LIGHTNING PERFORMANCE OF METALCLAD SUBSTATIONS PROTECTED BY SPARK-GAPS - 1. VALIDATION BY FIELD TESTS.

To decide the ability of spark-gaps to protect metalclad substations, accurate computation models of these systems are required. Field tests are described and the measurements achieved, reproduced by digital simulation, settle the nature and value of the main electrical parameters, particularly concerning wave propagation in metalclad switchgear. Coincidentally, the ability of the digital model to compute transient states in such systems is confirmed. These results are expandable to other kinds of configurations and stations and allow a validation of all transient computations in metal-enclosed substations. The text indicates transformers as among the substation elements.