• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
• /
• v.58 no.1
• /
• pp.119-125
• /
• 2009

This paper deals with the characteristics of soil ionization affecting the dynamic performance of grounding systems under lightning impulse voltage. A concentric hemispherical electrode system was employed in order to facilitate the field calculation and analysis of the experimental results. The parameters such as the ionization threshold and breakdown field intensity, the pre-ionization and the post ionization resistances, the time-lag to ionization, the transient impedance, the equivalent ionized radius for various soil media were measured and analyzed. The dynamic characteristics of ionization processes under lightning impulse voltage are strongly dependent on the types of soil and water content. As a result, a soil ionization reduces the ground resistance and there is a little effect of applied impulse polarity on the soil ionization threshold field intensity. Although the ionization threshold field intensity of wet clay with 30% water content is the highest, its ionized zone was found to be the smallest amongst the test samples.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.98-105
• /
• 2009

This paper presents the characteristics of soil ionization for different water contents, and the parameters associated with the dynamic properties of a simple model grounding system subject to lightning impulse currents. The laboratory experiments for this study were carried out based on factors affecting the soil resistivities. The soil resistivities are adjusted with water contents in the range from 2 to 8% by weight. A test cell with a spherical electrode buried in the middle of the hemispherical container was used. As a result, the electric field intensity $E_c$ initiating ionization is decreased with the reduction of soil resistivities. Also, as the water content increased, the pre-ionization resistance $R_1$ and the post-ionization resistance $R_2$ became lower with increasing current amplitude. The time-lag to ionization $t_1$ and the time-lag to the second current peak $t_2$ at high applied voltages were significantly shorter than those of low applied voltages. It was found that the soil ionization behaviors are highly dependent on the water content and the applied voltage amplitude.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
• /
• v.65 no.12
• /
• pp.1971-1978
• /
• 2016

In this paper, electrical and physical characteristics associated with the ionization growth of soil under impulse voltages in a coaxial cylindrical electrode system to simulate a horizontally-buried ground electrode were experimentally investigated. The results were summarized as follows: Transient ground resistances decreased significantly by soil ionization. The voltage-current (V-I) curves for non-ionization in soil lined up in a straight line with the nearly same slope that is the ground resistance, but they showed a 'cross-closed loop' of ${\infty}$-shape under ionization. The conventional ground resistance and equivalent soil resistivity were inversely proportional to the peak value of injected impulse currents. On the other hand, the equivalent ionization radius and time-lag to the maximum value of ionization radius were increased with increasing the incident impulse voltages. An analysis method for the transient ground resistances of the ground electrode based on the ionization phenomena was proposed. The proposed method can be applied to analyze the transient performances of grounding systems for lightning protection in power system installations.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
• /
• v.66 no.2
• /
• pp.363-369
• /
• 2017

This paper presents the experimental results related to soil ionization and electrical breakdown in a concentric hemispherical electrode system under lightning impulse voltages. Dynamic voltage-current and impedance-time characteristics of soil ionization were measured and analyzed. Also the electrical breakdowns of the soil gap were investigated. The time-lag to the peak current corresponds to the soil ionization propagation. The time of ionization propagation in wet sand is found to decrease with increasing the impulse currents. A drastic decrease in ground resistance was observed during the impulse current spreading in sand. The electrical breakdown appears at the wave tail of impulse voltage and results in a wide scatter in V-t curves. The voltage-current curves have a fan-like shape attributed to ionization processes which result in increasing current and decreasing voltage.

• KEPCO Journal on Electric Power and Energy
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.601-608
• /
• 2016

The electrical characteristics of the soil where a ground electrode is buried vary with regions, seasons and environmental factors. Electrical discharge in the vicinity of the ground electrode will occur differently and significantly affect the performance of the grounding system. It is necessary to analyze discharge and ionization characteristics of soils when the grounding system is designed. The aims of this investigation are to understand correlation between the soil ionization and the transient ground impedance. This paper presents the experimental results on the soil ionization parameters and the transient ground resistance due to the soil ionization around a hemispherical ground electrode stressed by lightning impulse voltages.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
• /
• 2008.07a
• /
• pp.1301-1302
• /
• 2008

The resistivity of soils around ground electrodes is changed considerably according to the factors such as soil types, water contents, grain size, temperature and pressure. In this study, ionization characteristics of different soil types containing the same amount of water content due to the impulse voltages are investigated. In order to analyze soil ionization phenomena, critical electric field intensity for ionization and pre-ionization and post-ionization resistances are measured and discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
• /
• v.22 no.12
• /
• pp.87-94
• /
• 2008

This parer presents the soil ionization phenomena and parameters associated to characterize the transient performances of grounding system under lightning impulse Currents. Ionization properties in occurring some soil media were experimentally investigated. The cylindrical test cell was employed in order to facilitate the analysis of soil breakdown field intensity and ionized radius. The soil breakdown field intensity, dependence of impedance on the amplitude of impulse current, V-I curves and transient impedances were discussed based on the voltage and current oscillograms. It was found that the ionization process and dynamic behaviors were strongly dependent on the types of soil and two current peaks were not observed in highly water-saturated soils. The results presented in this paper will provide useful information on the improvement of transient performance of a grounding system subjected to lightning impulse Current considering the soil ionization.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of IIIuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers Conference
• /
• 2008.05a
• /
• pp.305-308
• /
• 2008

This paper presents characteristics of soil ionization when high currents such as lightning and switching surge currents are injected into a grounding rod. Soil ionization phenomena are investigated by using both voltage and current signals recorded by oscilloscope. As a result, a critical electric field intensity($E_C$) for ionization is decreased with reduction of grain size. The pre-ionization resistance($R_1$) and post-ionization resistance($R_2$) at the sand with fine grain size are getting lower with increasing current magnitude. Finally, the time to ionization($t_1$) and ionization current peak($t_2$) of fine grain size are significantly shorter than those of medium grain size.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.78-84
• /
• 2009

This paper presents measurement results of transient impedance for small-sized ground electrodes in a discharge region of soil. For a realistic analysis of ionization characteristics near the ground electrode, three types of ground rod installed outdoors and high voltage impulse generator were used for injecting test current. From the analysis of response voltage and current flowing ground electrode to earth, it is verified that the ionization near the ground electrode contributes to reduction of ground impedance and limits the ground potential rise effectively in high resistivity soil. As a threshold electric field density for ionization is small in low resistivity soil, the shape of ground electrode rarely contributes to the transient impedance. And, from the experiment result with shape of ground electrode, the rod with needles is more effective to reduce the transient impedance than the plate electrode in the voltage range including with ionization regions of soil.

• KIEE International Transactions on Electrophysics and Applications
• /
• v.4C no.2
• /
• pp.60-63
• /
• 2004

The electrical breakdown characteristics of different types of soil samples have been measured. It is shown that the threshold soil breakdown strength is affected by many factors, such as types of soil, grain size, and soil compaction. The breakdown process in the test soil samples appears to be due to air ionization in the voids between the soil particles. The results have been compared with the relevant experimental results of other researchers.