General reflections on the design of a power transmission and distribution network

The design of a power transmission and distribution network does obviously take into account the normal operation requirements. Many of the elements of the transmission and distribution network are, however, designed with a view to the abnormal conditions, or fault conditions, that may occur in the network. These abnormal conditions submit the equipment to much harsher conditions than the normal operation, both mechanically and thermally and also with respect to the isolation. This paper gives a brief, introductory overview over a number of the faults and other transient phenomena that may perturb the operation of a transmission and distribution network.