Spectral Analysis of the Geomagnetically Induced Currents during Strong Magnetic Storms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24160/1993-6982-2025-1-28-35Keywords:
geomagnetically induced currents, magnetic storm, autotransformer, continuous wavelet transform, northwestern part of RussiaAbstract
The main objective pursued by electric power utilities around the world is to provide uninterrupted power supply to consumers. Magnetic storms caused by increased solar activity can cause emergency power outages. During magnetic storms, geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) begin to flow in extended power grids on the Earth’s surface. They, in turn, become the source of a number of negative phenomena that affect normal operation of the entire electric power system. The history of studying this phenomenon shows that the GICs emerged during strong geomagnetic storms led to blackouts in certain regions of Canada, Sweden, and the United States. To study these phenomena and assess the risks of such accidents for the regional system, a system for recording GICs in the neutrals of 330 kV autotransformers used in the Kola-Karelian power transit system was developed in the northwestern part of Russia. For 13 years of continuous monitoring, numerous cases have been recorded, in which quite high quasi DC currents of different durations induced by geomagnetic field variations had emerged. For analyzing the currents, a wavelet transform was chosen, because this method makes it possible to define not only the frequency composition, but also changes in spectral characteristics with time, which is significant in the study of GIC. The GIC scalograms obtained for four events of Solar Cycle 24: 13-14 November 2012, 17-18 March 2015, 7-8 September 2015, and 7-8 September 2017 are analyzed. The analysis results have shown that the characteristic duration of the peaks of the considered GICs was from 4.6 to 11.1 min.
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Для цитирования: Аксенович Т.В. Исследование спектральных характеристик геоиндуцированных токов во время сильных магнитных бурь // Вестник МЭИ. 2025. № 1. С. 28—35. DOI: 10.24160/1993-6982-2025-1-28-35.
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2. Erinmez I.A., Kappenman J.G., Radasky W.A. Management of the Geomagnetically Induced Current Risks on the National Grid Company’s Electric Power Transmission System. J. Atmos. Solar-terrestrial Phys. 2002;64(5—6):743—756.
3. Liu C.M., Liu L.G., Pirjola R. Geomagnetically Induced Currents in the High-voltage Power Grid in China. IEEE Trans. Power Deliv. 2009;24(4):2368—2374.
4. Belakhovsky V. e. a. Impulsive Disturbances of the Geomagnetic Field as a Cause of Induced Currents of Electric Power Lines. J. Sp. Weather Sp. Clim. 2019;9:A18.
5. Molinski T.S. Why Utilities Respect Geomagnetically Induced Currents. J. Atmos. Solar-terrestrial Phys. 2002;64(16):1765—1778.
6. Kappenman J.G. Geomagnetic Disturbances and Impacts upon Power System Operation. Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution: the Electric Power Engineering Handbook. N.-Y.: CRC Press, 2018:1—22.
7. Falayi E.O. e. a. Investigation of Geomagnetic Induced Current at High Latitude During The Storm-time Variation. NRIAG J. Astronomy and Geophysics. 2017;6(1):131—140.
8. Adhikari B. e. a. Spectral Characteristic of Geomagnetically Induced Current During Geomagnetic Storms by Wavelet Techniques. J. Atmos. Solar-terrestrial Phys. 2019;192:104777.
9. Xu W. e. a. Spectral Analysis of Geomagnetically Induced Current and Local Magnetic Field During the 17 March 2013 Geomagnetic Storm. Advances in Space Research. 2022;69(9):3417—3425.
10. Barannik M.B. e. a. A System for Recording Geomagnetically Induced Currents in Neutrals of Power Autotransformers. Instruments Exp. Tech. 2012;55(1):110—115.
11. Torrence C. e. a. A Practical Guide to Wavelet Analysis. BAMS. 1998;79(1):61—78.
12. Lee G.R. e. a. PyWavelets: a Python Package for Wavelet Analysis. J. Open Source Software. 2019;4(36):1237.
13. Watari S. Geomagnetic Storms of Cycle 24 and Their Solar Sources Global Data Systems for the Study of Solar-terrestrial Variability 3. Space Science. Earth Planets and Space. 2017;69(1):1—8.
14. Wu C.C. e. a. The First Super Geomagnetic Storm of Solar Cycle 24: "The St. Patrick’s Day Event (17 March 2015)". Earth Planets and Space. 2016;68(1):1—12.
15. Dimmock A.P. e. a. The GIC and Geomagnetic Response Over Fennoscandia to the 7—8 September 2017 Geomagnetic Storm. Space Weather. 2019;17(7):989—1010.
16. Yagova N.V. e. a. Spatial Scale of Geomagnetic Pc5/Pi3 Pulsations as a Factor of Their Efficiency in Generation of Geomagnetically Induced Currents. Earth Planets and Space. 2021;73(1):1—13
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For citation: Aksenovich T.V. Spectral Analysis of the Geomagnetically Induced Currents During Strong Magnetic Storms. Bulletin of MPEI. 2025;1:27—34. (in Russian). DOI: 10.24160/1993-6982-2025-1-28-35.
