New Detailed Modeling of GICs in the Spanish Power Transmission Grid

Abstract The threat of Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs) driven by severe Space Weather looms over technological systems such as power grids. Assessing their vulnerability is thus vital to avoid damages or even disruption of the electrical power supply. This endeavor, however, entails an inter...

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Main Authors: J. M. Torta, S. Marsal, J. Ledo, P. Queralt, V. Canillas‐Pérez, P. Piña‐Varas, J. J. Curto, A. Marcuello, A. Martí
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-09-01
Series:Space Weather
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2021SW002805
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author J. M. Torta
S. Marsal
J. Ledo
P. Queralt
V. Canillas‐Pérez
P. Piña‐Varas
J. J. Curto
A. Marcuello
A. Martí
author_facet J. M. Torta
S. Marsal
J. Ledo
P. Queralt
V. Canillas‐Pérez
P. Piña‐Varas
J. J. Curto
A. Marcuello
A. Martí
author_sort J. M. Torta
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The threat of Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs) driven by severe Space Weather looms over technological systems such as power grids. Assessing their vulnerability is thus vital to avoid damages or even disruption of the electrical power supply. This endeavor, however, entails an interdisciplinary approach, ranging from the characterization of the geoelectrical structure of the Earth beneath and around the area of interest, or the modeling of the power network from its parameters and topology, and including the validation of the modeling process by means of (direct or indirect) GIC flow measurements. In this paper, we summarize our current achievements focused on mainland Spain, concentrating on the improvements reached after going from a homogeneous Earth's resistivity to an alternative 3D electrical resistivity distribution approach to geoelectric field computation, which is still in progress because new empirical impedance tensors are needed, mainly at sites in the west of the Iberian Peninsula. The second major achievement has come from the addition of the 220 kV level to the network model. The overall improvement has been validated against real GIC data in one area of the country. The new vulnerability maps show that in some nodes the predicted GIC has been substantially reduced by the sum of both effects. The assessment has been carried out down to the level of the individual windings of each transformer, and examples of the estimated GIC flow are given for substations with numerous power transmission lines converging to them at diverse orientations.
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spelling doaj-art-bd885358a5b1455d9ac1c907855b34f22025-01-14T16:26:53ZengWileySpace Weather1542-73902021-09-01199n/an/a10.1029/2021SW002805New Detailed Modeling of GICs in the Spanish Power Transmission GridJ. M. Torta0S. Marsal1J. Ledo2P. Queralt3V. Canillas‐Pérez4P. Piña‐Varas5J. J. Curto6A. Marcuello7A. Martí8Observatori de l'Ebre, (OE), CSIC ‐ Universitat Ramon Llull Roquetes SpainObservatori de l'Ebre, (OE), CSIC ‐ Universitat Ramon Llull Roquetes SpainInstitut Geomodels Department Dinàmica de la Terra i de l'Oceà Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona SpainInstitut Geomodels Department Dinàmica de la Terra i de l'Oceà Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona SpainObservatori de l'Ebre, (OE), CSIC ‐ Universitat Ramon Llull Roquetes SpainInstitut Geomodels Department Dinàmica de la Terra i de l'Oceà Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona SpainObservatori de l'Ebre, (OE), CSIC ‐ Universitat Ramon Llull Roquetes SpainInstitut Geomodels Department Dinàmica de la Terra i de l'Oceà Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona SpainInstitut Geomodels Department Dinàmica de la Terra i de l'Oceà Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona SpainAbstract The threat of Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs) driven by severe Space Weather looms over technological systems such as power grids. Assessing their vulnerability is thus vital to avoid damages or even disruption of the electrical power supply. This endeavor, however, entails an interdisciplinary approach, ranging from the characterization of the geoelectrical structure of the Earth beneath and around the area of interest, or the modeling of the power network from its parameters and topology, and including the validation of the modeling process by means of (direct or indirect) GIC flow measurements. In this paper, we summarize our current achievements focused on mainland Spain, concentrating on the improvements reached after going from a homogeneous Earth's resistivity to an alternative 3D electrical resistivity distribution approach to geoelectric field computation, which is still in progress because new empirical impedance tensors are needed, mainly at sites in the west of the Iberian Peninsula. The second major achievement has come from the addition of the 220 kV level to the network model. The overall improvement has been validated against real GIC data in one area of the country. The new vulnerability maps show that in some nodes the predicted GIC has been substantially reduced by the sum of both effects. The assessment has been carried out down to the level of the individual windings of each transformer, and examples of the estimated GIC flow are given for substations with numerous power transmission lines converging to them at diverse orientations.https://doi.org/10.1029/2021SW002805GICgeomagnetically induced currentsspace weathermagnetotelluricsMTpower grids
spellingShingle J. M. Torta
S. Marsal
J. Ledo
P. Queralt
V. Canillas‐Pérez
P. Piña‐Varas
J. J. Curto
A. Marcuello
A. Martí
New Detailed Modeling of GICs in the Spanish Power Transmission Grid
Space Weather
GIC
geomagnetically induced currents
space weather
magnetotellurics
MT
power grids
title New Detailed Modeling of GICs in the Spanish Power Transmission Grid
title_full New Detailed Modeling of GICs in the Spanish Power Transmission Grid
title_fullStr New Detailed Modeling of GICs in the Spanish Power Transmission Grid
title_full_unstemmed New Detailed Modeling of GICs in the Spanish Power Transmission Grid
title_short New Detailed Modeling of GICs in the Spanish Power Transmission Grid
title_sort new detailed modeling of gics in the spanish power transmission grid
topic GIC
geomagnetically induced currents
space weather
magnetotellurics
MT
power grids
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2021SW002805
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