Electromagnetic compatibility studies within smart grid automated substations

Switching, fault currents, lightning and other transient phenomena produce electromagnetic fields that may disturb the normal functioning of a high voltage power substation. With the advent of the `smart grid' - where electronic control and communication equipment are integrated within the substation - understanding of the electromagnetic environment and the resulting interferences is becoming very important. This paper uses an example of a particular 400/220kV substation in Romania to analyse its behaviour from the point of view of transient stability and faults. The results of the transient analysis in terms of currents will then be used to excite an electromagnetic model with the aim to predict the field distribution within the substation during the transient. These results will in turn be used to identify the EMI `hot spots' within the substation.