Determining a Gas-Discharge Arrester Model´s Parameters by Measurements and Optimization

This paper deals with the parameter determination procedure of a gas-discharge arrester´s (GDA) model. As the accuracy of the model depends on its parameters, the goal of this procedure is to determine adequate parameter values so that the model´s performances match the real device behavior as much as possible. In order to achieve this goal, differential evolution (DE), a stochastic optimization algorithm, is included in the determination process. The main task of the DE algorithm is to vary the model´s parameters during the optimization process, thus minimizing the difference between the measured and model-calculated current and voltage time behavior. An accurate GDA model has been obtained on the basis of measurements on a single GDA test object. This model is relevant and suitable for a series of GDA devices as the agreement between their measured and model-calculated voltage and current time behavior is excellent.