34 Application

Application

Triple-country protection
OMICRON’s CPC 100 + CP CU1 measures complex
three-terminal HV lines for protection settings

Hoheneck 123.8 km
(77.4 mi)

112.5 km
(70.3 mi)

132.4 km
D
(82.8 mi)
Herbertingen
common connection point

Tiengen

CH
Measurement setup at the 220 kV three-terminal
line in Southern Germany, connecting the Hoheneck,
Tiengen and Bürs substations (Depicted with the section
Bürs AT
Tiengen-Herbertingen off grid and without grounding).

OMICRON Magazine | Volume 3 Issue 2 2012

 Application 35

Amprion GmbH in Germany operates a transmission grid with voltage levels of

380 kV and 220 kV with a distance of around 11 000 kilometers (7 000 miles). It also
operates approximately 160 switchgear and transformer stations between South-
ern Germany and the border with both Switzerland and Austria, representing the
longest high-voltage grid in Germany. Due to its central location in Europe, the grid
is an important hub for north-south and east-west power trading on the continent.
The company’s goal is to reduce protection setting tolerances to a minimum based
on measurements taken with OMICRON's CPC 100 + CP CU1 system.

The test object was a three-terminal line in southern
Germany, which connects the transformer stations in
Hoheneck (D), Waldshut-Tiengen (border D/CH) and
Bürs (A). The common connection point for the three-
terminal line is located in Herbertingen (D). A parallel
400 kV power line is installed on the same tower-series
as the measured 220 kV three-terminal line. The 400 kV
line has remained in operation throughout the mea-
surement process, therefore the induced voltage in the
measurement circuit was expected to be higher than
in typical cases.
The measurement of the three-terminal line was
particularly interesting because it allowed the line pa-
rameters, that had been calculated based on empirical
values, to be checked for deviations. The fault current
on a three-terminal line is typically supplied by mul-
tiple power sources. This effect also causes additional
uncertainties in distance protection. Knowing the
precise line impedances allows the distance protection
errors to be reduced significantly.
Protection setting challenge
The advantage of a three-terminal line lies in the fact
that it requires fewer switching fields and high-voltage
apparatus than a conventional constellation. When
space is at a premium, extension projects at trans-
former stations often rely on three-terminal lines of
this nature. However, one key disadvantage of these
three-terminal lines is that they represent an unfavor-
able constellation from a protection perspective. In
addition to this, creating the protection concept is
significantly more complicated than with conventional
overhead lines.
For each three-terminal line in the Amprion grid a line
differential protection and a distance protection with
a telecommunication scheme are used. The distance
protection equipment requires an individual setting.
Performing maintenance work on the overhead line
represents another problem encountered when using
three-terminal lines, since the entire three-way system
must always be de-energized.
Influences on short-circuit current
Besides the standard protection settings, the greatest
challenge lies in taking all potential operating situa-
tions into account. The short circuit current that needs
to be anticipated depends heavily on the number
of lines feeding the upstream transformer station.
Busbars operated in coupled mode also have a major
impact on the short-circuit current. The number and
distribution of the grounded transformer star points in
the upstream systems lead to further deviations.

OMICRON Magazine | Volume 3 Issue 2 2012

36 Application

500 V

500 V
CPC 100 CP CU1 CP GB1

CPC 100
Conventional CP CU1
measurement CP GB1

1 000 V
1000 V

CPC 100 con mayor

CPC 100 protección contra
CP GB1
CP CU1 with sobretensiones
increased
CP CU1 surge protection

Adjusted measurement
Series connection of the outputs from two CP CU1 systems for induced voltages of up to 1 000 V.

The goal is to always be able to determine the influence the ad-
ditional fault current, in-feed via the third terminal, has on the
protection scheme.
Geographical constellation as a logistical hurdle
Due to the length of the power lines and the resulting distances
between the supply points of the three-terminal line, a decision
was made to place a team with one CPC 100 and two CP CU1s at
each of these points. This allowed the duration of the measure-
ment to be significantly reduced because the travel time did not
influence the duration of the test. Detailed planning was neces-
sary to ensure a smooth test.
One branch of the three-terminal line had to be left ungrounded
for each of the three subsequent measurements, which created
an additional measurement problem. The ungrounded branch of
the three-terminal line acted like a large capacitor in parallel to
the line that was being tested. This additional capacitance influ-
enced the measurement results significantly, causing a deviation
in impedance when compared with other measurements of the
three individual lines. However, a consequent calculation of the
capacitance along the non-grounded branch allowed this error to
be eliminated.
Time-saving measurement
Using the CPC 100 + CP CU1, current is fed into the
various line-line and line-ground loops of the line
grounded at the other end. The voltages, currents and
phase angles are then measured automatically. The
different measurement results obtained by the various
measurement loop constellations are then used to
calculate the line parameters needed.
The outputs of two CP CU1 units were connected in
series to handle the high induced voltage that was
expected due to the neighboring operational 400 kV
transmission line. The level of the induced voltage cou-
pling is influenced by the power flow of the neighbor-
ing system as well as the distance that the two systems
are running parallel to one another.
Thanks to OMICRON's CPC 100 + CP CU1 system, it
was possible to complete all measurements within
just six hours. This is a key advantage, since the short
downtime of the three-terminal line allows these mea-
surements to be taken within the scope of standard
scheduled maintenance.

Magazine | Volume 3 Issue 2 2012

 Application 37

Louis van Rooyen

Louis van Rooyen has been working

since 2011 in operations, project works
and maintenance for Amprion in
Ludwigsburg, Germany.

Power line parameters that cannot be estimated accurately
Measuring the positive sequence impedance confirmed the
precise modeling of the conductors with their corresponding ar-
rangement in Amprion's overhead line database. It is also clearly
evident from measurement comparisons that calculating the
positive sequence impedance can be done very accurately, if the
exact line geometry is used. However, significant deviations of the
zero sequence impedance between the calculated and measured
values were recorded. These deviations were expected,m
because
k 8,321
)im 4,77(
calculating the zero sequence impedance is considerably more
complex than calculating the positive sequence impedance.
Various parameters, such as soil conditions, the distance between
lines and the ground, and also metallic conductors such as rails or
water pipes all have to be taken into consideration when calculat-
ing the zero sequence impedance. On the other hand positive
D
sequence impedance calculations are
mk 4rarely
,231 influenced by these
)im 8,28(
parameters and can basically be disregarded. negnit rebreH
númoc nóixenoc ed otnup
While calculating positive sequence and zero sequence imped-
ance differs greatly, there are no differences in the actual mea-
surement process. The various effects that impact the impedance
(as seen by the protection relay due to the flow of the real fault
current) also apply to the measurement circuit and injected test
current. It can therefore be assumed, that the zero se-
quence impedance is also measured correctly when a
close correlation between the simulation and measure-
ment of the positive sequence impedance is achieved.
Getting an accurate reading of the actual zero se-
quence impedance now allows the protection setting
tolerances to be reduced to a minimum. This in turn
guaranteeskthe
cenbest
ehoHpossible selectivity.
Constant use
The OMICRON testing equipment has proven its value
in testing important high-voltage lines and will con-
tinue to play
mkan
5,21important
1 role at Amprion in future.
)im 3,07(
In fact, the CPC 100 + CP CU1 combination is likely to
see even more use based on future line constellations
(so-called 'mixed conductors'). It is vital to perform
line impedance measurements, since important line
parameters like zero sequence impedance cannot be
negneiT
estimated accurately. This is the only way to guarantee
optimum protection.
HC Dr. Wernich de Villiers
Head of Product Management
Test & Diagnostics Solutions for Primary Assets

TA srüB

Magazine | Volume 3 Issue 2 2012