Time domain severity factor (TDSF): Induced transient voltage between transformer and vacuum circuit breakers

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present and define a factor to assess the severity supported along transformer windings when the transformer is subjected to a transient voltage waveform due a switching operation of a vacuum circuit breaker (VCB). This factor is identified as time domain severity factor (TDSF).

Design/methodology/approach

Since each of switching waveforms depend on the electrical interaction between transformer and the VCB, it implies that each of those combinations is characterized by a TDSF. To obtain the TDSF implies to manage two different models of the transformer under consideration. Firstly, a terminal model (black box model) of the transformer is built to compute the switching waveform at transformer terminals during VCB operation. Then, a detailed model (white box model) of the transformer is used to compute the internal transient voltage distribution along transformer windings.

Findings

A practical application of a power system consisting of a real transformer connected to a VCB is performed to show the sensibility of the TDSF coefficient.

Originality/value

Previous works found in the literature already consider the evaluation of the overvoltages in transformer associated to switching transient by coefficients, such as the frequency domain severity factor (FDSF). But this factor, as a global coefficient, could not assess the severity along windings to localize dielectrically weak points. Therefore, this paper overcomes this limitation proposing an alternative coefficient identified as time domain severity factor (TDSF).

Citation

Álvarez‐Mariño, C., Lopez‐Fernandez, X.M., Jacomo Ramos, A.J.M., Castro Lopes, R.A.F. and Miguel Duarte Couto, J. (2012), "Time domain severity factor (TDSF): Induced transient voltage between transformer and vacuum circuit breakers", COMPEL - The international journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering, Vol. 31 No. 2, pp. 670-681. https://doi.org/10.1108/03321641211200644