Lightning Outage Transmission Line Reliability

Improvement with Surge Arresters

C. Romualdo-Torres M. Ramírez-González A. Escamilla-Paz

Abstract—Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), is the
Mexican Power Utility, with several thousand kilometers of 230
and 400 kV transmission lines built along the country: 26,915 km
and 23,627 km, respectively as per June 2013, which are
considered as the main transmission line voltages. These lines,
seriously affected by lightning and whose performance has been
very poor, were chosen to be protected with surge arresters even
though the shielding angle and the tower footing resistance may
have been improved in several structures.
This paper presents shielding and backflashover results
obtained for two typical transmission lines running along regions
over flat and mountain terrains, with high lightning flash density.
These lines used to have high outage rates before being protected
with surge arresters. As for these protection devices, the selected
location of them is for improving the reliability of the
transmission lines as shown by each study done. Besides, the
latest experiences obtained, during some years of using surge
arresters (externally gapped) on these transmission lines running
along different parts of the country, are also included.
Index Terms — Lightning performance, ground flash density,
shielding angle, transmission line surge arrester, shielding
failure, backflashover, footing resistance.
string can be flashed over by lightning surges. Successful results
have been achieved in transmission lines equipped with this kind
of arresters, which have drastically decreased the lightning caused
failures.
In this case, the selection of the transmission line structures to
be protected with surge arresters has been carried out with a
computer program based on fuzzy logic and neural networks [4,
5, 10], developed from the analysis and application of simple
field experience rules [3].
II.1 230 kV transmission line case
This transmission line comprises [2, 8] a three phase single
circuit, 444 towers, two ground wires, an average grounding
resistance of 10 Ohms, a shielding angle of zero degrees, 15
insulators string, ACSR 900 MCM phase conductors and ground
wires of 3/8”. The length of this transmission line is
approximately 194 kilometers, with an average span of 438
meters. Figure 1 shows the geometrical features, location of
ground wires and phase conductors.

I. INTRODUCTION

In order to simulate the lightning performance of a

transmission line over a prescribed period of time to determine
the line failure rate, methods based on Monte Carlo simulation,
the electrogeometrical model and multiphase traveling wave
analysis are usually applied [1].

The studies carried out in this work comprise the calculation

of the total number of shielding and backflashover failures for
two transmission lines, as well as the structure location of surge
arresters along these lines in order to improve their reliability
under lightning conditions.

II. TRANSMISSION LINES STUDIED

A research project that started in 1999 allowed the installation
of surge arresters externally gapped in several 230 kV
transmission lines. This type of surge arresters will operate by an
air gap adjusted to a flashover value before the insulator
C. Romualdo-Torres, M. Ramírez-González and A. Escamilla-
Paz are with the Department of Transmission and Distribution,
Instituto de Investigaciones Eléctricas (IIE), Cuernavaca,
Morelos, 62490 MEXICO (e-mail: crt@iie.org.mx)
Figure 1. 230 kV transmission line under study [2, 8].
II.1.1 Results
In order to predict the lightning performance of this 230 kV
transmission line, shielding and backflashover failure calculations
[1] were accomplished. The obtained results, with a ground flash
density of 1 stroke/km2/year, are shown in Figure 2.
The calculated outage rate [1], considering a 10 Ohm
grounding resistance and 5 strokes/km2/year ground flash density,
is 2.92 failures/100 km/year (s.f. = 0.0 and b.f. = 2.92).

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 2.5
2 8
BACKFLASHOVERS
FLASHOVERS/100 KM/YEAR
1.5
1 4
0.5
0
0 10 20
TOWER FOOTING RESISTANCE (OHMS)
Figure 2. Shielding and backflashover failures for a 230 kV
transmission line based on 1 stroke/ km2/year [1].
II.2 400 kV transmission line case
This transmission line comprises a three phase circuit [2], 419
towers, two 1113 MCM ACSR/AS phase conductors with two
3/8” ground wires (providing a shielding angle of 9.2 degrees to
outer phase conductors) and 19-insulators strings. The length of
this transmission line is 203 km, with an average span of 550
meters. Figure 3 shows the geometrical features, location of
ground wires and phase conductors.
Figure 3. 400 kV transmission line under study [2, 9].
II.2.1 Results
Shielding and backflashover failure calculations were made
for this 400 kV transmission line [1] for estimating its lightning
performance. With a ground flash density of 1 stroke/km2/year,
the obtained results are shown in Figure 4.
The calculated outage rate [1], considering a 10 Ohm
grounding resistance and 5 strokes/km2/year ground flash density,
is 5.9 failures/100 km/year (s.f. = 0.0 and b.f. = 5.9).
On Figure 4, can be observed that the higher grounding
resistance, the higher calculated outage rate obtained as well as
the height structure effect is influencing the outages rate results.
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10
FLASHOVERS/100 KM/YEAR
BACKFLASHOVERS
6
2
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
30 40 50 60
TOWER FOOTING RESISTANCE (OHMS)
Figure 4. Shielding and backflashover failures for a 400 kV
transmission line based on 1 stroke/ km2/year [1].
III. INSTALATION OF SURGE ARRESTERS ON THE
TRANSMISSION LINES
In order to apply an efficient methodology for the selection of
structures to be protected with surge arresters, a computer
program based on computational intelligence technique was
developed [4, 5, 10]. This program uses the expert knowledge in
the application of transmission line surge arresters to:
a) Determine the critical zones of a transmission line due
to lightning failures.
b) Selectively estimate the specific structures where surge
arresters are required as complementary protective
devices.
The algorithm for selecting the structures to be protected
can be summarized as follows [10]:
• It calculates a normalized priority index for each
transmission line structure.
• It determines the transmission line critical zones.
• It selects the structures to be protected.
The main information required by the program consists of the
structure number, the distance between structures, number of
failures, ground flash density, height above sea level, grounding
resistance and structure height. This program can be used for
transmission lines with historical lightning statistical records or
even for new transmission lines with no records at all.
III.1. Installation of surge arresters with external series gap
on the 230 kV transmission line (HLT-93210-NRI).
This 230 kV transmission line is running through the
Northwestern Mexican State of Sonora, with 194 km in length,
average span of 438 m and 444 towers. According to field
observations, this transmission line has an average outage rate of
2.06 failures/100 km/year.
Figure 5 shows that this transmission line had a very poor
lightning performance from 1990 to 2002. However, with the
shielding angle correction as well as the grounding resistance
improvement (priority tasks during the transmission line
maintenance program), and combined with the installation of
 surge arresters at selected critical areas, the line lightning
performance has improved since 2003.
Based on a priority index (PI) computed for each structure in
the transmission line, the classification of the critical zones is
illustrated in Figure 6 according the average PI (API), where
Zone 1 (red color circle) is the most critical one, and Zone 6 (blue
color square) is the less critical zone.

Figure 5. HLT-93210-NRI transmission line outages rates [8].

Surge arrester application in this transmission line started in

Figure 6. Critical zones given by API: Height above sea level
1995, with the installation of them on fifty two structures located
versus Structures.
at critical areas where failures were occurring. As for this, the
following observation can be highlighted:
From Figure 2 (using the computer program in [1]), the
estimated outage rate without surge arresters for a 10 Ohm
The failures reported from 2007 to 2012 occurred in
grounding resistance value and a 5 strokes/km2/year ground flash
structures that were not protected with surge arresters and had
density is as follows:
place outside the surge arrester protected transmission line area.
Failures/100 km/year = (0.584*5) = 2.92
- Surge arresters were installed on the following structures: 16, 19,
21, 29, 128, 177, 178, 183, 187, 188, 190, 191, 193, 195, 197,
By taking into account this index, the installation of surge
198, 200, 201, 204, 212, 213, 230 a 233, 236, 240, 245, 249,
arresters at the indicated towers in Table I (which considers the
266, 270, 277, 282, 303, 329, 330, 385 to 387, 407, 411 a 414,
representation of the transmission line spans as a normal
422, 427, 428, 432, 436, 440 and 442.
distribution function and its relationship with failures caused by
-
lightning [7]) can achieve an estimated improvement of 72.1 %.
- After installing these surge arresters on this transmission
Therefore:
line, the outage rate decreased to 1.22 failures/100 km/year.
- For study purposes, the transmission line was divided into
Failures/100 km/year = (0.584*5) * (1-0.721) = 0.81
two structure groups.
On the other hand, for the group of structures 417 to 444, the
o Structures 1 to 416, with ground resistance values
limited available information allows to estimating the installation
available, and an average value of 7.6 Ohms.
of surge arresters for the following eight towers: 426 a 433.
o Structures 417 to 444 with unavailable ground resistance
values.
III.2. Installation of surge arresters with external series gap
on the 400 kV transmission line (TUL-A3370-PRD)
For the section line composed of structures 1 to 416, Table I
shows the selected structures for surge arrester installation in each
This 400 kV transmission line mostly runs along ridges and
of the estimated critical zones.
high altitude mountains through the Eastern and Central Mexican
States of Veracruz and Puebla. Lightning storm seasons are very
Table I. Surge arrester location on HLT-93210-NRI transmission
severe over this area, causing several insulation damages and
line.
outage of the transmission line. According to field observations,
Critical zone Structures this transmission line has an average outage rate of 4.11
number failures/100 km/year.
1 404 to 416, 382 to 388, 375 to 377, 392, 397, 394,
403, 402, 396, 395, 379 to 381, 401, 393, 399, 391,
390, 374, 389, 400, 378, 398.
For this line, surge arrester installation started in 2003. At
2 329 to 337, 366, 368, 326 a 328, 370, 360 to 364, least 35 surge arresters were installed on critical areas where
372, 365, 373, 357, 358, 367, 359, 371, 355, 356, major problems existed. The grounding resistance where arresters
352 to 354, 351, 350. were installed was kept under 5 Ohms. The TUL-A3370-PRD
3 284, 289, 271 to 273, 300 to 303, 280 to 283, 321 to transmission line is 203 km long and has an average span of 484
325, 308 to 310, 305 to 307. m. It is a single circuit transmission line with two ground wires
4 204 to 208, 227 to 243, 268 to 270. on a horizontal configuration. Figure 7 shows the transmission
5 198 to 203, 190 to 197, 177, 186 to 188, 178, 179.
6 83 to 87.

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line lightning performance before and after the surge arrester
installation.
Figure 7. TUL-A3370-PRD transmission line outage rates [9].
As it can be observed from Figure 7, this transmission line
had a very poor lightning performance since 1990. However,
corrections made during its maintenance program showed some
improvements and a decrease in the number of outages has been
noted since 2001.
The failures reported from 2003 to 2011 occurred in
structures that were not protected with surge arresters and had
place outside the surge arrester protected transmission line area.
Surge arresters have been installed on the following
structures: 288, 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 316,
321, 323, 327, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 340, 348 and 349.
After installing surge arresters the outage rate decreased to
3.25 failures/100 km/year.
For study purposes, the available information of the line is as
follows:
- Grounding resistance values are available (Rg) for the
following structures: 259 to 270, 272 to 295, 297 to 301, 303
to 321, 325, 327 to 330, 332 to 340, 352 to 356, 372 and 373.
There is no available information of Rg for the remaining
structures.
- Geodesic coordinates for structures 252 to 419.
- Location of structures 1 to 251 was determined by the help
of Google Earth, version 6.1.05001 [6].
Since there is not enough information to calculate the
grounding resistance Rg on all structures, the transmission line
was divided in three sections:
o Structures 1 to 258 (no Rg measured values)
o Structures 259 to 373 (Rg estimated values with an
average value of 3.47 Ohms)
o Structures 374 to 419 (no Rg measured values)
According to the available information, the following 80
structures were estimated for the installation of surge arresters in
the group of structures 1 to 258:
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• 89 to 91, 92, 87, 88, 93, 94, 142 a 146, 95, 141, 96, 147,
148, 97, 138 to 140, 149, 98 to 101, 107, 137, 136, 135,
134, 133, 132, 131, 130, 129, 128, 110, 127, 126, 83 to
85, 86, 82, 81, 80, 79, 54 to 56, 57, 58, 59, 53, 72 to 76,
60, 61, 52, 64, 67, 71, 70, 157 to 165, 241 to 243.
On the other side, for structures 259 to 273, Table II shows
the critical zones of this transmission line section with the
structures where surge arresters should be installed.
Table II: Surge arrester location on TUL-A3370-PRD
transmission line.
Critical zone Structures
number
1 262 to 266, 268 to 273, 260, 267, 261, 277 to
281, 286 to 288, 274 to 276, 289.
2 310, 300 to 309, 311 to 320, 297 and 298.
3 310, 300 to 309, 311 to 320, 297 and 298
4 354 to 356.
It is important to consider this new information in order to
complete the installation of surge arresters on this transmission
line.
Figure 8 illustrates the estimated critical zones of this line,
where Zone 1 (red color circle) is the most critical, and Zone 4
(green color circle) is the less critical.
Figure 8. Critical zones given by an API: Height above sea level
versus Structures.
From Figure 4, considering a 10 Ohm grounding resistance
value and a ground flash density of 5 strokes/km2/year, the
estimated outage rate using the computer program in [1] and
without surge arresters is:
Failure rate/100 km/year = (1.18*5) = 5.9
By taking into account this index, the installation of surge
arresters at the indicated towers in Table II (which considers the
representation of the transmission line spans as a normal
distribution function and its relationship with failures caused by
lightning [7]) can achieve an estimated improvement of 67 %.
Therefore:
Failure rate/100 km/year = (1.18*5) * (1-0.67) = 1.94
 Finally, for the group of structures 374 to 419, the available VI. REFERENCES
information allowed to estimating the following nine towers for
the installation of surge arresters. 1] Romualdo T. C.; Lightning Performance of Transmission and Distribution
Lines. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Manchester Institute of Science and
Technology, Manchester, United Kingdom, 1996.
• 392, 396 to 398, 404 to 408.
2] Tower Catalogue: 400 kV, 230 kV and 115 kV, CFE, 2002. (In Spanish)
Table III summarizes the calculated and field results without
and with surge arresters obtained for the 230 and 400 kV 3] Romualdo T. C., Fonseca M. F.; Field experience on the application of
transmission lines presented in this study. surge arresters on transmission lines. IEEE 2010 Transmission and
Distribution Conference and Exposition. April 19-22, 2010. New Orleans,
Louisiana.
Table III. Calculated and field results without and with surge
arresters on the transmission lines presented in this 4] Jang J. R., Sun C., Mizutani E.; Neuro-fuzzy and Soft Computing – A
research. Computational Approach to Learning and Machine Intelligence, Prentice
Hall, 1997.
Calculated Field Calculated Field
outages outages outages outages 5] MATLAB; MATLAB®: The Language of Technical Computing, Version
Transmission
pear year pear year per year per year 7.11.0.584 (R2010b), The MathWorks, Inc., 2010.
line
with no with no with with
arresters* arresters* arresters* arresters* 6] Google Earth, version 6.1.05001, 2012.
HLT-93210-
2.92 2.06 0.81 1.22
NRI 7] Romualdo T. C., Ramírez G. M.; Surge Arrester Location Studies for
TUL-A3210- Improving the Lightning Performance of 400 kV and 230 kV Transmission
5.9 4.11 1.94 3.25 Lines, Internal Project Report, November 2012, Instituto de
PRD
Investigaciones Eléctricas, (In Spanish).
*Outages/100 km/year
8] Statistics of recorded events for HLT-93210-NRI transmission line, GRT
According to results shown on Table III, the lightning Noroeste, CFE, 2013. (Private communication, in Spanish).
performance of both transmission lines will be improved with the
installation of surge arresters at the recommended structures for 9] Statistics of recorded events for TUL-A3210-PRD transmission line, GRT
each transmission line shown on Tables I and II. Oriente, CFE, 2012. (Private communication, in Spanish).

10] Romualdo T. C., Ramírez G. M. Hernández V. A., Escamilla P. A.;

IV. CONCLUSIONS
Lightning performance results for two typical 230 and 400 kV
transmission lines, used extensively by the Mexican Power
utility, were presented. As compared to field measurements based
computations, a good agreement was observed.
The installation of surge arresters and the improvement of the
tower footing resistance together with the shielding angle in the
230 kV HLT-93210-NRI and the 400 kV TUL-A3370-PRD
transmission lines were key factors that permitted an improved
lightning performance. It is worth noting that the surge arresters
installed in structures located in critical areas and selected
according to the historical information provided by the field line
trip out records were very important.
The improvement in the lightning performance of 230 and
400 kV transmission lines with surge arresters has encouraged
CFE to continue with a surge arrester installation expansion plan
for the most conflictive transmission lines regarding their
lightning performance.
V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors are very grateful to CFE engineers: Carlos Smith
Galván, Salomón Segovia Morales, Pablo Beltrán Robles,
Ernesto Escenaro Marín as well as Rafael Espinoza Ramírez.
Special thanks are given to Dr. Francisco De La Rosa Costilla for
all his comments and support provided.
Lightning Performance of 230 kV and 400 kV Transmission Line as well
as the Application of Alternative Protecting Methods. Internal Project
Report, November 2009, Instituto de Investigaciones Eléctricas, (In
Spanish).
11] CFE. Works and Investment Program of the Electrical Sector 2012-2026.
Sub-Department for Programming, Planning Coordination.
http://www.cfe.gob.mx
VII. BIOGRAPHIES
C. Romualdo-Torres obtained his BSEE from Oaxaca Institute of
Technology (México) in 1976, his MSEE from the National Polytechnic
Institute (México) in 1981, and his PhD degree from The University of
Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) and The Victoria
University of Manchester, (United Kingdom) in 1996. Since 1978, he is with
the Mexican Electric Research Institute in Cuernavaca, Morelos (México).
His current interests are: electromagnetic transients in power systems and
grounding substations.
Miguel Ramírez-González (M’2001) received the B.Sc. degree in
electrical engineering from the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), México,
in 1996, the M. Sc., degree in electrical engineering from the La Laguna
Institute of Technology, México, in 1998, and the Ph.D., degree from the
University of Calgary, Canada, in 2008. He is currently working for the
Mexican Electric Research Institute in the Transmission and Distribution
Department. His areas of interest are the application of computational
intelligence techniques in power system analysis, control and lightning
performance improvement.
A. Escamilla-Paz obtained his B.Sc. degree in electrical engineering
from Madero Institute of Technology, México, in 1998, his M. Eng., degree
from the National Autonomous University of México (UNAM) in 2009. Since
1999, he is with the Mexican Electric Research Institute in Cuernavaca,
Morelos, México, in the Transmission and Distribution Department. His areas
of interest are the design and analysis of electrical systems, electromagnetic
transients and lightning protection.

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