CHAPTER 13

Overvoltage Problems
with Solutions
Prob.No. Topics
13.1 Surges in two transmission lines connected by an undergound cable
13.2 Surges in a transmission line connected to an undergound cable through a
resistor
13.3 Surges in a cable connected to an overhead line
13.4 Surges in two transmission lines connected by an inductor
13.5 Transient recovery voltage

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Prob.13.1 Surges in two transmission lines connected by an undergound cable

The ends of two long overhead lines A and B are connected by a cable C 1.5 km long.
The lines have capacitance 10 pF/m and inductance 1.6*10E-07 H/m and the cable has
capacitance 89 pF/ m and inductance 5* 10E-08. A rectangular voltage wave of magnitude
10 kV and of long duration, travels along line A towards the cable. Find the magnitude
of the second voltage step occurring at the junction of the cable and the lineB. What will be
the voltage at the junction of line A and the cable, 20 microsecond after the initial surge
reaches this point?

Solution: Line A Line B

ZL ZL VT1

VT
Vr2
Cable C
Zc
 VT2

Ll line inductance 0.000001600000 H/m

Cl line capacitance 0.000000000010 F/m
LC cable inductance 0.000000500000 H/m
Cc cable capacitance 0.000000000089 F/m

Zl line surge impedance = sqrt(Ll/Cl)

400
Zc cable surge impedance = sqrt(Lc/Cc)
74.953168899586 ohms
Kr1 Reflection coefficient =(Zc-Zl)/(Zc+Zl)
-0.684376592020
Vi Incident voltage 10.000000000000 kV
VT Transmitted voltage into cable=(1+Kr1)*Vi
3.156234079804 kV
VT1 Transmitted voltage into line B=2*Zl*VT/(Zc + Zl)
5.316286802956 kV
Vr2 Reflected voltage from line B = (Zl - Zc)*VT/(Zl+Zc)
2.160052723152 kV
VT2 Reflection of Vr2 at the junction of cable and line A=(Zl-Zc)*Vr2/(Zl+Zc)
1.478289521254 kV

Lattice Diagram:

Vi=10

VT=3.15

VT1=5.3
Vr2=2.16

VT2=1.48
VT3=2.49
Vr3=1.01

Vr3 Second reflection from line B=Kr1*VT2=

-1.011706744574 kV
Magnitude of Vr3 1.0117067445739 kV

VT3 Second transmitted voltage wave into line B=VT2+magnitude of Vr3=

2.4899962658276 kV
Second voltage step at junction of cable & line B= VT!+VT3=
7.8062830687838 kV Answer
l cable length 1500 m

cable travel time= =lsqrt(lc*Cc)

sqrt(lC*CC) 6.670832032E-09
 travel time 0.000010006245 s
10 microsec
Voltage at the junction of line A and cable, 20 microsec.after the initial surge reaches
that point= =VT+Vr2+VT2
6.7945763242099 kV Answer

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Prob.13.2 Surges in a transmission line connected to an undergound cable through a

resistor
An overhead line of surge impedance 400 ohms is connected to a cable of surge impedance
40 ohms through a series resistor. Determine the magnitude of the resistor such that it
absorbs maximum energy from a surge originating on the overhead line and travelling into
the cable. Calculate
(a) the voltage and current transients reflected back into the line.
(b) those transmitted into the cable in terms of the incident surge voltage of 1000kV, and
(c) the energies reflected back into the line and absorbed by the resistor.

Solution: O/H line Resistor Cable

A B
Z1 R Z2

vi
Ii vrA
IrA

Equivalent circuit:
Z1
A

R
2 vi B

Z2

vi 1000 kV
Z1 400 ohms
Z2 40 ohms

vB =2 *ViZ2/(Z1+Z2+R)
vrA =vB-vi =(Z2+R-Z1)*vi/(Z1+Z2+R)
IB =2*vi/(Z1+Z2+R) =2*Z1*Ii/(Z1+Z2+R)
IrA = Ii(Z1-Z2-R)/(Z1+Z2+R)
Power absorbed by R = RIi*Ii
=R(2Z1Ii/(Z1+Z2+R))*(2Z1Ii/(Z1+Z2+R))
It is maximum when d/dR(R/(Z1+Z2+R))=0, if Ii is given and constant.
This gives the condition that
 R =Z1+Z2
440 ohms
vi 1000 kV
IB =2*vi/(Z1+Z2+R) 2.2727272727273 kA Answer
Ii =vi/Z1 2.5 kA
IrA -0.227272727273 kA Answer
vB 90.909090909091 kV Answer
vrA =vB-vi 90.909090909091 kV Answer
Energy entering cable =vBiB
206.61157024793 MVA
Energy absorbed by R =R(Z1Ii/(Z1+Z2))*(Z1Ii/(Z1+Z2))
=Z1*Ii*Z1Ii/(Z1+Z2)
2272.7272727273 MVA Answer
Energy incident 2500
2500 MVA
Energy reflected = Incident energy-Energy entering cable-energy absorbed
20.661157024794 MVA Answer

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Prob.13.3 Surges in a cable connected to an overhead line

A cable of inductance .3 mH/phase and capacitance .4 microfarad per phase is connected
to a line of inductance 1.5 mH /ph and capacitance .012 microfarad /ph. All quantities are
per km. A surge of 1pu magnitude travels along the cable towards the line. Determine the
voltage set up at the junction of the line and the cable.

Solution: Lc 0.0003 H
Cc 0.0000004 F
Zc = sqrt (Lc/Cc) 27.386127875258 ohms
Ll 0.0015 H
Cl 0.000000012 F
Zl = SQRT(Ll/Cl) 353.55339059327 ohms
K Reflection coefficient 0.8562179739957
Voltage at junction =1+ k
1.8562179739957 pu Answer

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Prob.13.4 Surges in two transmission lines connected by an inductor

A rectangular surge of 2 microsecond duration and magnitude 2 pu travels along a line
of surge impedance 350 ohms. The latter is connected to another line of equal impedance
through an inductor of 800 microhenries. Calculate the value of the surge transmitted to
the second line.

Solution:
Z L Z
 Z I
2*vi
L

Equivalent Circuit

vi 2 pu
Z 350 ohms
L 0.0008 H
t 0.000002 s
I =(2*vi/2*Z)*(1-exp(-2*Z*t/L))
v in the second line =I*Z
=vi*(1-exp(-2*Z*T/L))
1.6524521130991 pu Answer
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Prob.13.5 Transient Recovery Voltage

A 1-phase 50 Hz generator with one terminal earthed is excited to an internal emf of

10 kV and is connected to a system through a circuit breaker. The generator inductance
is 10 mH and the effective stray capacitance is represented by a 4 micro-Farad
capacitor across the circuit breaker. A short- circuit occurs beyond the circuit breaker.
Develop an expression for the voltage across the contacts immediately after the current
interruption if this occurs at an instant corresponding to 10 degrees prior to a natural
current zero.

Solution: L =10 mH

10 kV C= 4 micro-F
E

Fig. Circuit diagram

E=10 kV= 10000 V

w= 314 rad/s
L= 0.01 H
C= 0.000004 F
Short circuit current =E/wL = 3184.713 A (r.m.s)

Rate of change at 10deg (assumed same as at zero) =sqrt(2)E/L= 1414214 A/s

value of current at 10deg=ic =2x3180x 0.123= 782.28 A

To bring the breaker current to zero , a current of i(t)= -ic +(sqrt(2) E/L. t
is imagined to be injected across the contacts.
The voltage necessary to inject this current into the circuit impedance
is the required transient voltage.

Transforming i(t) into s domain, we get:

i(s) = -ic/s + sqrt(2) E/Ls^2

v(s)= i(s). Z(s) = [-(ic/s) +sqrt(2)E/Ls^2] [ (Ls/Cs) /Ls+ 1/Cs)]

Let wo^2 = 1/LC. Then, after some algebra, we get

v(s) = -ic .sqrt(L/C). wo/(s^2 +wo^2) + 2Ewo^2/(L.s(s^2 +wo^2)

In time domain, the above equation becomes

v(t) = ic sqrt(L/C) sinwo.t +sqrt(2)E (1-coswot)

wo= sqrt(1/LC)= 5000

sqrt(L/C)= 50 ohms

ic sqrt(L/C)= 39114

sqrt(2)E= 14142.14

v(t) =- 39114 sin 5000t + 14142 (1-cos 5000t)

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