Lightning Surge Analysis of HV Transmission Line: Bias AC-Voltage Effect on Multiphase Back-flashover

This paper discusses the back-flashover (BFO) phenomena in a high-voltage (HV) vertical double-circuit transmission line by means of numerical simulations. The single and multiphase BFOs are analyzed considering 24 cases of AC-voltage angles and nonlinear characteristic of flashovers, taking advantage of the circuit analysis method in time domain. The models used in circuit analysis are the TEM-delay model, which can take into account the non-TEM characteristics of tower and line, and the conventional models. Prior to the BFO analysis, the characteristics of circuit models are compared and discussed with the numerical electromagnetic analysis results. In BFO analysis, it is clarified that the occurrence probability of the multiphase BFO is heavily depending on the bias AC-voltages. The relation of measured BFO phases and AC-voltages are well explained by the TEM-delay model with the valid lightning current magnitude. The conventional circuit models could have underestimated the occurrence of BFOs in HV transmission lines. The analysis and discussions shown in this paper can be utilized for advanced evaluation of lightning performance of transmission lines that considers the seriousness of lightning accidents.