Alexandria University

High Voltage Transients

(Part 1)

Dr. Mohamed M. Zakaria Moustafa

Department of Electrical Engineering

Faculty of Engineering

High Voltage Transients (Part 1)

 Alexandria University

Outlines

• Traveling Waves on Transmission Lines

(Transients);

• Transient Propagation;

• Transient Attenuation;

• Transient Reflection.

High Voltage Transients (Part 1)

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Traveling Waves on Transmission Lines

• When a transmission line is connected to a voltage source, the
whole line is not instantly energized. Some time elapses between
the initial and the final steady states. This is due to the distributed
parameters of the transmission lines.

High Voltage Transients (Part 1)

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Traveling Waves on TL (Cont.)

• The process is similar to launching a voltage wave, which travels
along the length of the line at a certain velocity. The travelling
voltage wave also called surge, may be caused by switching or
lightning. The voltage wave is always accompanied by a
current wave.

• The gradual establishment of the line voltage can be regarded as

due to a voltage wave travelling from the generator towards
the far end and the progressing charging of the line capacitances
will account for the associated current wave.

• The surge reaches the terminal approach such as cable boxes,

transformers and switch gears, and may damage them if they are
not properly protected.
High Voltage Transients (Part 1)
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Traveling Waves on TL (Cont.)

• As the waves travel along the line their wave shapes and
magnitudes are also modified. This is called distortion.

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Traveling Waves on TL (Cont.)

• The study of travelling waves helps in knowing the voltages
and currents at all points in a power system. It helps in the design
of insulators, protective equipment, and the insulation of the
terminal equipment and overall insulation coordination.

• Types of System Transients:

– Surge phenomena (extremely fast transients)

– Short circuit phenomena (medium fast transients)

– Transient stability (slow transients)

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Transient Propagation

i
i+ dx
i rdx ldx x

v
v gdx cdx v+ dx
x

x x+dx

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Transient Propagation (Cont.)

𝟏
Propagation velocity 𝒗 = (Proof!)
𝒍𝒄
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Transient Propagation (Cont.)

(Proof!)

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Transient Propagation (Cont.)

(Why!)

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Transient Propagation (Cont.)

• Propagation wave Energy and Power:

– Instantaneous Power 𝑃 = 𝑉𝐼

𝑇
– Energy of Propagating wave 𝐸 = ‫׬‬0 𝑃 𝑑𝑡

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Transient Attenuation

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Transient Reflection

v, i
v’ , i’

v’’ , i’’

Balance Condition:
Transmitted wave ✓ v’ + v’’ = v
=
✓ i’ + i’’ = i
Incident wave + Reflected wave

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Transient Reflection (Cont.)

v
V’’ v’

i’
i

i’’
Z1 Z2

• Balance Condition: 𝑣′+ 𝑣′′= 𝑣 and 𝑖′+ 𝑖′′= 𝑖

′ 𝑣′ −𝑣 ′′ 𝑣
• Ohm’s Law: 𝑖 = , 𝑖′′ = and 𝑖 =
𝑍1 𝑍1 𝑍2

𝑣 𝑣′ 𝑣 ′′ 𝑣 ′ +𝑣 ′ −𝑣 2𝑣 ′ −𝑣
Then = - = =
𝑍2 𝑍1 𝑍1 𝑍1 𝑍1
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Transient Reflection (Cont.)

Transmitted Reflected

𝒁𝟐 − 𝒁𝟏
𝟐𝒁𝟐 𝒗′′ = 𝒗 − 𝒗′ = 𝒗′
Voltage 𝒗= 𝒗′ = 𝝉𝒗 𝒗′ 𝒁𝟏 + 𝒁𝟐
𝒁𝟏 +𝒁𝟐
= 𝝆𝒗 𝒗′ = (𝝉𝒗 −𝟏)𝒗′
𝒁𝟏 − 𝒁𝟐
𝒗 𝟐𝒁𝟏 𝒊′′ = 𝒊 − 𝒊′ = 𝒊′
Current 𝒊= = 𝒊′ = 𝝉𝒊 𝒊′ 𝒁𝟏 + 𝒁𝟐
𝒁𝟐 𝒁𝟏 +𝒁𝟐
= 𝝆𝒊 𝒊′ = (𝝉𝒊 −𝟏)𝒊′
𝟐𝒁𝟐,𝟏
• Transmission Coefficient: 𝝉𝒗,𝒊 =
𝒁𝟏 +𝒁𝟐

𝒁𝟐,𝟏 −𝒁𝟏,𝟐
• Reflection Coefficient: 𝝆𝒗,𝒊 = (𝝆=𝝉- 𝟏)
𝒁𝟏 +𝒁𝟐
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Transient Reflection (Cont.)

Line open circuited at the receiving end

Reflected wave: Transmitted wave:

• 𝑣′′= 𝑣′ • 𝑣= 2𝑣′
• 𝑖′′= -𝑖′ • 𝑖= 0
• The transmission coefficient of voltage is two, i.e., the voltage at
the open-ended line is 2v’. This means that the voltage of the open-
ended line is raised by v’ due to reflection.

• For an open-ended line, a travelling voltage wave is reflected with a

positive sign and the coefficient of reflection is unity .

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Transient Reflection (Cont.)

• The transmission coefficient of current is zero, i.e., the current at
the open-ended line is zero. This means a current wave of
magnitude i’ travels back with a negative sign and the coefficient of
reflection is unity.

v’

i’

v’ v=v’+v’’

i’

i’’

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Exercise

Obtain the reflected and

transmitted wave formulas
for the following
transmission line
configurations.

* for the inductance and

capacitance case, assume a step
input function.

High Voltage Transients (Part 1)