Lightning and Power Transmission Lines

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Outline of Presentation
The Thunderstorm
The Lightning Discharge (Stages) Lightning Currents and Related

Parameters Protection of Power-Transmission Effect of Lightning on Power Transmission systems

The Thunderstorm
Global Distribution of Thunderstorms
The Thundercloud Point-Discharge Currents

The Lightning Discharge

Global Distribution of Thunderstorms

The Thundercloud
Two main classes: heat storms and

frontal storms Heat storm in tropics and mountain areas Frontal storms in temperate regions Characterized by the electrical charge of water droplets.

Point-Discharge Currents
Electrostatic field distribution about vertical lightning conductor (could induce lightning discharge)

The Thundercloud continued

The Lightning Discharge (Stages)

Temporal Development of Flash to

Ground Mature Stage The Leader Stroke The Dart Leader

The Lightning Discharge (Stages) continued

Lightning Currents and Related Parameters

Lightning Currents Average lightning current amplitude is 25 kA (lowest 2kA, highest recorded 270 kA)
Frequency of Lightning Discharges (flash

density)

Varies from place to place Measured in thunderstorm days and lightning flash density Lightning flash density for Greece = 3.7 (most recent data)

Protection of Power-Transmission Systems

Reasons for Protection

Avoid power disruptions The Air Terminal (overhead conductors) Tower Impedance (ability of tower to resist lightning) The Buried Earth System (underground grid of conductors) Protective Leakage Paths-Pipe-Pipe Gaps (utilizes a gap between conductors) Underground Cables (Utilizes insulation of the earth) Lightning Arresters (acts as over-voltage release valves)

Lightning protection methods

Effect of Lightning on Power Transmission systems

Lightning Location Prediction of Lightning Activities

Lightning Location
Use of magnetic link locators, lightning

counters location within country-wide networks Recorded by Meteorological Services and Power distribution companies over time Empirical formula for calculation of lightning flash density correlate well with actual flash density obtain from magnetic counters (most recent data obtained from Greece and Japan)

Prediction of Lightning Activities

Prediction based on a variety of methods

Modeling of lightning parameters Prediction based on neural networks Prediction based on fuzzy neural networks

All based on data obtained from lightning

location from meteorological and power services.

Prediction based on Fuzzy Neural Networks

New technique used in Japan
Gave better prediction of lighting strike

compared to neural networks Limitations: only predicts lightning strike few hours before the strike.

Conclusions

Thunderstorms occur at highest at the equatorial belt and decreases towards the poles. Local thunderstorm activity varies from year to year. Lightning data is available from the meteorological services of countries in the form of flash maps showing isokeraunic lines, i.e. lines joining areas have the same number of thunderstorm days. The mechanism of light formation and discharge involves electrical charging of water droplets within a cloud leading to a dipole. The electrical field thus produces causes a cloud to cloud lightning discharge or a cloud to earth discharge. The average lightning current of about 25 kA.

Conclusions continued
The earth flash density varies in different parts

of the world with the earth flash density estimated at 1 to 2 flashes per 10 thunderstorm days. A variety of protection mechanism exist for the lightning protection of transmission lines including ground conductors(air terminals), counterpoise , pipe-pipe gap, down-lead, grounding systems, underground cables and lightning arresters.

Conclusions continued
Traditional methods of lightning monitoring

include the use of magnetic link direction finders and lightning counters. Correlation between lightning data obtained from meteorological lightning networks and those obtained using standard formula show good agreement. More modern methods have focused on lighting prediction using neural network and fuzzy neural network techniques, but these only provide prediction a couple of hours before the lightning strike.

End of Presentation

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