Any preparation done for GIC (Geo-magnetically Induced Currents)?
Any preparation done for GIC (Geo-magnetically Induced Currents)?
(OP)
2010-2012 is the period of solare storm that results in Geo-magnetically Induced Currents (GIC). It occurs in a cycle of 11-12 years.
I am interested to know what other companies are doing to pretect their transformers from GIC.
Thanks
I am interested to know what other companies are doing to pretect their transformers from GIC.
Thanks






RE: Any preparation done for GIC (Geo-magnetically Induced Currents)?
RE: Any preparation done for GIC (Geo-magnetically Induced Currents)?
RE: Any preparation done for GIC (Geo-magnetically Induced Currents)?
RE: Any preparation done for GIC (Geo-magnetically Induced Currents)?
I can not remember any issues at that time.
RE: Any preparation done for GIC (Geo-magnetically Induced Currents)?
Up to 150 Amperes on the PSE&G system
Caused failure of one shell form of an old design, gassing of a # of transformers in the NE of USA area, and an 8 hr blackout of the HQ system
Has caused overheating / gassing in other large power transformers - In S. Africa, Sweden, and Finland in 2000 / 200
RE: Any preparation done for GIC (Geo-magnetically Induced Currents)?
RE: Any preparation done for GIC (Geo-magnetically Induced Currents)?
Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the
United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack.
April 2008.
ht
NERC System Disturbance Analysis: 1989 Geomagnetic
Storm. August 1990.
htt
Thanks
Alex
RE: Any preparation done for GIC (Geo-magnetically Induced Currents)?
Eather way it's the same results. I just want to know.
RE: Any preparation done for GIC (Geo-magnetically Induced Currents)?
RE: Any preparation done for GIC (Geo-magnetically Induced Currents)?
GIC is a problem only in arctic or near to those areas. We have seen similar problem in other areas where in HV DC system when one line is charged under ground return mode,DC current moves through ground.Where resistivity is high, Dc current will move in to neutrals of nearby transformer and move over transmission lines and come out of receiving end transformer neutral to ground, as it is relatively less resistive to current flow.
RE: Any preparation done for GIC (Geo-magnetically Induced Currents)?
If capacitors work, have you had any problems with arrestors?
RE: Any preparation done for GIC (Geo-magnetically Induced Currents)?
RE: Any preparation done for GIC (Geo-magnetically Induced Currents)?
The Artic may be more susceptible but that factor relates more to the level of induced currents which are greater closer to the poles. As previously noted, PSE&G (NJ) lost a GSU transformer back in 1989. Hydro Quebec had their system shut down for a good number of hours on the same day mainly because a number of their transmission capacitor banks tripped off.
We had a couple of our capacitor banks trip off on the same day due to harmonics. Harmonics are a result of transformer saturation. A number of neighboring East-coast utilities reported tripping of their cap banks on the same day. Again we're talking about transmission banks.
The main path of GIC is east-west. Long transmission lines that run in an east-west direction are most susceptible.
Some things can be done. The simplest is to replace transmission capacitor bank protective relaying with a type that is less sensitive to harmonics. This is a fairly inexpensive thing to do. We replaced a number of older GSU transformers with ones that are more tolerant of GIC. That is a solution even though it is expensive.
You can also install monitors at critical transformer locations. That will give you an early warning - maybe 30 minutes or so. The trick is to decide what you want to do given that you have a high current level on one of the monitored transformers. Think about that for a minute.
There is also a YouTube clip of a U.S. senior energy expert that predicts doom and gloom for the 2010-2011 solar storm. It remains to be seen whether it will be as bad as 1989 or not.