6.32.

STRATEGIC SYSTEM PLANNING

OF AN URBAN POWER SYSTEM FOR 60,000 INHABITANTS

A. Aichinger, Th. Connor, R. Hoche

Siemens AG,Germany Gas- und Elektrizitatswerk Singen, Germany

Planning experience is documented with the practical ex- substation is located directly at the interface of the 20 and
ample of the town of Singen, located to the west of Lake 16 kV MV systems.
Constance, supplied by the Gas- and Elektrizitaetswerk Badenwerk AG supplies GEWS consumers from Beuren
Singen (GEWS). and Friedingen from the 20 kV system.
Since the turn of the century, the town of Singen has had a 20 kV System
public power supply system for what was then 2500 inhab- The present MV systems have been digitized in similar
itants. After an eventful history of remarkable urban de- locations for planning and calculation.
velopment and industrialization, 1996 sees the power sup- The 20 kV system supplies the Singen urban area and is
ply system celebrating the centenary of its existence. supplied exclusively from the Singen substation (see
Pending system improvement measures, such as cable and Fig. 1). The secured capacity of this substation is 40 MVA.
switchgear requirements, the differing system operating The system supplies some 150 unit substations and con-
voltages of 20 and 16 kV, different suppliers with differing sists solely of cables. The present cable cross-sections are
HV levels of 110 and 50 kV, decisions concerning new 25 mm2 Cu to 240 mm2 Al.
electricity supply agreements to be concluded and prepa-
ration for increased system automation were the reasons
for commissioning this system upgrade study.
Problem definition
Data acquisition and geographical representation, analysis
of the existing system, estimation of the subsequent load
development, consideration of alternatives, concept pro-
posals, upgrade measures and examination of the method
of neutral point connection. System planning was carried
out in close collaboration with GEWS.

1995 GEWS figures:

output Mio kWh 294 Riel. TSS
Annual max. load approx. MW 58 3%
Transformer substations 289
Regional Network 16 (20) kV
MV cable km 203
MV overhead line km 28 Fig. I : Singen 20 kV system, actual state
LV cable km 711
Analysis of the 20 kV system
LV overhead line km 189 The location of this substation is very suitable with regard
to the area and load to be supplied. Worst-case circuit-
GEWS supplies the system sections of Singen, Rielasin- breaker tripping will result in a maximum of up to 30
gen, Worblingen, Bohlingen Uberlingen and Gottmadin- substations being affected with the present system config-
gen with electric power and uses the two MV levels of 20 uration.
and 16 kV for the purpose. The node station (NS) switchgear building was previously
Agreements and the geographical location have resulted in a system input point. The present system structure (Fig. 2)
three utilities and infeeding substations: clearly illustrates this. No supply cable connection exists
In the Singen transformer substation (TSS), the k u f e n - for supplying the node station from the Singen substation.
burg Powerstation (KWL)supplies the 20 kV system from Failure of a distribution line between Singen substation
the 110 kV system. and node station can become a problem as there are sec-
Proportionate system load approx. 28 MW tions of narrower cross-section in the vicinity, and some
Two transformers, each 40 MVA 110/20 kV 30 substations are still connected on the load side of the
In the Rielasingen transformer substation, the power stu- node station. In some unit substations with switch discon-
tion of the Canton of Schaffhausen (EKS) supplies the 16 nectors, there are more than two outgoing feeder cables. In
kV system from the 50 kV system. consequence, there is a lack of traceability after faults in
Proportionate system load some 17 MW system transfer.
Three transformers, 18, 16, 15 MVA 5 0 4 6 kV without Cables with cross-sections of 25 mm2 and 50 mm2 Cu are
voltage selection capability. These transformers will have short-circuit-proof with only very short protection times
to be renewed in a few years by virtue of their age. This of the first timer module.
CIRED 97, 2-5 June 1997, Conference Publication No. 438, 0 IEE, 1997
 6.32.2
The node station switchgear has been in service for over 40
years. If it were indispensable for future supply, it would
have to be renewed.
The 20 kV system, which has grown on a year-to-year ba-
sis, hardly includes any standard system configurations,
such as distinct ring feeders or lines.
Regional Network 16 kV
Fig. 2: Direction of powerflow in 20 kV system,
actual state
9.2
6.4
Riel. TSS Load values in MW
3L
Regional Network 16 (20) kV
Fig. 3: Direction of powerflow in 20 kV system,
desired state
16 kV System
Although the 16 kV system of the GEWS has been
planned as well, this report will deal mainly with the 20
kV system section due to its limited scope. In addition
to modifying the structure of the regional 16 kV system,
it was proposed that it be converted step-by-step to 20
kV.
Load estimation
All measures for upgrading the supply system are based on
load development and the age structure of the installations.
Taking account of the geography (natural limits) and the
system structure, several geographical supply regions
were decided upon; these permitted individual consider-
ation of the load development in each sub-area.
As a general load increase cannot be excluded in spite of an
energy-saving policy, an annual growth rate of 1 %, in
addition to the planned concentrated loads and load dis-
tribution was assumed as development of the existing
load. As initial value, the total of the substation peak loads
(actual load) in the regions supplied was determined. Sys-
tem expansion was considered in several stages in the fu-
ture.
Design proposals
New customer requirements usually result in local
changes, without regard to the overall structure. These re-
quirements can however necessitate a fundamental change
in the current system structure for future supply.
As with many similar system planning projects, structure
analysis showed here as well that with the present design,
implementing the necessary individual improvement
measures would result in further complication of the sys-
tem. The most suitable future design was arrived at by con-
sidering a range of possible variants.
Taking into consideration the available system equipment,
load development and the planning criteria, expansion
variants were designed, examined and compared. Consid-
eration of faults (n-1), straightforward system configura-
tion, simple system operation, minimum faults, simple
fault clearance, rapidly available reserve, simple configu-
ration of protection equipment, low losses, ready adapta-
tion to load development, these criteria lead to standard
system configurations:
- open-operation ring system
- open-operation cable lines between substation and
counter station or between substations
Expansion variants of the Singen 20 kV system
Variant 1: without node station switchgear as a counter
station,without Rielasingen substation as a
20 kV infeed point for Singen town
Variant 2: with node station as a counter station
without Rielasingen substation
Variant 3: with node station as a counter station
with Rielasingen substation
Variant 4: without node station as a counter station
with Rielasingen substation
Variant 1 (Fig.s 3,4) provides for formation of 10 ring
feeders and one line supplied by Singen substation. The
node station switchgear building is no longer necessary.
ken lines = new cable
Regional Network 16 (20) kV
Fig. 4: Variant 1 recommended expansion
The switchgear and protection equipment configuration in
the Singen substation can be significantly simplified.
Operation of the open-type ring feeders is straightfor-
ward.
 6.32.3
After detailed discussions and technical, operational and
economic evaluation, carried out jointly with the GEWS,
this variant has been recommended as the variant to be im-
plemented.
Variant 2 (Fig. 5) provides for the formation of five ring
feeders which will be supplied from the Singen substation.
In addition, two ring feeders will be formed which will be
supplied from the node station switchgear building.
Between the Singen substation and the node station, four
distribution lines and two new supply cables are planned;
an additional distribution line in the north of the town of
Singen is also envisaged.
The node station must be renewed and take the form of a
circuit-breaker station with protection equipment.
For reasons of cost, this variant has been eliminated.
roken line = new cable
Regional Network 16 (20) kV
Fig. 5: Variant 2
Variant 3 (Fig. 6) provides for supplying Singen town,
Singen substation and Rielasingen substation.
Riel.TSS '& roken line = new cable
Regional Network 16 (20) kV
Fig. 6: Variant 3
The basic design consists of four ring feeders which are
supplied from the Singen substation, one ring feeder
which is supplied from the Rielasingen substation, four
lines between Singen substation and node station switch-
gear building, three lines between Rielasingen substation
and node station, and one supply cable (reserve line) be-
tween Rielasingen substation and node station. The Riela-
singen substation must be upgraded as follows:
New 20 kV double-busbar system with 10 bays, two
110/20 kV (or 50/20 kV) transformers for a firm capacity
of some 15 MVA. In the case of a fault, the Rielasingen
substation will provide the necessary transfer reserve for
the lines supplied by Singen substation. The node station
switchgear building must be renewed and equipped with
circuit-breakers and protection equipment; two voltages
of different transformer substations are present!
This variant was rejected for reasons of cost and above all
on account of existing supply contracts.
Variant 4 (not illustrated) provides for supplying both
substations of Singen town, but Singen and Rielasingen
without node stations. Implementation of this variant
(mainly ring feeders) necessitates as upgrade measures:
Formation of seven ring feeders emanating from Singen
substation, formation of three ring feeders emanating from
Rielasingen substation.
The Rielasingen substation must be upgraded as follows:
New single-busbar system (20 kV) with 8 bays, two HV/
MV transformers, high-voltage-side switchgear of these
transformers.
This variant was eliminated for reasons of cost.
Switchgear configuration
The proposed system design necessitates the following
items of switchgear and switchgear configuration:
The existing 20 kV switchgear in the Singen substation is
to be upgraded (four busbar sections).
The existing 16 kV (20 kV) switchgear in the Rielasingen
substation is to be upgraded (four busbar sections).
Method of neutral point connection
The method of neutral point connection has no effect on
supply of consumers with electric power in normal opera-
tion. The behaviour of the system in the event of a phase-
to-earth fault, the most frequent type of fault in MV sys-
tems, is however significantly influenced by the type of
neutral point connection.
In contrast to EHV systems. there is no uniform method of
neutral point connection in MV systems. System faults,
system transfers, restructuring or expansion measures are
frequently the incentive for examining the suitability of
the method of neutral point connection.
The 20 kV system of the GEWS is, like most MV systems
in Germany, operated with the arc-suppressed-coil-
earthed system.
In overhead line systems, this method has the advantage
that the majority of earth faults take place without detri-
mental system perturbation as a result of self-extinguish-
ing.
In cable systems on the other hand, the effect of the arc-
suppressed-coil-earthed system does not come fully into
play. A cable earth fault is always associated with insula-
tion damage. Quenching the earth fault would leave a
weak point which can be the cause of subsequent multiple
earth faults or major system faults. In the cable system, the
advantage of the arc-suppressed-coil-earthed system re-
mains the low current at the fault location with which the
damage is limited and the period of time until transition to
short-circuit is prolonged. This time saving in the case of
 6.32.4
sustained earth fault, which provides the opportunity for
fault localization and disconnection of the section affected
without interruption of supply, is the real advantage of the
arc-suppressed-coil-earthed system in the cable system.
On account of low fault current however, the conditions
for detection of the earth fault by measurement are unfa-
vourable. Of the instruments and methods available, none
has yet found definite acceptance.
In practice, location of earth faults present is frequently
associated with brief supply failures for a few consumers
or the sometimes not unproblematic response of switch
disconnectors under earth fault conditions. If unit substa-
tions have to be visited individually by operating person-
nel in order to carry out search switching, localization of
the earth fault will be a race with time.
With impedance neutral earthing, such operating prob-
lems are avoided. Every single-phase-t-arth fault is
disconnected quickly and selectively in the same way as a
multi-pole short-circuit. This will result in a supply fail-
ure for a definite number of unit substations.
This limited failure is countered by a number of advan-
tages:
- Avoidance of transient overvoltages due to resistance
earthing
- Limitation of power-frequency overvoltages of the
fault-free phases to the duration of the protection times
- Clear localization of the faulty section by short-circuit
indicator and incorporation of the information in the sys-
tem control centre
- Introduction of measures for re-supply in disconnected
state
In mixed cable and overhead line systems, it is possible to
utilize the advantages of both methods by combining arc-
suppressed-coil-earthed system and impedance neutral
earthing. Earthing with arc-suppressed-coikarthed sys-
tem leads to self-extinguishing of earth faults on overhead
lines. In the case of sustained earth faults on a cable run, a
brief transition to impedance neutral earthing takes place
for the purpose of localization or disconnection of the
point of fault.
Following technical comparison of the methods of neutral
point connection, the GEWS decided to have an investiga-
tion carried out for introduction of the impedance method
of neutral earthing.
In comparison with the arc-suppressed-coil-earthed sys-
tem, earth fault currents of considerable magnitude flow
with impedance neutral earthing. In the case of a fault in a
unit substation, a potential increase occurs there and at the
point of neutral earthing. The resultant touch voltages may
not exceed a permissible limit value. The fault current con-
tents flowing in the phase-to-earth loop in the case of a
fault cause an induced longitudinal voltage in parallel tele-
communication lines, which may not exceed correspond-
ing limit values either.
The result of this is that the earth-fault current on the one
hand must be limited to a value well below the multipole
short-circuit current, in order to minimize destruction at
~
the point of fault, the potential increase and inductive in-
terference.
On the other hand, for distant points of fault and taking ac- I
count of arc and fault resistances, sufficient fault current I
must also flow in order to guarantee safe and selective trip- I
ping on faults. I
In the 20 kV cable systems, limitation of the maximum
earth fault current to 2 kA has proved satisfactory. The in-
vestigations included measurements in the system in order ~
to record local conditions and to obtain data for system cal-
culation.
The following were measured:
I
-Zero phase-sequence impedance of cables and overhead 1
lines as the definitive variable for earth fault current cal- l
culation,
- Induced longitudinal voltages in telecommunication I
lines for assessment of the inductive interference, I
-Earth potential rise and touch voltages of unit substations I
for assessment of the protective earthing.
1 R', X', in ohmkm
095
04
1L Current in A
d
0 200 400 600 800 1000
Fig. 7: Current dependence of the zero phase-sequence
impedance of NHEKBA 3x50 lead-sheathed cable
The measured zero phase-sequence impedances of some
types of line are summarized with the positive phase-se-
quences in Table 1. It becomes clear that the zero phase-
sequence impedances determining the earth-fault current
are higher by a factor of 5. Whilst in the case of the cable
runs zero phase-sequence resistance predominates, in the
case of the overhead line zero phase-sequence reactance is
definitive. As the zero phase-sequence impedance of
lead-sheathed cables is current-dependent (Fig. 7), for
calculation of the fault currents, it is necessary to deter-
mine the impedance applicable to the corresponding cur-
rent range.
Examination of unit substations in respect of touch volt-
ages has shown that systems in the vicinity of densely
built-up areas are readily suitable for operation with neu-
tral earthing. Kiosks in fringe areas, as well as pole-
mounted substations in rural areas evidence significantly
higher earth-electrode system impedances (Fig. 8). It was
possible to show that when combining HV protective earth
and LV functional earth for both voltage levels, favourable
earthing conditions are obtained. Undelayed fault discon-
 6.32.5

nection fulfils the requirements of protective earthing, un- configurations, which can lead to problems in the event of
der which earthing combination is permissible. faults.
Upgrading the present system configuration solely by re-

* 1 ZEinohm
0 m
Pole Kiosk Building
Fig. 8: Bandwidth of the earth-electrode system imped-
ances of different types of unit substations
Within the scope of the investigation, the devices neces-
sary for the method of neutral point connection were se-
lected, the minimum earth fault currents calculated and as-
sessment of the starting conditions for selective protection
carried out.
Summary
The present 20 and 16 kV systems of the GEWS were ana-
lyzed. The actual system analysis revealed an MV system
which has grown on a year-to-year basis, rather than a
system structured in accordance with standard system
’ space for flexibility in everyday decision making.
placing old system elements will be too costly and will en-
tail reduced transmission capacity for the future. There-
fore, restructuring of the MV system is necessary.
Four alternative solutions have been prepared and verified
by load flow and short-circuit current calculations. Fol-
lowing evaluation and discussion with GEWS, Variant 1
with the standard system configuration of open-type ring
feeders has been chosen for implementation.
With the proposed system configuration, renewal of the
node station switchgear will not be necessary; it will re-
main solely as a simple unit substation without ciruit-
breakers. Additional partial cable runs will however be
necessary, above all in the transformer substation area.
This future system configuration will in particular provide
the advantages of impedance neutral earthing, such as for
example fast, selective clearance of phase-to-earth faults.
It will also permit an increased degree of system automa-
tion.
The technical and operational advantages of the proposed
upgrade measures are:
Increased security of supply by virtue of simple system
configuration and operation,
reduced faults and simple clearing of faults,
reduction of losses,
cost-effective system automation.
Strategic system planning will create a system structure
with standard system configurations and will provide

TABLE 1 -Summary of the measured zero phase-sequence impedance values

I I
Cross-section X’O
Wkm
Lead-sheathed cable NHEKBA 3x50 0,39 0,14 2,20 0,6S
NHEKBA 3x95 0,19 0,13 1,60 0,30
NAEKBA 3x150 0,21 0,12 1,40 0,25
Plastic-insulated cable NA2XS(F)2Y 3x 1x 150 0,21 10,12 I l,oo 0,30
NA2XS(F)2Y 3x1~240 0,12 0,11 0,63 0,21
Overhead line AllSt 70112 0.43 0.36 0.63 1.95