Chapter 4.

Transmission Line
Parameters
ELCT 551: Power System Analysis & Design

Topics
General Information: Design consideration;
Resistance; Conductance; Inductance.

Line Inductance:

Solid Cylindrical Conductor

Stranded Conductor
Solid Cylindrical Conductor

Line Capacitance:

Stranded Conductor
2

1. General Information:
Design Considerations
Elements for Electric Power Transmission Line
Conductors
Insulators
Supporting Structures
Shield Wires

Conductors
Copper (not often used due to expense)
All aluminum conductor (AAC)
Aluminum conductor, steel reinforced
(ACSR)

AAC
AAC is composed of strands of
aluminum for electrical conductivity
Conventional strands are circular in
cross section, but one type has a
trapezoidal shape (more compact)
Aluminum
strand
Concentric circular lay

Unilay
5

ACSR
ACSR has central strands of steel for
mechanical strength, with outer
strands of aluminum for electrical
conductivity
Conventional strands are circular in
cross section, but trapezoidal shape is
available
Aluminum
Steel

Conductors
ACSR (Aluminum Conductors Steel Reinforced)

Insulators

Insulators

Support Structures and Shield Wires

765 kV Transmission Line

345 kV Transmission Line

10

Factors for Transmission Line Design

Electrical Factors
Mechanical Factors
Environmental Factors
Economic Factors

11

Electrical Factors
Lighting:

12

Electrical Factors
Line Sag:

13

Major Blackouts

14

Immediate causes of the 8/14/03 blackout

1:30 Loss of East Lake generator (overexcitation)
2:02 Loss of Stuart-Atlanta (tree contact)
2:02 MISO system model becomes inaccurate
2:14-3:08 Loss of software in FE control center
3:05 Loss of Harding-Chamberlain (tree contact)
3:32 Loss of Hanna-Juniper (tree contact)
3:41 Loss of Star-S. Canton (tree contact)
4:06 Loss of Sammis-Star (high overload looked
like fault to zone 3 of the protection system)
15

Why so much tree-contact?

Trees were overgrown because right-of-ways
had not been properly maintained
Lines expand and sag due to heat; more prone
in summer with high temperature & low
winds; more prone with high current.

16

BEFORE

After

17

Mechanical Factor
Enough strength of the conductors, insulator
strings, and support structures

18

Environmental and Economic Factors

Biological effects.

Lowest cost: construction and maintenance

19

Line Resistance

20

Line Resistance
Temperature dependence of resistivity r :
r(T2) = r(T1) (T2+T)/(T1+T)
where T = 228.1C and r(20 C) = 2.83 10-8
ohm-m for hard-drawn Aluminum.

Resistivity and hence line resistance increase

as conductor temperature increases
(changes is about 8% between 25 C and 50
C)
21

Line Resistance
Because ac current tends to flow towards the
surface of a conductor, the resistance of a line
at 60 Hz is slightly higher than at dc.
Because ACSR conductors are stranded, actual
resistance, inductance and capacitance needs
to be determined from tables.

22

Example 4.1

23

2. Line Inductance
Review of Magnetic Theory:

24

Magnetic Flux

25

Flux linkages and Faradays law

26

Inductance

27

Inductance of Solid Cylindrical Conductor

To development models of transmission lines, we
first need to determine the inductance of a solid
cylindrical conductor. To do this we need to
determine the wires total flux linkage, including
1. flux linkages within the wire
2. flux linkages outside of the wire
Well assume that the current density within the
wire is uniform and that the wire has a radius of r.
28

Flux linkage inside

29

Flux Linkage outside of the wire

Flux linkage per unit length outside wire (out
to R):
1 = 1 =

R
r

B(x) dx
R
= o r i/(2 x) dx

1 = o i/(2 ) ln(R/r)
= 2 10-7 i ln(R/r)

[Wb/m]

30

Line Total Flux & Inductance

Total flux linkage per unit length:

31

Inductance Simplification
Inductance expression can be simplified
usingtwo exponential identities:

32

External flux linkage of a

conductor between D1 and D2

External flux linkage of a conductor between

D1 and D2:
12 = 2 10-7 i ln(D2/D1)

[Wb/m]

D1
cond

D2
33

Flux linkage of a conductor due to

current in another
Flux linkage of cond 1 out to Dk:

Flux linkage of conductor 1 due to

current in conductor k:
1k = 2 10-7 ik ln(Dk/D1k) [Wb/m]
ik
Dk
D1k
R

cond 1

D1
34

Flux linkage of a conductor due

to a group of conductors
Consider n conductors with i1++in=0
1 = 2 10-7{i1[1/4 + ln(D1/r)] +
i2ln(D2/D12) ++ in ln(Dn/D1n)} [Wb/m]

35

Flux linkage of a conductor due to a

group of conductors
1 = 210-7{i1[1/4+ln(1/r)]
+i2 ln(1/D12) ++inln(1/D1n)
+i1ln(D1)+i2ln(D2)++ in ln(Dn)
- [i1ln(D1)+i2ln(D1)++in ln(D1)]}
where the last term in [ ] is equal to
zero.
36

1 = 210-7{i1[1/4+ln(1/r)] + i2ln(1/D12)
++ inln(1/D1n) + i1ln(1) + i2ln(D2/D1)
++ in ln(Dn/D1)}
Now let the point at distance D go to
infinity
D 1 = D2 = = D n
and all terms like ln(D2/D1) ln(1) = 0

37

1 = 210-7{i1[1/4+ln(1/r)] +
i2ln(1/D12) ++ inln(1/D1n)}
[Wb/m]
For example n=3:
1 = 210-7{i1[1/4+ln(1/r)] +
i2ln(1/D12) + i3ln(1/D13)} [Wb/m]

38

Equilaterally spaced three-phase line

c
D
b

Conductors have radius r and spacing D

39

Equilaterally spaced three-phase line

Conductors have radius r and spacing D:
a = 210-7 [ialn(1/r')+ibln(1/D)+icln(1/D)]
ia + ib + ic = 0:
a = 210-7 ia[ln(1/r') - ln(1/D)]
a = 210-7 ia ln(D/r')
[Wb/m]

40

Equilateral 3 phase line

per-phase inductance
This is the inductance per phase due to
balanced three-phase currents.
La = a/ia = 210-7 ln(D/r') [H/m]
For single-phase line:
La = a/ia = 410-7 ln(D/r')

[H/m]

41

Bundled conductors
Use the distance between bundle centers
for phase spacing, use the geometric mean
radius of bundle instead of r' :

Ds = (r' d)1/2 for 2 conductor

bundle
Ds = (r' d2)1/3 for 3 conductor
bundle

d
d d
d

42

Bundled conductor
equilateral 3 phase line
d

each subconductor:
radius = r
GMR = r'

Bundle GMR: Ds = (r' d2)1/3

d

La = 210-7 ln(D/Ds)

[H/m]
43

Transposed lines
3

2
1

C 3

B 2

A 1

44

3
1 2 3
CA B

AB C
1 2 3

Transposed lines
Positions are numbered 1, 2, 3
Phases are lettered A, B, C
and color coded
Use the geometric mean
spacing Deq= (D12D23D31)1/3
Often Deq is called equivalent
spacing
45

Average per phase inductance of

transposed line
La = 210-7 ln(Deq/Ds) [H/m]
Use geometric mean spacing Deq
Use geometric mean bundle radius Ds

46

Average per phase inductance of

transposed line
For equilateral spacing Deq = D
For single conductor per phase Ds = r' =
conductor GMR

47

Resistance and Inductance

For practical stranded conductors, look
up the resistance and the conductor
GMR from tables supplied by the
manufacturer
For ACSR, see table A.4 in the book for
GMR (use in place of r') and the AC
resistance for several temperatures

48

Suggested procedure for inductive reactance

Calculate equivalent spacing = Deq (in

any units)
Look up conductor GMR from table and
convert to same units as Deq
Calculate bundle GMR = Ds in same
units as Deq

49

Suggested procedure for inductive reactance

(contd)

Calculate inductance per phase

L = 210-7 ln(Deq/Ds)

[H/m]

Calculate inductive reactance in ohms

per mile from X = 2 f L [ohm/m]
[1609m/mile], where f is frequency in
Hz

50

Review of Line Inductance

General Equation for any over-head line:
1

GMD

2
N

GMR
Conductor X

Conductor Y
51

Review of Line Inductance - 2

Special cases:
Each conductor has only one sub-conductor)

Example:

53

Review of Line Inductance - 3

Special cases:
Bundled conductors with equal phase spacing
d

each subconductor:
radius = r
GMR = r'

Bundle GMR: Ds = (r' d2)1/3

d

La = 210-7 ln(D/Ds)

[H/m]
54

Review of Line Inductance - 4

Special cases:
2
Bundled conductors with transposed
1
3
spacing
1 2 3
CA B

AB C
1 2 3

Use the geometric mean spacing

Deq= (D12D23D31)1/3
La = 210-7 ln(Deq/Ds) [H/m]
Use geometric mean spacing Deq
Use geometric mean bundle radius Ds
56

3. Line Capacitance
E field due a line charge q, on a wire of
radius r, is directed radially outward
E(R) = q/(2eR) if R > r
= 0 if R < r

Voltage drop from b to a

vba= Rb E(R) dR = q ln(Ra/Rb) / (2e)
Ra

59

Line Capacitance
If all the charges sum to zero, we can
follow a procedure similar to that for
the inductances:
voltage of conductor k = vk =
[q1ln(1/Dk1)++qkln(1/rk)+
+qnln(1/Dkn)]/(2e)

60

Capacitance of three-phase
equilateral line
Three conductors each equally spaced
D and each having radius r
Balanced three-phase charges
Air dielectric e = eo

61

Capacitance of three-phase
equilateral line
Air dielectric e = eo
va = qa ln(D/r) / (2 eo) = voltage drop
with respect to a neutral point p
equidistant to three conductors.
C = 2 eo / ln(D/r) [F/m] to neutral
point
For Single-Phase two-wire line
C = eo / ln(D/r) [F/m]
62

Capacitance calculations
For transposed non-equilateral lines,
use the equivalent spacing Deq just as
for inductance
For bundled conductors, use Dsc =
geometric mean of the conductor
radius with the subcond. spacings:
Dsc = (r d)1/2 for 2 conductors
or (r d2)1/3 for 3 conductors, etc.
63

Tabulated values
Capacitive reactances are tabulated in
units of Megohm-miles. Divide by the
number of miles to get the line
capacitive reactance

64

Tabulated values
Or
yc = j w C = j bc = j (1/xc)
[siemens/mile]
So calculate bc = 1/xc then multiply bc
by line length to get total line
susceptance Bc
Yc = j Bc [siemens] or [mhos]
65

Example 4.6: capacitance of singlephase line with stranded conductors

66

Example 4.7: capacitance of threephase line with stranded conductors

67