Simulation of surges on power lines using SPICE and EMTP: a comparative study

Overvoltages in power systems can be very destructive. The way one protects power equipment against surges is important from an economic point of view. In power systems, the insulation level is analysed for several cases: lightning surges, and switching operation. In this paper the simulation of these transient phenomena is achieved using SPICE and EMTP, and they are matched. For this purpose, several SPICE models have been developed: lightning arrester, insulator, power line with coupling, steel towers, and transformers. Several application examples which illustrate the performance of these models are also discussed