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Investigating surge protection and earthing designs used for utility-scale PV plants
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2021
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| _version_ | 1867613740251217920 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Smit, Herme |
| author2 | Rix, Arnold J. |
| author_browse | Rix, Arnold J. Smit, Herme |
| author_facet | Rix, Arnold J. Smit, Herme |
| author_sort | Smit, Herme |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/123848 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:40:56.936Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publishDateRange | 2021 |
| publishDateSort | 2021 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/123848 Investigating surge protection and earthing designs used for utility-scale PV plants Smit, Herme Rix, Arnold J. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Earthing designs UCTD Surge (Electricity) -- Protection -- Investigation Photovoltaic power plants Renewable energy sources Electric wiring -- Inspection Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Due to the global impact of fossil fuel energy generation, renewable energy source imple- mentation is growing. Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy generation has seen the second-highest growth of all renewable energy sources in 2019. PV plants are often located in wide-open areas to maximize surface area and reduce shading effects. As a result of the wide-open nature, lightning damage is a concern. Lightning protection standards such as the IEC 62305 has been used to inform protection designs for structures against lightning damage. However, the IEC 62305 standard does not directly apply to PV plants. With no lightning protection standard specified for PV plants, methods for implementing lightning protection systems need to be investigated. A PV plant model was created, to simulate the application of surge protection devices (SPD) as a lightning protection method. It was found that multiple SPDs are required to protect the electrical systems within a PV plant. Lightning transients are suppressed if SPDs are installed at the com- biner box and inverter for all lightning variations. Ground potential rise showed the reverse operation of SPDs; however, the resulting transients were within the operating voltage of the PV plant. SPDs divert lightning transients to ground; therefore, an effective earthing electrode arrangement is required. The IEC 62305 standard specifies two variations of earthing arrangements, namely, type A and type B. Both of the earthing arrangements were designed and simulated to determine the best-suited solution for a PV plant. Additionally, a pile-driven mounting solution as an earthing arrangement was considered. Results indicate the pile-driven mounting solution provided the lowest earthing resistance making it the best performing earthing arrangement. Type B performed similarly with a sub 10 Ω earthing resistance making it a suitable earthing arrangement solution. The type A earthing arrangement is determined to be unsuitable if designed to the minimum specifications of the IEC 62305 A DC cable harness model was created to test the possibility of lightning transient coupling occurring between DC cables. Simulations were performed to determine whether coupling can occur and to what extent. Results showed, under various lighting conditions transients were present in DC cables neighbouring the DC cable directly affected by the lightning transients. In the case of an indirect lightning flash, the resulting coupled transients were below the operating voltage of the PV plant. However, for direct lightning flashes and ground potential rise events, the coupled transients could result in damage to the electrical systems if not adequately protected. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: As gevolg van die wêreldwye impak van energie opwekking deur fossielbrandstowwe, neem die implementering van hernubare energie toe. Opwekking van sonkrag-fotovoltaïese (FV) energie het die tweede hoogste groei van alle hernubare energiebronne beleef in 2019. PV-aanlegte is dikwels in oop ruimtes geleë m die oppervlak te maksimeer en skadu- effekte t e v erminder. A s g evolgv an die o op r uimtes, is weerligskadekommerwekkend. Weerligbeskermingsstandaarde soos die IEC 62305 word gebruik om beskermingsontwerpe toe te pas op strukture om te beskerm teen weerligbeskadiging. Die IEC 62305-standaard is egter nie direk van toepassing op PV-aanlegte nie. Met geen spesifieke weerligbeskermingsstandaarde v ir F V-aanlegte nie, m oet m etodes vir die implementering van ’n weerligbeveiligingstelsels ondersoek word. ’n FV-aanlegmodel is geskep om die aanwending van spanningbeveiligingstoestel (SBT) as ’n weerligbesker- mingsmetode te simuleer. Daar is bevind dat verskeie SBTs benodig word om die elektriese stelsels binne ’n FV-aanleg te beskerm. Weerligoorgangsverskynsels word onder- druk as SBTs by die kombineerder en omsetter ge ̈ınstalleer word vir alle weerligvariasies. Grondpotensiaalstyging het die omgekeerde werking van SBTs getoon maar die gevolglike oorgangsverskynsels was binne die bedryfsspanning van die FV-aanleg. SBTs herlei weerli- goorgangsverskynsels na die grond en daarom is ’n effektiewe aardingselektrode n odig. Die IEC 62305 standaard spesifiseer t wee v ariasiesv an a ardings, n aamlik t ipe A e n t ipe B. Albei die aardings is ontwerp en gesimuleer om die beste oplossing vir ’n FV-aanleg te bepaal. Daarbenewens is ’n paalgedrewe monteeroplossing as ’n aardings metode oorweeg. Die resultate dui aan dat die paalgedrewe monteeroplossing die laagste aardweerstand bied en dus die beste oplossing is. Tipe B tree soortgelyk op met ’n onder 10 Ω aardweerstand wat dit ’n geskikte oplossing vir aarding maak. Die tipe A aarding word as onvanpas beskou as dit volgens die minimum spesifikasies van die IEC 62305 ontwerp word. ’n GS-kabelharnas-model is geskep om die moontlikheid van weerligoorgangsverskynsels koppeling tussen GS-kabels te toets. Simulasies is uitgevoer om vas te stel of koppel- ing kan plaasvind en tot watter mate. Die resultate het getoon dat daar onder verskil- lende weerlig toestande, oorgangsverskynsels in ander GS-kabels tennwoordig is weens oorgangsverskynsels in die direk geaffekteurde GS-kabel. In die geval van ’n indirekte weerligflits, was die gevolglike gekoppelde oorgangsverskynsels onder die bedryfspanning van die FV-aanleg. Vir direkte weerligflitse en moontlike spanning styging in die grond kan die gekoppelde oorgangsverskynsels egter skade aan die elektriese stelsels veroorsaak as dit nie voldoende beskerm word nie. Masters 2021-11-25T13:00:13Z 2021-12-22T14:24:55Z 2021-11-25T13:00:13Z 2021-12-22T14:24:55Z 2021-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123848 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 122 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Earthing designs UCTD Surge (Electricity) -- Protection -- Investigation Photovoltaic power plants Renewable energy sources Electric wiring -- Inspection Smit, Herme Investigating surge protection and earthing designs used for utility-scale PV plants |
| title | Investigating surge protection and earthing designs used for utility-scale PV plants |
| title_full | Investigating surge protection and earthing designs used for utility-scale PV plants |
| title_fullStr | Investigating surge protection and earthing designs used for utility-scale PV plants |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating surge protection and earthing designs used for utility-scale PV plants |
| title_short | Investigating surge protection and earthing designs used for utility-scale PV plants |
| title_sort | investigating surge protection and earthing designs used for utility scale pv plants |
| topic | Earthing designs UCTD Surge (Electricity) -- Protection -- Investigation Photovoltaic power plants Renewable energy sources Electric wiring -- Inspection |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123848 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT smitherme investigatingsurgeprotectionandearthingdesignsusedforutilityscalepvplants |