Surges

 in  Power  System  

§  High voltage surges induced on the transmission

line due to;
1. Direct stroke
2. Indirect stroke
3. Switching operations
■ The surge travels along the line at the speed of
light
■ As they reach the end (termination) or junction of
the line, partly are reflected and transmitted.
 A wave may be seen
traveling down the
rope's length until it
dissipates entirely due
to friction

This is analogous to a long

transmission line with
internal loss: the signal
steadily grows weaker as it
propagates down the line's
length, never reflecting
back to the source
If the far end of the rope
is secured to a solid
object at a point prior to
the incident wave's total
dissipation, a second
wave will be reflected
back to your hand.
 Reflec%on  of  Traveling  waves  at  a  Junc%on  

The incident wave, the reflected wave and the transmitted wave are
formed in accordance with Kirchhoff's laws. They must also satisfy the
differential equation of the line.

Figure 1

Z1 Z2
 Reflec%on  of  Traveling  waves  at  a  Junc%on  

Consider a step-voltage wave of magnitude E incident at junction J between

two lines of surge impedances Z1 and Z2. A portion ET of this surge would
be transmitted and a portion ER would be reflected.

No discontinuity of potential at the junction J. Therefore

E + ER = ET
No discontinuity of current at the junction J. Therefore

I + I R = IT
 Reflec%on  of  Traveling  waves  at  a  Junc%on  

The incident surge voltage E is related to the incident surge current I by the
surge impedance of the line Z1. Similarly the transmitted surge voltage ET
is related to the transmitted surge current IT by the surge impedance of the
line Z2 and the reflected surge voltage ER is related to the reflected surge
current IR by the surge impedance of the line Z1.

However it is to be noted that the reflected wave is a reverse wave.

Thus we can write,

E = Z1 I , ET = Z2 IT , and ER = - Z1 IR

Knowing that
I + IR = IT

Substituting these values gives

E/Z1 - ER/Z1 = ET/Z2 = (E + ER)/Z2

 Reflec%on  of  Traveling  waves  at  a  Junc%on  

After simplification; reflected wave can be written as :

Similarly, the transmitted surge may be written as:

 Reflec%on  of  Traveling  waves  at  a  Junc%on  

Since both these surges are a definite fraction of the incident surge, a
transmission factor β and a reflection factor α are defined as follows.

Z 2 − Z1
α = ;
Z 2 + Z1

2Z 2
β = 1+ α =
Z 2 + Z1
Note : When the junction is matched (i.e. Z1 = Z2),
then there is no reflection and the reflection factor
can be seen to
be zero.
 Example 1

An overhead line A with a surge impedance 450 Ω is connected to three other

(overhead lines B and C with surge impedances of 600Ω each, and a cable
D with surge impedance 60Ω) at the junction J.

A traveling wave of vertical front of magnitude 25 kV and very long tail travels on
A towards the junction J. Calculate the magnitude of the voltage and current
waves which are transmitted and reflected when the surge reaches the junction
J. Attenuation in the lines can be neglected.
Solution
 Reflec%on  of  Traveling  waves  at  a  Junc%on  
Extreme cases :

Case (i): Open ended transmission line of surge impedance Z

When the line Z1 is open circuited at the
far end (i.e. Z2 = ∞), then the full wave is
reflected back and the reflection factor
becomes 1.

Since
Z 2 − Z1 2Z 2
α = ; β = 1+ α =
Z 2 + Z1 Z 2 + Z1
Thus ;
α = 1 and no wave is transmitted (β
does not exist)
 Reflec%on  of  Traveling  waves  at  a  Junc%on  
Case (ii): Short –circuit ended transmission line of surge impedance Z

When the line Z1 is short circuited at the far end (i.e. Z2 = 0), then no
voltage can appear and the full wave is reflected back negated so as to
cancel the incident wave and the reflection factor becomes - 1.

Since

Z 2 − Z1 2Z 2
α = ; β = 1+ α =
Z 2 + Z1 Z 2 + Z1
Thus ;

α = -1 ; β = 0
 Bewley Lattice Diagram
Shows at a glance the position and direction of motion of every
incident, reflected, and transmitted wave on the system at every
instant of time.

■ All waves travel downhill because time increases

■ Position of any wave at any time can be deduced
directly from the diagram
■ Total potential at any point is the superposition of all
the waves arrived at that point
■ History of wave can easily be traced
■ Attenuation is included
 Bewley Lattice Diagram –
Open end line
Reflected without
loss or change of
sign

K = Attenuation factor
 Bewley Lattice Diagram –
Open end line
Sending  end  (α =-1)   Receiving  end  α =1  
A step voltage wave of amplitude
unity starting from the generator end t=0   0  
at time t = 0. +1  

+0.7536  
Along the line the wave is attenuated
and a wave of amplitude 0.7536 reaches t=ζ   ζ  
the open end at time ζ
+0.7536  

+0.5679  
At the open end, this wave is reflected
without a loss of magnitude or a change t=2ζ          2ζ  
of sign. The wave is again attenuated
and at time 2ζ reaches the generator
end with amplitude 0.5679
 Bewley Lattice Diagram –
Open end line
Sending  end  (α = -1)   Receiving  end  (α = 1)  

t=2ζ        2ζ  

In order to keep the generator voltage -­‐0.5679  

unchanged, the surge is reflected with a
change of sign (-0.5679), and after a -­‐0.428  
time 3ζ reaches the open end being
attenuated to -0.428. t=3ζ   3ζ  

-­‐0.428  

-­‐0.3225  

It is then reflected without a change of t=4ζ          4ζ  

sign and reaches the generator end +0.3225  
with amplitude -0.3225 and reflected +0.2431  
with amplitude +0.3225.        5ζ  
     t=  5ζ  
 Bewley Lattice Diagram – Line
terminated with resistance Z2 =
R
Assume  that  R  =  3  Z1  
The  reflec?on  factor  at  receiving  end,    
αreceiving = (3Z1- Z1)/(3Z1 + Z1) = 0.5.

At the sending end, the reflection operator

αsending = (0- Z1)/(0 + Z1) = -1

Assume the line is short and no attenuation involved, draw the

lattice diagram from t = 0 to t = 9ζ
 
 Bewley Lattice Diagram – Line
terminated with resistance Z2 =
R
Sending  end  (α =-1)   Receiving  end  α =0.5  

t=0   0  
+1  

+1  
t=ζ   ζ  

+0.5  

+0.5  

t=2ζ          2ζ  
 Bewley Lattice Diagram – Line
terminated with resistance Z2 =
R
Sending  end  (α = -1)   Receiving  end  (α = 1)  

t=2ζ        2ζ  

-­‐0.5  

-­‐0.5  
t=3ζ   3ζ  

-­‐0.25  

-­‐0.25  
t=4ζ          4ζ  
+0.25  
+0.25  
     t=  5ζ          5ζ  
Sending  end  (α = -1)   Receiving  end  (α = 1)  

t=5ζ        5ζ  

+0.125  

+0.125  

t=6ζ   6ζ  
-­‐0.125  

-­‐0.125  

t=7ζ          7ζ  

-­‐0.0625  
-­‐0.0625  
     t=  8ζ          8ζ  

+0.0625  
+0.0625  
     t=  9ζ        t=  9ζ  
 Bewley Lattice Diagram – Line
terminated with resistance Z2 =
R
After time t = 9ζ , voltage at the receiving end is given by

Vr= 1 + 0.5 – 0.5 +0.25 - 0.25 + 0.125 – 0.125 + -0.0625 +0.0625 = 1

It can be seen that
the voltage and
current oscillate
around the value 1
and finally settle
down to this value.