Corona Effect Influence on the Lightning Performance of Overhead Distribution Lines

Abstract

Overhead distribution lines can be seriously damaged from lightning events because both direct and indirect events can cause flashovers along the line. The lightning performance of such power lines is usually computed neglecting the effect of corona discharge along the conductors: in particular, the corona discharge determined by the indirect lightning event is taken into account only by few researchers because it can have meaningful impacts only in few cases. However, when we deal with overhead distribution lines with high Critical Flashover value (CFO) and small diameters, the corona discharge caused by indirect events has to be taken into account. This paper shows the effects of corona discharge in the lightning performance computation of overhead distribution lines. The analysis will involve different configurations in terms of line diameter and air conditions, focusing on the negative effect of corona discharge in the number of dangerous events that determine line flashovers.

Leakage current characteristics in estimating insulator reliability: experimental investigation and analysis

“…For example, pollution deposition on the surface of the insulators results in the insulators being subject to a leakage current (LC) flux which leads to extensive discharge activity on the insulators' surface [1][2][3][4][5][6] . As a result, these discharge activities can escalate and generate a flashover occurrence, which might cause an electrical grid outage or even breakdown [7][8][9] . Therefore, it is necessary to monitor and assess the health condition of insulators in order to ensure the integrity of the insulator and the transmission system as a whole 10,11 .…”

Polymeric Insulator Conditions Estimation by Using Leakage Current Characteristics Based on Simulation and Experimental Investigation

“…As a result, the insulator surface experiences widespread discharge activity [1][2][3][4]. These discharges can develop into an unwanted flashover that may disrupt an electrical grid [5][6][7][8]. Therefore, monitoring the condition of insulators has a significant effect on the power system stability [9,10].…”

Lightning Modeling and Its Effects on Electric Infrastructures

“…First of all, the corona effect on overhead lines requires a complex description of the relationship between the total charge and the applied voltage due to the presence of minor loops, as proposed and discussed in [4]. Secondly, in order to evaluate how the corona effect changes the number of flashovers in a distribution system, a detailed lightning performance analysis is required, as proposed by the authors of [2].…”

“…The contributions to this Special Issue mainly focused on modeling lightning activity, investigating physical causes, and discussing and testing mathematical models for the electromagnetic fields associated with lighting phenomena. In this framework, two main topics have been presented by the authors: (1) the interaction of lightning phenomena with electrical infrastructures such as wind turbines [1] and overhead lines [2][3][4]; and (2) the computation of lightning electromagnetic fields in the case of particular configuration, as the one presented in [5], considering a negatively charged artificial thunderstorm, in [6], considering a complex terrain with arbitrary topography, and in [7], where the ground is simplified and considered a Perfect Electric Conductor.…”