1) Institute of Electric Energy Systems and High-Voltage Technology, University of Karlsruhe, Kaiserstrasse 12, D-76128 Karlsruhe,Germany, E-mail: miri@ieh.etec.uni-karlsruhe.de 2) Forschungsgemeinschaft fr Elektrische Anlagentechnik und Stromwirtschaft Mannheim P.O. Box 810169, D-68201 Mannheim,Germany, E-mail: norbert.stein@fgh-ma.de
Abstract - The paper presents a study on the dynamic behaviour and effects of a duplex conductor bus of a 400 kV substation due to short-circuit. The study is performed using the Finite Element Method. Three bus parameters are varied: sub-conductor spacing, short-circuit duration and the number of spacers. The analysis is performed for the stresses at the dead end, on the spacers and the portal foundations. The study was done to prepare and accompany the current FGH /VDE short-circuit test series on full scale arrangements in the interest of CIGRE 23-03 and IEC TC 73. I ndex Terms- Mechanical short-circuit effects, Finite Element Method, Structural analysis.
I. INTRODUCTION
Close bundling of flexible bus bars is not associated with major short-circuit contraction effects. Substantial peak forces due to the contraction of sub-conductors will occur at the dead end and on the spacers in the case of larger sub-conductor spacing. Their magnitude and their eventual static equivalent effect (ESL = equivalent static load) on support structures and foundations de- pend, apart from a number of additional parameters of Configuration and state, as well as of the electrical short-circuit data, on the spacing between the sub- conductors, their number and configuration, the conductor type itself, and the number and the design of the spacers (rigid, partially or multiply elastic).
Apart from UK 121.2 and AK 121.2.2. of the Ger- man Electro technical Committee DKE and IEC TC73, WG2 (Calculation of the effects of short-circuit currents), it is CIGRE 23-03 ESCC Task Force (Effects of short-circuit currents) of SC 23 (Substations) that is strongly engaged with the state of the art and the deve- lopment of the IEC standard 60865-1. Close bundling of multiple conductors, with a spacing between sub-conductors approximately equivalent to conductor diameter, minimizes the direct and indirect effects of contraction. Up to 400kV this technique is absolutely viable for substations and has become largely standard for more recent German installations. Wide bundle distances are still quite usual in older installations also below 400kV whose reserves now need to be investigated and in other countries where a bundle spacing as on overhead lines is the normal technique. Close bundling is, of course, no longer feasible with stranded conductors for higher system voltages.
The paper presents the results of a numerical para- meter study of different conductor/spacer configurations from close to wide bundling. They are intended to prepare and accompany the current series of short- circuit test at the FGH test site.
A schematic view of the typical flexible conductor configurations of open-air substations is given in Fig.1
Fig. 1. Flexible conductor configurations of open-air substations - Cases A - F A: horizontal bus connected by insulator chains to steel structures, B: vertical dropper between bus and apparatus, C: horizontal connection between components, D: jumper connecting two bus sections, E: end-span droppers (classical or spring loaded), F: first span to overhead line.
The present study is concerned with the case A plus B long-span horizontal bus connected by insulator chains to portal structures where the bus conductors are twin bundles. The dropper B is connected at midspan and does not carry current. The sub-conductor centre line distance is varied from 60 to 400 mm in four individual values. ??. CALCULATION OF SHORT-CIRCUIT BEHAVIOUR
The simplified methods of calculation in IEC/ VDE are useful and necessary for typical design cases by hand or computer-aided [1] calculation and allow parameter-sensitive investigations in a very short time using personal computers. Only general input data are required, and the results are the maximum values of tensile forces and displacements. The procedures are adjusted to practical requirements and contain simplifications with safety margins. Advanced methods, on the other hand, use Finite Element or finite difference modelling, and powerful software is available on workstations and personal computers. They can be applied to any structural con- figuration with single and bundle conductors and forcing function [2]. The computation of the dynamic response of the complete structure including the nonlinear behaviour is possible, and accurate results can be obtained, limited only by the degree of detail in the modelling and the availability of reliable basic stru ctural data. The calculation of eigenfrequencies, time histories of forces, moments and deformations allows to study the system behaviour, to detect and improve weak points, and to ascertain the circuit strength even for complex cases. Also the range of validity of simplified methods can be investigated. During more than 20 years, the users of the advanced methods have acquired an excellent know- how in the modelling and computation of substation structures. Test results have always been taken for comparison and adaptation. The possibilities and experience gained with these detailed methods now allow to fill out and extend the required framework set up by singular test result data by inter- and extrapolation varying the original test para - meters in a degree that could not be done in actual testing. The control basis for the development of simplified calculation methods for new applications can thus be laid. The dynamic short-circuit behaviour of high-voltage substations has been studied numerically at the Institut fr Elektroenergiesysteme und Hochspannungstechnik of Karlsruhe University for more than 20 years. As part of this program, calculation proceduress based on the Finite Element Method were developed to simulate the behaviour of the entire structures for rigid busbars and busbars with flexible conductors in single and bundle configuration, including droppers. The present study applies the Finite Element Method to outdoor substations of different configurations of bundle conductors, with close and wide bundling. To discretize high-voltage substations, the following elements are generally applied: Beam elements of different, appropriate cross- section for stiff conductors, gantries, post insulators and spacers, Truss elements for the flexible conductors, strain insulators and droppers. For bundle conductors, dashpot elements are used to damp the relative motion of the mar ginal nodes of the truss elements toward each other in the three main axis directions. For bundle conductors one also requires additional contact elements. These contact elements consist of a massless spring element with a damping element in parallel [3].
III. INVESTIGATED ARRANGEMENT
In this study flexible busbars (with 2 ACSR 537/53) are investigated in the FGH/VDE 400 kV test arrangement of 40 m span length and phase distance a = 3m shown in Fig. 2. The droppers are of 1 ACSR 537/53. For a given short-circuit current of 40 kA r.m.s. (fully asymmetric) with twin conductor bundles, the following parameters were varied:
the number of spacers n
AH
the sub-conductor centre-line distance a
T
the short-circuit current duration T
K .
The usual practical solution for a close bundle conductor in Germany is a T 2 x conductor diameter for the applied conductor type ACSR 537/53 a T = 65 mm was used. For the so called wide bundling, 100, 200 and 400 mm values of a T were considered. Fig. 2 shows the studied arrangement. Fig.2. The studied arrangement fully discretized
The structure is discretized in a full-detail FE model, using the appropriate beam elements for the framework of the portals and adjusting the model to achieve first the proper stiffness and then eigenfrequency values. From prior tests the stiffness values are known to be S N = 1.086 kN/mm, S M = 1.223 kN/mm (S res = 0.575 kN/mm). The relevant first eigenfrequencies excited at the mid crossarm, i.e. next to the suspension points, are 9 Hz for the N-portal crossarm and 9.5 Hz for the M-portal crossarm, while the complete portals have basic frequencies of 3 Hz and 4.3 Hz, respectively, the M-portal having the stiffer construction (see above).The FEM software applied is ABAQUS [4]. In the case of single conductors, only repelling forces act between conductor and return conductor during the entire short-circuit period, accelerating both conductors away from each other. In the case of twin bundle phase conductors we have two parallel current-carrying conductors and two current-carrying return conductors. As a result, two phenomena need to be distinguished during short- circuit, which are not necessarily one after the other: The contraction phase, during which the sub- conductors, which have a relatively small distance compared with the distance of the phases, attract each other very strongly although the current in each of the sub-conductors is only half the full short- circuit current, until they touch in so-called plastic impulse. The second phase is the swing-out phase, where the repelling forces acting between the phase conductors, accelerate them away from each other. While these two original phenomena happen during the short-circuit, the accelerated phase conductors will continue their motion after the short-circuit. The maxima of constraints observed during these three separate phases are termed: 1. Contraction maximum F Pi , 2. Swing-out maximum F t
3. Fall-of-span maximum F f . Fig. 3 shows a schematic oscillograph of the tensile force and the respective maxima.
Fig. 3. Main conductor tensile forces, schematic oscillograph: 0 - Static load, F st : 1 - Contraction maximum , F p ; 2 - Swing-out maximum, F t ; 3 - Fall-of-span maximum
The reactions of the support structure on the tensile forces acting upon it are to be quantified and validated in terms of so called "Equivalent Static Loads" ESL.
IV. CALCULATION RESULTS
The results of the calculations performed on the structure of Fig. 2 are given in the following. Figures 4.a and b give an example of the reactions of the support structure upon the short-circuit of 100 kA 40 kA rms
0.3 s on the 400 mm bundle phase conductors with 1 spacer at mid span.
Fig. 4. a, b. Exemplary oscillographs of constraints at: a) dead end; b) foundation.
The comparison of Fig. 4. a against Fig. 4. b shows the relative reduction of 50 and 100 Hz phenomena during the short-circuit. on the way from the dead-end fixing point at cross arm to the bottom end of the tower (i.e. foundation). Fig.5 exemplarily shows the calculated displace- ments of a bundle conductor at the spacer location for the same arrangement and short-circuit data as above except t K =0.1 s. Fig.6. gives the same for a point at 1/4 span, i.e. in the middle between spacer position and the suspension point. The first sequence of figures - Fig. 7a, b and c - gives a collection of the calculation results for the respective tension forces at the dead end in terms of the recorded maxima F pi , F t and F f for the variants taken into account in the calculation. One must consider that the value of t K = 0.1 s is of a rather theoretical nature. s.c. current time Tensile force F pi 1 F t 2 F f 3 F st 0 0.0 0.4 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 time [s] Force [10 3 kN] 0.2 0 -0.2 -0.4 -0.6 0.0 0.4 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 time [s] Force [kN] 80.0 60.0 40.0 20.0 0
Fig. 5. Bundle conductor displacement at midspan (position of spacer)
Fig. 6. Bundle conductor displacement at 1/4 span (in a location without spacer)
The contraction effect rises with the sub-conductor distance and the number of spacers to become the rele- vant short-circuit tension forceat the suspension points for three spacers at a T = 400 mm. The positive effect of close bundling and a small number of spacers is obvious. The dependency of the second and third maxima on the number of spacers must be attributed to the reduc- tion of sag (i.e. effective conductor length available for the contraction) by the contraction with increasing sub- conductor distance a T and number of spacers n AH during the short-circuit. Also the existence of the droppers may lead to a reduction of the kinetic possibilities of the span during the swingout and the fall-of-span phases. In comparison to the above the same sequence is used for the reactions at the foot of the towers, at the transition to the foundation in Fig. 8a, b and c. The static ratio between the exciting tension force and the considered reaction force at the tower foot is 1 : 6,2 . Of course the respective values of Fig. 8.a contrac- tion - for equal conditions must remain independent of the short-circuit duration. (Mind the different scales for 1 spacer 3 spacers 84,6 26,3 26,3 26,4 39,6 39,8 40 54,7 55,2 55 83,1 83 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 0,1s 0,3s 0,5s short-circuit duration F o r c e
Fig. 7.a, b, c. Calculation results: a) Contraction maxima, F pi ; b) Swing-out maxima, F t ; c) Fall-of-span maxima, F f
1 and 3 spacers)
The number of spacers and the sub-conductor distance have a severe increasing effect on the reactions. The fall of span is generally the more important against swing-out. Up to 100 mm sub-conductor a T , the reaction to contraction can be neglected against all other maxima. Yet, if the calculation and, in particular, the chosen damping is right, the contraction plays the dominant part among the other maxima at a T = 200 mm and above. 1 spacer 3 spacers 60,5 54 47,2 60 54 35 56,3 56,9 46,8 78 79,1 56 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 0,1s 0,3s 0,5s short-circuit duration F o r c e
/ k N 60mm 100mm 200mm 400mm 106,5 60,6 55 34,8 58 54,7 40 70 71 57,5 89 79 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 0,1s 0,3s 0,5s short-circuit duration Fig. 8. Reaction at transition tower/foundation: a) due to contraction; b) due to conductor swing-out; c) due to fall of span.
With one spacer and a T = 200 mm, the ESL factor for contraction is slightly less than 1, while for 400 mm it is 1.2. For a larger number of spacers the factors are even higher. Finally, the maximum spacer compression was considered. Fig.9 gives the results of that calcu- lation. Spacer compression has lately come into renewed interest through the publications of Lilien and Papailiou [5].
1 spacer 3 spacers -616,2 -621,8 -626,2 0 0 0 -94,2 -94,3 -93,7 -336 -338 -338 -1000 -900 -800 -700 -600 -500 -400 -300 -200 -100 0 short-circuit duration 0,1s 0,3s 0,5s F o r c e / k N 60mm 100mm 200mm 400mm 0 0 0 -237 -238 -237 -605 -608 -612 -993 -997 -985 -1000 -900 -800 -700 -600 -500 -400 -300 -200 -100 0 short-circuit duration 0,1s 0,3s 0,5s Fig. 9. Maximum spacer compression
V. CONCLUSION
This FE study is dedicated to predict the short- circuit behaviour of long spans of high-voltage flexible buses. With the support structures, the conductors of the bundle 2 ACSR 537/53, the span of 40 m and also the short-circuit current values 100 kA, 40 kA rms given, three parameters were varied: sub-conductor spacing a T
short-circuit duration T K
number of spacers n AH . The calculations were done in preparation of the current test series conducted by FGH/VDE with bundle conductor buses with a wider sub-conductor distance than the one defined by so-called close bundling. The said tests, in a first stage, consider duplex conductors in horizontal arrangement at up to a T 400 ... 500 mm. They will also consider the influence of inter-phase spacers in a later stage.
REFERENCES
[1] PC Programme IEC 60865, University of Erlangen, 1999 [2] Miri, A.M., Schwab, A.J., Kopatz, M.: Kurzschluss- strme und Leiterbewegungen in Hochspan- nungsschaltanlagen in Seilbauweise, Elektrizitts- wirtschaft 87 (1988), pp. 429-436 [3] Stein, N., Meyer, W.; Miri, A.M.: High Voltage Substation Stranded Conductor Buses with and without DroppersTests and Calculation of Short-circuit Con- straints and Behaviour, Proceedings 8th International Symposium on Short-circuit Currents in Power Systems, Brussels 1998, pp. 115 121 [4] Hibbit, Karlsson & Sorenson Inc.: ABAQUS Theory Manual, Version 5.4, 1994 [5] Lilien, J.L., Hansenne, Papailiou, Kempf: Spacer Com- pression for a Triple Conductor Bundle, IEEE PE-805- DW RD, April 4, 97 1 spacer 3 spacers -616,2 -621,8 -626,2 0 0 0 -94,2 -94,3 -93,7 -336 -338 -338 -700 -600 -500 -400 -300 -200 -100 0 short-circuit duration 0,1s 0,3s 0,5s F o r c e
/
k N 60mm 100mm 200mm 400mm 0 0 0 -237 -238 -237 -605 -608 -612 -993 -997 -985 -1200 -1000 -800 -600 -400 -200 0 short-circuit duration 0,1s 0,3s 0,5s 1 spacer 3 spacers -413,8 -272 -223 -175 -267 -221 -89 -240 -261 -158 -378 -244 -1000 -900 -800 -700 -600 -500 -400 -300 -200 -100 0 short-circuit current 0,1s 0,3s 0,5s F o r c e
/
k N 60mm 100mm 200mm 400mm -273 -233 -87 -262 -237 -124 -353 -339 -244 -663 -745 -509 -1000 -900 -800 -700 -600 -500 -400 -300 -200 -100 0 short-circuit current 0,1s 0,3s 0,5s 1 spacer 3 spacers -286 -135 -132 -141 -131 -128 -51 -99 -128 -81 -274 -192 -1000 -900 -800 -700 -600 -500 -400 -300 -200 -100 0 short-circuit duration 0,1s 0,3s 0,5s F o r c e