Probabilistic assessment of lightning related risk of transmission lines based on frequency dependent modeling of tower-footing grounding system

Abstract

This paper presents a probabilistic evaluation, based on Monte-Carlo method, for the estimation of insulation risk of failure of overhead transmission lines (TLs). The proposed method takes into account the wide-band model of tower-footing grounding system. The wide-band model of grounding system in frequency domain is obtained by the method of moment solution to the governing electrical field integral equations. The electrical parameters of soil are considered to be either constant or frequency dependent. The time-domain representation of the grounding system is inferred through pole-zero characterization of its associated frequency response. The case of a typical 400-kV transmission line is modelled in EMTP_RV with the tower-footing grounding system integrated with the transmission line (TL) system. The results of the paper show that the failure risk of transmission lines is affected by the grounding system model. This effect is more pronounced when the soil electrical parameters are assumed to be frequency dependent.