Two-dimensional simulation on the glow to streamer transition from horizontal conductors

Abstract

It has been recently suggested that glow corona generated during thunderstorms could have an important role in the initiation of streamers and upward connecting leaders from power transmission lines. In order to further investigate this, a two-dimensional evaluation of the glow corona generation is here reported, which takes into account the non-equilibrium ionization layer around the conductors. The critical change rate of the background electric field required for the transition from glow corona to streamer initiation is obtained. A numerical strategy to evaluate the glow corona to streamers transition for large gaps and irregular geometries is proposed and validated. A four-bundled conductor is also studied and results showed that when evaluating the critical rate of rise of the background electric field for a bundle conductor during thunderstorms, it could be viewed as a single conductor with the equivalent geometric mean radius of the wire configuration. Last, a study case is performed to estimate the effect of the glow corona on the streamer inception from UHV transmission lines during thunderstorms.

Survey of recent progress on lightning and lightning protection research

“…Becerra and Cooray summarised the previous theoretic analysis and numerical models on long sparks (by Gallimberti et al [60, 61]) and proposed the self‐consistent upward leader inception and propagation model, which has been applied to lightning risk assessment [62, 63]. In ICLP 2014, Liu et al [64] conducted 2D simulation on the transition from glow discharge to streamers; Arevalo et al [65], Arevalo and Cooray [66], and Zhou et al [67] carried out modelling and simulation on the streamer to leader transition process. Zhou et al analysed the effects of gas dynamics and heat conduction on leader inception, and both were considered in their 1D thermo‐hydrodynamics model, and the evolution of leader diameter shows good agreement with the experimental results obtained by Mach–Zehnder interferometry.…”

On the transition from stable positive glow corona to streamers

“…For example, Bazelyan, et al derived a criterion for the transition based on the corona current [6]. However, there are doubts about the validity of Kaptzov's approximation under fast-changing applied voltages [29][30][31].…”