84 WM 149-1 It is hoped that high voltage laboratory tests can be used to

July 1984, pp. 1871-1878 test automation equipment at the system level. By testing
assembled electronic systems with simulated transients, it is
hoped that EMI susceptibility can be determined during the
Substation Electromagnetic design process. If this is possible, it will eliminate many field
failures and the required expense of redesign or field modifica¬
Interference, Part II: tion.
The transients generated in high voltage laboratories are
Susceptibility Testing and EMI being studied intensly. The instrumentation used in modern
HV laboratories is itself sensitive to the transients produced.
Simulation in High Voltage By thoroughly studing interference phenomenon, additional
information can be secured concerning the nature of the
Laboratories transients as well as their effect on substation equipment.
A new IEC standard on "Oscilloscopes and Peak Voltmeters
for Impulse Tests" is currently being prepared by Technical
B. Don Russell, Senior Member, IEEE Committee 42 and introduces new interference tests for
Texas A&M University, TX insuring that measuring instruments have a sufficiently low
sensitivity to interference. Evaluation and studies to date have
William C. Kotheimer, Senior Member, IEEE shown that the proposed IEC test levels are essentially cor¬
Kotheimer Associates, Malvern, PA rect. An interference simulator specified by the new publica¬
tion IEC 60-5 has been examined and the measured character¬
Richard Malewski, Fellow istics obtained were close to the actual interference spectra
Hydro Quebec Research Laboratory, observed in high voltage laboratories.
Varennes, PQ, Canada
Conclusion
EMI Susceptibility The continued study, modification, and development of
Transition from the use of electromechanical to solid state susceptibility tests and testing techniques is necessary. The
electronic control, automation, and protection systems in use of high voltage laboratories for this purpose as well as
electric power substations has introduced a new problem interference simulators of other designs will probably assist in
electromagnetic interference (EMI). This is due to the very discovering the EMI susceptibility of equipment designs at the
wide frequency response and very low operating energies of prototype stage.
devices such as transistors and integrated circuits as com¬
pared to the response of electromechanical devices. This
increased sensitivity of solid state equipments makes them
susceptible to malfunctions induced by the ordinary transient
electromagnetic environment in the substation.
Industry response to EMI problems has been an ongoing and
growing activity. It has resulted in a number of national and
international standard tests to establish the capability of
electronic systems to perform correctly in the substation
environment. As knowledge of the substation environment
has improved, the standards have been revised and updated.
Standards such as ANSI 3C7.90a (SWC test) and the IEC 255-
4 are used by numerous groups to identify EMI susceptibili¬
ties.
The introduction of digital technology and computer hard¬
ware into substation automation has further compounded the
overall problem. Existing susceptibility tests are considered
inadequate to address the problem. As a result, considerable
revision of existing tests and thought as to additional test
requirements has taken place. This paper describes these
tests and procedures in detail and addresses the various
issues which must be considered in any susceptibility testing.
EMI In High Voltage Laboratories
Using the instrumentation truck developed by Texas A&M
University, measurements have been made in the Wes-
tinghouse High Voltage Laboratory to acquire data for com¬
parison to substation electromagnetic interference data. The
goal and objective was to acquire equivalent EMI data to
determine the similiarities and differences between lab and
substation transients. Numerous tests were run based on the
available equipment including flashover, impulse, and
chopped wave tests. Fig. 1 shows an electric field transient
generated from a chopped wave test. This transient is similiar
to those generated by switching events in power substations.
Example parameters for the electric field generated by a
chopped wave test might be as follows
Rise time: 1.8 ¿ts
Overall Amplitude: 55kV/m (peak)
Predominate
Frequencies: 100KHz Duration: 72
700KHZ 70kV/m(p-p) 10 ¿ts
3-6 MHz 5kV/m (p p) 3 /ts
IEEE Power Engineering Review, July 1984 63