CURRENT DISTRIBUTION DURING HV AND MV FAULTS

IN LV SYSTEMS
J.B.M. van Waes1), A.P.J. van Deursen1), F. Provoost2), M.J.M. van Riet2), J.F.G. Cobben2)

1)
Eindhoven University of Technology, E-mail: j.b.m.v.waes@tue.nl, a.p.j.v.deursen@tue.nl
2)
NUON, E-mail: Frans.Provoost@NUON.com, Maarten.Van.Riet@NUON.com, Sjef.Cobben@NUON.com

Abstract- Eindhoven University of Technology and the Dutch power Distribution Company
NUON, carry out a joint research project on global grounding. The goal is a general protection
for human beings and electronics against various interference sources simultaneously: lightning,
network faults and switching events. The paper describes the consequences for LV users of faults
in HV and MV voltage networks. Two case studies are presented both with measurements and
simulations.

GSM BASE STATION IN HV TOWER

The recent growth of cellular phone base stations lead to a quest for elevated
locations for the base stations, particularly in rural areas. Figure 1 shows a
common solution, a cellular phone (GSM) antenna placed on top of a high-
voltage (HV) tower.
Lightning may induce flashover of the HV insulators and a subsequent phase to
ground fault. The power frequency current distributes over the lightning
protection wires and the soil near the line via the tower grounding electrodes. A
fraction of the fault current flows into the low voltage cable towards the
distribution transformer feeding the GSM system. At other customers served by
Figure 1 GSM
this transformer, this current fraction may cause dangerous touch voltages, and System in HV tower
overstress the insulation of electric apparatus, certainly when assisted by the
lightning proper. Power faults often affect a larger region than the higher frequency lightning
stroke. Fault currents over 20 kA may occur in the 380 kV grid; switch off times are of the order
of 0.1 second. Skywires interconnect all HV tower, and distribute a large part of the fault current
over the grounding of neighboring towers. Grounding measures near the footing ensure safe touch
voltages at all towers. However, the presence of LV appliances and the transfer into the LV
network was not considered in the original tower grounding design. All networks below 50 kV
are equipped with buried cables in The Netherlands. Older medium and low voltage (LV) cables
have lead shields, which provide low impedance grounding by their good contact with the often
damp soil. New or replacement cables are XLPE type with an outer insulating PE jacket.
To study the effects at power frequency and to establish appropriate measures, we deliberately
made a short circuit with smaller currents on a tower with a GSM base station. We measured the
current distribution in a major part of the system, and several relevant voltages in the LV network.

Measurements & Simulations

The measurements have been carried out on the 10.3 km long double 150 kV link between
Doetinchem (DTC) and Ulft (Fig. 2). In rural environment at 8.3 km distance from DTC, tower
33 carries a GSM base station. Tower 40 is connected to the grounding grid of the substation Ulft
at 2 km distance. Two skywires (SW) interconnect all towers. One of the 150 kV circuits was
taken out of operation for the measurements. The injection current originated from another 10 kV
network connected to the DTC substation. The MV networks are floating; a single phase to
ground short circuit produces a current limited by the capacitances in the cables. One of the MV
phases at DTC tower 1 was connected to a phase lead of the free HV line, which could be shorted
to tower 33 by a switch. This setup simulated a controlled flashover with smaller currents.
A 10 kV/ 400 V transformer at about 300m 10kV 200m
distance from tower 33 feeds the GSM base
station. The lead shields of the MV voltage DTC
8.3 km Tower 33
cables provide grounding there, assisted by a 2 to
150kV
5 Ω grounding electrode near the transformer. Ulft
300m 2 km
The LV XLPE cable towards tower 33 also feeds LV 1
several customers; two other LV cables (one
shown in Fig. 2) serve further customers.
Current probes determined the relevant part of
the current distribution in the HV line: at DTC, at
tower 33 and at Ulft. Long Rogowski coils 400m
measured the current for large diameter grounded
measurement location LV 2
objects. The LV system here has a TT grounding
LV user Lead Shielded GPLK cable, 10 kV
configuration. We measured the voltage between
Transformer station, Lead Shielded GPLK cable, 400V
the neutral and a local ground electrode at HV tower Insulated LV cable, 400V
locations LV1 and LV2. These voltages are
related to the touch voltages when a TN system Figure 2. Overview measurement locations
would have been applied. At LV2 we also
measured the voltage between the neutral and the telecom ground; this voltage appears for
instance over the insulation of a modem.

The current distribution is given in

Fig. 3, where all currents and 12 ∠ -13°
25 ∠9 ° 8.2∠-32°
voltages are normalized to 100 A 25.9∠9°
injection. The actual injection Ulft:
11 ∠-13°
current was 228A. The skywires at 21 ∠12° 7.8 ∠-32°
<5A (<2.5%)
24.7∠7°
the tower carry about 64 percent of
the fault current. The current toward I =100∠0° Σ Ι_ground
k
36 ∠-9°
the ground at tower 33 includes all (from DTC) 36.4∠3°
telecom cables. A total of 36 percent
10kV/400V
descends via the tower structure; LV-cables
more than half of that current leaves
the tower footing through the LV
MV-cables
cable connected to the base station
LV1:
towards the LV transformer. The Vneutral-groundelectrode=5.7
LV 2:
Vneutral-groundelectrode=4.7V
measured voltage transfers were all Vneutral-telecom=5.0V
of the same order of magnitude. At Figure 3. Measurement results(top) vs. simulations(bottom,
LV1 and LV2 we found 5.7 V and R33=0.32Ohm) per 100A fault current
4.7 V between the neutral and local
ground. At LV2 5.0 V was observed between neutral and telecom ground.
We analyzed the situation at the DTC-Ulft link by EMTP prior to the measurements. The latest
known tower footing resistances were used (typical values 5 Ω). In the model we varied the
effective grounding resistance at tower 33, and calculated the current I33 (ΣI_ground) entering the
ground at that tower.
We did calculations on the 20 km long 150 kV line Amersfoort-Kattenberg, which mainly runs
over sandy soil. The short circuit current there is 10 kA. The tower footing resistances are
typically 40 Ω, and lead to a faulted tower voltage of about 7 kV.

Safety measures

For practical reasons a solution is sought which provides safety in all situations, also for larger
fault currents and higher tower footing resistances. We present three possible approaches.
a) Selection of location. The choice of locations could be based on the fault current amplitude.
b) Add grounding electrodes. The effect of additional electrodes is limited. A low source
impedance is already found at the tower base due to the HV (and MV) network. It is difficult to
really change the current distribution.
c) Isolation transformer. A LV to LV transformer may be installed to isolate the HV and the
MV/LV networks. Attention should be paid to the insulation level, and installation details.
A general solution is c). A 20 kVA transformer will be imposed (20 kV 50 Hz insulation). The
large number of GSM base stations already installed and still planned, the dense population, and
the serious consequences of a flashover justify extensive safety measures.

TRANSFER OF MV FAULTS TO LV NETWORK

The NUON 10 kV network floats with respect MV-network LV-network

to ground. The fault current at a single phase to
ground short circuit is determined by total cable L1
L2
capacitance of the cables installed. The L3
maximum short circuit current during a single PE
phase to ground short circuit is 300 A. This Ut
current may last up to 8 hours, since this type of
fault does not influence normal service. A part
Ie of the fault current will go into the soil via the Ie Re
local ground connections (Re ).
Both TT and TN systems are applied at the LV
side, even in regions served by one Figure 4: Touch voltages caused by a fault in a MV network.
Distribution Company. Nowadays NUON
favors a TN-C-S system on LV side. In a TT system, each customer has an individual grounding
arrangement. Faults in LV and MV systems may cause touch voltages on the neutral, which is
usually not accessible to the customer. A TN system links the various grounding conductors at the
transformer and at all customers. This ensures a distributed grounding and reduces the probability
of a customer not having a safe grounding. Faults in MV and LV grids should be considered.

Experiment

The measurements were carried out on a selected site at the end of a single branch, a 3.4 km long
10 kV cable. Figure 5 presents an overview. The directions of the cables are sketched and their
lengths are indicated. The 10 kV cable comes from a 10 kV-230/400 V transformer station
"Hennekamp" (H), 2.2 km west of our site "de Mossel" (M). A similar transformer at M feeds a
house (W2), a small restaurant (PH) and a wastewater pump (P). The site is quite isolated in a
nature reserve area. The sandy soil has a high resistivity, which causes large voltages. In this
isolated region we had a good overview of the cables, including telecommunication, and
conductors such as metal water tubes buried in the soil. In the tests we deliberately caused a 10
kV single phase to ground fault at the end of an XLPE cable which extends from M over a length
of 250 m; only the phase to be shorted was connected. The LV neutral (N) and the shields of the
PH

V V
S3 S4
I I
Ig4
H PH
Ish3 Ish2 Telecom Ground
Neutral
cable electrode
In M IPH

10kV GPLK,2.2 km 400V, 50m GPLK Ish If IW2

H M
XLPE
P
v 1m
10 kV XLPE, 250m
F
Ig2
15m
v
400V, 500m
F
If S0 Ig1 W2
1m
v v vv
S1 S2
W2
I I
v
10m Telecom Ground
cable Neutral electrode
Figure 5. Overview of the test site
H, M : Transformer station 10 kV/400V, F: Location ground fault, P: Waterpump, PH, W2: LV-users
LV cables connected to the site were grounded near the transformer at M only. Individual
grounding electrodes were installed at both consumers in a TT configuration. A
telecommunication cable also entered PH and W2. Pump P is well grounded by the water piping
and an installed electrode; the neutral is also grounded at P.
The fault is initiated by closure of a 10 kV switch S0 at F; S0 was opened again after 20 seconds.
The open ellipses around cables at H, M and F in Fig. 5 indicate that the net current was
determined, in EMC terminology: the common mode current through the cable. In addition, we
measured the near voltages between the three different 'grounds' at the consumer premises. Out of
the many measurements we selected three different configurations for presentation:
1) The original TT system in both PH and W2.
2) N and local grounding electrode interconnected in both PH and W2. In Fig. 5 this
corresponds to closure of S2 and S4.
3) An additional connection between the telecom ground and local electrode in PH and W2,
corresponding in Fig. 5 to the closure of S1 and S3.
In configuration 1, the voltages measured between N and local ground are relevant for the TN
system. In configuration 2 and 3, we also measured the current through the extra connections
made. Interesting voltages were those between the ground at M and F and a short grounding rod
at 1 m and at about 15 m (M) or 10 m (F) distance; see Fig. 5.

Figure 6. Measurement results

1: Original situation: TT system on LV-side, 2: Neutral and local ground connected on LV-side (S2&S4 closed).
3: Neutral, local ground and telecom ground connected (S1-S4 closed).
*= In all configuration the same current measured

Figure 6 summarizes the results. The fault current If (127A) and current Ish through the shield of
the 10 kV cable arriving at M do not vary over the three configurations. Large voltages are
observed between the different grounds in the cables at PH and W2, up to 76 V. Naturally, the
current Ig2 through the grounding electrode at M, and the currents at PH and W2 change when
extra ground connections are made at PH and W2. The major part of the 9 A current IW2 at M
flows into the soil at P. The current through the cable shield at H is 5 A smaller than at M. The
cable between H and M contributes about 2 A to If. The other part leaves the lead shield via the
contact with the soil.
Faults in MV networks may cause high step and touch voltages in rural areas. At the considered
site a TN grounding system would require only a minor additional grounding to reduce step and
touch voltages below acceptable values.