Estimation of the shielding performance of overhead transmission lines: The effects of lightning attachment model and lightning crest current distribution

Shielding failure of overhead transmission lines is a major cause of transmission system outages, affecting reliability of power supply and resulting in economic losses. In this study the shielding performance of overhead transmission lines is evaluated with the aid of general expressions, derived by implementing in shielding analysis different categories of lightning attachment models. Thus, the effects of lightning attachment model, transmission line parameters and lightning crest current distribution on shielding failure rate of overhead transmission lines have been quantified. Alternative approaches to that proposed by IEEE Std 1243 for assessing the shielding performance of transmission lines, including computer simulations of lightning attachment, are evaluated. Shielding failure rate results are discussed and compared with field data reported in literature. For typical overhead transmission lines, an upper limit of the estimated shielding failure rate is 0.4% of the rate of lightning strokes to the line. More and reliable field data is needed in order to evaluate lightning attachment models with respect to the lightning performance of overhead transmission lines.