7th International Conference on Optimization of Electrical and Electronic Equipment OPTIM 2000,

Brasov (Romania), 11.-12. May 2000; Proceedings pp 251-258

400 KV SUBSTATION STRANDED CONDUCTOR BUSES

- Tests and Calculations of Short-Circuit Constraints and Behaviour -
Norbert STEIN Amir M. MIRI
FGH, Forschungsgemeinschaft für Elektrische Anlagen Institute of Electric Energy Systems and High-Voltage
und Stromwirtschaft, D-68219 Mannheim, Germany Engineering, University of Karlsruhe, P.O. Box 6980,
D-76128 Karlsruhe, Germany. Phone++49-721-608-3061,
Email miri@ieh.etec.uni-karlsruhe.de

Wolfgang MEYER
Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg,
Lehrstuhl für Elektrische Energieversorgung,
D-91058 Erlangen, Germany

Abstract: FGH and VDE have completed an extensive
programme of short-circuit tests on strained bus conductors.
Planning of the test series was done by DKE WG 121.2.2
'Short-Circuit Tests' and was performed under their
guidance and that of CIGRE 23-03 ESCC TF (Effects of
Short-Circuit Currents). The tests were performed on
arrangements with and without droppers fitted to the bus
conductors. For the arrangements with droppers the di-
fferent possible current paths were studied. Evaluation and
furthergoing study of test results are in progress. Parallel
FE numerical simulations have been carried out by Prof.
Miri at IEH, Karlsruhe University. Beside the numerous
variations of the short-circuit data - s.c. current and du-
ration - the geometrical/mechanical parameters of the test
arrangements were varied - e.g. conductors, phase distan-
ces, suspension insulator chains, anchoring steel structure
stiffness and eigenfrequency - to a degree to cover a wide
scale of practical applications. The latter parameter varia-
tions were achieved by studying typical and exemplary
100kV and 400kV arrangements. The present paper deals
with the recent 400kV part of these investigations (the 100kV
part to be published in ETEP [6]) with respective test
results, together with parallel numerical studies and, also,
first possible consequences to be drawn as to the standard-
ized rules for assessing short-circuit performance by IEC
TC73 for Publ. 865. The authors give a survey of the tested
arrangements, together with the parameter variations
(structure mechanical and electrical) thus achieved, the
detailed measurements of structure mechanical constraints
and displacements and respective test results in exemplary
form. They report on the numerical studies applying FEM to
the test programme, which show a remarkable accuracy in
comparison with the actual test results. Finally, first
approaches as to modification requirements for the men-
tioned IEC/EN/VDE calculation procedures for assessing
short-circuit performance and strength are presented.
Key words: Short circuits, measurement of mechanical
effects, structural analysis, Finite Element Method
1. INTRODUCTION
It was with the intent to further the development of the
short-circuit assessment methods of IEC 865-1 and
VDE 0103 so as to cover the so far not accessible ar-
rangements of droppers and long spans of stranded
conductors with droppers that FGH and DKE 121.2
conducted the former study [2] and the present one, [1]
having been the basis for introducing the calculation
procedure for so-called 'Long Spans' into the standard.
The second aim of the present tests is to further the
studies of the ESCC Task Force of CIGRE 23-03 on
'Equivalent Static Load' for portal structures and their
foundations.
The new test series comprises 100kV and 400kV
arrangements of long spans of stranded conductor bus-
bars strained between portals, without and with drop-
pers leading down to a lower conductor level. The basic
geometric parameters of the former [1, 2] have been ap-
plied, where possible, for compatibility. In particular,
conductor sag values were maintained. The available
material is immense, and the present paper had there-
fore to be confined to the 400kV part and its results as
far as the applicability of the procedures of [3, 4, 5] for
'long spans' holds valid at present: tensile forces on the
suspension points and bus conductor displacement. The
respective 100kV results will be in [6], and a com-
prehensive presentation of the complete data is planned.
Chapter 2 gives a survey of the complete tests, the
great number of measuring points, exemplary results as
regards time dependency and maximum values of
tensile loads on the suspension portals in comparison
with results of FEM calculations by the University of
Karlsruhe as explained in Chapter 3. Maximum dis-
placement bh and minimum air clearance dmin are given.
Chapter 4 reports on a first approach to the extension of
the existing IEC/VDE rules to spans with droppers
developed at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg. Both

251
calculatory efforts show a very remarkable degree of
agreement with the test results.

2. TESTS
The general test arrangement is shown in Fig. 1a and
the structural, geometrical and electrical short-circuit
parameters are assembled in Table 1. The paper itself
relates to arrangements 8 to 12, where the crossarm is at
11.22 m, the phases are at 3.00 m and the span is a
close bundle duplex ACSR conductor. Current path A,
i.e. without droppers, represents the reference case
which is accessible to calculation according to
IEC/VDE for the case B, which is with droppers not
carrying short-circuit current, and also for case C where
the short-circuit current flows over half the span and
then through the droppers to the lower level horizontal
rigid conductors. The essential data and force and strain
measuring points of the N portal are in Fig. 1b. The
calculatory efforts of Chapters 3 and 4, as far as forces

b) Portal N: Measuring points and geometric

parameters 400 kV

are concerned, relate mainly to measuring points KP

and to MAFU of Fig. 1b. The further measurements in
the portal for the determination of ESL, on the bus
conductors and in particular those along the conductor
support structure at the lower end of the droppers will
form the object of future publications. The conductor
Fig. 1 Test arrangement displacements at midspan were evaluated from high-
a) Span speed video recordings.

Table 1 400kV Test Parameters

Variants 1- 7: 100 kV

Va r ia n t 1 2 3 4 5 6
Span 40m 1 x AC S R 5 3 7 / 5 3 a = 2 m c u rre n t p a t h :

D r o p p e rs
w ith o u t 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 A
1 x AC S R 5 3 7 /5 3

3 .2 3 .2 3 .2 3 .2 1 .6 3 .2 1 .6 3 .2 1 .6 1 .6
D r o p p e r le n g th / m 6 .0 4 5 6 .0 4 5 5 .0 4 5 / 6 .0 4 5 5 .0 4 5 5 .0 4 5
C o n d u c to r 1 x AC S R 5 3 7 / 5 3
C u rr e n t p a th A B C B C B
20 0 .1 / 0 .3 / 0 .5 0 .1 / 0 .3 0 .1 / 0 .3 0 .1 / 0 .3 / 0 .5 0 .1 / 0 .3 0 .1 / 0 .3 / 0 .5
IK tK B
2 8 ,3 0 .1 /0 .2 /0 .3 /0 .5 /1 . 0 .1 / 0 .3 / 0 .5 0 .1 / 0 .3 0 .1 / 0 .3 0 .1 / 0 .3 0 .1 / 0 .3 / 0 .5
kA 40
s 0 .1 /0 .2 /0 .3 /0 .5 /1 . 0 .1 / 0 .3 / 0 .5 0 .1 / 0 .3 / 0 .5 0 .1 / 0 .3 0 .1 / 0 .3 / 0 .5 0 .1 / 0 .3

Va r ia n t 7 8 9 10 11 12
Span 40m 2 x AC S R 5 3 7 / 5 3 a = 3 m

D r o p p e rs 4 4
w ith o u t 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
1 x AC S R 5 3 7 /5 3
C
1 .6 1 .6
3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6
D r o p p e r le n g th / m 5 .0 4 5 9 .1 4 5 9 .1 4 5 1 0 .5 4 5 1 0 .5 4 5
C o n d u c to r 2 x AC S R 5 3 7 / 5 3
C u rr e n t p a th C A B C B C
20 0 .1 / 0 .3 / 0 .5 0 .5 0 1 .0 0 .3 / 1 .0
IK tK
2 8 ,3 0 .1 / 0 .3 / 0 .5 0 .1 / 0 .3 / 0 .5 0 .3 / 0 .5 / 1 .0 0 .3 / 0 .5 / 1 .0
kA 40
s 0 .1 / 0 .3 / 0 .5 0 .1 / 0 .3 / 0 .5 0 .3 / 0 .5 / 1 .0 0 .1 / 0 .3 / 0 .5

252
The portal structures, beside their design drawings and
construction data, are defined as regards their static and,
in particular, their oscillatory behaviour by essential
structural properties Stiffness and Eigenfrequency,
measured in separate mechanical tests and listed in the
following. These mechanical tests show absolutely
linear elastic characteristics for both portals given in
terms of the values of stiffnes SN and SM, the resulting
stiffness to be used for the IEC/VDE simplified model
is Sres. The respective values for the 400kV suspension
points at 11.22 m crossarm height and phase distance a
= 3 m are:
SN = 1.086 kN/mm SM = 1.223 kN/mm
Sres = 0.575 kN/mm.
The relevant first eigenfrequencies excited at the
mounted 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).
Fig. 2 Exemplary measured (above) and FEM-calculated
(below) oscillograms of short-circuit tensile forces
KP for 100 kA/40 kA - 0.5 s test on variant No. 9
(curent path B)
For each combination of test parameters as compiled
in Table 1, at least two identical consecutive tests were
performed to show the variance of behaviour and
effects. For reasons of symmetry, this gives at least four
values to be considered for every parameter of each
constellation. The variance is, as can be seen exemplari-
ly from Figs. 4 to 6, astonishingly small.
Figs. 2 a) and 3a) show exemplary oscillograms of
the considered quantities from 100 kA / 40 kA - 0.5 s
tests on arrangement No. 9 (current B). The same
arrangement and test parameters are used in Chapter 3
to demonstrate the quality of FEM calculation through
the conformity of measured (Fig. 2a and 3a) and
calculated (Fig. 2b and 3b) oscillograms.
Short-circuit tensile forces: The only loads to be con-
sidered are the swing-out maxima Ft and the conductor-
fall maxima Fr. Conductor pinch forces do not occur, or
are negligible with single or close bundle conductors.
Fig. 4 gives for current paths A, B and C (8 - 12) the
measured valus of Ft and Fr over the respective values
of short-circuit duration. The mean values are connect-
ed by straight lines only for the purpose of better
readability. Linear interpolation between measuring
points could be misleading, as intermediate 0.2 s values,
for instance, in Fig. 4b show.
For current paths A and B a clear tendency for a
reduction of values for very low short-circuit durations
is obvious, which is less significant on C. The values
for case C, where the short-circuit current uses only half
of the span length, are clearly reduced against both
other cases A and B.
Bus conductor displacement: Figures 5 and 6 give the
maxima of the horizontal bus conductor displacements
towards the outside bh and the minimum air clearance
between these conductors dmin in the swing-back phase
after short-circuit for variants 8 - 12. These are acces-
sible by present IEC/VDE rules for the case A. The
extrema occur on the first swing-out (at or near the
instant of Ft for tk ≥ 0.2 s) and the first return of the
span conductor(s) after short-circuit. The oscillations of
these conductors in most of the cases persist over rather
long periods of time after short-circuit with only
moderate damping of the original displacements. Al-
though values are not given in this paper, it should be
mentioned that large and persisting oscillations occur,
in a much more important degree, in the movements of
the droppers in cases B and particu-larly in C. Short-
circuit durations of 0.2 to 0.3 s produce the worst cases
of span-conductor approach, while displacement to-
wards the outward is roughly constant beyond a short-
circuit duration of 0.2 s. It is obvious that case C values
for short-circuit displacement bh of the span conductor
and minimum clearance between the neighboring spans
dmin, with the short-circuit current using only half of the
span, must be less than both other cases.
253
 c) 40
kN Ft
40 kA
Ff Ff
30

20 kA Ft
20
28,3 kA
F
10

0
0,0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8 0,9 s 1,0
tk

Fig. 4 Short-circuit tensile force Ft and drop force Ff

a) Cases A, B b) Case C

a) 3,0
m
2,5 28,3 kA 20 kA A
A B
2,0
40 kA
1,5
Fig. 3 Exemplary measured (above) and FEM-calculated d min 1,0
(below) oscillograms of short-circuit constraint
MAFU at the junction tower/foundation for 100 0,5
kA / 40 kA - 0.5 s test on arrangement 9 (current 0,0
path B). Same test as Fig. 2
a) 50 b) 3,0
m 20 kA
kN
Ff 2,5 28,3 kA
40 40 kA 40 kA
F t
2,0

30 Ff Ff 1,5
Ft Ft d min 1,0
28,3 kA 20 kA
F 20 0,5
0,0
10
0,0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8 0,9 s 1,0
tk
0
5
Fig. 5 Minimum air clearance dmin
a) Cases A, B b) Case C
b) 50
kN a) 1,00
Ff
40 40 kA A
Ft m
Ff 40 kA
0,75 B
30 Ff Ft A
Ft
20 kA 0,50 28,3 kA B
F 20
28,3 kA bh
A
0,25
10 20 kA
B
0 0,00
5 6

254
b)
0,75
m are done in truss elements - with particular dashpot
40 kA
0,50
28,3 kA
b h 0,25
20 kA
0,00
0,0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8 0,9 s 1,0
tk
Fig. 6 Maximum horizontal displacements bh
a) Cases A, B b) Case C
3. CALCULATION WITH ADVANCED METHODS
The simplified methods of calculation in IEC/VDE are
useful and necessary for typical design cases by hand or
computer-aided [7] calculation and allow parameter-
sensitive in-vestigations in a very short time by use of
personal com-puters. Only general input data are re-
quired, and the results are maximum values of tensile
forces and dis-placements. The procedure is adjusted to
practical requirements and contains simplifications with
safety margins.
Advanced methods use finite element or finite dif-
ference modelling, and powerful software is available
on workstations and personal computers. They can be
applied to any structural configuration with single and
bundled conductors and forcing function [8]. The com-
putation of the dynamic response of the complete
structure including their nonlinear behaviour is pos-
sible, and accurate results can be obtained, limited only
by the degree of detail in the modelling and the avai-
lability of reliable basic structural data. The calculation
of eigenfrequencies, time histories of forces, moments
and deformations allows to study the system behaviour,
to detect and improve weak points, or to ascertain the
short-circuit strength even for complex cases. The range
of validity of simplified methods can be investigated.
During more than 20 years, the users of the ad-
vanced methods have acquired an excellent know-how
in the modelling and computation of substation struc-
tures. Test results have always been taken for compari-
son 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 extra-polation varying the original test para-
meters in a degree that could not be done in actual
testing. Only thus can the control basis for the develop-
ment of simplified calculation methods for new appli-
cations be laid.
In consequence, the test structure of Fig. 1 is dis-
cretized in a full detail FE model, using appropriate
beam elements for the framework of the portals and
adjusting the model to achieve first the proper stiffness
and then eigenfrequency values. As usual conductors
elements for duplex conductors. The programme ap-
plied was ABAQUS. The calculation was so far per-
formed for variants 1 to 10 of Table 1 and a short-cir-
cuit duration of 0.3 or 0.5 s. The remarkable accordance
of calculation with measurement expresses itself in
particular in the comparison of the measured and calcu-
lated exemplary oscillographs and absolute values of
Fig. 2 and 3. The achieved results are evidence at once
for the validity of the applied method, as well as of its
practical use.
4. CALCULATION ACCORDING TO IEC 60865-1
In IEC 60865-1 [3], identical to EN 60865-1 [4] and
DIN EN 60865-1/VDE 0103-[5], a method is standard-
ized for the mechanical effects on substation buses with
flexible conductors due to short-circuit currents. The
tensile forces Ft, Ff and Fpi and the maximum horizontal
displacement bh can be determined analy-tically. IEC
60865-2 [9] gives an example for the calculations. The
physical background, the assumptions made and the
derivation of the method are described in detail in [10,
11]. The confrontation with many test results gives a
good agreement. This standard is so far only applicable
to arrangements without droppers, and the aim is to
show how to take into account droppers at midspan.
The basis for the investigations are the test results
described above.
At first, a calculation of the static sag is carried out
using the change-of-state equation. For variant 8 (with-
out droppers) of Table 1, it corresponds to the tests. For
the variants with droppers, an additional mass has to be
added in midspan which consists of the mass of the
clamp and about half the mass of the dropper due to its
stiffness and its fixation in the clamps.
For the design of busbars, the maximum short-circuit
duration Tk is stated by the protection concept. The
actual short-circuit duration tk is unknown, can be lower
and can lead to higher tensile forces than Tk. Therefore
the maximum values are determined by [3], which
occur within 0 < tk ≤ Tk [10]. In contrast, the short-
circuit duration tk is known when calculating tests and
yields the swing-out angle δk at the end of the current
flow, see [10, equ. (4.8)]. If tk ≥ Tres, the con-ductor
swings out to its highest position at δm = 2δ1 and then
back. Tres is the resulting oscillation period of the span
during current flow and δ1 = Arctan r the direction of
the maximum radial force Ft. r means the ratio of
electromagnetic force and gravitational force on the
conductor. If tk ≤ Tres, δm = Arccos (1 - r sin δk) holds; Ft
is maximum at δ1 if δk ≥ δ1, otherwise at δk. Ft acts at
the end of the drop down from δm.
For the variants 2 - 7 and 9 - 12, many investigations
have been done. The best agreement with the tests could
be achieved with the following assumptions:
255
- Disregard of the dropper mass: Fig. 4a, b shows that a)
50
droppers without current have no significant influence 0%
kN
on the tensile forces and the displacements. +25 %
- Disregard of the influence on the main-conductor 40
movement by the droppers: In contrast to the main-
conductor movement without droppers, there is a -25 %
change in the trajectory when the dropper is stretched. 30
Kinetic energy of the main conductor is converted into
elastic energy in the dropper and back during the fall
down. Due to the energy conservation law the tensile 20
forces Ft will not differ very much compared with the Fc
case without droppers; Fig. 4a, b confirms this.
- Influence of the current path on the electromagnetic 10
current path:
force: Cases A and B induce in the main conductors the A B C
electromagnetic force per unit length [10, eq. (*19)]
0
" 2 0 10 20 30 40 kN 50
µ (I ) lc
F'= 0 k2 (1) Fm
2π a l
b)
1,2
With Case C, the current flows only through half the +25 %
m 0%
main conductor and then through the dropper. The
transverse force on the main conductor due to the 1,0
electromagnetic force between the droppers is con-
sidered by substituting Ic in (1): 0,8 -25 %

"
µ0 ( I k 2 )
2
lc / 2 + ld / 2 0,6
F'= (2)
2π a l b hc
0,4
lc is the main-conductor length, ld the dropper length
and l the span length.
0,2 current path:
The comparison with the test results is given in Fig.
7; calculated values on vertical axis (index c) versus A B C
measured values on horizontal axis (index m). Each 0,0
sign marks a compared result different for cases B and 0,0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1,0 m 1,2
C and additional case A. Fig. 7a shows the greater one b hm
of each pair of tensile forces Ft, Ff, which is relevant for
design purposes. For Ik = 40 kA, Ft is always higher
than Ff; for 28.3 and 20 kA they are similar. Fig. 7b Fig. 7 Comparison between calculation and test
compares the maximum horizontal displacements bh. In a) Maximum of Ft and Ff
addition, the location of the relative error 0 % and the b) Horizontal displacement bh
technical limit ± 25 % are depicted as broken lines;
above the 0-% line the calculated values are on the safe - When comparing the horizontal displacements, it
side. should be kept in mind that they are measured with
an increment of 5 cm.
Fig. 7 points out:
- Most of the calculated values are on the safe side, The outcome of the calculation in comparison with
the error is less than 25 %. the tests permits to extend the method stated in IEC
- When they are not on the safe side, they are 60865-1 [3] to arrangements with droppers in midspan.
sufficiently small and occur only in the case of tk = The procedure should be as follows:
0.1 s. - the static tensile force Fst and the sag are estimated
- Due to the greater static tensile force, the tensile for- with an additional mass in the span equal to the
ces of case B are a little bit higher than those of A. clamp mass plus half the mass of the dropper.
- In tendency, the horizontal displacement is calculat- - Using this value of Fst, the short-circuit tensile forces
ed too high especially for 40 kA caused by physical Ft, Ff, Fpi and the maximum horizontal displacement
effects which cannot be taken into account [10]. bh are calculated according to subclause 2.3 of IEC
60685-1.

256
- If the current is flowing over half the span and the
droppers, eq. (19) of IEC 60685-1 for the electro-
magnetic force on the main conductor should be
replaced by eq. (2) above.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The investigations were sponsored by the
"Bundesminister für Wirtschaft" of Germany through
the"Arbeitsgemeinschaft.Industrieller.Forschungsver-
einigungen " Otto von Guericke e.V. (AiF) under the
project number 9784. The authors wish to express their
thanks to AiF for this substantial support,and also to
RWE Energie AG and Bayernwerk AG for their
practical help to make the tests possible.
REFERENCES
1. Herrmann, B., Stein, N., Kiessling, G.: Short-circuit
effects in high-voltage substations with stranded
conductors. Systematic full-scale tests and a simple
calculation method, IEEE Transactions on Power
Delivery 4 (1989), pp. 1021-1028
2. Hosemann, G., Miri, A.M., Stein, N., Zeitler, E.: The
behaviour of droppers in high-voltage substations
under short-circuit, in Proceedings of the 5th
International Symposium on Short-Circuit Currents in
Power Systems, Warszawa, 1992
3. IEC 60865-1, Short-circuit currents - Calculation of
effects. Part 1: Definitions and calculation method,
Geneva; IEC, 1993
4. EN 60865-1, Short-circuit currents - Calculation of
effects. Part 1: Definitions and calculation method,
Brussels: CENELEC, 1993
5. DIN EN 60865-1/VDE 0103, Kurzschlussstroeme -
Berechnung der Wirkungen. Teil 1: Begriffe und
Berechnungsverfahren, Berlin: VDE, 1994
6. Stein,, N., Meyer, W., Miri. A.M.: Tests and Calcu-
lations of Short-Circuit Forces and Displacements in
High-Voltage Substations with Strained Conductors
and Droppers, ETEP 2000
7. PC Programme IEC 865, University of Erlangen, 1999
8. Miri, A.M., Schwab, A.J., Kopatz, M.: Kurzschluss-
stroeme und Leiterbewegungen in Hochspannungs-
schaltanlagen in Seilbauweise, Elektrizitätswirtschaft
87 (1988), pp. 429-436
9. IEC 60865-2, Short-circuit currents - Calculation of
effects. Part 2: Examples of calculation, Geneva: IEC,
1994
10. IEC TC 73/CIGR SC 23 WG 11, The mechanical
effects of short-circuit currents in open air substations
(Rigid and flexible bus-bars), Vol. 105, Geneva; IEC,
Paris: CIGRE, 1996
11. Meyer, W., Herold, G., Zeitler, E-: Short-circuit
currents - Calculation of effects. The second edition of
IEC Publication 865, in Proceedings of the 6th
International Symposium on Short-Circuit Currents in
Power Systems, Liège (Belgium), 1994.
257