Guan Yonggang

Development of Full Frequency Bandwidth Measurement of VFTO in UHV GIS

In order to study the characteristics of very fast transient overvoltage (VFTO) in ultra-high voltage (UHV) gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), the authors have developed a full frequency bandwidth measurement system based on a porthole-type capacitive voltage divider. Three kinds of measurement circuits for the measurement system are studied and the influence of cable length on measurement results is analyzed in this paper. The calibration of the measurement system using step response was conducted. The results show that the measurement system of the capacitive voltage divider integrated with an impedance converter has a bandwidth ranging from 0.003 Hz to 300 MHz at least. It can be used to measure the full VFTO during DS operation perfectly. A full-scale UHV DS (disconnect switchgear) is used to establish the test circuit. The measurement system with good anti-electromagnetic interference ability was constructed. Four different measurement locations are chosen on which to install the measurement system. An approximate total of 3000 closing and opening operation tests were conducted. Due to the wide frequency band of the measurement system, it is possible to obtain the full VFTO waveform accurately and conveniently. According to the waveforms, the key parameters of VFTO, such as trapped charge voltage, peak value of VFTO, breakdown characteristic of DS, frequency spectrum of transient waveform, and the overvoltage coefficient could be obtained.

Repeated Strike Process During Disconnector Operation in Ultra-High Voltage Gas-Insulated Switchgear

Very fast transient over-voltage (VFTO), induced by disconnector operations in gas-insulated switchgears, has become the limiting dielectric stress at ultra-high voltage levels. Much work has been done to investigate single-strike waveforms of VFTO. However, little study has been carried out investigating the repeated strike process, which would influence VFTO significantly. In this paper, we carried out 450 effective experiments in an ultra-high voltage test circuit, and conducted calculations through the Monte Carlo simulation method, to investigate the repeated strike process. Firstly, the mechanism of the repeated strike process is proposed, based on the experimental results. Afterwards, statistical breakdown characteristics of disconnectors are obtained and analyzed. Finally, simulations of the repeated strike process are conducted, which indicate that the dielectric strength recovery speed and polarity effect factor have a joint effect on VFTO. This study enhances the understanding of the nature of VFTO, and may help to optimize the disconnector designed to minimize VFTO.

Calculation of Nozzle Ablation During Arcing Period in an SF 6 Auto-Expansion Circuit Breaker

The nozzle ablation process is described as two phases of heat and ablation in the interruption for an SF6 circuit breaker in this paper. Their mathematical models are established with the Fourier heat conduction differential equation respectively. The masses of nozzle ablation with different arc durations and arc currents are calculated through the model of the nozzle ablation combined with an MHD (magneto-hydrodynamic) arc model. The time of the temperature rise on the inner surface of the nozzle under a given energy flux and of reaching the pyrolysis temperature under different energy fluxes is respectively analyzed. The relations between the mass of nozzle ablation and breaking current and arc duration are obtained. The result shows that the absorbing energy process before the nozzle ablation can be neglected under the condition of the energy flux entering into nozzle q > 109 W/m2. The ablation is the severest during the high-current phase and the ablation mass increases rapidly with the breaking current and with arc duration respectively.

Simulation of Arc Rotation and Its Effects on Pressure of Expansion Volume in an Auto-Expansion SF 6 Circuit Breaker

A 3D Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) arc model in conjunction with an arc movement model is applied to simulate the arc rotation as well as to solve its effect on the pressure in an auto-expansion circuit breaker. The rotation of the arc driven by an external electromagnetic force is simulated in the case with 200 kA of the short circuit current and 16 ms of arc duration. The arc rotating process and the speed of arc rotation have been obtained in the simulation. A comparison of the pressure in the expansion volume with and without an external magnetic field has been carried out based on the calculation results of two cases. The results of the simulation reveal that the arc rotation, which causes more energy exchange between the arc and its surrounding gas, can evidently bring about the pressurization in the expansion volume, which would contribute to more effective arc quenching at current zero and further reducing operation power.