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Improving Overhead Transmission

Line Usage Efficiency on a
Caribbean Island Power System
S. Bahadoorsingh, L. Bhairosingh, S. Sharma, M. Ganness
The University of the West Indies | Dept of Electrical and Computer Engineering
IEEE PES T&D 2014
Chicago, Illinois
16th April 2014

Transmission Line Rating Factors

Dynamic Line Rating The Concept

Know true line capacity in real time
Improve system reliability
Optimize grid utilization

(Oncor Electric Delivery Company, 2010)

Standards
1. IEEE Standard for Calculating the CurrentTemperature of Bare Overhead Conductors
(IEEE 738-2006)
2. Cigr Thermal Behaviour of Overhead
Conductors

Heat Balance Equation (IEEE 738)

Heat losses

Heat gains

qr qc qs I R(Tc )
2

Radiated heat loss

Solar heat gain

Convected heat loss

Ampacity
qr qc qs
I
R(Tc )

Joule heating

Screenshot of developed MATLAB based DLR software showcasing the steady state calculation window.

T&TEC Case study

Chaguanas East- Chaguanas West Circuit

Conductor type: Wolf

Conductor
AC resistance
AC resistance
diameter (mm) @ 25C (m-1) @ 75C (m-1)
18.1
0.000183
0.000223
Manufacturer Rating (temperate climate): 512 A

Hourly readings for wind speed based on ARMA model and ambient temperature and for July 18th 2012

Actual conductor loading for July 18th 2012 and calculated ampacity

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Results:
o Highest ampacity calculated was 107% greater than manufacturers

rating and 197% higher than actual conductor loading

o Lowest ampacity calculated was 42% higher than manufacturers rating
and 103% higher than actual conductor rating

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Constraints/ Limitations
Lack of real time updating of climatic data
More loading data needed for lines with climatic data available

Further Work
Effects of DLR on:
o system voltages and losses
o unit commitment
o contingency planning
o protection circuitry
Cost analysis

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Conclusion
Electricity transmission traditionally limited by lines thermal limit

Static ratings challenged as being overly conservative due to load growth

DLR provides improved asset management
T&TEC case study:
o Highest ampacity calculated was 107% greater than manufacturers
rating and 197% higher than actual conductor loading

o Lowest ampacity calculated was 42% higher than manufacturers rating

and 103% higher than actual conductor rating
DLR provides progression to a smarter grid

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References
Bernini, Minardo, Persiano, A. Vaccaro, D. Villacci and L. Zeni. 2007. Dynamic
loading of overhead lines by adaptive learning techniques and distributed
temperature sensing. IET Generation, Transmission and Distribution 1 (6):
912-919
Ciniglio, Orlando A., and Anjan Deb. 2004. Optimizing Transmission Path
Utilization in Idaho Power. IEE Transactions on Power Delivery 19 (2): 830834.
Hall, J.F., and A.K.Deb. 1988. Economic Evaluation of Dynamic Line Rating by
Adaptative Forecasting. IEE Transactions on Power Delivery 3 (4): 20482055.
Kopsidas, Konstantinos. 2009. "Modelling Thermal Rating of Arbitrary
Overhead Line System." Doctoral Thesis. The University of Manchester,
United Kingdom.
Kopsidas, K., and S. M. Rowland. 2011. Evaluating opportunities for
increasing power capacity of existing overhead line systems. IET
Generation, Transmission and Distribution 5 (1): 1-10.

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Appendix

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Heat loss- radiation (IEEE 738)

Conductor temperature

Ambient temperature

Tc 273 Ta 273
qr 0.0178D [
-

100 100
4

Conductor diameter

Emissivity

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Heat loss - convection (IEEE 738)

Wind speed = 0ms-1 (natural convection occurs)
qcn 0.0205 f 0.5 D0.75 (Tc Ta)
Air density

Wind speed < 0.6096ms-1

D fVw
qc1 [1.01 0.0372

0.52

]kfKangle(Tc Ta)

Wind speed

Air viscosity

Wind speed > 0.6096ms-1

0.6

D fVw
qc 2 [0.0119
]kfKangle(Tc Ta)
f
Thermal conductivity of air
Wind direction factor

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Heat Gain (IEEE 738)

Solar heating
Absorption coefficient

Angle of incidence of sun's rays

qs Qse sin( ) A

'

Total solar and sky radiated heat flux rate

Conductor area per unit length

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Heat Gain (IEEE 738)

Joule heating I 2 R(Tc )

AC resistance

R(Tc ) [

R(Thigh ) R(Tlow )
Thigh Tlow

](Tc Tlow ) R(Tlow )

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Non-steady state (IEEE 738)

Fault: Less than 5 minutes
dTc
mC p
I 2R
dt
Total conductor heat capacity
Change in conductor temperature
No heat exchange between the conductor and its environment.
Ambient temperature has no effect on the conductors temperature.
If line were operating below maximum allowable temperature before fault, the
heat storage capacity of the conductor allows it to tolerate a higher amount of
current for the duration of the fault.

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Non-steady state (IEEE 738)

Non-steady state: Between 5-30 minutes
dTc
qc qr mC p
I 2 R(Tc ) qs
dt
Immediately prior to step
change (t=0-)
Conductor is in thermal
equilibrium
Heat gains = heat losses

Immediately following step

change (t=0+)
Conductor resistance,
temperature, heat losses
(qr, qc)remain unchanged
Rate of generation of ohmic
losses increase
Conductor temperature
begins to increase

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(IEEE 738, 2006)