Continental scale modelling of geomagnetically induced currents

The EURISGIC project (European Risk from Geomagnetically Induced Currents) aims at deriving statistics of geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) in the European high-voltage power grids. Such a continent-wide system of more than 1500 substations and transmission lines requires updates of the previous modelling, which has dealt with national grids in fairly small geographic areas. We present here how GIC modelling can be conveniently performed on a spherical surface with minor changes in the previous technique. We derive the exact formulation to calculate geovoltages on the surface of a sphere and show its practical approximation in a fast vectorised form. Using the model of the old Finnish power grid and a much larger prototype model of European high-voltage power grids, we validate the new technique by comparing it to the old one. We also compare model results to measured data in the following cases: geoelectric field at the Nagycenk observatory, Hungary; GIC at a Russian transformer; GIC along the Finnish natural gas pipeline. In all cases, the new method works reasonably well.

[1]  Chun-Ming Liu,et al.  Geomagnetically Induced Currents in the High-Voltage Power Grid in China , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery.

[2]  R. Pirjola.  Effects of interactions between stations on the calculation of geomagnetically induced currents in an electric power transmission system , 2008 .

[3]  Ellen Clarke,et al.  Surface electric fields and geomagnetically induced currents in the Scottish Power grid during the 30 October 2003 geomagnetic storm , 2005 .

[4]  Risto Pirjola,et al.  Properties of matrices included in the calculation of geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) in power systems and introduction of a test model for GIC computation algorithms , 2009 .

[5]  John G. Kappenman,et al.  An overview of the impulsive geomagnetic field disturbances and power grid impacts associated with the violent Sun‐Earth connection events of 29–31 October 2003 and a comparative evaluation with other contemporary storms , 2005 .

[6]  R. Pirjola,et al.  Currents produced in earthed conductor networks by geomagnetically-induced electric fields , 1985 .

[7]  O. Amm.  Ionospheric Elementary Current Systems in Spherical Coordinates and Their Application , 1997 .

[8]  A. Pulkkinen,et al.  Ionospheric equivalent current distributions determined with the method of spherical elementary current systems , 2003 .

[9]  Antti Pulkkinen,et al.  Fast computation of the geoelectric field using the method of elementary current systems and planar Earth models , 2004 .

[10]  A. Ádám,et al.  Estimation of the electric resistivity distribution (EURHOM) in the European lithosphere in the frame of the EURISGIC WP2 project , 2012, Acta Geodaetica et Geophysica Hungarica.

[11]  David Boteler,et al.  The effects of geomagnetic disturbances on electrical systems at the earth's surface , 1998 .

[12]  A. Viljanen,et al.  Ionospheric disturbance magnetic field continuation from the ground to the ionosphere using spherical elementary current systems , 1999 .

[13]  Anna Belehaki,et al.  Developing the scientific basis for monitoring, modelling and predicting space weather , 2008 .

[14]  R. Pirjola.  Effects of space weather on high-latitude ground systems , 2002 .

[15]  Kentarou Kitamura,et al.  Measurements of geomagnetically induced current in a power grid in Hokkaido, Japan , 2009 .

[16]  Magnus Wik,et al.  Predictions of local ground geomagnetic field fluctuations during the 7-10 November 2004 events studied with solar wind driven models , 2005 .

[17]  A. Viljanen.  European Project to Improve Models of Geomagnetically Induced Currents , 2011 .

[18]  Robert L. Parker,et al.  The magnetotelluric inverse problem , 1983 .

[19]  C. T. Gaunt,et al.  Improvement in the modelling of geomagnetically induced currents in southern Africa , 2008 .

[20]  C. Beggan,et al.  Interpolation of externally-caused magnetic fields over large sparse arrays using Spherical Elementary Current Systems , 2010 .

[21]  R. Pirjola,et al.  Currents produced in the Finnish 400 kV power transmission grid and in the Finnish natural gas pipeline by geomagnetically-induced electric fields , 1985 .

[22]  V. D. Albertson,et al.  Power System Disturbances During A K-8 Geomagnetic Storm: August 4, 1972 , 1974 .

[23]  J. Elovaara.  Finnish Experiences with Grid Effects of GIC’s , 2007 .

[24]  T. Pulkkinen,et al.  The GUMICS-4 global MHD magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling simulation , 2012 .

[25]  Sture Lindahl,et al.  Geomagnetic storm of 29–31 October 2003: Geomagnetically induced currents and their relation to problems in the Swedish high‐voltage power transmission system , 2005 .

[26]  D. H. Boteler,et al.  Specification of geomagnetically induced electric fields and currents in pipelines , 2001 .

[27]  Risto Pirjola,et al.  Study of effects of changes of earthing resistances on geomagnetically induced currents in an electric power transmission system , 2008 .

[28]  R. Pirjola.  Geomagnetically induced currents in the Finnish 400 kV power transmission system , 1989 .

[29]  David Boteler,et al.  Modelling of space weather effects on pipelines , 2001 .

[30]  L. Bolduc.  GIC observations and studies in the Hydro-Quebec power system , 2002 .

[31]  Magnus Wik,et al.  Space weather events in July 1982 and October 2003 and the effects of geomagnetically induced currents on Swedish technical systems , 2009 .

[32]  Risto Pirjola,et al.  Review On The Calculation Of Surface Electric And Magnetic Fields And Of Geomagnetically Induced Currents In Ground-Based Technological Systems , 2002 .

[33]  R. Pirjola.  Geomagnetically Induced Currents as Ground Effects of Space Weather , 2012 .

[34]  Antti Pulkkinen,et al.  Recordings of geomagnetically induced currents and a nowcasting service of the Finnish natural gas pipeline system , 2006 .

[35]  Shahid Habib,et al.  Solar shield: forecasting and mitigating space weather effects on high-voltage power transmission systems , 2010 .

[36]  A. Thomson,et al.  April 2000 geomagnetic storm: ionospheric drivers of large geomagnetically induced currents , 2002 .

[37]  Murray Sciffer,et al.  A preliminary risk assessment of the Australian region power network to space weather , 2011 .

[38]  R. Pirjola,et al.  Geomagnetically induced currents in an electric power transmission system at low latitudes in Brazil: A case study , 2007 .

[39]  Magnus Wik,et al.  Calculation of geomagnetically induced currents in the 400 kV power grid in southern Sweden , 2008 .

[40]  Antti Pulkkinen,et al.  Recordings and occurrence of geomagnetically induced currents in the Finnish natural gas pipeline network , 2001 .

[41]  L. Trichtchenko,et al.  Modeling geomagnetically induced currents using geomagnetic indices and data , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science.

[42]  L. Lanzerotti.  Geomagnetic influences on man-made systems , 1979 .