CONSIDERATION OF THE EFFECT OF PRE-INSERTION IMPEDANCES ON THE OVERVOLTAGES PRODUCED BY THE ENERGIZATION OF A SHUNT CAPACITOR BANK

Raymond P. OLeary Supervising Engineer-Advan ce Technology S&C Electric Company Chicago, IIIinois

711-T58

CONSIDERATION OF THE EFFECT OF PRE-INSERTION IMPEDANCES ON THE OVERVOLTAGES PRODUCED BY THE ENERGIZATION OF A SHUNT CAPACITOR BANK

Background T h e pre-insertion resistor accessory for Circuit-Switchers, offered by S&C Electric Company for a number of years, was designed primarily to limit inrush currents during t h e energization of capacitor banks. T h e control of switching surges and t h e reduction of both audible noise and electrical noise w e r e secondary objectives. Recently, S&C developed a pre-insertion inductor as a replacement for t h e preinsertion resistor. T h e unique design and inductor f e a t u r e s of t h e pre-insertion provide improved reliability and operating more efficient heat-dissipating life, capability, and control of inrush currents and switching-surge voltages equal t o o r b e t t e r than t h e pre-insertion. resistor. Several e l e c t r i c utilities recognized ago t h e need for controlling years switching-surge overvoltages produced a t a transformer terminal as a result of energizing a remote capacitor bank. Recently, t h e r e has been a general concern expressed by t h e industry regarding t h e control of t h e s e switching overvoltages. S&C's conversion from t h e pre-insertion resistor t o t h e pre-insertion inductor has prompted questions from customers as to t h e effect of t h e pre-insertion inductor on transient overvoltages produced during capacitorbank energization. T h e following study describes t h e overvoltage phenomenon assoc i a t e d with capacitor-bank energization and t h e mitigating effects of t h e use of preinsertion resistors and inductors as compared to t h e use of no pre-insertion impedance.
A simplified computer model, shown in Figure A, was developed using only t h e e l e m e n t s necessary t o d e m o n s t r a t e t h e overvoltage phenomenon. Capacitor-bank size, length of transmission lines, available fault current, and switching sequence of t h e Circuit-Switcher w e r e all chosen t o maximize t h e phase-to-phase switching overvoltage at the transformer, as experienced during energization of t h e capacitor bank. The switching overvoltages t h a t will actually appear in t h e field will very likely b e less than those suggeste d by this study. The intent of this study is simply t o compare, on a "worst-case" basis, t h e volt ages experienced utilizing t h e pre-insertion inductor to those utilizing a pre-insertion resistor o r no pre-insertion impedance.
SYSTEM MODEL USED FOR COMPUTER STUDY OF OVERVOLTAGES PRODUCED BY CAPACITOR BANK ENERCIZATIONS

75

w.

FIGURE A

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_____-___

ENERGIZATION OVERVOLTAGE WITH NO PRE-INSERTION IMPEDANCE hase-to-Ground Overvoltage Figure 1 shows t h e phase-to-ground voltage a t t h e capacitor-bank bus before and a f t e r energization of t h e capacitor bank without a pre-insertion impedance. Energization of A and C phases occurs simultaneously a t approximately 18 milliseconds. Energization of B phase occurs approximately 3 milliseconds later. Simultaneous closings of A and C phases a t equal and opposite voltages w e r e chosen t o roduce t h e maximum phase-to-phase overoltage between A phase and C phase.
Copocitor Bonk Eneroizotion

t h e initial transient, whereas A-phase source voltage is decreasing during t h e initial transient. Figure 2 shows an expansion of C-phase voltage a t t h e capacitor-bank bus during t h e t i m e just before and a f t e r capacitorbank energization. The voltage on C phase a t t h e r e m o t e bus is also plotted. (C phase was chosen for this plot because i t has higher phase-to-ground overvoltage than does A phase. The latter, incidentally, responds in a similar manner but with opposite polarity.)
Capacitor Bank Energization No Pn-inrrtion Impedonn
75 I N A Cap. E m k M U)k Lina to Remota Bus

... Cg Voltages

__. Copocitor-Bank

-1
Bus Voltoaes

-1

No Pre-insertion Impedance 75 W A Cop. Bank 88 Mils Line to Remota Bus

-Joo
Time (ms)

Figure 1

At t h e instant of capacitor-bank energization, bus voltage abruptly falls to zero due to t h e large inrush current of t h e capacitor bank. This abrupt change of voltage injects s t e p voltage waves into any lines connected to t h e capacitor-bank bus. negative s t e p voltage is transmitted on phase, while a positive s t e p voltage is transmitted on C phase. A f t e r t h e initial drop t o zero voltage, t h e phase voltages recover in a transient sinusoidal fashion. The frequency of this transient is determined primarily by t h e source inductance and t h e capacitance of t h e bank. Because this transient is underdamped, t h e transient voltage overshoots t h e source voltage. In this case, C phase overshoots more than A phase because Cphase source voltage is increasing during

T h e collapse in bus voltage on t h e C-phase r e m o t e bus occurs almost .5 milliseconds a f t e r t h e collapse of voltage at t h e capacitor-bank bus; this t i m e delay is t h e travel t i m e of t h e s t e p voltage wave along t h e 88-mile line t o t h e r e m o t e bus. Note t h a t t h e voltage a t t h e r e m o t e bus does not simply collapse t o zero, but r a t h e r swings almost t o t h e opposite polari t y of t h e bus voltage prior to t h e collapse. T h e steeply rising s t e p voltage wave initially sees t h e r e m o t e bus and transformer as a very high surge impeda n c e and consequently almost doubles in magnitude. As t i m e progresses, t h e s t e p overvoltage decays exponentially with a t i m e constant determined by t h e X/R r a t i o of t h e load connected t o t h e transformer a t t h e r e m o t e bus. The almost doubling of t h e initial volta g e wave generates a second steeply rising

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wave of lesser magnitude but same polarity as t h e initial incoming s t e p wave. This second wave is transmitted back down Since t h e line to t h e capacitor-bank bus. t h e capacitor bank looks like a short circuit t o such a steeply rising wave, a third wave i s generated and transmitted back down t h e line to t h e r e m o t e bus; this third wave is of opposite polarity t o t h e original s t e p wave. When t h e third wave reaches t h e r e m o t e bus, i t again is approximately doubled in magnitude. However, at this point, i t is t h e s a m e polarity as t h e transient voltage on C phase. The net result is t h a t t h e s e voltages add t o yield an overvoltage-to-ground of 3.5 per unit. Phase-to-Phase Overvoltage A phase is subject t o t h e s a m e kind of transient voltages as C phase, except for slightly lower magnitudes and opposite polarity. The net result is t h a t A-phase line-to-ground voltage approaches 3 per unit, but of opposite polarity t o C-phase line-to-ground voltage. C-phase to Aphase voltage therefore approaches 6.5 per unit, as shown in Figure 3.

Copocitor Bonk Energizotion

... Capacitor-Bank

Bus Voltoges

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Prc-insertion Resistor 75 MVA Cop. Bank 88 Mile Line to Remote Bus

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zation of t h e capacitor bank. In this case, bus voltage a t t h e capacitor-bank bus does not collapse t o zero. T h e e x t e n t to which t h e bus voltage collapses is dependent upon t h e ratio of t h e resistance of t h e preinsertion resistor t o t h e resultant surge impedance of the transmission lines connected t o t h e capacitor-bank bus. In this case, t h e r e a r e t h r e e transmission lines of approximately 380 ohms each in parallel, yielding an e f f e c t i v e surge impeda n c e of 125 ohms. The capacitor-bank bus voltage thus drops to a value determined by t h e ratio of 40 ohms divided by t h e sum of 125 ohms plus 40 ohms -- o r 25% of system voltage a t t h e t i m e of energization. This reduction in t h e collapse of bus voltage manifests itself a s a reduction in t h e s t e p voltage wave injected into t h e system. Use of t h e pre-insertion resistor results in t h e capacitor-bank sinusoidal transient recovery voltage being nearly critically damped, so t h a t very !ittle overswing of capacitor-bank bus voltage occurs. During t h e transient period, t h e r e a r e small s t e p discontinuities of t h e bus volta g e a t t h e capacitor bank. These discontinuities occur because voltage waves returning from t h e r e m o t e bus see t h e 40-ohm pre-insertion resistor r a t h e r than t h e very low surge impedance of t h e , capacitor bank. The reflection at this bus is a negative wave somewhat less in magnitude than t h e incoming wave, resulting in

C # - 4 Voltogs at the Remote Bua

-6.5 W

.......................................

ENERGIZATION OVERVOLTAGE PRE-INSERTION RESISTOR Phase-to-Ground Overvoltage

WITH A

Figure 4 corresponds t o Figure 1 of t h e base case, except t h a t a 40-ohm pre-insertion resistor is utilized during t h e energi-

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1ess-t han-perfect waves.

cancel lation of

t h e two

Phase-to-Phase Overvoltage Figure 6 corresponds t o Figure 3 of t h e base case. The effect of t h e pre-insertion resistor has reduced t h e phase-to-phase overvoltage by approximately 38%, from 6.5 per unit down t o 4.0 per unit.
Capacitor Bank Eneraization

Figure 5 corresponds t o Figure 2 of t h e base case. With t h e pre-insertion resistor, t h e initial collapse of voltage at t h e r e m o t e bus is driven by a s t e p voltage wave of approximately 75% t h e magnitude of t h e base case for no pre-insertion impedance. This results in a voltage doubling of a smaller wave and therefore t h e e x t e n t t o which t h e voltage collapses beyond zero is much smaller.
Capacitor Bank Energization

... 6-6 Voltaae

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Pre-insertion Resistor

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75 LNA Cop. Bonk 88 Mile Line to Remote Bur

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ENERGIZATION OVERVOLTAGE PRE-INSERTION INDUCTOR Phase-to-Ground Overvoltage

WITH A

Figure 5

As in t h e case of no pre-insertion impedance, a second voltage wave is generated and transmitted back down t h e line toward t h e capacitor-bank bus. Upon reaching this bus, i t is reduced somewhat in magnitude by t h e effect of t h e 40-0hm pre-insertion resistor and is also changed in polarity and transmitted a s a third wave down t h e line toward t h e r e m o t e bus. This wave is again doubled upon reaching he r e m o t e bus. However, i t is important e o n o t e t h a t with t h e pre-insertion resistor, t h e initial s t e p voltage wave has been reduced due t o t h e action of t h e resistor and subsequently t h e third wave has also been reduced. Further, t h e sinusoidal transient voltage has been considerably reduced due t o t h e damping effect of t h e resistor. The net result is that t h e peak C-phase line-to-ground voltage at t h e r e m o t e bus is reduced to 2.2 Der unit. amroximately 63% of t h e .. m o l t a g e experienced with i o pre-insertion impedance.
I

Figure 7 corresponds to Figure 1 of t h e base case. In this instance, however, energization of t h e capacitor bank occurs through a pre-insertion inductor. As is t h e c a s e with t h e pre-insertion resistor,' t h e e x t e n t t o which voltage collapses a t t h e capacitor-bank bus is reduced, largely due
Capacitor Bank Energization
Pre-insertion Inductor

... Capacitor-Bank

Bus Voltages

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75 MVA COP. Bonk

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Mile Line to Remote

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Time (ms)

Figure 7

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t o t h e impedance of t h e pre-insertion inductor. In fact, because t h e inductor has a very high surge impedance, t h e r e is no abrupt s t e p change in bus voltage, but rather t h e decay of voltage is limited t o t h e natural frequency of t h e pre-insertion inductance resonating with t h e capacitor bank. As in t h e base case, t h e capacitorbank bus voltage recovers in an oscillatory fashion with a high-frequency sinusoidal wave form. Because t h e initial drop of voltage at t h e capacitor-bank bus is significantly lower than t h a t of t h e base case, t h e magnitude of t h e transient sinusoidal voltage is reduced. Since t h e pre-insertion inductor has low resistance, t h e transient sinusoidal voltage is not significantly damped as i t is with t h e pre-insertion resistor. Figure 8 corresponds to Figure 2 of t h e base case. In this expanded form, one can n o t e more clearly t h a t t h e bus voltage does not collapse abruptly, but r a t h e r falls at a m o d e r a t e rate. B e c a u s e . t h e bus voltage falls at a moderate r a t e , a r a m p voltage wave is transmitted down t h e line which, upon reaching t h e r e m o t e bus, does not double. A t this lower rate of change of voltage, t h e remote bus transformer acts like a high -- but not infinite -impedance. Thus, t h e second voltage wave generated a t t h e remote bus is of lower magnitude than e i t h e r t h e base case o r t h e pre-insertion resistor case. Consequently, upon returning to t h e capacitor-bank bus,

t h e third voltage wave generated is of substantially lower magnitude. The result is t h a t peak C-phase line-to-ground voltage a t t h e r e m o t e bus is approximately 54% of t h a t with no pre-insertion impedance, a s compared to 63% for t h e pre-insertion resistor. Phase-to-Phase Overvoltage Figure 9 corresponds t o Figure 3 of t h e base case. With t h e pre-insertion inductor, t h e phase-to-phase overvoltage between C phase and A phase is approximately 3.3 per unit, o r 51% of t h a t for no pre-insertion impedance -- as compared t o 62% for a pre-insertion resistor.

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Copocitor Bonk Energizotion _ _9-9 Voltoge .

Prc-insertion Inductor 75 WA Cap. Bank 88 Mile Line to Remote Bus

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Capacitor Bonk Energizotion

___ Cg Voltages

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Pn-inmrtmn Inductor 75 MVA Cap. Bank 88 #le Line to Remote Bur

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Time (ms)

There is a significant benefit to t h e fact t h a t this overvoltage is characterized by a r a m p function r a t h e r than a s t e p function, as produced by no pre-insertion Under a steeply impedance or a resistor. rising transient wave, t h e voltage distribution across a transformer winding will b e initially determined by s t r a y capacitances r a t h e r than t h e inductance of t h e winding, creating stress concentrations a t t h e end of t h e winding. T h e lower r a t e of change of voltage produced by t h e pre-insertion inductor will b e distributed more evenly across t h e e n t i r e winding of t h e transformer.

Figure 8

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916

Figure 10 shows t h e phase-to-phase overvoltages of Figures 3, 6 , and 9, all perimposed on t h e s a m e graph for easier mparison.
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Copocitor Bank Energization

At the Remote Bus

Voltage

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Bus

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t i m e t o t h e peak of t h e sinusoidal transient voltage, many reflections c a n occur and, due t o t h e damping at e a c h reflection, t h e ramp or s t e p wave part of t h e transient can be damped t o zero. In this situation, t h e inductor will exhibit a g r e a t e r net peak transient voltage than t h e pre-insertion resistor due t o t h e f a c t t h a t t h e sinusoidal transient voltage is not significantly damped by t h e inductor. As an example, r e f e r to Figure 11, in which t h e transmission line length was reduced t o 4 miles. In this case, t h e r a m p or s t e p waves have been attenuated t o nearly zero by t h e t i m e t h e sinusoidal transient volta g e reaches a peak. The inductor circuit generates 2.3 per unit overvoltage versus 2.0 per unit for t h e resistor circuit. Note, however, t h a t t h e initial s t e p change in voltage for t h e resistor is substantially g r e a t e r than t h e ramp change f o r t h e inductor.
Capacitor Bank Energizotion

EXTENSION OF RESULTS SYSTEM CONFIGURATIONS

TO

OTHER

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At the Remot. Bun 73 U i A Cap. Bonk 4 uib Uns to Run&

... C#-A#

Voltage

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As s t a t e d earlier, t h e model used for is study, shown in Figure A, was chosen for illustrative purposes to yield t h e highest phase-to-phase overvoltages. This criterion is m e t by choosing t h e transmission line length such t h a t two travel times on t h e transmission line equal one-half t h e period of t h e sinusoidal transient voltage produced by t h e capacitor bank oscillating with t h e rest of t h e system. This ensures t h a t t h e third voltage wave arrives at t h e r e m o t e bus exactly a t t h e peak of this sinusoidal transient voltage such t h a t t h e voltage, t h e sinusoidal transient ~ ~ and t h e ramp or s t e p wave volt-, ~ ~ e a g e all add a t t h e s a m e point in time. If t h e transmission line w e r e half of t h e length used in this model, then four travel times would elapse before t h e peak of t h e sinusoidal transient voltage would occur. Because of t h e e x t r a reflections involved and t h e damping which occurs at e a c h reflection, t h e r a m p o r s t e p wave would be of lower magnitude at t h e point where maximum voltage occurs and therefore t h e eak overvoltage would be reduced someIn t h e limit, as t h e transmission @hat line length becomes very short, during t h e

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A smaller capacitor bank would result in a higher-frequency sinusoidal transient voltage, such t h a t t h e time-to-peak of t h e transient voltage would b e shorter. This shorter time-to-peak would require a shorter transmission line to f i t the criterion of two travel times equaling t h e t i m e t o reach peak transient overvoltage. Similarly, a s t i f f e r system (one with higher available fault c u r r e n t ) at t h e capacitorbank bus would correspond to a smaller system inductance which would also have t h e e f f e c t of increasing t h e frequency of t h e sinusoidal transient voltage.

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CONCLUSIONS
As h a s been demonstrated, both t h e pre-insertion resistor and t h e pre-insertion inductor do a n e f f e c t i v e job of controlling overvoltages produced by capacitor-bank energization. But t h e pre-insertion inductor o f f e r s a n important additional benefit in controlling phase-to-phase switchingsurge overvoltages produced a t r e m o t e apparatus as a result of energizing a capac i t o r bank. Unlike t h e steeply rising stepfunction overvoltage experienced when

using t h e pre-insertion resistor, o r t h e even higher magnitude step-function overvoltage experienced when using no preinsertion impedance, the overvoltage experienced when using t h e pre-insertion inductor is characterized by a moderately rising r a m p function. This is significant in that connected apparatus, particularly transformers, are subjected to much reduced voltage-stress concentrations.

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