POWER TRANSFORMERS: Saturation Compensation Modeling, Simulation, and Experiments

John Thomas, Dr. David Cope Engineering Matters, Inc. 23 Farwell Street Newton, MA 02460
www.engineeringmatters.com

14 October 2003
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Engineering Matters Short Form Resume

Incorporated 1998 Woman-Owned Small Business Won several Phase I and Phase II SBIRs Electromechanical Focus
Specialty motors, robotics, electromagnetic signature control and analysis

Direct drive force feedback joysticks

Several patents received Three high-performance versions available

Ansoft user since 1984.

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Engineering Matters Design & Analysis Expertise

Electromagnetics
Motors Actuators Sensors

Mechanical design
Prototype Design for Manufacturing

Electrical design
Power Analog and digital design

Software design
Firmware GUI/API Computer interfacing

Systems integration

Control design.
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Power Transformer Saturation Progression

Large scale common mode transformer currents, through a series of physical interactions, cause many deleterious effects. In some notable cases, these effects have led to total system collapse.
Harmonics

SMD ESP EMP

B H

GIC
HEAT

SMD = Solar Magnetic Disturbance EMP = Electromagnetic Pulse ESD = Earth Surface Potential GIC = Ground-Induced Currents VAR = Volts-Amps Reactive

VAR

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Reasons for interest in transformer saturation

Transformer DC current causes half-cycle saturation, generation of harmonics, over-heating, increased audible noise, and mechanical stress. Results in decreased transformer life.
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(t) B(H)

t4 DC Flux Offset t1 t2 t3

t5

t6 t H

t1 t2 t3 t4 t5 t6 t

Imag

Ground-Induced Currents (GIC)

Two Causes:
Solar Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) affect utility operations
Generates an Earth-surface potential (1-10 V/km) Drives a quasi-DC ground current (10-100A DC) Duration 2-4 hours.

Image credit: NASA

I/3

I/3

I/3

I/3

HEMP effects are more intense than CME effects

10X voltage (10-100 V/km) 10X current (~1000A DC) 10-15 minutes/burst.

I I/3 I/3

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Solar Magnetic Disturbances

Solar magnetic disturbances (SMD) emit coronal mass ejections (CME) that interact with the earths magnetic field.
Image credit: NASA

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SMDs follow the 11 Year Sunspot Cycle

March 2003

Measurement period

Image credit: Meteorological Satellite Applications Branch, Air Force Weather Agency.

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Overall Electrical Schematic for GIC Compensation

Source Energy Storage 3 Generator Transmission Line Single Phase XFMR Phase A Load

GIC Compensation

Tertiary Winding

60 Hz Filter Y-Y XFMR

GIC injection (simulated) GIC injection (simulated) GIC injection (simulated) GSU XFMR

Single Phase XFMR

Phase B Load GIC Compensation

Tertiary Winding

Earth ground

Single Phase XFMR

Phase C Load

GIC Compensation

Tertiary Winding

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Ansoft Maxwell & Simplorer Modeling

Three cases: (1) No GIC (before), (2) GIC (during), (3) GIC with compensation (after) Maxwell 2D nonlinear Model Simplorer Model
Block diagram & circuit simulation Post processing analysis.
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Maxwell-Simplorer Linkages Nonlinear Transformer Model

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Simplorer Block Diagram

Functionality of three circuits (PLL, time delay switch, op-amps)

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Simplorer Results: Saturation Compensation Control

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Simplorer Results: Closed-loop Error Signal & Correction Current

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Simplorer Results: Post-processing FFT

Before GIC I2n~0 During GIC, large I2n After GIC with Compensation I2n~0
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Maxwell 2D Results: Transformer |B| plots

Before GIC During GIC

After GIC with

Compensation
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Sub-scale Mock-up Demo Unit

Sub-scale demonstration unit built & tested Experimental measurements compared with simulation results

Transmission Lines

GSU XFMR

Filter

Generator

GIC Injection Filter Compensation Circuits

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Step-down XFMR

Load

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Sub-scale Unit Measurements:

Error Signal & Compensation Current

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Sub-scale Unit Measurements:

Primary currents for three cases

Before GIC

During GIC

After GIC with Compensation

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Sub-scale Unit Measurements:

FFT Harmonic Amplitudes

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Transformer Saturation Compensation Summary

Natural & man-made events can cause transformer saturation which threatens power electric system stability and reliability Regained transformer stability by automated measurement and compensation Achieved very good comparison between simulations and experiments Future work will extend SMPS capabilities to higher power and voltage. More modeling and simulation are needed.
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Additional Projects of Interest (designed with Maxwell 3D)

Force Feedback Joystick (Direct drive,
wide bandwidth, very rugged)

MEMS OXC actuator

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Robotic Design and System IntegrationPower Electronics, Vehicle design, Test Plan; RC, Motor and Battery selection

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Acknowledgements
The GIC-compensation project was developed with funding from the United States Army Space & Missile Defense Command Contract numbers DASG60-01C-0017 and DASG60-02-C-0066.

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Unconventional Alternative Power Applications

Geothermal Wave-action Human-effort

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Bill Powell working out in Icelandic geothermal pool

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References
Introduction to Geomagnetic Fields, Wallace Campbell, Cambridge University Press, NY, 1997. Geomagnetic Storms and Their Impact on Power System, Kappenman, John, G., IEEE Power Engineering Review, May 1996, p. 5. Comparison of SS-GIC and MHD-EMP-GIC effects on power systems, Meliopoulos, A.P.S.; Glytsis, E.N.; Cokkinides, G.J.; Rabinowitz, M. Georgia Inst. of Technol., Atlanta, GA, USA Power Delivery, IEEE Transactions on, Pages: 194-207 Jan. 1994 Vol. 9 Issue: 1 ISSN: 0885-8977. "Geomagnetically induced Currents during Magnetic Storms", R. Pirjola, Plasma Science, IEEE Transaction on, Vol. 28, No. 6, Dec. 2000, p. 1867.
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Significant Power System Outages (GIC & Other)

GIC Storms:
February 1986, March 1989, March 1991, November 1991 and May 1992.

General Outages (place, people affected, duration):

US August 2003, 50M, 1620 hr. London August 2003, 1.5M, 1 hr. Denmark & Sweden September 2003, 5M, 4 hr. Italy September 2003, 57M, 9 hr.

GIC-Utility Events (place, people affected, duration):

North America: April 1940, Sept. 1989, March 1991, Oct 1991 Quebec March 1989, 6M, 9 hr. massive outage

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March 13, 1989 GIC-related Events

Image credit: Kappenman

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