A MULTIGAP STRUCTURE

FOR ARC QUENCHING IN

10-kV SYSTEMS

GUDIE : Mr. SEBIN SUNNY P

ASST.PROFESSOR EEE

PRESENTED BY : SREELAKSHMI.V
SYAOEEE038
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 OVERVIEW
SYNOPSIS
INTRODUCTION
ARC QUENCHING PRINCIPLE
SIMULATION MODEL
SIMULATION RESULTS AND ANALYSIS
COMBINED RESULT IMPACT AND POWER
FREQUENCY FOLLOW CURRENT.
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES

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 SYNOPSIS
 Multigap arc quenching chamber structure.
 MHD theory based simulation model.
 Quenches an arc quickly after flashover, at zero
crossing.
 After extinction, arc doesn’t occur any more when
the power frequency voltage is recovered.
 Arc voltage drop reduces the cause of trip
accident.

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 INTRODUCTION
 Device protect the system from lightning effect is
lightning arrester.
 Consider a 10 kV system having low insulation
level and more number of equipments connected
to line.
 Multigap arc quenching structure is introduced.
 Trip of relay protection devices are avoided.
 Reliability of power supply is greatly improved.
 Analyses the plasma in single arc quenching
chamber using MHD theory.

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 ARC QUENCHING PRINCIPLE
a) Multigap arc quenching structure :

1. Insulating material
2. Intermediate electrode
3. Arc quenching chamber
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• Formed by a series of gaps, electrodes and
insulating materials.
• The two ends of each gap are electrodes, made
with a sphere shape, a cylinder shape, or a square
shape.
• One end open arc quenching chamber.
• In a power substation, it is installed in parallel
with the protected insulator strings.

Advantages of this structure:

oLarge –scale mass production
oLow cost arresters
oSuitable for mass installation
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b) Arc quenching process :
• Lightning strikes, center electrode shortens the
actual insulation distance.
• Series of gaps are broken down, arcs are
generated in each chamber.
• Duration of lightning current is very short.
• Near cathode effect, negative voltage current
charateristics of an arc and blowing effect for
arc quenching.

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Schematic of arc diffusion :

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c) Arc quenching modes :
1) when one or more gaps are breakdown
due to impulse voltage, power frequency
voltage in both ends can’t be maintained
and arc quenches .
2) In descending segment of power
frequency voltage, the power frequency
voltage in both ends of multigap can’t be
maintained, so that the arc quenches.
3) An arc quenches only when the current
crosses zero.
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 SIMULATION MODEL
A. Physical Property ,Parameters and Simulation Hypothesis
of Air Arc Plasma :

Physical process in arc plasma

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• Joule heat generated by current provides arc
plasma.
• Simulation of arc is related to flow field and
electromagnetic field.
• Arc plasma is treated as special compressible fluid
– conducting fluid.

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HYPOTHESES IN SIMULATION PROCESS ARE:

1) Gravity and viscous dissipation are ignored.

2) Plasma is in the local thermodynamic equilibrium
state.
3) Plasma is thin, so the radiation absorption and the
total radiation loss can be negligible.
4) Electrode loss and shell wall loss are negligible.

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B) Governing Equations of MHD Model :
1) Equations for flow field :

Equation(1) – Mass conservation equation

Equation(2) – Momentum conservation equation
Equation(3) – Energy conservation equation
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2) Equation for electric field :
According to Maxwell equation, equation for electric
field is ;

The corresponding electric field strength and current

density are ;

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3) Calculation of Magnetic Field :
• Arc quenching chamber has an external and
arc’s own magnetic field.
• Based on Biot-savart law to avoid boundary
problem.
• Calculation is done only for the unit with the
current density that is not zero.

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C) BOUNDARY CONDITIONS :
1) Temperature Boundary Condition :
– Energy of arc plasma is spread out through the
electrode.
– Energy transmission from arc to electrode.

2) Electric Field Boundary Condition :

– Defined according to current density.
Calculation of current density at the interface of
cathode :

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 – Where ;
– Anode potential is set to floating potential .
– Normal current density is zero.

3) Flow Field Boundary Condition :

– Normal velocity in the boundary of the wall is
zero.

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 SIMULATION RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

• Simulation in FLUENT module of ANSYS.

• Electrode material is stainless steel.
• Simulation is based on different amplitudes of
current.
• Potential difference between two polarities
increases with current.
• Current density more near cathode.
• Arc plasma near cathode have high temperature.

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Simulation model of single arc quenching
chamber :

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• Velocity of plasma increases with increase in current.
• As current increases, pressure in arc quenching chamber
also increases.
• Greater the current, greater amount of plasma joule heat
is generated.
• Results in a design having a gas cavity in the arc
discharge channel .
• High temperature plasma moves downwards and rapidly
quenches arc.

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COMBINED TEST OF IMPACT AND POWER
FREQUENCY FOLLOW CURRENT
A) 10-kV Combined Test Platform :
• Divided into two independent electric power
systems.
– Frequency power supply
– Impulse voltage source
• Impulse power supply is triggered by
synchronizing control device.
• Power frequency voltage and current is produced
by LC vibration principle.
• Here are selected to
produce resonance at power frequency.
• L1=2.7mH to having high amplitude voltage and
current.
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• Output of impulse power supply is
resembling lightning impulse wave.
• Amplitude between 50 and 200kV.

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B) Test Results :
• After test , impulse discharge voltage = 36.8
kV
power frequency voltage
withstand = 17 kV

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• Multigap arc quenching device
cutoff the flow current at zero
crossing .
• Test platform mainly composed of
energy storage elements.
• Cycle of follow current phase is
less than 20 ms, which quickly
cutoff the arc.

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• Arc voltage drop is a dynamic value.
• Arc voltage drop can avoid the occurrence
of line trip.
• Reignition did not occur after cutoff of
power frequency follow current.

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Impact at 45 degree phase of power
frequency voltage

Channel 1: voltage waveform at the high

voltage side of test object
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 CONCLUSION
• Greater the arc current, greater the plasma joule heat,
velocity and potential difference between the
polarities.
• High temperature and pressure of plasma near
cathode forms plasma jet.
• During lightning test object cut the follow current
rapidly without reignition.
• Arc voltage drop did not reduce system voltage to
zero.
• Improved insulator protection and reduced lightning
trip-out rate.
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 REFERENCES
[1] J. J. Woodworth, “Future directions for arrester design and applications,”
in Proc. INMR World Congr., Seoul, South Korea, 2011, pp. 935–954.
[2] G. V. Podporkin, E. Y. Enkin, and E. S. Kalakutsky, “Multi-chamber
arresters and insulator-arresters for lightning protection of overhead
distribution and transmission lines,” in Proc. INMR World Congr., Seoul,
South Korea, 2011, pp. 862–888.
[3] R. Zeng, X. Zhou, and Z. H. Wang, “Review of research advances
and fronts on international lightning and protection,” (in Chinese), High
Voltage Eng., vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 1–13, Jan. 2015.
[4] W. S. Gao, B. W. Zhang, and R. X. Zhou, “Nowcasting of the thunderstorm
trend based on data collected by lightning location system,” (in
Chinese), Power Syst. Technol., vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 523–529, Feb. 2015.

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THANK YOU

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