Transient response of nonparallel frequency-dependent transmission lines due to nearby lightning strikes in the presence of finitely-conducting ground

Overvoltage transients due to lightning strikes is a common occurrence in power transmission lines which can ultimately lead to line outages. Simulation of transmission line networks under the influence of lighting plays a vital and essential role in predicting their transient behaviour. The transient behaviour of uniform transmission lines due to lightning has been studied extensively. However, in modern transmission line networks, nonuniformities and discontinuities such as nonparallel wire, line crossings or bends are becoming increasingly common. Therefore, in such cases, inaccuracies might be present in analysis performed using conventional uniform transmission line approaches. A recent publication by the authors analysed the transient behaviour of nonparallel and crossing transmission lines above perfect electric conductor (PEC) ground. However, the PEC assumption can only be used in a limited scope. In this paper a nonuniform transmission line model with external field coupling is presented to analyse the transient behaviour of a nonuniform wire structure due to the field coupling from a nearby lightning strike in the presence of lossy ground. Simulation results generated by the proposed model is compared with full-wave simulations and results published by other researchers. A case study to compare the results from the proposed model with a conventional uniform transmission line model under various ground-conductivity values and terminating conditions is also performed. The study indicates that the presence of nearby nonparallel lines can cause the transient behaviour of the structure to deviate from the behaviour predicted using uniform approaches. •The transient behaviour of a nonuniform wire structure a nearby lightning strike in the presence of lossy ground is studied.•Simulation results generated by the proposed model is compared with full-wave simulations and results published by other researchers.•Results from the proposed model have been compared with a conventional uniform transmission line model.•The study indicates that the presence of nearby nonparallel lines intensify the transient behaviour.