a065101-064
a065101-064
Abstract: - Fault analysis is an important aspect in the successful operation of a power utility grid. The
occurrence of faults in the system is not avoidable as causes of faults are not particularly one but of many with
different causes and nature. It is one of the most important as well as it one of the most complex tasks in power
engineering. The studies and discovery of faults in electric power systems is essential in ensuring the
consistency and the stability if the power grid. Another importance of carrying out fault analysis gives a fair idea
of the voltages and the current magnitudes under faulty conditions for different scenarios. This is helpful in the
design of protection devices such as fuses, circuit breaker ratings, over current protection relays and other
devices that are used for the protection of the system. Protection devices are important features of the power
system grid mainly because their role in saving equipment and also human lives. In this paper, we investigate
and analyze the behavior of electric power systems under fault conditions and then evaluate various practical
scenarios.
Key-Words: - Electric power systems, geographic information system, electronic transient, analysis program,
synchronous generator.
Received: October 23, 2019 . Revised: February 1, 2020. Accepted: February 21, 2020. Published: March 6, 2020.
For the period of operating situations, current The severity of the faults are dependent upon the
will flow through all the elements of the electrical short circuit location as well as the path of the fault
power system within the pre-designed values which current, system impedance and its voltage levels [3].
are appropriate to the elements’ ratings. The power The main purpose of a power system is to supply
system values can be calculated by analyzing electricity to consumers, thus having a fault in the
system voltages and currents under both normal and system is an interruption to the supply and possibly
abnormal cases. Due to the variations in the system and endangerment to the lives involved. This paper
and complications between the networks as well as
analyze different types of faults and its possible not be prevented such as weather conditions,
causes on a power grid system particularly Samoa as accidents, natural disasters and other
a case study. In the next section we present a brief unpredictable causes that disrupts the operation
literature review. of the power systems causing undesirable
outputs. Events that cause disruptions to the
2 Background system are known as faults.
The need for a reliable and a stabilized electric
grid is one of the main aspects of power system There are different types of faults and it is
analysis. It is not possible to design a power usually classified by its nature and cause, but in
system grid without knowing the risks and the definition, a fault is large flow of current
consequences of the system in normal and through a wrong pathway. Faults can occur in
abnormal conditions. In any transmission or different locations and it could cause a lot of
distribution systems, all the equipment are damages and failures as well as endangering
intended to carry specific amount of current. lives that are present during a fault occurrence
Any current value higher than the pre-set of depending on how severe the fault is [3]. For
pre-designed values could damage the the reason that these faults are dangerous and
equipment as well as disturbing the balance of life threatening, fault analysis was developed.
the system. The occurrence of faults is
unpredictable and the behavior of the system is Performing fault analysis of a power system can
also dependent on how severe the fault is. provide information that leads to designs and
selections of protection devices such as
Electricity is generated, transmitted and switches, relay settings, circuit breaker ratings,
distributed through networks of power systems fuses and system stability operation which are
which are interconnected and associated used to isolate and protect the systems in case
together to deliver power. To generate and of faults. This study is generally carried out in
deliver power successfully, the electric power per-unit quantities as it gives solutions which
systems contain these mechanisms, generation, are consistent of voltage differences and power
transformers, transmission lines, substations, ratings as well as its operation on unity order
distributions lines and distribution transformers. [5].
The generation of power occurs in a power
plant where it consists of apparatuses and Faults occur when the system performance is
machines which produce energy. The affected by a problem whether by a natural
transformers are used to raised and lower the disaster, weather conditions, and accidents or
voltage of the generated power energy to suit its just due to some equipment failures. The steady
corresponding environments. For example, the state operating mode of a power system is a
generated energy voltage is raised before it is three-phase AC but in term of faults, this
transmitted and then lowered before it is operation is disrupted. The two most known
distributed and it is usually carried out in a faults that occur in the transmission networks
substation. The reason for transmitting high are known as balanced faults and unbalanced
voltages and low current is to basically reduce faults. Faults are also categorized as series,
heat and power losses that arise through the shunt and simultaneous according to its nature
process [4]. [3], [6]. The analysis of fault conditions for
power systems are important that is makes a
The main objective of power systems is to difference in order to guarantee the best
basically sustain power supply throughout. In possible outcome results of the carried analysis.
the normal operations of power systems, the This paper focuses mainly on the analysis of
current flows through all the elements but shunt and simultaneous faults. Next we describe
within the range of the pre-designed values that different types of faults that may occur.
suits the elements’ ratings. On the other hand,
there are some events that occur which could
𝑬𝑨
𝑰′ = 𝑿′
(3)
𝟐 𝟏⁄𝟐
𝑬′ = [(𝑽 + 𝑿′𝒅 𝑰𝒔𝒊𝒏∅)𝟐 (𝑿′′
𝒅 𝑰𝒄𝒐𝒔∅) ] (4)
Fig. 2 Design Overview Steady State Period – this is when the current
reaches its steady value or its steady state condition:
𝑬
𝑰𝒔𝒔 = 𝑿𝑨 (5)
𝑺
𝟏⁄
𝑬 = [(𝑽𝑿𝒅 𝑰𝒔𝒊𝒏∅)𝟐 (𝑿𝒅 𝑰𝒄𝒐𝒔∅)𝟐 ] 𝟐 (6) 4.2 Double-Line to Ground Fault
Figure 5 show the double-Line to ground
The AC current that flows in the generator configuration.
during the sub-transient period is known as the sub-
transient current which is denoted by I’’ and defined
in equation (1). The time constant for the sub-
transient current can be found from the slope of the
fault current graph. This current is very high that it
is almost ten times of the steady state fault current
[11]. The transient period defines the AC current as
transient current which is denoted by I’ and is
defined in equation (3). The final period or the
steady state obtains the steady state current which is
defined in equation (5). The equations given by (2),
(4), and (6) are used to calculate the EMF of each
Fig. 5 Double-line to ground fault
period, sub-transient, transient and steady state
respectively.
𝑰𝑳𝟏 = 𝟎 (8)
𝑽𝑳𝟑 = (𝑰𝑳𝟑 + 𝑰𝑳𝟐 )𝒁 (9)
4.1 Three-Phase Fault 𝑽𝑳𝟑 = 𝑽𝑳𝟐 (10)
The configuration of the three phase fault is shown
in figure 4. All the three phases are shorted together
4.3 Line to Line Fault
in a three phase fault.
The line to line or sometimes known as the phase to
phase fault happens when the one line to another
line or two phases are connected together causing a
short circuit. The fault current is calculated from
dividing the voltage by the sum of impedances.
𝑰𝑳𝟑 = 𝟎 (11)
𝑰𝑳𝟐 = −𝑰𝑳𝟏 (12)
√𝟑 𝑽𝑳𝑵
𝑰𝒌 = 𝟐 𝒁
(13)
Lalomauga Hydro-Station
Descriptions of stations involved in the regulation of The 33kV transmission lines connect to the 33kV
electricity in Upolu are presented below. Diesel and Bus Bar at Fuluasou Substation. Regular
Hydro are the major stations in the system while the transformers were used with autotransformer
PV system supports one feeder. Fiaga substation specifications. The SG generator is used for
comprised of diesel generators, buses, transformers auxiliary power.
and feeders as shown in table 1.
Fuluasou Substation encompassed auxiliary
Table 1 Fiaga Substation Equipment generator, buses, transformers and feeders. The PV
system assists in supplying the Industrial Zone1
Existing ETAP Rating Feeder. Power is supplied by the diesel generators
Label Label
from the Fiaga and hydro power from
Tanugamanono substation. Tanugamanono
Generators No.7B Gen24 6.6kV, 4.2MW
Substation mainly comprised of hydro station,
No.1 Gen7 11kV, 5.5MW transformers, autotransformers, feeders and buses.
In addition, local power supply is available for the
No.2 Gen6 11kV, 5.5MW station via two transformers. Lalomauga and
Taelefaga hydro stations are connected through
No.3 Gen1 11kV, 5.5MW 22kV transmission tie-line with all but one feeder
connected from Taelefaga station.
No. 4 Gen22 11kV, 5.5MW
All bus bars, generators, feeders and transformers
No.9A Gen5 6.6kV, 4.2MW
have circuit breakers for protective measures. Table
SG SG 415V, 350kVA
2 shows protection setting for all feeders.
Buses 11kV 11kV 2500A at 30kA Table 2 Protection setting for all feeders as of May
2017
415V 415V 2000A at 30kA
Feeders Overcurrent Earth Fault
33kV 33kV 1000A at 20kA Setting (A) Setting (A)
West Coast1 200 20.0 Simulation results for fault currents in the load bus
show that L-G and LL-G currents are equal with the
Lefaga 180 20.0
peak fault current at 5.7kA, 3-phase fault peak
West Coast2 22kV tie 200 20.0
current at 4.3kA and L-L peak current at 3.9kA.
Results for the swing bus show that L-G peak
Fiaga 33kV OH/ UG 100 20.0 current is the highest at 28kA, LL-G at 26kA,
3phase at 22kA and L-L fault peak current at 18kA.
We ran computer simulations and results were From the obtained result it seen that the L-G and the
analyzed as follows: LL-G fault that are considered the most critical on
- Comparison of island-mode and interlock mode load and swing buses. These faults occur mostly as a
using Fuluasou sub since it has no generators but result of storm damages or lightning where the lines
a PV system that supports the Industrial Zone come into physical contact with each other or the
Feeder. ground. A summary of the paper is presented next.
- Application of fault on load bus and swing bus
then comparison of fault currents in each bus on
four instances: L-G, LL-G, LLL-G, 3-phase fault
- Application of AC arc flash on Bus 10 which
6 Conclusion
hosts the two feeders with the high capacities. In this paper, we have successfully implemented and
conducted fault analysis for the EPC power grid.
Island-mode entails the isolation of the Fuluasou Various electrical power system fault models were
substation by opening circuit breakers of considered. Comparison of faults in three-phase,
transmission lines to other substations. Only Fiaga line to line, line to ground, double line to ground as
sub circuit breaker is closed since it is the sole carried out yields that the most severe fault by
power supply for Fuluasou sub. L-G fault was interpretation of behaviors is the line to ground
applied on phase C for comparison. The purpose of fault.
the simulation was to explore grid stability for
isolated systems which are common for As a final remark, the increase in demands for
economically disadvantaged nations or private electrical power needs monitoring and better
utility companies. management to avoid interruption in power
delivery as it can be a big disturbance to consumers
Fault was applied to load bus 15 and swing bus 1 to as well as it is depraving to economic development.
compare the amount of fault current on each buses.
The load bus hosted the Vailtele feeder line which
many customers are connected to in Upolu. The List of Acronyms
swing bus in the Fiaga substation has 6 generators EPC Electric Power Corporation
connected in parallel. GIS Geographic Information System
LV Low Voltage
Figure 10 shows the bus fault currents for the load HV High Voltage
bus (bus 15) and the swing bus (bus 1). ETAP Electronic Transient and Analysis
Program
SG Synchronous Generator
L-G Line-to-ground
LL-G Double line-to-ground
L-L Line-to-line
PPE Personal Protective Equipment
LM1 Lalomauga Generator 1 (Hydro)
LM2 Lalomauga Generator 2 (Hydro)
TaF Taelefaga
FOF Fale ‘Ole Fe’e
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