Insulation coordination in electrical power distribution networks by digital techniques: a real case study

The literature reveals little experience on the application of digital techniques to the insulation coordination of electrical power distribution networks. This paper resumes the application of such techniques to the insulation coordination design of a power distribution network that serves an extensive zone of oil exploitation in Venezuela. The land has very high resistivity and intense lightning activity (high ceramic level), which consequently, causes elevated failure rates on the circuits. The actual failures rates of the circuits were examined, considering the structural configuration and design parameters and then a set of the more attractive technical options for the values and characteristics of the more influential parameters over the failure rate due to atmospheric overvoltages of distribution circuits were specified in order to get a desired reliability level for the network.