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The age of the majority of power transformers installed in the western electricity network reaches 30 to 60 years and replacement on short term seems eminent. A technically sound policy concerning the replacement of these assets requires a model that estimates the life expectancies of individual components and from that calculates parameters related to the behavior of a population of assets as a whole. A probabilistic approach is adopted and is applied to thermal degradation of the transformer paper insulation. In this paper, we will focus on the determination of the population reliability from individual reliabilities. These individual reliabilities are based on Arrhenius modeling of paper insulation degradation, including the inherent uncertainty in the parameters involved. A statistical failure model is used to obtain the population reliability figures. The modeling method is demonstrated on two populations of power transformers in The Netherlands to evaluate the different replacement alternatives. Using the model, strategies can be defined to maximize transformer utilization and postpone replacement. The downside is the need to replace the complete fleet in a relatively short time afterwards.

To evaluate the power frequency electric and magnetic fields (EMF) inside and around power facilities quantitatively, it is important to measure actual values of them. However, there seems to have been no systematic research of this kind. Under this type of circumstance, the authors have planned and been carrying out international cooperative research among various countries on power frequency electric and magnetic fields measurements. This paper describes the results of the EMF measurement inside and around power facilities in Colombia, Cuba, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Thailand, and the U.S.

This paper addresses voltage distortion in the frequency range 2 to 9 kHz, above what is normally considered in harmonic studies. By extrapolating the voltage-distortion limits that exist in international standards for distortion up to 2 kHz, it is concluded that 0.5% of nominal voltage per 200-Hz band is a safe limit. This limit is next used to estimate the number of small generator units (1-10 kW) that can be connected to a low-voltage grid. It is concluded that in some cases the connection of one or just a few units already leads to a distortion level above the limit.

Vertical ground rods have been used extensively from the early days of electrical engineering for earth termination of electrical and lightning protection systems. They are usually represented with equivalent circuits with lumped and distributed parameters based on quasistatic approximation, which limits the upper frequency of their validity domain. However, lightning-related studies often require modeling in the megahertz frequency range. Also, emerging technologies, such as power-line communications, require analysis in frequency ranges even up to a few tens of megahertz. The rigorous electromagnetic (EM) field theory approach may be used for such frequency ranges, but equivalent circuits are needed for the usual network analysis methods. In this paper, we look at possibilities to construct simple equivalent circuits that can approximate or match results from the EM model. In particular, we compare a usual homogenous distributed parameter circuit with a nonhomogenous one determined by curve matching with results from the EM model. The analysis is illustrated using numerical simulations.

Ferromagnetic materials, such as steel, are used for shielding of power and telecommunication cables. These shields often provide path for currents during faults or lightning and are important for the integrity and safety of electrical systems and devices. Since such currents might be with low- or high-frequency content, and of low or high intensity, ferromagnetic shield behavior might be quite different due to hysteresis. This paper describes a method for analyzing the dynamic behavior of ferromagnetic cable shields based on the Jiles model of hysteresis. The solution is implemented in ATP-EMTP, which allows one to analyze the complex behavior of ferromagnetic cable shields in conjunction with that of the other elements of the power system. Due to limitations of the model of hysteresis, application of the proposed model is limited to frequencies up to about 10 kHz. The model is illustrated for a practical 100-m-long cable.

For three-phase four-wire circuits, two compensation criteria have been established: one based on the instantaneous value concept and the other on the average value concept. Thus, according to the instantaneous value concept the non instantaneous power current is reduced, without altering the instantaneous active power. According to the average value concept, the nonactive average-current is reduced, without altering the average power. When the zero-sequence voltage component exists, both compensation types would not enable the zero-sequence (neutral) source current elimination. Then, two approaches are marked in this paper. The first one is for eliminating the non instantaneous power current or the nonactive average-current but the neutral current can still flow. The second one for eliminating the modified non instantaneous power current or the modified nonactive average-current, thus the neutral current component is compensated. According to recent recommendations in this work three-phase systems are considered as four-conductor systems. Experimental results are obtained to confirm the theoretical properties and to show the compensator performance., The “Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología (CICYT)” of the Spanish Minister of Education and Culture.