Tower modelling for lightning surge analysis using
Electro-Magnetic Transients Program
M.E. Almeida
M.T. Correia de Barros
Indexing terms: Insulation co-ordination, Lightning surges, Tower modelling
Abstract: For economical insulation co-ordina-
tion in transmission and substation equipment, it
is necessary to accurately predict the lightning
surge overvoltage that occurs in an electric power
system. The lightning surge response of transmis-
sion towers is one of the main factors that influ-
ences the magnitude and the waveshape of the
surge arriving at a substation. The paper presents
a tower model, based on a finite-difference
transmission-line model, that can be used with
EMTP. Computation results obtained, for a
typical double-circuit 500 kV tower, are in good
agreement with field test measurements.
1 Introduction
On many transmission lines, lightning is the main cause
of unscheduled supply interruptions. In the calculation of
lightning voltages the accurate representation of the
transmission tower is a difficult problem and has been
the subject of much discussion.
In lightning surge simulations the tower models used
can range from simple lumped inductances or resistances
to complicated nonuniform transmission-line circuits.
Representation of the tower as a lumped element is only
valid if surge current rise time is long compared to surge
travel time in the tower. So, for a steep-front wave the
tower must be modelled as a distributed parameter
circuit like a transmission line.
However, the measurement of tower surge response is
exceedingly difficult, because a tower is a vertical conduc-
tor to the ground surface, with crossarms and structure
angles, and the propagation time of travelling waves from
top to bottom is less than 0.2 ps.
Several formulas for the tower surge impedance have
been used in the past [l, 2). These models are derived for
vertical strokes to the tower top, being the calculations
based on simple geometric tower forms (cylindrical [I]
and conical [2]) using electromagnetic field theory. The
Wagner and Hileman model indicates that the tower
impedance varies as the wave travels from top to bottom,
being lowest at the tower top and increasing as the wave
travels down the tower. Kawai [3] later performed mea-
surements on isolated towers (without ground wires
connected) and obtained similar results, although the
magnitudes were appreciably lower.
0IEE, 1994
Paper 1571C (Pll), received 4th May 1994
The authors are with the Technical University of Lisbon, IST, DEEC,
AV Rovisco Pais, 1096 Lishoa codex, Portugal
IEE Proc-Gener. Transm. Disfrib., Vol. 141, No. 6 , Nouember 1994
Later on Chisholm et al. [4, 51 performed some experi-
ments and found that the tower response to a horizontal
current, resulting from a midspan stroke, is different from
the response to a vertical surge (current injected at the
tower top). For a horizontal stroke, the tower impedance
decreases from top to bottom, which is the exact opposite
of the vertical stroke impedance behaviour.
All these results are obtained considering the tower
alone, without ground wires connected. Recently Ishii et
al. [6] measured the surge response of a typical double-
circuit 500 kV transmission tower, with ground wires, for
vertical stroke current. Based on these measurements
they developed a multistorey transmission tower model
to be used in the multiconductor analysis with Electro-
Magnetic Transients Program (EMTP). In this model the
tower is divided, at the upper, middle and lower phase
crossarm positions, into four sections. Each section is
represented as a lossless transmission line connected to a
parallel circuit of a resistance and an inductance. The
lumped circuit parameters are directly related to the
attenuation coefficient of the tower, and the surge imped-
ances are different from top to bottom. This model
emphasis is mainly placed on reproduction of the voltage
across the insulator strings. Thus, the optimum values of
the tower surge impedances and the attenuation coeffi-
cient have to be determined by a trial-and-error process.
This paper introduces a new tower model based on a
finite-difference transmission-line model. This line model,
developed in the 1980s at the Technical University of
Lisbon [7,8], was recently interfaced with the ATP-
EMTP using the simulation language MODELS [SI.
This model is used to represent the tower as a nonuni-
form lossless transmission line. The aim of the paper is to
compare Ishii et al. [6] experimental measurements with
the simulation results obtained by using this tower
model.
2 Transmission tower model
From a wave propagation standpoint the transmission
tower behaves as a non-uniform transmission-line struc-
ture, whose surge impedance varies as the surge travels
through it.
In this paper, the basic algorithm used for solving the
wave propagation equations is based on a finite-
difference approximation to the partial derivatives [7],
considering the line divided into N equal segments. This
type of algorithm is most adequate for representing a
nonuniform behaviour of the transmission line.
In the application presented, the tower is modelled as
a lossless transmission line with the surge impedance Z
varying by discrete steps. It is considered that the ratio of
the surge impedance, from one segment of the line to the
637
next one, is a constant k
Z j + l = kZ,
3 EMTP simulation
The simulation parameters considered here correspond
to the experimental tests performed by Ishii et al. [6] for
a typical 500 kV double-circuit tower. Fig. 1 shows the
consisting of two ground wires (with 17.5 mm diameter)
and six bundle conductors (4 x 38.4 mm diameter). Fig.
2b shows the conductor geometry at the average heights.
The ground resistivity considered is 500 Szm.
The simulation results are shown in Figs. 3-6. The
tower top voltage is represented in Fig. 3. In Figs. 4-6

0
0 05 10 15 20 25 30
t , p
Fig. 3 Tower top voltage

-
-4OI
Fig. 1 Circuitfor E M T P anafysis 0 05 10 15 20 25 30
t . p
Fig. 4 Phase C voltages
circuit considered, being the detailed analysis conditions tower crossarm position
described below.
~

~~~- insulator string

inducal on-phase conductor
3.1 Tower model
The tower element is represented in Fig. 1 as an FD Line
(finite-difference line). The surge impedances used,
obtained from Ishii measurements, are 220 Cl for the
tower's upper part and 1 5 0 n for the lower part. The 5> 80
tower is divided into 314 segments, being the constant k . 40
>
(eqn. 1) equal to 0.9988. The grounding resistance of the
tower is represented by a pure resistance of 17 a.
3.2 Lightning stroke model t. ps
The lightning stroke is simulated by a current source i, in Fig. 5 Phase B uoltages
parallel with an impedance. The current source is a ramp ~ tower crossarm position
wave with a rise time of 20 ns. The lightning current is ____ insulator string
injected into the middle of the tower-top arm and the induad on-phasc conductor
impedance of the lightning discharge path is assumed to
be 400 a.

3.3 Transmission-line model and conductor geometry

160r -
In this simulation the EMTP JMARTI line model is
adopted. Fig. 2a shows the 500 kV double-circuit used,

-
208 m
-400
.,
05 10 15 20 25
I
30
t. ps
Fig. 6 Phose A uoltages
~ tower crossam position
span 1 -26m
____ insulator stnng
__ induad on-phasc conductor

a b
Fig. 2
(1doublecircuit transmission line
b conductor geometry at average height
638
are represented the tower crossarm voltage, the voltage
insulator string and the voltage induced into the phase
conductor from the ground wires, for phases C, B and A,
respectively.
IEE Proc -Gener. Transm. Dzstrib., Vol. 141, No. 6, November I994
 Analysing these results some remarks can be made:
0 Tower voltages are independent from line boundary
conditions, because during simulation time (3 ps) the ter-
mination line reflections do not arrive yet at the tower.
0 The crossarm voltages decrease slowly before the
reflected surge wave from the base of the tower arrives.
This is explained by the wave reflections generated along
the tower. Indeed, since the tower is modelled like a non-
uniform line, each segment of the tower presents infinitely
small discontinuities to a voltage or current travelling
along it. Considering a decreasing tower surge imped-
ance, the reflection coefficient from one segment to the
next one is negative, thus resulting in reflected waves with
the opposite polarity.
0 The insulator string voltages (the difference between
crossarm voltage and induced phase voltage) have initial
negative spikes. These are caused by the fact that the
voltages induced into the phase conductors from the
ground wires appear instantaneously, while the crossarm
voltages are delayed by the propagation time between the
tower top to the crossarm position.
4 Conclusions
The paper presents a tower model based on a finite-
difference transmission-line model, which is interfaced
with EMTP through MODELS. This transmission-line
model is used to represent the tower as a nonuniform
lossless line.
The computation results obtained, for a typical
double-circuit 500 kV tower, are in good agreement with
the experimental tests performed by Ishii et al. [SI.
The advantage of the proposed tower model, com-
pared with other nonuniform tower models presented in
I E E Proc.-Gew. Transm. Distrib., Vol. 141, No. 6,Nouember 1994
the literature [6, lo], is the adequacy to include the
frequency-dependent as well as nonlinear behaviours
of the transmission tower. Further work is currently
undergoing targeting to include frequency-dependent
parameters.
5 References
1 WAGNER, C.F., and HILEMAN, A.R.: ‘A new approach to the
calculation of the lightning performance of transmission lines Ill-A
simplied method: stroke to tower’, I E E E Trans., 1960, PAS-79,
pp. 589-603
2 SARGENT, M., and DARVENIZA, M.: ‘Tower surge impedance’,
I E E E Trans., 1969, PAS-88, (9,pp. 680487
3 KAWAI, M.: ‘Studies of the surge response on a transmission line
tower’, I E E E Trans., 1964, PAS83, pp. 3&34
4 CHISHOLM, W.A., CHOW, Y.L., and STRIVASTAVA, K.D.:
‘Lightning surge response of transmission towers’, I E E E Trans.,
1983, PAS-102, (9), pp. 3232-3242
5 CHISHOLM, W.A., CHOW, Y.L., and STRIVASTAVA, K.D.:
Travel time of transmission towers’, I E E E Trans., 1985, PAS-104,
(lo),pp. 2922-2928
6 ISHII, M., KAWAMURA, T., and KOUNO, T.: ’Multistorey trans-
mission tower model for lightning surge analysis’, I E E E Trans.,
1991, P W R D 4 (3). pp. 1327-1335
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non-linear propagation algorithm for transmission lines’. Pro-
ceedings of 8th Power Systems Computation Conferena, Butter-
worths 1984, pp. 772-776
8 CORREIA DE BARROS, M.T.: ‘Efeito coma em linhas de trans-
porte de enerpia’ (in Portuguese). Doctor’s degree thcsis, IST-
Technical University of Lisbon, 1985
9 DUB& L., BONFANTI, I., CORREIA DE BARROS, M.T., and
VANDERSTOCKT, V.: ‘Using the simulation language
“MODELS” with EMTP’. Procadings of Eleventh Power Systems
ComputationConference, Avignon, 1993, pp. 1063-1069
IO NGUYEN, H.V., W M M E L , H.W., and MARTI, J.R.: ‘Tower
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Paper No. 045-5 PWRD, January 1994
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