Abstract
Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs), a result of solar wind
interaction with the Earth’s magnetic field and the resistive ground,
are known to flow in power transmission grids, where they can lead to
transformer damage and grid operation problems. In this study we present
an analysis of five years of continuous GIC measurements in transformer
neutral points in Austria. Seven self-designed stand-alone measurement
systems are currently installed in the Austrian 220 kV and 380 kV
transmission levels, measuring currents up to 25 A. We identify
recurrent geomagnetic activity in the measurements, and also find
man-made sources of low frequency currents using frequency analysis. In
order to support the transmission grid operators, two GIC simulation
approaches are used to simulate GICs in the power grid. The first model
uses measurements to derive the sensitivity of the location to northward
and eastward geoelectric field components (which requires no detailed
grid data), and the second model uses the detailed grid model to compute
GICs from a geoelectric field. We evaluate two geomagnetic storms from
September 2017 and May 2021 to discuss the effects of GICs on the power
transmission grid and its assets.