scholarly journals Quantitative influence of coast effect on geomagnetically induced currents in power grids: a case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. A60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunming Liu ◽  
Xuan Wang ◽  
Hongmei Wang ◽  
Huilun Zhao

In recent years, several magnetic storms have disrupted the normal operation of power grids in the mid-low latitudes. Data obtained from the monitoring of geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) indicate that GIC tend to be elevated at nodes near the ocean-land interface. This paper discusses the influence of the geomagnetic coast effect on GIC in power grids based on geomagnetic data from a coastal power station on November 9, 2004. We used a three-dimensional (3D) Earth conductivity model to calculate the induced electric field using the finite element method (FEM), and compared it to a one-dimensional (1D) layered model, which could not incorporate a coastal effect. In this manner, the GIC in the Ling’ao power plant was predicted while taking the coast effect into consideration in one case and ignoring it in the other. We found that the GIC predicted by the 3D model, which took the coastal effect into consideration, showed only a 2.9% discrepancy with the recorded value, while the 1D model underestimated the GIC by 23%. Our results demonstrate that the abrupt lateral variations of Earth conductivity structures significantly influence GIC in the power grid. We can infer that high GIC may appear even at mid-low latitude areas that are subjected to the coast effect. Therefore, this effect should be taken into consideration while assessing GIC risk when power networks are located in areas with lateral shifts in Earth conductivity structures, such as the shoreline and the interfaces of different geological structures.

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Dong ◽  
Zezhong Wang ◽  
Risto Pirjola ◽  
Chunming Liu ◽  
Lianguang Liu

During geomagnetic disturbances, the telluric currents which are driven by the induced electric fields will flow in conductive Earth. An approach to model the Earth conductivity structures with lateral conductivity changes for calculating geoelectric fields is presented in this paper. Numerical results, which are obtained by the Finite Element Method (FEM) with a planar grid in two-dimensional modelling and a solid grid in three-dimensional modelling, are compared, and the flow of induced telluric currents in different conductivity regions is demonstrated. Then a three-dimensional conductivity structure is modelled and the induced currents in different depths and the geoelectric field at the Earth’s surface are shown. The geovoltages by integrating the geoelectric field along specific paths can be obtained, which are very important regarding calculations of geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) in ground-based technical networks, such as power systems.


2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (S300) ◽  
pp. 500-501
Author(s):  
Larisa Trichtchenko

AbstractCoronal mass ejections (CME) and associated interplanetary-propagated solar wind disturbances are the established causes of the geomagnetic storms which, in turn, create the most hazardous impacts on power grids. These impacts are due to the large geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) associated with variations of geomagnetic field during storms, which, flowing through the transformer windings, cause extra magnetisation. That can lead to transformer saturation and, in extreme cases, can result in power blackouts. Thus, it is of practical importance to study the solar causes of the large space weather events. This paper presents the example of the space weather chain for the event of 5-6 November 2001 and a table providing complete overview of the largest solar events during solar cycle 23 with their subsequent effects on interplanetary medium and on the ground. This compact overview can be used as guidance for investigations of the solar causes and their predictions, which has a practical importance in everyday life.


Space Weather ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 727-756 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Marshall ◽  
L. Wang ◽  
G. A. Paskos ◽  
G. Olivares‐Pulido ◽  
T. Van Der Walt ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 983-998
Author(s):  
Liisa Juusola ◽  
Heikki Vanhamäki ◽  
Ari Viljanen ◽  
Maxim Smirnov

Abstract. Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) are directly described by ground electric fields, but estimating them is time-consuming and requires knowledge of the ionospheric currents and the three-dimensional (3D) distribution of the electrical conductivity of the Earth. The time derivative of the horizontal component of the ground magnetic field (dH∕dt) is closely related to the electric field via Faraday's law and provides a convenient proxy for the GIC risk. However, forecasting dH∕dt still remains a challenge. We use 25 years of 10 s data from the northern European International Monitor for Auroral Geomagnetic Effects (IMAGE) magnetometer network to show that part of this problem stems from the fact that, instead of the primary ionospheric currents, the measured dH∕dt is dominated by the signature from the secondary induced telluric currents at nearly all IMAGE stations. The largest effects due to telluric currents occur at coastal sites close to high-conducting ocean water and close to near-surface conductivity anomalies. The secondary magnetic field contribution to the total field is a few tens of percent, in accordance with earlier studies. Our results have been derived using IMAGE data and are thus only valid for the stations involved. However, it is likely that the main principle also applies to other areas. Consequently, it is recommended that the field separation into internal (telluric) and external (ionospheric and magnetospheric) parts is performed whenever feasible (i.e., a dense observation network is available).


2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuke Ebihara ◽  
Shinichi Watari ◽  
Sandeep Kumar

AbstractLarge-amplitude geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) are the natural consequences of the solar–terrestrial connection triggered by solar eruptions. The threat of severe damage of power grids due to the GICs is a major concern, in particular, at high latitudes, but is not well understood as for low-latitude power grids. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the lower limit of the GICs that could flow in the Japanese power grid against a Carrington-class severe magnetic storm. On the basis of the geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) observed at Colaba, India, during the Carrington event in 1859, we calculated the geoelectric disturbances (GEDs) by a convolution theory, and calculated GICs flowing through transformers at 3 substations in the Japanese extra-high-voltage (500-kV) power grid by a linear combination of the GEDs. The estimated GEDs could reach ~ 2.5 V/km at Kakioka, and the GICs could reach, at least, 89 ± 30 A near the storm maximum. These values are several times larger than those estimated for the 13–14 March 1989 storm (in which power blackout occurred in Canada), and the 29–31 October 2003 storm (in which power blackout occurred in Sweden). The GICs estimated here are the lower limits, and there is a probability of stronger GICs at other substations. The method introduced here will be immediately applicable for benchmark evaluation of low-latitude GICs against the Carrington-class magnetic storms if one assumes electrical parameters, such as resistance of transmission lines, with sufficient accuracy.


2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 709-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Pulkkinen ◽  
A. Thomson ◽  
E. Clarke ◽  
A. McKay

Abstract. Geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) flowing in technological systems on the ground are a direct manifestation of space weather. Due to the proximity of very dynamic ionospheric current systems, GIC are of special interest at high latitudes, where they have been known to cause problems, for example, for normal operation of power transmission systems and buried pipelines. The basic physics underlying GIC, i.e. the magnetosphere – ionosphere interaction and electromagnetic induction in the ground, is already quite well known. However, no detailed study of the drivers of GIC has been carried out and little is known about the relative importance of different types of ionospheric current systems in terms of large GIC. In this study, the geomagnetic storm of 6–7 April 2000 is investigated. During this event, large GIC were measured in technological systems, both in Finland and in Great Britain. Therefore, this provides a basis for a detailed GIC study over a relatively large regional scale. By using GIC data and corresponding geomagnetic data from north European magnetometer networks, the ionospheric drivers of large GIC during the event were identified and analysed. Although most of the peak GIC during the storm were clearly related to substorm intensifications, there were no common characteristics discernible in substorm behaviour that could be associated with all the GIC peaks. For example, both very localized ionospheric currents structures, as well as relatively large-scale propagating structures were observed during the peaks in GIC. Only during the storm sudden commencement at the beginning of the event were large-scale GIC evident across northern Europe with coherent behaviour. The typical duration of peaks in GIC was also quite short, varying between 2–15 min.Key words. Geomagnetism and paleo-magnetism (geomagnetic induction) – Ionosphere (ionospheric disturbances) – Magnetospheric physics (storms and substorms)


Space Weather ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Electdom Matandirotya ◽  
Pierre. J. Cilliers ◽  
Robert R Van Zyl ◽  
David T. Oyedokun ◽  
Jean Villiers

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