CAUSES OF OVERVOLTAGES

#Stress due to over voltage can be so

high that they become dangerous to
both the lines as well as connected
equipment

Generally classified into:

1. External Overvoltages: originates
from atmosphere---due to lightning--take the form of unidirectional impulse

EXTERNAL OVERVOLTAGES
Originates from atmospheric disturbance, mainly due to
lightning

Take the form of a unidirectional impulse (surge), whose

amplitude has no direct relation with operating voltage

They may be due to:

Direct lightning strokes
Electromagnetically induced over voltages due to lightning
taking place near the line(side stroke)
Voltages induced due to changing atmospheric conditions
along the line length
Electrostatically induced over voltages due to the presence
of charge clouds nearby
Electrostatically induced over voltages due to the frictional
effects of small particles such as dust or dry snow in the
atmosphere or due to change in the altitude of the line

INTERNAL OVERVOLTAGES
#overvoltages are caused by changes
in the operating condition of the
network

(I)Switching overvoltages
# Due to switching or fault condition,
frequency may vary from a few hundred
Hz to a few kHz and is governed by
inherent capacitance and inductances
of the circuit.
# Switching on and off of equipment
like high voltage reactor and
transformer, fault in any one line will
cause voltage rise in other phases,

Temporary overvoltages
These overvoltages are the steady state
voltages of power system frequency
which may results from disconnection of
load, particularly in the case of long
transmission lines.

 The examination of overvoltages on the

power system includes a study of their
magnitudes, shapes, duration and frequency
of occurrence. This study should be
performed not only at the point where an
overvoltage originates but also at all other
point along the transmission network through
which the surge may travel. It is also
essential to know the causes and effects of
these overvoltages, so that suitable
protective measure can be taken.

LIGHTING PHENOMENA
The discharge of charged cloud to the ground
is called lightning phenomenon.
A lightning discharge through air occurs when
a cloud is raised to such a high potential with
respect to the ground that the air breaks down
and the insulating property of the surrounding
air is destroyed. This raising of potential is
caused by frictional effects due to atmospheric
disturbance(e.g. thunderstorms) acting on the
particles forming the cloud. The cloud and the
ground form two plates of a gigantic capacitor
whose dielectric medium is air.

 During thunderstorms, positive and

negative charges are separated by
the movement of air currents forming
ice crystals in the upper layer of the
cloud and rain in the lower part.
The cloud becomes negatively
charged and has a larger layer of
positive charge at its top.

CHARGE FORMATION OF
CLOUD

PILOT STREAMER AND STEPPED

LEADER

GROUND STREAMER AND RETURN

STROKE

When a lightning stroke takes place to a point

adjacent to the line, the current associated with
it induces a voltage on the line which is in the
form of a travelling wave . A lightning discharge
may have currents in the range of 10kA to 100kA
and the duration of the lightning flash may be of
the order of a few microseconds.

The current wave form is generally a

unidirectional pulse which rises to a peak
value in about 3 micro seconds and decays
to a small values in several tens of
microseconds.

Therefore, the overvoltage due to lightning will have

travelling waves of very steep wave front which may
be dangerous to the line and equipment of the power
system and may cause damage.