Minimization of Electric Power Losses on 132 kV and 220 kV Uganda Electricity Transmission Lines

The classical minimization of power losses in transmission lines is dominated by artificial intelligence techniques, which do not guarantee global optimum amidst local minima. Revolutionary and evolutionary techniques are encumbered with sophisticated transformations, which weaken the techniques. Power loss minimization is crucial to the efficient design and operation of power transmission lines. Minimization of losses is one way to meet steady grid supply, especially at peak demand. Thus, this paper has presented a gradient technique to obtain optimal variables and values from the power loss model, which efficiently minimizes power losses by modifying the traditional power loss model that combines Ohm and Corona losses. Optimality tests showed that the unmodified model does not support the minimization of power losses on transmission lines as the Hessian matrix portrayed the maximization of power losses. However, the modified model is consistent with the gradient method of optimization, which yielded optimum variables and values from the power loss model developed in this study. The unmodified (modified) models for Bujagali-Kawanda 220 kV and Masaka West-Mbarara North 132 kV transmission lines in Uganda showed maximum power losses of 0.406 (0.391) and 0.452 (0.446) kW/km/phase respectively. These results indicate that the modified model is superior to the unmodified model in minimizing power losses in the transmission lines and should be implemented for the efficient design and operation of power transmission lines within and outside Uganda for the same transmission voltages.

NEW PRINCIPLE FOR DIRECTIONAL COMPARISON CARRIER PROTECTION OF EHV TRANSMISSION LINES

The increasing scale and complexity of power systems require high performance and high reliability of power system protection.Protective relaying based on directional comparison with power line carrier or microwave channels is the most suitable protection scheme for long distance EHV transmission lines and is widely used in power systems.The key element of such protection is a directional relay used to discriminate the fault direction.In order to overcome the disadvantages of conventional directional relays,the authors of this paper put forward the directional comparison carrier protection based on the artificial neural network(ANN).The protection is extensively tested using electromagnetic transient program (EMTP) under various electric power system operating and fault conditions.It is proved that the directional comparison carrier protection based on ANN,which can recognize various fault patterns of the protected transmission line(such as fault direction,fault phases etc.)correctly in any kind of operating and fault conditions and the whole process,is satisfactory for EHV transmission line protection.

Nonlinear dynamical response of high-voltage transmission lines based on cable dropping

In order to study the dynamic response of high-voltage transmission lines under mechanical failure, a finite element model of a domestic 500-kV high-voltage transmission line system is established. The initial equilibrium condition of the coupling system model is verified by nonlinear static analysis. The transient dynamic analysis method is proposed to analyze the variation law of dynamic response under cable or insulator rupture, and the dynamic response of structural elements next to the broken span is calculated. The results show that upper crossarm cable rupture has no effect on cable tension at adjacent suspension points, but it has a significant influence on tension in the insulator and the tower component of the upper crossarm next to the broken span. The peak tension in the conductor of the upper crossarm at the suspension point exceeds the design value under insulator rupture. Insulator rupture has no effect on the tower component of the upper crossarm, but it has a significant influence on insulator tension of the upper crossarm. Insulator rupture should be taken into account in the design of overhead transmission lines. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for the design of transmission lines.

Mechanical response of transmission lines based on sliding cable element

In order to study the sliding characteristics when the cable is connected with the other rods in the transmission line structures,a linear sliding cable element based on updated Lagrangian formulation and a sliding catenary element considering the out-of-plane stiffness coefficient are put forward.A two-span and a three-span cable structures are taken as examples to verify the sliding cable elements.By comparing the tensions of the two proposed cable elements with the existing research results,the error is less than 1%,which proves the correctness of the proposed elements.The sliding characteristics should be considered in the practical engineering because of the significant difference between the tensions of sliding cable elements and those of cable element without considering sliding.The out-of-plane stiffness coefficient and friction characteristics do not obviously affect the cable tensions.

Modern Travelling Wave Based Fault Location Techniques for HVDC Transmission Lines

The modern travelling wave based fault location principles for transmission lines are analyzed.In order to apply the travelling wave principles to HVDC transmission lines,the special technical problems are studied.Based on this,a fault locating system for HVDC transmission lines is developed.The system can support modern double ended and single ended travelling wave princi- ples simultaneously,and it is composed of three different parts:travelling wave data acquisition and processing system,communication network and PC based master station.In the system,the fault generated transients are induced from the ground leads of the over-voltage suppression capacitors of an HVDC line through specially developed travelling wave couplers.The system was applied to 500 kV Gezhouba-Nanqiao(Shanghai)HVDC transmission line in China.Some field operation experiences are summarized,showing that the system has very high reliability and accuracy,and the maximum location error is about 3 km(not more than 0.3%of the total line length). Obviously,the application of the system is successful,and the fault location problem has finally been solved completely since the line operation.

Reduction of electric field strength by two species of trees under power transmission lines

Electrical pollution is a worldwide concern,because it is potentially harmful to human health.Trees not only play a significant role in moderating the climate,but also can be used as shields against electrical pollution.Shielding effects on the electric field strength under transmission lines by two tree species,Populus alba and Larix gmelinii,were examined in this study.The electrical resistivity at different heights of trees was measured using a PiCUS sonic tomograph,which can image the electrical impedance for trees.The electric field strength around the trees was measured with an elf field strength measurement system,HI-3604,and combined with tree resistivity to develop a model for calculating the electric field intensity around trees using the finite element method.In addition,the feasibility of the finite element method was confirmed by comparing the calculated results and experimental data.The results showed that the trees did reduce the electric field strength.The electric field intensity was reduced by 95.6%,and P.alba was better than L.gmelinii at shielding.

Novel resonator based on composite right/left-handed transmission lines

A new approach was introduced to analyze composite right/left-handed transmission lines （CRLH TLs）. The Bloch impedance and the dispersion relations are directly obtained from the S parameters of the unit cells. The LH and RH frequency bands are then identified by the real parts of the Bloch impedance and the phase delay of the unit cells. The new approach has some advantages over the LC parameters extraction method introduced by Caloz et a1.（2004）. Based on the new approach, a novel resonator is designed using CRLH TLs. The simulation and experimental results accorded well with the theoretical analysis. The novel resonator may have potential applications in filters with high harmonic suppression and compact structures,

Fiber Bragg grating monitors for thermal and stress of the composite insulators in transmission lines

Running composite insulators are prone to failure due to their harsh surrounding work environment, which directly affects the safe operation of transmission lines. This paper puts forward the method of using fiber Bragg grating(FBG) as the monitors to parameters correlated with thermal and stress of the composite insulators in transmission lines at working status. Firstly, monitoring points are found out by the mechanical test on composite insulator samples. Secondly, based on the monitoring theory, this paper introduces the feasibility design frame of the composite insulator with FBG implanted in the rod and the online monitor system. At last, it describes applications of this monitor system in the field of transmission lines.

Optimal transmission lines assignment with maximal reliabilities in multi-source multi-sink multi-state computer network

The optimal transmission lines assignment with maximal reliabilities (OTLAMR) in the multi-source multi-sink multi-state computer network (MMMCN) was investigated. The OTLAMR problem contains two sub-problems: the MMMCN reliabilities evaluation and multi-objective transmission lines assignment optimization. First, a reliability evaluation with a transmission line assignment (RETLA) algorithm is proposed to calculate the MMMCN reliabilities under the cost constraint for a certain transmission lines configuration. Second, the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) is adopted to find the non-dominated set of the transmission lines assignments based on the reliabilities obtained from the RETLA algorithm. By combining the RETLA and the NSGA-II algorithms together, the RETLA-NSGA II algorithm is proposed to solve the OTLAMR problem. The experiments result show that the RETLA-NSGA II algorithm can provide efficient solutions in a reasonable time, from which the decision makers can choose the best solution based on their preferences and experiences.

Critical Length Criterion and the Arc Chain Model for Calculating the Arcing Time of the Secondary Arc Related to AC Transmission Lines

The prompt extinction of the secondary arc is critical to the single-phase reclosing of AC transmission lines, including half-wavelength power transmission lines. In this paper, a low- voltage physical experimental platform was established and the motion process of the secondary arc was recorded by a high-speed camera. It was found that the arcing time of the secondary arc rendered a close relationship with its arc length. Through the input and output power energy analysis of the secondary arc, a new critical length criterion for the arcing time was proposed. The arc chain model was then adopted to calculate the arcing time with both the traditional and the proposed critical length criteria, and the simulation results were compared with the experimental data. The study showed that the arcing time calculated from the new critical length criterion gave more accurate results, which can provide a reliable criterion in term of arcing time for modeling and simulation of the secondary arc related with power transmission lines.

Accurate Fault Location Modeling for Parallel Transmission Lines Considering Mutual Effect

:A new accurate algorithms based on mathematical modeling of two parallel transmissions lines system(TPTLS)as influenced by the mutual effect to determine the fault location is discussed in this work.The distance relay measures the impedance to the fault location which is the positive-sequence.The principle of summation the positive-,negative-,and zero-sequence voltages which equal zero is used to determine the fault location on the TPTLS.Also,the impedance of the transmission line to the fault location is determined.These algorithms are applied to single-line-to-ground(SLG)and double-line-to-ground(DLG)faults.To detect the fault location along the transmission line,its impedance as seen by the distance relay is determined to indicate if the fault is within the relay’s reach area.TPTLS under study are fed from one-and both-ends.A schematic diagrams are obtained for the impedance relays to determine the fault location with high accuracy.

FDTD Analysis of Nonuniform Lossy Cascade Multiconductor Transmission Lines

A hybrid algorithm is presented for nonuniform lossy multiconductor transmission lines (MTL) connected by arbitrary linear load networks. The networks are characterized by a state-variable equation which allows a general characterization of dynamic elements in the cascade networks. The method is achieved by the finite difference-time domain (FDTD) algorithm for the MTL, and the skin effect is taken into account, the more accurate method is used to compute the skin effect. And this method is combined with the computation of the nonuniform transmission lines. Finally, several numerical examples are given, these results indicate that: the current of the lossy MTL is smaller than the lossless of the MTL; and when the load networks contain the dynamic element, the transition time of the current is longer than the MTL connected by resistance only.

General Analytic Solution of the Telegrapher’s Equations and the Resulting Consequences for Electrically Short Transmission Lines

Based on classical circuit theory, this article develops a general analytic solution of the telegrapher’s equations, in which the length of the cable is explicitly contained as a freely adjustable parameter. For this reason, the solution is also applicable to electrically short cables. Such a model has become indispensable because a few months ago, it was experimentally shown that voltage fluctuations in ordinary but electrically short copper lines move at signal velocities that are significantly higher than the speed of light in a vacuum. This finding contradicts the statements of the special theory of relativity but not, as is shown here, the fundamental principles of electrical engineering. Based on the general transfer function of a transmission line, the article shows mathematically that an unterminated, electrically short cable has the characteristics of an ideal delay element, meaning that an input signal appears at the output with a slight delay but remains otherwise unchanged. Even for conventional cables, the time constants can be so small that the corresponding signal velocities can significantly exceed the speed of light in a vacuum. The article also analyses the technical means with which this effect can be conveyed to very long cables.

Mechanical analysis of transmission lines based on linear sliding cable element

In order to study the sliding characteristics when the cable structures are connected with other rods, a string of sliding cable dements （SCE） consisting of one active threenode SCE passing through the sliding point and multiple inactive two-node SCEs is put forward. Based on the updated Lagrangian formulation, the geometric nonlinear stiffness matrix of the three-node straight sliding cable dement is deduced. The examples about two-span and three-span continuous cable structures are studied to verify the effectiveness of the derived SCE. Comparing the cable tension of SCE with the existing research results, the calculating results show that the error is less than 1%. The sliding characteristics should be considered in practical engineering because of the obvious difference between the cable tension of the SCE and that of the cable element without considering sliding characteristics.

A monolithic distributed phase shifter based on right-handed nonlinear transmission lines at 30 GHz

The epitaxial material, device structure, and corresponding equivalent large signal circuit model of GaAs planar Schottky varactor diode are successfully developed to design and fabricate a monolithic phase shifter, which is based on right-handed nonlinear transmission lines and consists of a coplanar waveguide transmission line and periodically distributed GaAs planar Schottky varactor diode. The distributed-Schottky transmission-line-type phase shifter at a bias voltage greater than 1.5 V presents a continuous 0°–360° differential phase shift over a frequency range from 0 to 33 GHz. It is demonstrated that the minimum insertion loss is about 0.5 dB and that the return loss is less than-10 dB over the frequency band of 0–33 GHz at a reverse bias voltage less than 4.5 V. These excellent characteristics, such as broad differential phase shift, low insertion loss, and return loss, indicate that the proposed phase shifter can entirely be integrated into a phased array radar circuit.

Dynamic Analysis of Overhead Transmission Lines under Turbulent Wind Loading

Transmission tower-line systems are designed using static loads specified in various codes. This paper compares the dynamic response of a test transmission line with the response due to static loads given by Eurocode. Finite element design software SAP2000 was used to model the towers and lines. Non-linear dynamic analysis including the large displacement effects was carried out. Macroscopic aspects of wind coherence along element length and integration time step were investigated. An approach is presented to compare the probabilistic dynamic response due to 7 different stochastically simulated wind fields with the response according to EN-50341. The developed model will be used to study the response recorded on a test line due to the actual wind speed time history recorded. It was found that static load from EN overestimated the strength of conductor cables. The response of coupled system considering towers and cables was found to be different from response of only cables with fixed supports.

Overvoltage Suppression for UHV Transmission Lines

The overvoltage phenomena of ultra high voltage (UHV) transmission lines are analyzed and verified by EMTDC/PSCAD simulation. Referring to the theoretical analyses and operating experiences of extra high voltage (EHV) transmission lines in China and UHV transmission lines in Russia and Japan, the methods to suppress the internal overvoltage in UHV transmission lines by protection and control strategies are discussed. Through the cooperation among the recloser, shunt reactor, tripping and closing resistance, and metal oxide varistor(MOV), the overvoltage can be restrained within an acceptable level.

Research on corona discharge suppression of high-voltage direct-current transmission lines based on dielectric-film-covered conductor

Corona discharge suppression for high-voltage direct-current(HVDC)transmission lines at line terminals such as converter stations is a subject that requires attention.In this paper,a method based on a conductor covered with dielectric film is proposed and implemented through a bench-scale setup.Compared with the bare conductor,the corona discharge suppression effect of the dielectric-film-covered conductor under positive polarity is studied from the composite field strength and ion current density using a line-plate experimental device.The influences of film thickness and film material on the corona discharge suppression effect are investigated.The charge accumulation and dissipation characteristics of different film materials are also studied.The results show that the conductor covered with dielectric film has excellent ability to inhibit corona discharge.The ground-level composite field strength of the conductor covered with dielectric film is lower than its nominal field strength,and its ion current density is at the nA m^(−2) level.The corona threshold voltage can be promoted by increasing the film thickness,but the ability to inhibit corona discharge becomes weak.The larger the surface electric field strength,the more charge accumulated,but the faster the charge dissipation rate.Compared with polyvinyl chloride film,cross-linked polyethylene film has stronger charge accumulation ability and slower charge dissipation rate,which can better restrain the corona discharge of HVDC transmission lines.

Fault location for parallel transmission lines using one-terminal current traveling waves

With proper phase module transformation,parallel lines can be decomposed to the same directional net and the reverse directional net. The propagation characteristics of traveling waves in the reverse directional net were analyzed,and the refraction coefficient at the fault point for a single phase fault was derived. In addition,the module selection was discussed. Simulation results show that satisfying accuracy can be achieved with the proposed method. Moreover,it is immune to fault types,fault resistances,and outside system parameters.

Aeolian vibration control measures for ground wires of Han River long span transmission lines

Long span ultra-high voltage(UHV) transmission lines have serious aeolian vibration problems. To control these vibrations,we improved the energy balance method in the following aspects:the wind power input,the conductor self-damping,and the damper dissipated power. Meanwhile,we built a theoretical mechanical model of β wire dampers and derived energy dissipation calculation formulae. This permits the vibration energy dissipated by β wire dampers can be considered in the energy balance method. Then,we developed a computer program based on the improved energy balance method using Matlab,and analyzed UHV long span ground wires of the Han River long span project in P. R. China. The results show that the combination of β wire dampers and Stockbridge dampers can reduce vibration of UHV long span transmission lines,which provides a reference for research and construction of UHV engineering projects.