Transmission Lines in Poland and Space Weather Effects

Abstract

We analyze the solar influence of space weather events on Polish energy infrastructure via geomagnetic disturbances. We consider two time intervals of very different levels of solar activity (SA) in the course of the solar activity cycle 24: 2010—an early rising phase of SA, near the solar minimum and 2014—solar maximum. From the total number of electrical grid failures, we extract almost five thousand failures in 2010 and more than ten thousand in 2014, which could be related to space weather effects. We analyze data of failures having unidentified causes, failures coupled with the aging of transmission network elements and electronic devices, which appeared during the time intervals of enhanced geomagnetic activity. We show that around the times of increasing geomagnetic activity level, the amount of transmission lines failures in the groups mentioned above grows, but mostly with some delay. It might be connected to some cumulative effect due to the result of transient states and their propagation in the distribution network. Although we do not exclude that the other factors may play a role, the solar-originating disturbances strengthen these effects.

Evaluating the relationship between strong geomagnetic storms and electric grid failures in Poland using the geoelectric field as a GIC proxy

“…2.1, details in the Table 1). Because of various delays between geomagnetic disturbances and transmission line failures appearance described in the literature (e.g., Zois, 2013;Gil et al, 2019Gil et al, , 2020aŠvanda et al, 2020), we considered here data sets where EGFs are: zero, one, two, and three days delayed in relation to the heliospheric and geomagnetic parameters. We compared our results with computations for an undisturbed period at the beginning of 2010 (control data set).…”

“…In our previous paper (Gil et al, 2020a), we computed the geoelectric field for Poland using the method by Viljanen & Pirjola (1989). Basing on the data of electrical network failures in Southern Poland in 2010 and the first seven months of 2014 and using various geomagnetic storm indicators (e.g., sudden storm commencement, Kp !…”

Signs of geoeffective space weather events in cosmic rays during the first half of the solar cycle 24

“…We define the so-called zero days as a key time, among the data of minimum phase of the Forbush decreases. Next, we extract subsets of data of EGFs in South Poland in January 2010-July 2014 (of a particular type, for details see Gil et al 2020a) 3 days before and after each key time. Subsequently, we superpose all extracted subsets of failures synchronizing all zero days.…”

“…Kudela 2009; Gopalswamy 2016; Pulkkinen 2017, and references therein). There are signatures that solar storms evolving to geomagnetic storms affect transmission lines in Poland (Gil et al 2019(Gil et al , 2020a.…”

The Solar Event of 14 – 15 July 2012 and Its Geoeffectiveness

“…We do not consider here the failures which had objective causes, i.e. vandalism, operational shutdowns, and meteorological effects (details about all categories of failures can be found in Gil et al, 2020). Figure 13 displays quantitative changes in the transmission-line failures during the studied interval.…”