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400 kV ROMANIAN - HUNGARIAN LINK. UPGRADING THE EXISTING

INTERCONNECTION LINE

by

A. POPESCU(*, M. CARAIMAN, M. MECULESCU, S. COATU, N. GOLOVANOV, B. NICOARA,

G. GHEORGHITA, L. BONCU, M. IVAN M. COSTEA, D. RUCINSCHI

ISPE s.a. Bucharest University “Politehnica” of Bucharest

( ROMANIA )

Abstract
Romania and Hungary intent to have an
interconnection at 400 kV voltage in the next future.
The existing link between Arad in Romania and Szeged
in Hungary, has been operating for about 25 years at
220 kV voltage, on the structures initially designed for
400 kV conditions. During this time, the reference
standards for meteorological conditions and
methodologies of the line elements design were
changed.
A complete expertise of the line on the Romanian
territory was done and after that, the samples of
conductors, earthwires, dampers, insulator strings and
guys were tested in the mechanical and electrical
laboratories. A project was designed and now, the
refurbishment of the line elements and the upgrading of
the representative towers are ready.
between RENEL (Romanian Electricity Authority) and
between MVMT company (Hungarian Electricity
Authority) in 1997the operation to 400 kV of the
interconnection line between the two systems is to be
done by linking this line to 400 kV substations at
Sandorfalva (Hungary) and Mintia (Romania). The
achievement of the interconnection to 400 kV between
two national power systems, required the execution of
important works at 400 kV substations in Sibiu and
Mintia and on the overhead electric lines Sibiu - Mintia
(130 km) and Mintia - Arad (138 km) that were
operated at 220 kV voltage. The lines between Sibiu
and Sandorfalva (373 km, out of which 53 km on the
Hungarian territory) has been submitted to a complex
rehabilitation programme taking into consideration its
importance.

Keywords: Interconnection/Upgrading/Refurbishment

1. General
Under the new political and economical conditions of
the Eastern and Central European countries after 1990,
Romania has made its opinion to extend the co-
operation with the European states in the energy field
and to interconnect the national power system to the
power systems affiliated to UCPTE. The transition of
the interconnection line Arad (Romania) - Szeged
(Hungary), (Fig. 1) to 400 kV operation is one of the
major requirements to interconnect the Romanian
power system to the power systems affiliated to
UCPTE. The overhead electric line Arad-Szeged,
designed to be operated at 400 kV voltage has been Fig. 1 Romanian network designed at 400 kV
running for about 25 years to 220 kV voltage taking
into consideration the energy requirements in the area. 2. Present condition of the line
In compliance with the agreement concluded in 1996 In order to retrofit the main, its present condition has
_____________________________________________ been examined by the visual analysis of all component
*) 1-3 Lacul Tei Blvd, Bucharest 72301
elements on the Romanian entire route and by
speciality laboratory tests upon its mechanical and
electric elements
2.1 Visual analysis
The analysis performed on the entire line pointed out
the necessity of some intervention works to all
component elements of the line. In the hilly zone of the
line, due to the geological instability, a series of
anchored portal towers showed deviations from the
vertical line. In the afforested zones, the line right of
way didn’t meet the 400 kV voltage level. Generally,
the towers foundations were in good condition, but
faults that resulted in the corrosion of reinforcing steel
shielding bare have been remarked. The following have
been noticed:
n cracks caused by the chemical action of the
polluting agents in the sulphates, chlorides,
carbonates zone (Fig. 2);
n damages due to the agricultural equipment impact;
n soil off-covering caused by rain flooding;
Fig. 2 Cracked foundation due to the pollution
In case of some earthing systems, the following have
been found:
n loosened earth strap-tower connections;
n stripping due to water flooding.
The towers on the line route although designed in
different stages and manufactured differently (welded-
painted or bolted-zinc plated, of common steel or
CORTEN) presented damages as follows:
n tower elements bent at the lower side of structures
due to agricultural equipment (Fig.4);
n deviations from the verticality and rotations of the
guyed portal towers;
Fig. 3 Off covered foundation due to the rain flooding
n modifications of the tower basis geometry due to
local land slide;
n lower parts of the guys hit by the agricultural
equipment (Fig. 5);
n elements (angles, plates, guys) that have the
protection coat (zinc or paint) damaged;
n joints (angles + gusset plates + bolts) affected by
corrosion (Fig. 6);
n missing elements due to robberies;
n weakened guys.
Initially, the electric insulation of the line has been
achieved by insulator strings cap and pin type, made of
toughened glass with 110 kN and 160 kN UTS and
long rod porcelain type with 100 kN UTS. The type and
the number of insulators in strings where initially
chosen function of the polluted crossed zones (the
specific creepage distances are ranged between 1.76
and 3.60 cm/kV) In case of insulator strings, the
following have to be mentioned:
the existence of some deposits (especially next to the
thermal power plant at Mintia, a cement factory and
 a chemical factory) on both sides of the insulators and
that cannot be removed by flushing;
n broken insulators;
n corroded shieldings.

Fig. 6 Main member - stub angle joint, affected by

corrosion

The line conductors (2 x ACSR 450/75 mm2 per phase)

had an adequate aspect free of corrosion tracks. On the
conductor surface there were fine deposits resulted from
smoke. In the cement factory area, the deposits were
cemented, with local prominence up to 5 cm (Fig. 7)
Fig. 4 Tower with angles bent by agricultural
equipment

Fig. 7 Cemented prominence on conductors

The visual analysis pointed out:

n faulting of some spacers;
n faulting of some dampers (Stockbridge type) by
excessively bending of the counterweights cable;
n differences of sags between the sub-conductors of
the bundle;
n differences of sags between the phases;
n sags rising due to the conductors creepage.

The shieldwires (two conductors due to the horizontal

arrangement of the conductors) are of steel reinforced,
with 70 and 95 mm2 area, on most part of the line.
Fig. 5 Guy hit by agricultural equipment Near substations and on the sections parallel to the
telecommunication lines, the shieldwires are ACSR
160/95 mm2. This shieldwire was designed to
withstand the phase-earth short-circuit currents with
values up to 17 kA. The shieldwires ACSR type were in
good condition, free of corrosion tracks. The 70 and 95
mm2 shieldwires had corrosion tracks and some
sections presented an advanced corrosion stage (the
external layer has a damaged galvanised protection and
the next layer is affected from place to place).
2.2 Laboratory analyses
2.2.1 Mechanical tests
The tests regarding the 70 mm2 and 95 mm2
shieldwires, have been performed in order to establish
the tensile strength as well as the behaviour to alternate
bending and twisting. The tests results pointed out the
material fatigue characterised by 20% reduction values
as well as values below the standard ones to tests of
alternate bending and twisting in case of component
wires.
In case of dampers, the establishing of the dissipate
capacity by determining the dissipated energy on cycle
(for an imposed displacement, the constant of a clamp
has a value +/- 0.25 mm) as well as the dissipated
powers on the cycle duration (for a constant speed of
the clamp displacement with a value of +/-0.10 m/s).
The tests results pointed out the following:
n the resonance frequencies of its two modes (rotation
and translation) are distant that results in an
reduced efficiency of the dampers.
n the ratios between the maximum and minimum
values of the dissipated power are much greater as
compared to the present requirements that leads to
the narrowing of the working frequencies zone.
The steel cables with 16 mm diameter (from 61 wires
of 1.80 mm diameter or from 37 wires of 2.30 mm
diameter) used for the guyed towers have been
submitted to tensile strength test. The results of the
performed tests pointed out a reduction of the breaking
load up to 10% as against the standard value for new
conductors, by comparison to the reduction of the
breaking load up to 20% accepted by the Romanian
procedure until the replacement, by the safety
coefficients adopted to the new stays). The laboratory
tests showed that in case of cables with the wire
diameter of 1.80 mm, the corrosion damaged the zinc
coating of the external layer, about 50% from the
galvanic coating of the second layer and no
significantly affected the third one. In case of cables
with the wire diameter of 2.30 mm, the corrosion
couldn’t reach the third layer.
The mechanical test of long rod type insulators showed
(on a batch of 20 pieces) that the breaking loads of
about 30% of the batch are ranged between 88% …
97% of the standard breaking loads values.
2.2.2 Electric tests
The laboratory tests were performed on three jumper
strings, taken of the line and naturally polluted. The
test arrangement (Fig. 8) simulated the line working
conditions. The characteristics of the strings and
insulators as well as the real clearances “conductor-
tower” are resumed in Table 1. The withstand voltages
taken into consideration for performing the tests and
the test results are resumed in Tables 2 and 3. The
following solutions have been adopted as a result of
these tests, in order to meet the required insulation
level:
a) providing some “conductor-tower” clearances of at
least 2.80 m in case of the A type equipment, by
remaking the existing jumpers;
b) replacement of the B type equipment, of 24 cap and
pin insulators PS-16 B type per chain, by new
insulators that have similar characteristics
c) replacement of the C type equipment, of 22 cap and
pin insulators PS-11 type, by new ones (23
insulators of CTS 120-1 type). This will provide the
recommended insulation level, the insulator string
is shorted by 10% and the specific leakage distance
increases by 6%.
An alternative to variants b and c, would lie in adding
new insulators to the existing strings, having the same
class. The tests (50 Hz withstand voltage, wet)
indicated the necessity to add 7 new insulators which
would lead to lengthen the string by about 27%. The
great number of new insulators that should be added to
the existing ones is necessary due to the highly non-
uniformly distribution of voltage across the insulators
along a string made up both of polluted insulators and
new ones.
3. Line refurbishment
The main works considered for refurbishment of the
line were:
n Repair of the damaged foundations, making the
drainage for the deviation of the rain water, off
covering the foundations attached by chemical
agents, cleaning the surface after the performance of
tests regarding the concrete quality, repair of this
foundation section.
n Repair of the earthing system by:
• making the connections between the straps and
towers;
• extensions or repair of the earthing system,
function of the data, obtained by measurements
regarding the soil resistevity in the zone;
• checking the connections of the earthwires to the
earthwire peaks;
• checking the earthwires connection to the
substations earthing systems;
n Repair of towers integrity on the line route by:
• replacement of the distorted diagonal members or
the bracings
 • completion of the missing bolts from the bolted Table 3 Test results.
poles; Equip With stand
ment L.I. S.I. U50 Hz Remarks
• finding out, cleaning and repainting the zones A not O.K. O.K. O.K. Sparkover “line-tower”
affected by corrosion. at L.I.
B O.K. O.K. not O.K. 50 Hz flashover-voltage:
598 kV
C O.K. O.K. not O.K. 50 Hz flashover-voltage:
624 kV

n Making the line insulation uniform by replacing the

long rod insulators by taughened glass cap and pin
insulators; at the same time the cap and pin
elements were replaced because an adequate
solution of cleaning the dirty insulators couldn’t be
found out; therefore, the solution of using new
insulators was adopted. A particular attention was
given to assure the mechanical characteristics of the
string. In this respect, all metal elements affected by
corrosion and belonging to the string were replaced
(especially a fastening bolts for the yoke); at the
same time all damaged metal elements (supporting
clamps, guarding rings) were submitted to the same
operation
n Bringing the conductors and shieldwires to the
design parameters by:
• performance of topografic measurements and re-
stringing the conductors in order to have the
ground clearances required by the design;
• the overrising of towers in the areas where
ground clearances couldn’t be achieved due to
some modifications in the field (new local roads,
close constructions etc.);
• rectification of the passage way in the afforested
zones in order to assure the safety clearances to
Fig. 8 Test arrangement the trees;
• replacement of the shieldwires as well as the guy
Table 1. Tested equipment characteristics cables in the zones affected by chemical pollution
Equip ment
Denomination A, very heavy B, med. C, light • replacement of the damaged dampers and
polluted Polluted polluted spacers;
Jumper loop
- clearance (mm) 2600 2900 2800
Insulator
4. Additional works
- type CTS120-2P(* PS-16B(* PS-11(** The energising the line at 400 kV voltage, in
- class 120 kN 160 kN 110 kN compliance with the present standards required the
- creepage dist.(mm) 445 350 320 performance of additional works on the line route. The
- spacing (mm) 146 170 170
String modifications of the geological structure in case of
- number of some slopes imposed rectifications of local route, by
insulators 30 24 22 using new towers. The achievement of a route with
- insulating dist.(mm) 4380 4080 3740
- creepage dist.(mm) 13350 8400 7040 geological stability in the zone would have led to
- specific creepage important modifications of the initial route (more than
distance (mm/kV) 31.80 20 16.80 10 km new line - with implications in obtaining the
*) Romanian market
**) Russian market
necessary approvals from the landowners and
substantial costs and very long time achievements).
Due to these reasons, there has been adopted a solution
Table 2. Withstand voltages. Test values. with a certain factor of risk assumed by local deviations
Withstand Voltage (kV) as well as the use of guyed towers that limited the
Highest voltage for Lightning Switching Power
the equipment, Um impulse impulse frequency length of the line sections and at the same time the use
(kV) (L.I.) (S.I.) (U50 Hz) of angle towers, the conductor being still operated on
420 1550 1050 680 rolls and allowing short displacements of the tower. At
the same time the foundation solutions took into
consideration the achievement of foundation plates and
concrete beams for stiffening and for impeding the
tower legs operate independentely.
Another problem occured due to the fact thet the 400
kV substation in Arad would be operated after the term
of energizing the lines. Considering this situation, the
by-pass linking of Mintia - Arad and Arad -
Sandorfalva lines has been temporarily provided,
represending a line with 243 km length. According to
the standards, this length requires the achievement of a
complete phase transposition cycle. The cycle can be
achieved by transposition towers in the following
solutions:
a) 1/6L + 1/3L + 1/3L + 1/6L
b) 1/3L + 1/3L + 1/3L, where L is the line length.
The b solution was choosenas the a solution that would
lead to the performance of interventions on the
Hungarian territory. The transpositions were made on
the existing tension towers in the presented solution
(Fig. 9)
Fig. 9 Transposition tower
5. Line upgrading
The recalculation according to the present standards of
the line towers achieved in compliance with the
existing standards in different periods of time was
aimed at assuring the safety parameters necessary for
the operation of an overhead line that interconnects two
network systems to 400 kV voltage. In case of Y type
towers, the recalculation based on the present standard
led to the necessity of reinforcing of some diagonal
members in the beam where the efforts were exceeded
two times and the reinforcement in certain cases of
upper haunch main members and the joint bolts as well
as the achievement of horizontal bracings in order to
avoid the distortion of the section front sides (to be
remarked at the existing towers)
In case of guyed towers, the recalculation based on the
present standard implied the taking into consideration
of the longitudinal loads in case of broken conductors
and the results showed the necessity of replacing some
angles of the bridge and crossarms (very difficult to
execute)
By adopting a longitudinal load of 1100 daN (as
against 750 daN in the initial project), it is necessary to
mount additional bars on the lateral sides and on the
bottom of the crossarms. Consequently, the failure
cascade propagation is limitted in case of some possible
accidents. The character modification of some zones in
the line route determined the occurrence of some
sections characterized by intense pollution (for which a
specific flash-over line with 3.10 cm/kV insulation, is
necessary). As the solutions with cap and pin
insulators, couldn’t provide the clearances, due to the
excessive length, according to the performed analyses,
the solution with composite insulators, was adopted for
these zones
6. Conclusions
The energising at 400 kV of a line designed for this
voltage after it has been operated for 25 years to 220
kV voltage, implied the achievement of important
works for refurbishment and improvement, by taking
into consideration the importance of these lines for the
operation in the network. The detailed analyses of all
line elements pointed out the influence of different
factors upon their behaviour.
Finally, the attention was drawn upon the reduction in
time of the overhead electric line reliability as a result
of different external factors (pollution, aggressivity,
geological stability) or objective factors (legislative
changes, re-examinations of standards) that have to be
taken into consideration both in the design and
maintenance and repair works of the power plants.