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Earth fault
In Finland, the medium-voltage network is either neutral isolated or earthed
via an arc-suppression coil.
a)
b)
c)
d)
single-phase
earth fault or
conductor fall
two-phase-toearth short circuit
double earth fault
broken conductor
and single-phase
earth fault on the
load side
Earth fault
Earth fault small currents, dangerous touch voltages
In a neutral isolated and suppressed (resonant earthed) network, there is no
low-impedance path for the fault current of a single-phase earth fault to
short-circuitthe circuit.
The fault current has a path only via the earth capacitances of the
conductors.
Fault current is very low (1200 A)
Earth fault
Earth fault current
I f = U v 3C0
where Co is the earth capacitance of the network / phase
Earth capacitance depends thus on the total length of the network
downstream from the main transformer and the earth capacitances of the
conductors.
When there is fault resistance at the point of fault
3 C o
=
1 + (3 C o Rf )
In other words, the fault resistance reduces the fault current that is very
small already.
Therefore, it is extremely difficult to detect faults that occur through a large
fault resistance.
Lappeenranta University of Technology
Earth fault
Earth fault current depends on the line length of the entire network
and the earth capacitance of the conductor type.
Approximations:
U l
kV
km A
Overhead line: I f 300
20
Example
U l
kV
km A
Underground cable: I f
5
110/20
60 km 20 kV
20
overhead line 4 A
20
cable 240 A
Above, we have the total length (not the length of main lines)
Lappeenranta University of Technology
U = 3 U v
1
1 + (3 C o R f )
U v
U mmax =
500
[V]
t
10
Earthing voltage,
touch voltage
Earthing voltage is not the same as the touch voltage experienced by a
person or animal at the point of earth fault.
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Suppressed network
In suppressed (resonant earthed) network, an arc-suppression coil (an
inductance) is connected between the neutral point of the main transformer
and earth to compensate capacitive earth fault current.
If the reactance L of the arc-suppression coil is equal to the reactance
1/3Co formed by the earth capacitances, then the earth fault current Im 0.
In practice, there is always some imperfection in tuning; however, also in
these cases the earth fault current is very low.
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Suppressed network
Thanks to the low earth fault current, the requirements concerning the
earthing voltage are easier met; furthermore, a low-current earth fault arc
often extinguishes itself (without any high-speed auto-reclosing function).
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Suppressed network
Neutral isolated network
Suppressed network
L1
L1
L2
L2
L3
L3
C1
C1
110/21kV
110/21kV
L1
L2
a
II
L
IL
L1
L2
IR
L3
If
C2
II
L3
If
C2
Rf
Rf
b
Ic
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Suppressed network
1
1 + R 3C0
I mf =
(Rf + R ) + R R 3C0 1
L
2
f
U
3
2
3
4
5
Earth fault curr. of
Resid. earth fault c.
neutral isolated netw. of suppressed netw.
A
A
5
25
20
50
30
40
-
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Earth fault
Example: There are five feeders from a primary substation. The feeder
1 is an overhead line feeder with a total length of 80 km. The feeders 2,3
and 4 are underground cable feeders with total lengths of 10, 15 and 0.5
km, respectively. The earth capacitance/phase of the overhead lines is 6
nF/km, and for the cables 320 nF/km.
a) Determine the earth fault current, when a direct earth fault occurs at the beginning of the
feeder 1
b) Calculate the maximum earth fault current, when in the case of a backup supply, 100 km
of overhead line and 5 km of underground cable has been connected to the feeder 4.
c) How does the fault current and zero-sequence voltage corresponding to a normal
connection change, when the fault resistance varies between 0 and 100 k ?
d) An earth fault occurs in the protective earthing, the earthing resistance of which is 20 .
Determine the earthing voltage acting over the earthing. How does the earthing voltage
change, if the earthing is improved so that its resistance is 5 .
e) Determine the size of an inductance required at the neutral point, if the target is to
compensate the capacitive earth fault current of the network (suppression)
16
Fault current is usually high (difficult to calculate), and flows in the ground
where the conductivity is at highest (water pipes, cable sheaths etc.)
Significant voltage differences in the ground e.g. between water pipes and
communication cables; will result in breakdowns and other serious damages
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
Iv =
3C0 3C0 j
3C0
I mf
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terminal
sheath
25
L1
L1
L2
L2
L3
L3
C1
C1
110/21 kV
110/21 kV
L1
L2
a
II
L
IL
L1
L2
IR
L3
If
C2
II
L3
If
C2
Rf
Rf
b
Ic
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Suppressed network
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28
In order for the earth fault to extinguish itself, and for the fault
location
the duration of the earth fault should be as long as possible
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29
Calculation formulas
Neutral isolated network:
mf
3
1 + (3
C
CR
o
=
1 + (3
CoR f )
U v
Suppressed network:
mf
1 + Ro2 (3
1 2
)
L
1 2
( R f + Ro ) + R R (3 C o
)
L
2
2
f
2
o
(1 / Ro ) 2
I mf
1
+ (3 C
)
o
L
30
Suppressed network
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Example
Example: Design the set values of the earth fault protection for the
network illustrated below. The protection has to operate selectively in an
earth fault occurring via the 500 fault resistance always when at least two
feeders are switched on. The earth capacitance of the overhead line is 6.0
nF/km, phase. The earth capacitance of the underground cable (AHXAMKW 120 mm2) is 230 nF/km, phase.
Overhead line 80 km
Undergr.cable 14 km
Undergr.cable 21 km
110/20 kV
Undergr.cable 0.7 km
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Operating conditions:
sum current > set value
neutral point voltage > set value
angular phase shift between current and voltage
90o 75o in neutral isolated network
0o 75o in suppressed network
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34
Zero-sequence voltage
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Zero-sequence voltage
Example of monitoring zero-sequence voltage. A tree on the line, 100 % corresponds to a 5 V voltage (Hmeen Shk Oy).
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Zero-sequence voltage
Phase currents in a faulted feeder, when the earth fault occurs at time 10 ms.
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Zero-sequence voltage
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