 Inducitve Behavior

|Z| / R
8
Capacitive Behavior 1
6

4 FC1 FC2
2

0
100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Earth's Resistivity (Ω .m) 0.1100 1000 10000 100000 1E6
Fig. 3 - Regions of inductive and capacitive be- Frequency (Hz)
havior of grounding electrodes
Fig. 4 - Characteristic frequency of electrodes
with different lengths.
IV. CHARACTERISTIC FREQUENCY FOR 1000
ELECTRODES WITH INDUCTIVE
BEHAVIOR
Criticla Lenght (m)
100
If electrodes with inductive behavior are used,
then characteristic frequency F c should be as large
as possible. The characteristic frequency F c is lar-
ger for smaller dimensions of the electrode and 10 Better Transient
larger values of the earth resistivity and for dis- Behavior
charge point near the central point.
For every characteristic frequency F c there is a 1
critical length C above which HF impedance is 1E1 1E2 1E3 1E4 1E5 1E6
larger than LF impedance [ 2 ]. The following for- ρ / FC (Ω .m / MHz)
mula, based on similar in [ 2 ], is deducted from the Fig. 5 - Critical length of electrodes with
results of simulation [ 3 ]: inductive behavior
C = 0.6 ⋅ (ρ / FC ) 0.43 (1) mental grounding electrode, such as ground rods,
Another difference between (1) and the formula in horizontal rings, counterpoises or any combination
of these ground conductors. We define the charac-
[ 2 ] is that here C is a characteristic length. Fig. 4
teristic dimension of the grounding system as the
illustrates (1). It is advantageous to use electrodes distance from a discharge point to the most distant
with characteristic length smaller than the critical point of the system.
length, < C .
The basic rule is to keep the characteristic dimen-
In most cases the characteristic frequency F C may sion of the grounding systems as smaller as possi-
be assumed as about 0.1 MHz for lightning first ble, constructing the system of as many small elec-
stroke and 1 MHz for return strokes [ 2 ]. trodes as needed for fulfilling resistance require-
ment. The first choice is to use electrodes small
The relation in (1) is illustrated in Fig. 5. Al- enough to have capacitive behavior (Fig. 3). If this
though (1) is derived for horizontal electrodes, it is not possible, then electrodes with inductive be-
is approximately valid for vertical electrodes too. havior should be used providing that their charac-
teristic length are smaller or as near as possible to
V. SIMPLE RULES FOR BETTER HIGH their critical length (Eq. (1) or Fig. 5).
FREQUENCY AND TRANSIENT The application of these rules lead to the well-
BEHAVIOR known rule that the grounding electrode arrange-
ment should be always connected near its middle
The transmission line grounding system may be point and never at its edge point. Also in general,
constructed of different elements, such as metallic as many as possible paths for the current from and
elements of the structure buried in the soil or in near the discharge point should be allowed.
the concrete of the foundations, and any supple-
 60 one possibility to allow additional paths for cur-
A A rent. This also reduces the length between the feed
50 B point and the open end points of the conductors.
40 22 m Case D, where the length of the electrodes is
40 smaller than the critical length C (1), removes
Impedance (Ω )

C 0.5 m
18 m transient voltage peak completely. However, better
30
B transient performance is achieved at a cost of lar-
D ger total length of conductors, 37.5 m in Case C
20 12 m
C and 27 m in Case D compared to 22 m in Cases A
and B.
10
D

0 VI. CONCLUSIONS
100 1000 10000 100000 1e+6
Frequency (Hz)
a) Frequency domain It has been shown that classification of grounding
systems in concentrated and extended depends not
35
A only on their physical dimensions but also on soil
30 resistivity and the frequency content of the light-
Current ning current impulses. In cases of fast fronted cur-
25 1 rent impulses, propagation effects become domi-
Current (A)
Voltage (V)

B nant in the early time resulting in excessive peaks

20
C Voltage
15
D
10
5 .2
0 0
0 1 2 3
Time (µ s)
b) Time domain
Fig. 6 - Improvement of the high frequency and
transient performance of simple grounding elec-
trode arrangements.
All these rules may be in fact reduced to the fol-
lowing one rule: High frequency and transient per-
formance is improved by minimizing the length
and multiplication of the current paths from the
discharge point to the ground through the ground-
ing electrodes.
The application of these rules is illustrated in Fig.
5. Case A is end-driven and Case B is center-
driven 22-m copper wire with 1.4-cm diameter
buried at 0.5-m. Case C are two parallel 18-m
wires at 0.5-m distance, connected in the center by
1.5-m wire. Case D is four-arm star with 6-m arm
and 3-m rod in the center. Soil is with ρ = 200
Ω.m and ε r = 10. Injected current is T 1 /T 2 =
0.25/100 µs return lightning impulse [ 3 ]. To obtain
LF ground resistance R = 15 Ω, 22-m horizontal
wire is used. However, the worst choice for the
transient performance is to connect the wire at the
end point (Fig. 5 Case A). Connection at the mid-
dle point (Fig. 5 Case B) improves significantly
the transient voltages. Case C in Fig. 5 illustrates
.8
of transient voltages.
.6
Design procedures for reduction of such voltage
.4 peaks are summarized in few simple rules. The
first is to keep the characteristic dimension of the
grounding systems (the distance from a discharge
point to the most distant point of the system) as
4 5 smaller as possible, constructing the system of as
many “short” electrodes as needed for fulfilling
resistance requirement. The “short” electrodes
should have capacitive behavior, or if it is not pos-
sible, their characteristic length should be smaller
or as near as possible to their critical length. Paper
defines criterions for capactive/inductive behavior
and for critical length of grounding electrodes.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The work was partially supported by the Ministry
of Science of Republic of Macedonia.
REFERENCES
[1] P. Chowdhuri, “Electromagnetic Transients in
Power Systems”, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New
York, 1996.
[2] C. Gary, “The Impedance of Horizontally Buried
Conductors”, Proceedings of the First International
Symposium: Lightning and Mountains, Chamonix-
Mont-Blanc, France, 1994, Paper A6.2, pp. 148-151.
[3] L. Grcev, “Improved Earthing System Design Prac-
tices for Reduction of Transient Voltages”, 1998
CIGRE Session – International Conference on Large
High Voltage Electric Systems, (Paper 36-302),
Paris, France, August 1998.