Solar Activity and Transformer Failures in the Greek National Electric Grid
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J. Space Weather Space Clim. 3 (2013) A32 DOI: 10.1051/swsc/2013055 Ó I.P. Zois, Published by EDP Sciences 2013 RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS Solar activity and transformer failures in the Greek national electric grid Ioannis Panayiotis Zois* Testing Research and Standards Centre, Public Power Corporation, 9 Leontariou street, GR 153 51, Kantza, Pallini, Athens, Attica, Greece *Corresponding author: [email protected] Received 3 August 2012 / Accepted 27 October 2013 ABSTRACT Aims: We study both the short term and long term effects of solar activity on the large transformers (150 kV and 400 kV) of the Greek national electric grid. Methods: We use data analysis and various statistical methods and models. Results: Contrary to com- mon belief in PPC Greece, we see that there are considerable both short term (immediate) and long term effects of solar activity onto large transformers in a mid-latitude country like Greece. Our results can be summarised as follows: 1. For the short term effects: During 1989–2010 there were 43 ‘‘stormy days’’ (namely days with for example Ap 100) and we had 19 failures occurring during a stormy day plus or minus 3 days and 51 failures occurring during a stormy day plus or minus 7 days. All these failures can be directly related to Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs). Explicit cases are briefly pre- sented. 2. For the long term effects, again for the same period 1989–2010, we have two main results: (i) The annual number of transformer failures seems to follow the solar activity pattern. Yet the maximum number of transformer failures occurs about half a solar cycle after the maximum of solar activity. (ii) There is statistical correlation between solar activity expressed using various newly defined long term solar activity indices and the annual number of transformer failures. These new long term solar activity indices were defined using both local (from the geomagnetic station in Greece) and global (planetary averages) geomagnetic data. Applying both linear and non-linear statis- tical regression we compute the regression equations and the corresponding coefficients of determination. Key words. geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) – solar activity – technological system – non-linear phenomena – aeronomy 1. Introductory theory – motivation currents (GICs), ionospheric disturbances which cause radio and radar scintillation, disruption of navigation by magnetic The primary cause of space weather are explosions in the Sun compass and auroral displays at much lower latitudes than nor- powered by its strong magnetic field which affect man-made mal. In this article we shall focus on GICs and their effects on technological infrastructure in space, disturb communications electric grids, in particular large transformers. GICs are the and GPS signals and couple through Geomagnetically Induced ground level manifestations of space weather (namely geomag- Currents (GICs for short) with the large-scale high voltage netic storms) and they are driven by the variations of the terres- power grid. The most well-known case of the impact of trial magnetic field (temporary disturbances of the earth’s large-scale space weather events on the electric grid is the magnetosphere) via Faraday’s Law of Induction. 1989 Hydro-Quebec blackout caused by the 13 and 14 March One can briefly describe the emergence of GICs as a six- super storm. Highly acclaimed institutions (like the US step process (see Pulkkinen et al. 2001a, 2001b, 2003a, National Academy of Sciences 2008,theUK Royal Society 2003b, 2003c): of Engineering 2013, etc.) have issued extended reports arguing that space weather super storms may cause trillions of dollars of 1. Plasma is ejected from the Sun. damage although it is acknowledged that these estimates may 2. The magnetised plasma structures propagate in the inter- not be totally accurate. There is general consensus however that planetary medium (solar wind). space weather super storms constitute a serious threat. The main 3. Solar wind interacts with the magnetosphere. Here the cause of GICs is the interaction of the geomagnetic field with dominant factor for determining how much Earth is the magnetic field carried within CMEs and the surrounding affected is the orientation of the solar wind magnetic background magnetised solar wind that is modulated by them. field. The energy feed into the magnetosphere is highest There are several space weather phenomena which tend to during strong reconnection of the solar wind and the ter- be associated with a geomagnetic storm or are caused by a geo- restrial magnetic field. Increased energy flux into the sys- magnetic storm (see Chapman & Ferraro 1930). These include: tem sets the conditions for dynamic changes in the Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events, geomagnetically induced magnetospheric electric current systems. One of such This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. J. Space Weather Space Clim. 3 (2013) A32 dynamic changes are magnetic storms which are charac- catastrophic failure. Moreover, the distorted output wave form terised by enhanced convection of the magnetospheric can create higher harmonics, can cause the triggering of the pro- plasma and enhanced ring current circulating the Earth tective relays (Buchholz, etc.) and various control assets may be (see, e.g., Tsurutani & Gonzalez 1997). switched out. In addition to all the above the magnetising cur- 4. Magnetosphere-ionosphere interaction. The closure of the rent can get outside the design specifications leading to magnetospheric currents goes via polar regions of the increased VAr consumption and voltage instability. Let’s ionosphere. Consequently dynamic changes in the mag- describe the situation with slightly more details. netospheric currents couple to the dynamics of the iono- GICs are driven by the variation of the (terrestrial) magnetic sphere. An important class of dynamic variations are field, so they are characterised by slow changes. A transformer auroral substorms which are related to loading-unloading core saturates under GIC bias, causing it to operate in the extre- processes in the tail of the magnetosphere (e.g., Kallio mely non-linear portion of the core steel magnetisation (B-H) et al. 2000). During auroral substorms particles injected curve. This quasi-direct current (GIC) flowing through a trans- from the tail of the magnetosphere are seen in the iono- former offsets the power frequency magnetisation curve so that sphere in terms of auroras and rapid changes in the auro- the magnetic circuit operates asymmetrically on the (B-H) ral current systems. Although some of the basic features curve. Transformers are designed to operate in the linear portion are understood, the details of the storm and substorm pro- of the curve with only a small magnetising current, without cesses as well as the storm/substorm relationship are one approaching the non-linear regions of core saturation. Even of the most fundamental open questions in the solar-ter- small GICs can produce sufficient offset for the transformer restrial physics (see Kamide & Baumjohann 1993; to reach half-cycle saturation of the ac current that is in the Kamide 2001). same direction as the GICs. As the core saturates the permeabil- 5. Rapid changes of the ionospheric and magnetospheric ity tends to 1 and the flux fills the whole space of the winding, electric currents cause variations in the geomagnetic field so it is very different from the flux distribution under normal which, according to Faraday’s law of induction, induce an conditions. Normal leakage flux is controlled by non-magnetic electric field which drives an electric current in the sub- (stainless steel or aluminium) shields, shunts or cheek plates, surface region of the Earth. The nature of this geoelectric the dimensions of which are critical for controlling eddy current field depends on the characteristics of the ionospheric- losses and heating. Under normal conditions, with most flux in magnetospheric source and on the conductivity structure the magnetic core, the non-magnetic plates carry little flux and of the Earth. As a rule of thumb, the magnitude of the generate only small losses. Under half-wave core saturation, the geoelectric field increases with increasing time deriva- losses in some parts of the leakage flux shields may increase tives of the ground magnetic field and with decreasing significantly, causing localised heating. ground conductivity. Half-wave saturation also increases the magnetising current 6. Finally, the geoelectric field drives currents within con- and distorts the magnetisation current waveform (see, e.g., ductors at and below the surface of the Earth. The mag- Takasu et al. 1994). The distorted magnetising current has nitude and distribution of the currents are dependent on harmonics that correlate well with the GIC. Without adequate the topology and electrical characteristics of the system control of the flux under saturation conditions, local heating under investigation. The induced currents flowing in tech- in parts of the transformer may not be cooled effectively, lead- nological systems on the ground are the GICs. ing to rapid temperature increase. The intensity of overheating depends on the saturation flux paths, cooling flow and the ther- From steps 3 and 4 above it is expected that the greatest mal condition or loading of the transformer.