Insulation Coordination

Insulation Coordination

• The Main Purpose Of Insulation Coordination:

To Correlate the insulation withstand levels of
protected equipment and circuits, with the protection
characteristics of surge arresters, such that the insulation
is protected from over voltages with overall economy.
 Clearance Elements Using
Insulation Coordination
• Clearances are to be determined by applying the
principles and practices of insulation co-ordination based
on following three main elements:
1. The knowledge of the voltage stresses which may occur at the
work site.
2. The knowledge of the electrical strength of the work site
insulation when expossed to such voltage stresses.
3. The assessment of the probability of occurrence of insulation
failures in the considered situation of voltage stresses and
electrical strength.
 System Overvoltages
Types overvoltages stressing dielectric strength of insulation considered:
1st) Temporary Overvoltages “Power Frequency Overvoltages”:
• Faults to ground,
• Circuit back feeding,
• Sudden load rejection,
• Resonance or Ferro-resonance,

2nd) Switching overvoltages:

• Normal long line switching,
• Auto re-closing,
• Out of phase switching of cable circuit, bank capacitor, shunt reactor,
• Circuit breaker re-striking,
• Load rejection… etc.

3rd) Lightning overvoltages:

• Lightning overvoltages are independent of system voltage but depend
on system impedance and caused by direct strokes to phase
conductors.
 System Overvoltages
Causes
1st) Temporary Overvoltages “Power Frequency Overvoltages”:
– Load Rejection: A Load is disconnected OR Switching off large inductive load.
– Resonance and Ferro-resonance: Capacitive & Inductive elements,
having nonlinear magnetizing characteristics, are energized.
– Worst Overvoltage: Resonance of a system, looking from transformer
location, exist at the 2nd, 3rd, 4th OR 5th harmonic.
2nd) Switching overvoltages:
– Predominant in 230KV & 380kV long line: High current Line Charging.
– Switching overvoltages resulting from line energized.
– Voltage Stresses caused by very fast transients (rise time of3-10ns)
due to switching (worst case) in Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) .
3rd) Lightning overvoltages:
– Lightning stroke current follow several paths to ground: Zsystem.
 System Overvoltages
Switching Overvoltages
Wave shape: 250/2500μs impulse having a Frequency Overvoltages
Impulse front time of 250μs and a tail
Overvoltages time of 2500μs
1.2/50μs impulse
having a front
time of 1.2 μs
and a tail time of
50 μs

Switching wave shape

Impulse wave shape
Switching Surges
 Frequency Dependence of
Transmission Line Parameters
 Protection Levels

– The excessive overvoltages cause fatal damage

to Substation Equipment. The system must be
protected by applying Surge Arrester.

– Details of the maximum protective level of surge

arrester (in terms of residual voltage)
corresponding to certain discharge current
covered in another stander.
 Protection Levels

– From statistics and studies, the Insulation

depends on various factors. One of them is the
level of the voltage itself.

– For voltage levels up to 132kV switching

impulse is not important for insulation
breakdown. Hence, switching impulse withstand
levels shall not be considered for up to132kV.
 Protective Ratio
– Cover the uncertainties in evaluation of max. overvoltage and
min. dielectric strength.
– Compensate for the risk of insulation failures which can’t be
quantitatively assessed.

– Sufficient Protective Margin exists between the:

• The maximum. overvoltage and
• The minimum. dielectric strength of the equipment, for Protection.
– Protective Ratio of Lightning, the withstand level is taken to be
1.4 for voltages up to 230 kV “instead of “ 1.20 for voltages up
to 380 kV.
 Protective Ratio

• Protective Ratio for Lightning Surge Withstand Level is:

= BIL > 1.20

max lightning impulse protection level of protective device

(BIL): Basic lightning impulse insulation level.

• Protective Ratio for Switching Surge Withstand Level is:

= BSL > 1.15

max switching impulse protection level of protective device

(BSL): Basic switching impulse insulation level for 230 kV and 380 kV.
 Selection of Insulation Levels
• Selection of Power Frequency Withstand Voltage:

– Once the maximum power frequency

overvoltages is decided, the next higher
standard power frequency withstand voltage
shall be selected from respective
IEC/ANSI/IEEE standards for internal
insulation.
 Selection of Insulation Levels
– External insulation, the wet (10s) power
frequency withstand voltages as specified in
IEC/ANSI/IEEE Standards for outdoor bushings

– For resistance/reactor grounded (non-effectively

grounded) equipment power frequency
withstand voltage shall be separately evaluated
to determine the rated voltage of the surge
arrester.
 Selection of Insulation Levels)
• Selection of BIL:
– Maximum lightning impulse protection level of protective
device shall be multiplied by the protective ratio for internal
insulation. Then, the next higher available BIL from respective
IEC/ANSI/IEEE standards shall be selected.

– External BIL shall be adopted as one step higher than the

selected internal BIL taking into consideration the effects of
atmospheric and other external conditions (wither).
 Selection of Insulation Levels
• Selection Equipment BSL for 380kV Systems:
– The value of the maximum switching impulse protection level of
protective device shall be multiplied by the protective ratio of
1.15. Then, the next higher standard BSL from IEC/ANSI/IEEE
standards shall be adopted.
• Selection Equipment Chopped Impulse Withstand:
– When requested, (in case of SF6-to-Oil transformer termination)
chopped (at 3μs) lightning impulse (1.2/50μs, 1.1 times BIL) test
shall be performed on outdoor transformer per IEC60076-3.
– When requested, chopped (at 2μs) lightning impulse (1.2/50μs,
1.29 times BIL) tests and chopped (at 3μs) lightning impulse
(1.2/50μs, 1.15 times BIL) tests shall be performed on high
voltage circuit breaker for reactor switching per IEC 61233.
 Surge Arresters
Modern Surge arresters are of the gapless
Zinc Oxide type.

• Previously, Silicon Carbide arresters were

used, but their use has been superceeded by
the ZnO arresters, which have a non-linear
resistance characteristic.
• Thus, it is possible to eliminate the series
gaps between the individual ZnO block
making up the arrester.
Selection Procedure for Surge arresters:
1. Determine the continuous arrester voltage. This is usually
the system rated voltage.
2. Select a rated voltage for the arrester.
3. Determine the normal lightning discharge current. Below
36kV, 5kA rated arresters are chosen. Otherwise, a 10kA
rated arrester is used.
4. Determine the required long duration discharge capability.
For rated voltage < 36kV, light duty surge arrester may be
specified.
For rated voltage between 36kV and 245kV, heavy duty
arresters may be specified.
For rated voltage >245kV, long duration discharge
capabilities may be specified.
Transformer Insulation Protected by
a ZnO Arrester