Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
1979
COMPUTATION OF POTENTIAL AT SURFACE ABOVE AN ENERGIZED GRID OR OTHER
ELECTRODE, ALLOWING FOR NON-UNIFORM CURRENT DISTRIBUTION
Robert J. Heppe, Senior Member, IEEE
Computer Sciences Corporation
6565 Arlington Boulevard
Falls Church, Virginia 22046
Abstract - Equations presented in most papers on grid and the surface voltage at several points,
the computation of voltages at the surface of the required the solution of only 16 simultaneous
earth near a buried energized electrode grid of bare equations in 16 unknowns, and took only 4 seconds of
wires are based on the assumption that leakage CPU time. Modifying the program to handle a 16x16
current density is the same at all points along the grid required no additional lines of code in the 62
wire grid. This paper presents a method for allowing line program or its subroutines. The computer time
for the effects of variation of leakage current and the computer program required to handle grids
density caused by the proximity of parallel with varied spacing is exactly the same as for grids
conductors, cross conductors, angled conductors, and with uniform spacing, if the spacing is symmetrical
end eff ects. Examples are presented showing the about the center of the grid in both directions.
effect of the non-uniform leakage in some cases. The Finally, this paper contains equations
method given herein also can be used to compute permitting one to compute the mutual resistance of
surface voltages in the vicinity of electrodes orthogonal and angled conductors. These equations
composed of wires oriented at arbitrary angles, such are not easy to locate in the literature, nor to
as combinations of stars and polygons, and the derive.
resistance to ground of such electrodes.
METHOD
INTRODUCTION
The problem divides naturally into two parts:
The grid of wires under a substation rises to a Finding the values of leakage currents in segments of
high voltage relative to distant earth during fault the conductors, and using these leakage current
conditions. Although the wires are usually at nearly values to compute the voltage at any desired point on
the same potential throughout the grid, the leakage the surface. Most of this paper will f ocus on the
current density from the wires to the soil varies first of these two parts, because the second part is
because of the proximity of nearby parallel and/or simple and straightforward.
cross conductors and because of end effects. In a
uniformly spaced grid, the leakage current density is Finding the Current Distribution
smallest near the center of the grid and highest at
the edges and corners. Nevertheless, equations and In order to find the leakage current
methods presented in the literature for computing distribution, one conceptually breaks up the
voltages and voltage gradients at the surface of the electrode into many segments, each segment consisting
earth in the vicinty of such a grid of ten are based of a single piece of straight wire. Within each
on the simplifying approximation that leakage current segment, leakage current density will be assumed to
density is the same at all points of all the wires of be constant, but will be allowed to be different from
the grid. Appendix 1 of IEEE Std 80, for example, segment to segment. (More complicated approximations
gives a mathematical analysis 6f the surface voltage could alternatively be used such as assuming that
gradient problem using the assumptions that the leakage current density varies linearly from one end
leakage currents are the same in conductors near the of a segment to the other, but these refinements
edge of the grid as at the center, that leakage complicate the equations without necessarily
current is the same at all points on each conductor, improving the accuracy of the solution (41.)
and that cross conductors have a negligible effect If the electrode is in the form of a rectangular
[11. In the body of [11 there is an attempt to allow grid (Figure 1), a natural choice for the segments
for the effects of irregularities, but the method would be the pieces of wire between the crossings.
given therein can yield physically impossible If one wants even better accuracy, one can further
negative mesh voltages for certain design subdivide these pieces of wire into smaller
parameters. Some papers have been published giving segments. An example later in this paper
methods of computer analysis allowing for varying demonstrates how this is done and evaluates the
leakage current, but these generally have not been as effect this refinement has on the results of the
simple to understand and apply as one might wish (2, example.
31. The method given herein is relatively simple, After conceptually dividing the grid into
straightforward, and easy to program. Although it is segments, the next step is to number the segments,
based on the matrix method, computer time and core using consecutive numbers for segments which can be
requirements are relatively modest. For example, seen by symmetry to have the same leakage current.
solving for the leakage currents in the 112 wire Figure 1, for example, shows a square gri4 in earth
segments of a square 8x8 grid, and using these 112 of uniform resistivity with lines spaced closer
leakage currents to compute the resistance of the together near the edges than near the center, but
with the same spacing for the north-south lines as
the east-west lines. Furthermore, the north-south
lines are spaced symmetrically about a north-south
axis through the center of the grid, and the
east-west lines are spaced symmetrically about an
east-west axis through the center of the grid.
Inspection reveals that the line segments numbers 1
through 8 must, by symmetry, all have the same
F 79 274-2. A paper recommended and approved by the IEEE Substa- leakage current, because they are all of the same
tions Committee of the IEEE Power Engineering Society for presenta- length and are symmetrically placed as end segments
tion at the IEEE PES Winter Meeting, New York, NY, February 4-9, of an outside line. These will be called type 1
1979. Manuscript submitted September 18, 1978; made available for segments. Similarly, segments 9 through 16 have the
printing November 14, 1978. same leakage current, being end segments of a
0018-9510/79/1100-1978$00.75 ( 1979 IEEE
1979
second-from-outside line, and will be called type 2. values, is the column vector (list) of leakage
I
Segments 17 through 20 are center segments of an currents in the n types of segments, and V is the
outside line and will be called type 3. Segments 21 list of voltages on the n segments. It will be
through 24 are center segments of second lines, assumed herein that all of the segments are at the
herein called type 4. There are thus only 4 same voltage. This is usually permissible at power
different -current values to solve for, although there frequencies because the resistance and inductive
are 24 conductor segments in this example. If the reactance of the wires are small compared to the
north-south spacing were different from the east-west resistance between the segments and the earth. If
there would be eight values of current to solve for. one is interested in the response of the grid to
brief transients, such as those associated with
2 18 4 lightning surges, inductive effects become
important. This 'may also be the case at power
frequencies if the conductors are exceptionally long,
7 15 16 8 approaching or exceeding a skin depth in the earth.
The skin depth, 8, is given by
10 22 12
w2r P.10/f
where
19 23 24 20
p = resistivity in ohm - m
f = frequency in Hz
In such situations it is necessary to express each Vj
9 21 11 in terms of the applied voltage and the voltage drops
caused by leakage currents flowing through the
resistances and inductances and mutual inductances of
5 13 14 6 the segments. This paper will confine itself to the
case where all vJ 's are equal to v, the voltage
1 1 1 17 1 3
applied to the grid.
Once the r coefficients have been computed, all
Fig. 1. 4x4 grid. that is necessary (on most computers) is to call a
simultaneous equation solver routine from the library
As will be seen, the consecutive numbering of to find the currents. As will be seen, generating
similar segments is helpful. The order in which the coefficients, even in a large grid, requires only
segments of the same type are numbered is arbitrary a f ew lines of computer code. In order to generate
and imnaterial, but the computer program is the coefficients, we must relate the r terms in (1)
simplified if numbering is done so that the types of to the mutual resistances between the segments as
segments that have eight members are numbered first, numbered in Figure 1. These actual mutual
then the types that have four members. This is easy resistances will be designated as r'. With the
to do. In a large grid, the segements can be numbering system we have adopted in Figure 1 the
numbered and their coordinates generated with a few relationship is:
lines of computer code, if the grid is symnetrical. 8
The four values of leakage current can be found
by solving the following set of four simultaneous = r 8(i-1)+1, 8(j-l)+k i = 1,2
linear equations: j = 1,2
8
r11i 1+r122 1+ r3i3 + r14i4 V1 r
ii
r
4(i-1)+9, 8(j-l)+k 3,4
=
k-1i i =
r21i 1 r 222 + r23i3 + r24i4 V2 (1) j = 1,2
20
r31i + r322 + r33i3 + r33i4 v3 r.
ij = L17 8(i-l)+l, 4(J-3)+k
r
i = 1,2
r41i r43i3 r44i4
k-
+ r422 + + v4 j = 3,4
20
In these equations rjj is the sum of the self
resistance of a type j segment and the mutual
resistances between the segment and other segments of
1ri= Ek17 4(i-l)+9, 4(j-3)+k i = 3,4
j = 3,4
type j, and r k is the sum of the mutual resistance The rationale for these equations is simple. For
between a segment of type j and segments of type k. example, r44 is the voltage induced in a type 4
The voltage with respect to far distant ground on the segment by leakage currents from type 4 segments.
segments if v;. Currents i: are the values of
Specifically, the voltage induced in segment 21
leakage current in the four types of segments. The (which is a type 4 segment) by unit currents leaking
equations state that the sum of the voltages induced from segments of type 4 is r 21,21 + r 21,22 + r
into a segment by its own leakage and the leakage
from all other segments must be equal to the applied + r' 21,24 (The self resistence of segment 21 is
voltage. Expressed more compactly, in a grid with n ri' 2122 which was arbitrarily selected as the one
types of segments we have
n segment of its type whose current would be solved
for).
L =vI
r i j = 1,2,3,....n Each of the above four relationships can be
jkk-
programxued in five lines of FORTRAN code. For
or, still more compactly, example, the fourth relationship can be progranmned as
follows:
RI = V
DO 10 I=3,4
where R is the matrix of self and mutual resistance DO 10 J=3,4
1980
DO 10 K-17,20 Finding the Surface Voltage
CALL RMUT(4*(I-i)+9,4*(J-3)+K,RPRIME)
10R(I,J)aR(I,J) + RPRIME) Once the leakage currents in the various types
of segments have been found, the surface voltage at
In the above, RMUT is a subroutine which accepts any desired point can be found by superposition, by
the subscript numbers, obtains the coordinates and adding up the contributions of all the segments. The
orientation of the segments having those numbers, and equation to use for the contribution of a leakage
computes their mutual resistance which it returns as current of I amps from a segment of length L is:
the variable RPRIME. The same subroutine, and a
similar set of four relationships, can handle much in 2 2 2 (2)
larger grids. Thus, generating the r coefficients
takes no more than 20 lines of FORTRAN (exclusive of VxL\(x-L) 2+y 2+D2 + x-L
the subroutine) if the grid is symmetrical. where p is the resistivity of the soil (assumed
It should also be noted that the 24 - 576 homogeneous) and D is the depth. A coordinate system
possible self and mutual resistances in *the 4x4 grid is assumed in which the x axis lies on the surface
did not have to be calculated or stored. Instead, above and parallel to the segment, with the origin
only 96 mutual resistance values were computed, and over the left end of the segment, and the y axis is
these were sunmed as computed into only 16 horizontal and perpendicular to the x axis.
coefficients which had to be stored in core. Quantities x and y are the coordinates of the surface
Computer time and memory requirements are, therefore, point in this system.
more modest than might be expected with the matrix If the soil has a surface layer of thickness H
method. CPU time required on the Computer Sciences with resistivity P1 and a basement layer with
Infonet system was about 0.4 seconds for a 4x4 grid, resistivity P2 , equation 3 should be used if the
4 seconds for an 8x8 grid, and 64 seconds for a 16x16 segment is in the top layer and equation 4 if the
grid. This included reading in the geometrical data, segment is in the bottom layer:
computing the coefficients, solving the simultaneous / JX2y+D2
equations for the currents and printing them out, + X
computing and printing out the grounding resistance i2(L ln
of the grid, and computing and printing out the 5/(x-L) +y +D+x-L
surface voltages at several points. No lines had to
be added to the program or the subroutines to handle 00
7 18
15 16
23 24
(CG) + CA GF
.
sinG tan/ Remember that two values of R must be computed
and added to allow for the effect of the surface: The
-1 BF*CG tane t value for the two wires themselves, and the mutual
- tan
resistance between one wire and the image of the
(CG) + CB. GF sinetanG
other. This can conveniently be done by calling the
mutual resistance subroutine twice, once with z=0,
- tan~ 1 AECG tanG (A-4) and once with z=2D (for horizontal coplanar wires).
\(CG) 2+ CA * GE sine tane
With e 0, as CG is reduced towards zero, 3. Parallel line segments, non-colinear
making the segments coplanar, El approaches zero, and
CG El /sin e approaches zero. If AB and EF are parallel but non-colinear the
equations get much simpler. We have 6 = 0 and CG #
2. Angled line segments, coplanar or skew 0. As e decreases towards 0, equation (A4)
approaches Q = e (BE+AF-BF-AE)/CG, and CG fl/sin 6
If the line segments are neither parallel nor approaches BE+AF-BF-AE.
perpendicular, the following procedure may be used to Again letting the x axis lie along segment AB
obtain the required quantities in (A2) and (A3). (As with the origin at point A, and letting x, y, z be
noted above, (A3) does not have to be evaluated if the coordinates of point E, we get the geometry shown
the segments are coplanar.) in Figure A-3. Here CG = y, and equations (A2) and
Let the x axis lie along the segment having (A3) simplify to (A6):
length L1, extending to the right from the origin at
point A. (See Figure A-2). Let end E of the segment
having length L1 be at coordinates x, y, z in this MLL1 In (x+L2-LI) +W +X+L 2-L
system, and let the angle between the two segments be
e, where 0 5 e 5 1r . The mutual resistance will be
computed from the values of x, y, z, e, L1, and L2.
j(-L1L )2+W2+XL
1W
x-
+ (x+L,) ln
/(X+L2-L1) 2+W2 (X+L2-L1)
$(X+L ) 2+W2_ (X+L )
2 2
IV00 - Wx_+
so11t
w\ I I \ (x+L2) +W
C,G I A F' B + V'2+T2
(x+L2-L1) 2+W2W+
2
whereW2 = 2
y + z
Fig. A-2. Angled segments.
As before, mutual resistance is obtained from M
To obtain the quantities needed to compute M in by use of (A5). Again, two values of M must be
(A2), proceed as follows: If z=0 and y=0, set y = a computed with different values of z (one with z=0 and
small number, such as the wire radius. This will one with z=2D), if the segments are coplanar and
avoid the possibility of attempting to take the hor izontal.
logarithm of zero. It will not change the result
appreciably.
1985
A' E B' F axis lies along segment AB with the origin at A, and
the coordinates of point E are x, y, z. Equation
IG IX, i (A2) becomes:
lc l I I L 1-x) +(L2+y)2 + z2 + L2+y
M = (L 1-x) l in Lx +z+
-)1+'+ +
+
A E' B F'
Fig. A-3. Parallel lines.
+ xin(x +(L 2+y)2+z2+L2+Y)
4. Parallel Line Segments, Colinear
\x+y +z +y /
Although (A6) was derived on the basis that CG.4
0, it can be used for colinear segments by setting y +i L1-x) 2+(L2+Y) 2+z +L --x
equal to the radius of the wire. This prevents some
of the expressions from becoming indeterminate while
not changing the physical situation enough to be K 2+(L2+y) 2+z2-x
significant. For example, if y and z are both zero
W=O, and the third expression in (A6) becomes 0 * ln
(0/0). Alternatively, a test for this condition can - y In /(L-X)
( 2+Y2+Z2+L\-x
11- IluI
be used, and the expression can be set equal to zero
if it occurs, since that is the limit it approaches \x2+y2+z2 -x / (A-11)
as W approaches zero. where U=O if z=O. If z.O we get
Roundoff errors can be very significant in
expressions like vx2+W2 -x when x>> W. A later
paragraph tells how to cope witlh this problem. IU=Z 1 l(Li-x) (L2+y)A
=z z 2+y) 2+z2)
5. Self resistance
The self resistance of a segment is the ratio of
the voltage on a segment to the current that will -tan1 22 2\ -tan1( -x(L2+y)
flow out of it, neglecting the effects of other kz (L1-x) +Y +z PZ jkz I 1- 2
z /X+(L 2+y) 2+Z2
segments. Alternatively, it can be thought of as the
voltage produced in the segment as a result of the
current flowing out of it, just as the mutual
resistance is the voltage produced in it by current + tan- 1 ( xy
flowing out of another segment. To compute the self
resistance of a bare wire of length L, use equation
(A6) with Ll=L2=L, x=O, y=a, where a is the radius of
the wire. Doing this, we find that (A6) simplifies F
to (A7) and CAB) for the M of the wire itself and the
M of the wire with its image, respectively:
M = 2L ln ( + 2 (a - L2+a2 ) (A-7)
F:z __ ."'lrrII-A
ferent mutual resistance values in the east-west direction and 5 in the
north-south direction, so that the 98 x 97 = 9506 mutual resistance
values in this grid all consist of the same 50 numbers. It turns out that
even if the spacing of the conductors is non-uniform the number of dif-
ferent mutual resistance values which must be calculated is far smaller
than the number of pairs of segments.
A second technique which may be exploited is that it is not
necessary to calculate individually all values of mutual resistance be-
tween two segments, or between a segment and a surface point, even
when they are different. A human being faced with the problem would
calculate a few points covering the range of interest, draw a graph, and
use it to interpolate to find intermediate values. A computer can, in ef-
fect, do the same thing. Both of these techniques, but especially the se-
cond, can be enormously helpful in calculating the surface voltage at a
grid of points over the buried grid of wires. As Mr. Garrett points out,
in an unsymmetrical grid it is not easy to tell where the maximum step
Figure 1 and touch voltages occur, so the potential at many points must be com-
Example of a Typical Unsymmetrical Grounding System puted. By doing a simple interpolation into tables of mutual resistance
between a buried conductor of a given length at various spacings in the
x and y directions from a given point, the contribution of each segment
The discussor also wishes for the author to elaborate on how many to the surface voltage at the point can be obtained much faster than if a
points need be evaluated in determining the maximum step and touch long, slowly-converging series had to be evaluated.
potentials within the grounding system. While an unsymmetrical grid Mr. Sverak and I hope to prepare a paper for presentation to the
will increase the number of self and mutual resistances to be determin- Power Engineering Society which will report on a computer program
ed, it will increase even more the number of points at which the poten- using these techniques to find the current distribution and surface
tial must be calculated. This is because the maximum step and touch voltage distribution for unsymmetrical grids.
potentials have been found to occur in the corner meshes of uniformly
spaced symmetrical grounding systems, but for an unsymmetrical grid To answer Mr. Garrett's other question, recent results by Mssrs.
such as Figure 1, it is not obvious in which mesh these maximum poten- Dawalibi and Mukhedkar which appear in the fourth reference cited in
tials will occur. Therefore, it may be necessary to evaluate the potentials Mr. Dawalibi's comments indicate that ground rods can be modelled as
at many more points for an unsymmetrical grid than for a symmetrical two vertical segments, one in the top layer and one in the basement
grid in order to find the maximum step and touch potentials. layer. If one layer has a resistivity which is very different from the other
In developing equations for the mutual resistance between conduc- (which causes the series to converge slowly) it may sometimes be possi-
tor segments in two layer earth, the author evaluates two cases of both ble to neglect the effect of the segment in the higher resistivity layer, if I
conductors in either the top or bottom layer, and one conductor in the understand his results correctly. The grounding rods will add to the
top layer with the second conductor in the bottom layer. However, the number of distinct "types" of conductor segments in a grounding
author does not include the possibility of conductor segments which ex- system.
tend from one layer into the second layer, as would often be the case for In answer to Mr. Niles' question, I did not use ground rods in the
deep driven ground rods. It appears to this discussor that a valid model network I investigated, and am thus unable to comment on his ques-
of such a conductor segment would be to model the segment as two tions concerning them. Reference 4 of Mr. Dawalibi's discussion pro-
separate segments, one in each of the layers. Would the author care to vides a great deal of information on the effects of grounding rods.
comment on this assumption or the relative need for this additional I did not run any examples to verify whether decreasing the con-
detail in the model which is sure to add significantly to the number of ductor spacing always decreases the step voltage as compared to what
distinct "types" of conductor segments in a grounding system? IEEE Guide 80 would predict.
In closing, it should be noted that the accuracy of the results ob- I am indebted to Mr. Dawalibi for his remarks on the convergence
tained using the technique presented by Mr. Heppe should depend of the series for vertical conductors such as ground rods. This is an area
mainly on the proper choice of equations for determining the self and I had not explored. In answer to his other question, several different
mutual resistances of the conductor segments (i.e., homogeneous, two equations were presented for computing the mutual resistance of con-
layer, or multi-layer earth). It is the opinion of this discussor that until ductor segments, depending on whether they are parallel, perpen-
more work is done in validating the equations for two layer or multi- dicular, etc., because the special cases cause the general equation to
layer earth, and until better means are developed for determining the become simpler to compute, and are also less subject to roundoff error,
values of Q,, Q, and H from field test data, the system protection I believe.
engineer should avoid basing his design of a safe grounding system on I thank M. Kouteynikoff for his references on evaluation of in-
these layered earth models. finite series. I have not yet tried to apply them to this problem. The
question as to what size the segments should be to produce negligible er-
ror from the approximation that leakage current density is constant
REFERENCE within a segment is a difficult one. The answer depends on exactly what
one is trying to compute. For example, relatively long segments can be
[11 "Guide for Safety in Alternating-Current Substation used to compute the grounding resistance of a grid, or to compute the
Grounding," IEEE Standard No. 80, New York, N.Y.: The In- effects of a distant conductor on the voltage of a segment or a surface
stitute of Electrical and Engineers, Inc. 1976. point. Use of long segments when evaluating the effects of nearby con-
ductors would introduce larger errors. Varying the segment length
Manuscript received February 23, 1979. depending on the location of the conductor relative to a point of in-
1989
terest can be used to reduce the computing time required, but it requires Mr. Garrett points out, the accuracy one can expect to achieve depends
use of a more complicated computer program. ultimately on the accuracy with which the resistance distribution in the
As M. Kouteynikoff says, it would be desirable to develop a com- earth is known and modelled.
puter program which would apply the various shortcuts when they are
applicable, and which would be usable by those who are unfamiliar with
grounding equations. Progress is being made towards this goal. But as Manuscript received April 30, 1979.