In this paper, the effectiveness of lightning overvoltage protection of cables in high voltage overhead cable lines has been analyzed. Because of the high overvoltage level, the cables are protected by surge arresters and by metallic sheath earthing. However, in practice, quite a lot of cases of electricity-evoked damage to the cable outer sheaths are observed, proving that the effectiveness of the protection used is insufficient. As a result, the cables are exposed to environmental factors, especially moisture penetration, which contributes to cable degradation. To explain the causes of this situation, simulation studies were carried out to determine the relevant factors affecting the level of expected overvoltages. The circuit-field model of the overhead cable line in EMTP-ATP, COMSOL and MATLAB software was used for determining overvoltages on the main cable insulation and the outer protective sheath. The studies reveal that the efficiency of the cable insulation overvoltage protection is ensured regardless of the lightning strike location and the crest value of its current. However, the obtained results confirm that no matter the applied protection, the cable outer sheaths may be exposed to overvoltages with higher values than those of the main insulation. Although the analysis was performed for 110 kV lines, the conclusions are general and are also applicable to power lines with higher rated voltages.

The growing interest in the negative environmental impact of overhead power lines of high and extra-high voltage stems from the increasing ecological awareness of societies. Consequently, a number of respective legal restrictions have been issued and actions have been undertaken to reduce this impact, especially in the electric field of the power frequency. The aim of this paper is to analyze the possibilities of reducing the width of electric field influence zones by changing the design parameters of power lines and defining the spatial distribution of its conductors. This analysis was carried out using the developed and experimentally verified models for determining the electric field and audible noise in the power line environment. The computational models were used to analyze the width of the electric field influence zones of 400 kV lines and the noise levels at the borders of these zones. The research focused on single and double circuit 400 kV power lines. It was revealed that a reduction in electric field emissions is accompanied by an increase in noise emission. However, the analyses confirmed that the width of the electric field influence zones can be significantly reduced if the most important design and construction parameters of the line are properly selected. The obtained conclusions are valid not only for 400 kV lines, but also set directions to follow when changing the parameters of high voltage transmission lines of other rated voltages (above 100 kV).

The article deals with the problems of single-phase short-circuit current distribution in overhead power lines. Short-circuit disturbances cause many negative phenomena in power networks. Since experimental studies of short-circuits in real networks are practically impossible to perform, these effects can be evaluated only theoretically, based on short-circuit current calculations with the use of appropriate mathematical models. Although short-circuit modeling is considered to be one of the simplest power system calculations, the exact mathematical description of the phenomena occurring at short-circuits is complex. Simplified normative methods are often used for short-circuit current calculations; however, this does not give ground for a thorough analysis of short-circuit current distribution in power lines. The distributions are analyzed using power line models with different degrees of complexity in line with the assumptions made for a given model. The paper presents the problem of current distribution analysis in high-voltage overhead lines for single-phase faults to the tower structures. Simulation studies were conducted on the models developed for the calculation of short-circuit currents in the high-voltage power line earthing. The objective of the analysis was to assess the validity of simplification assumptions followed by practical recommendations on the applicability of the models.

This paper focuses on the evaluation of the electric shock hazard accompanying earth faults in a non-effectively earthed medium-voltage (MV) electrical power network. This hazard depends on the duration and value of the fault current. While the fault current depends on several factors, the most important is the neutral point earthing method. The value of the fault current affects the earthing-electrode voltage value, being the basis for the assessment of electric shock hazard in MV/LV substations. The earthing-electrode voltage is also influenced by the resistance of the substation earthing, which in practice is random. Therefore, an original statistical evaluation method for assessing the electric shock hazard has been developed and presented in this paper. It is based on a statistical model of the MV/LV substation earthing resistance, worked out on the basis of experiments and measurements in real electrical power networks. This method can be used for the determination of statistical distributions of earthing-conductor voltages in real electrical power networks, and on this basis, the MV/LV substations with rates of electric shock hazard that are too high can be indicated. This also makes it possible to determine the longest permissible fault current interruption times or the highest permissible earthing resistances for specific substations. This method is also applicable when selecting the neutral point earthing method. The developed method was used in all of the above proposed areas by performing calculations on a model of a real 15 kV network with the neutral point earthed by a resistor. This analysis proves the practicability of the method both at the stage of designing power networks, and when a change in the neutral point earthing method in existing networks is being considered. Particularly valuable is also the statistical model of an earthing electrode resistance, developed on the basis of measurements in 2408 MV/LV substations, which may also be applicable in the future studies.