Analysis of Discharge Faults Between Flanges Caused by Transient Enclosure Voltage

An increase in transient enclosure voltage can threaten the personal safety of workers and the normal operation of secondary equipment and may cause discharge between the flanges of gas insulated switchgear (GIS) enclosures. This study considered the spark–discharge fault between GIS enclosure flanges of a 500-kV nuclear power plant in China when the disconnect switch is operated in the background. The dynamic arc model during the operation of the disconnect switch was improved in this study, and the equivalent calculation model of transient enclosure voltage (TEV) caused by very fast transient overvoltage generated during the operation of the disconnect switch was established using the electromagnetic transient program ATP-EMTP. Suppression measures of the discharge phenomena were also discussed. The results demonstrated that the transient enclosure voltage caused by the operation of the disconnect switch can reach 75 kV in the most severe case, which causes discharge between the flanges. Reducing the residual charge on the island side of the disconnect switch, installing a metal oxide arrester, and reducing the inductance of the ground wire have different inhibitory effects on this discharge phenomenon, but they all have their limitations. The most simple and effective control measure is to use a short joint between two flanges. The study conclusions can be used as reference for preventing such discharge phenomena.