The Effects of Geomagnetic Storms on Power Systems

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The Effects of Geomagnetic Storms on Power Systems

• Mary Holleboom
• Justin Voogt
• ENGR W82
• January 22, 2002

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Outline

1. Space weather background
2. Effects on power systems
3. Case studies
4. Prediction
5. Impact reduction
6. Conclusions

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Definitions
Background

• Space Weather
• Geomagnetic storms, substorms, and auroras
  produced by ionized particles captured in the
  earths magnetic field
• Solar Wind
• Motion of interplanetary ionized particles away
  from the sun and towards the earth
• Magnetosphere
• Magnetic field produced by the earth that extends
  into space
• Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GIC)
• Currents produced by sudden fluctuations in the
  earths magnetic field during a geomagnetic storm

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What is a Geomagnetic Storm?
Background

• Sudden production of intense GICs
• Ability to create instability in earths magnetic
  field
• 11-year cycles
• Variations
• Duration (10s several days)
• Daytime v. Nighttime
• Size
• Frequency

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Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)
Background

• Mass up to one billion metric tons
• Temperature greater than one million K
• Millions of km wide
• Cause storms on earth several days after leaving
  the sun

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Impact on Power Systems
Effects

• Disrupts power grids
• GICs enter through thousands of grounding points
• Transformer saturation
• Blackouts
• Satellite malfunction
• Radio transmission disruption
• High altitude aircraft damage
• Costs of transformers and additional power
  purchase

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Transformer Saturation / Blackouts
Effects

• GICs resemble slowly varying DC currents
• Saturation of transformer core
• Harmonic levels increased
• Over 100A measured in grounding connections of
  affected areas

• Voltage regulation capabilities overwhelmed
• Multiple power systems affected simultaneously
• Permanent damage to network equipment
• Up to 600 of normal load drawn upon power
  restoration

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NOAA Weather Scales
Effects

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• G scale of 1-5
• Kp values 5-9
• Frequency based on 11-year cycles

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March 13, 1989
Case Studies

• Entire Hydro Quebec power system collapsed due to
  G5 geomagnetic storm
• 6 million customers lost power
• Entire system collapsed in 90 seconds
• Restoration took 9 hours
• Total cost to Quebec 13.2 million

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March 13, 1989, cont.
Case Studies

• Utilities throughout North America felt storm
• Several transformer heating problems
• 1,200 MVA transformer in New Jersey destroyed

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July 15, 2000
Case Studies

• G5 Class geomagnetic storm
• Kp of 9 for over nine hours
• No significant power system damage

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Satellite Forecasting
Prediction

• 1998 Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE)
  launched
• Real-time solar wind monitoring
• Up to 1 hour warning

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Numerical Modeling
Prediction

• Inputs from satellite
• Magnetic field magnitude
• Solar wind velocity
• Solar wind density
• Models can predict geomagnetic activity

• Goal give client-specific impact assessments
• Problems
• Modeling GICs is very difficult
• False alarms are costly

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Reducing the Effects
Impact Reduction

• Problems
• Immense volume of space
• Massive size of power grid
• Devices to block GIC flow would cost billions for
  entire system

• Contingency Strategy
• Reduce imported power
• Disconnect links between grids
• Delay system maintenance
• Put satellites to sleep

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Conclusions

• Current methods of predicting geomagnetic storms
  are becoming more accurate
• No feasible way of preventing effects
• Low frequency of threats, but high potential for
  damage
• More research is necessary