Murugan R

INTRODUCTION

Generators and loads are connected together through transmission lines transporting electric power from one place to another. Transmission line must, therefore, take power from generators, transmit it to location where it will be used, and then distribute it to individual consumers. The power capability of a transmission line is proportional to the square of the voltage on the line. Therefore, very high voltage levels are used to transmit power over long distances. Once the power reaches the area where it will be used, it is stepped down to lower voltages in distribution substations, and then delivered to customers through distribution lines. Overhead Transmission lines: An overhead transmission line usually consists of three conductors or bundles of conductors containing the three phases of the power system. The conductors are usually aluminum cable steel reinforced (ACSR), which are steel core (for strength) and aluminum wires (having low resistance) wrapped around the core.

Murugan R

In overhead transmission lines, the conductors are suspended from a pole or a tower via insulators.

Murugan R

In addition to phase conductors, a transmission line usually includes one or two steel wires called ground (shield) wires. These wires are electrically connected to the tower and to the ground, and, therefore, are at ground potential. In large transmission lines, these wires are located above the phase conductors, shielding them from lightning.

Transmission lines are characterized by a series resistance, inductance, and shunt capacitance per unit length. These values determine the power-carrying capacity of the transmission line and the voltage drop across it at full load.

Murugan R

Lightning More than half of the electrical faults occurring overhead power transmission lines are caused by lightning. on

Lightning Protection: Lightning over voltages Lightning discharges produce overvoltage surges and they are extremely harmful. Lightning over voltages can be classified as Induced over voltages, Over voltages due to shielding failures, Over voltages by back flashovers.

Lightning Protection devices The main conventional approaches for reduction of the lightning flashover faults on power lines are lowering of the footing resistance and employing of multiple shielding wires, and differential insulation.

Murugan R

However, these methods have not been sufficient to prevent flashover faults. In the mean time application of arresters to lines has been a better solution in recent years. This alternate approach is to install an arrester to prevent the flashover of insulator assemblies. It is important that the arrester should be strong enough in order to withstand excessive lightning strikes. A newly developed suspension-type line arrester has been developed by incorporating ZnO elements into the shed of a conventional suspension insulator

Murugan R

It has an arrester function along with the normal electrical and mechanical functions of a line insulator. It is a gapless type that has the advantage of reliable surge absorption with no delay in discharge. The new arrester holds promise not only for the prevention of lightning faults, but also as means of achieving economical insulation in the overall transmission systems.

Line Differencial Protection:

Principle: It is based on the fact that any fault with in an electrical equipment would cause the current entering it to be different from the current leaving it. By comparing the two currents either in magnitude or in phase or in both, fault can be determined. It is an attractive option if both ends of the apparatus are located near each other.

Murugan R

The line differential protection is formed by installing a set of relays at each end of the circuit and interconnects them by some suitable communication link. Pilot protection is an adoption of the principles of differential protection that can be used on such lines, the term pilot indicating that there is an interconnecting channel between the ends of the lines through which the information can be transmitted. It is not suitable for long overhead lines since the end of a line are too far apart to be able to interconnect CT secondarys satisfactorily.

Over current protection:

Principle:

When the current in a system exceeds a predetermined value, it indicates the presence of a fault. Relaying decision is based solely on the magnitude of current. Used in radial distribution systems Over current relaying and fuse protection uses this principle.

Murugan R

Directional Over current Protection:

Uses both magnitude of current and phase angle information for decision making. Used in radial systems with source at both ends.

Distance Protection:
The basic principle is that the apparent impedance seen by the relay reduces drastically in case of line fault. If the ratio of impedance to positive sequence impedance is less than unity, it indicates a fault. This protection scheme is inherently directional. Impedance relay and mho relay use this principle.