ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF TRANSMISSION-LINE STRUCTURES
BY MEANS OF THE GEOMETRIC MEAN DISTANCE
A. J. Sinclair
Industrial Electronics Research Group, Laboratory for Energy,
Rand Afrikaans University, P.O.Box 524, Auckland Park, 2006, SOUTH AFRICA
ABSTRACT
This article describes the Geometric Mean Distance
(GMD), a tool for calculating the various direct-current
inductances in any multi-conductor transmission line.
Two examples of its use are given. For a two-conductor
transmission line consisting of rectangular conductors, the
GMD is calculated by means of integration and also by
discretizing the conductors and treating them as compos-
ite conductors. The obtained values for the GMD is then
used to calculate the inductance of each conductor. A
two-conductor foil transmission line is also investigated
and the GMD is used to determine the optimal foil shape
for a given conductor inductance and minimum conduc-
tion losses. Finally, the advantages and limitations of the
use of the GMD are discussed.
INTRODUCTION
The Geometric Mean Distance (GMD) is a means of r e p
resenting the total effect with regard to inductance, of
two conductor cross-sections on each other such that the
two conductor cross-sections can be replaced by two fil-
amentary conductors. The system of two filaments with
their center points separated by this GMD, will have the
same mutual inductance as the original two conductors.
See Figure 1 for an illustration of this statement.
The formula used to calculate the GMD between the two
conductors with cross-sections Si and S2, is [l]:
where 0 1 2 is the GMD between the two conductors, and
In D12 is called the logarithmic mean distance. Dlz r e p
resents the weighted effect of all the filamentary conduct-
ors constituting the two cross-sections.
S,
Fig. 1. The Geometric Mean Distance between two Gross-Sections
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J. A. Ferreira
Fig. 2. The Geometric Mean Distance between two Rectangular
Conductors
The inductance of one conductor of a two-conductor go-
and-return transmission line (see Figure 2) is given by
PO Dl2 D12
L~ = -In - = 2 . 1 0 - ~ 1-~
2 ~ - Dii D11
where Dll is the so-called self geometric mean distance
of conductor 1, i.e. the arbitrary points with coordinates
( 2 , ~and
) ( X , Y ) are located in the same cross-section
5'1 = 5'2 (coinciding), in equation (1) and Figure 2.
Higgins [l]mentions that the concept of the Geometric
Mean Distance dates back to 1872 when it was originated
by J. C. Maxwell, and it has since been used extensively
in the design of busbars [2] [3] and power systems analysis
and design in general [4]. Its strength is the fact that it
can be used to calculate the direct-current inductance of
conductors of any shape and arrangement.
SINGLEPHASE TRANSMISSION LINE
CONSISTING OF TWO RECTANGULAR
CONDUCTORS
Consider the two-conductor transmission line in Figure 2.
Two methods will now be shown by which the inductance
of conductor 1 can be calculated.
Direct Integration
When equation (1) is applied to Figure 2, the following
complicated formula for the inductance of conductor 1
arises:
In J ( X - z)*+ (Y- y)2dXdzdYdy
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 -x - q / ( X - .r)*+ (Y - y ) 2
A--x
+(Y - y ) tan-' GIdxcdYdy 0 (3)

and after an inordinately long integration procedure has

been performed, the following general formula, first de-
rived by Gray, is obtained [5]:
Fig. 2. Discretizatzon of Transmission Line o j t u o Rectangular
4h2w2InD12 Conductors

example) and the self geonietric mean distance (denoted

by D,,, for example) of a round conductor with radius T
is just r e - + .
+(s

1
- TU)'
[ h2 -
12):-s(
~

1
+ - ( s + w ) 4 ~ n ( s + w ) - -s41ns
- -In +
[(s - ? u ) ~ h 2 ] Equation (6) can therefore be described as follows: The
term v m c ~ . . . Dam!) in the numerator of
equation (6) represents the GMD of all the round con-
12 6
ductors constituting conductor 2, to conductor a , which
+-1 (S - w ) In(s
12
~ - w)
4
+
-h(s
3
+ h
tan-' -
S+W
is part of conductor 1, and this term therefore represents
4 h the total effect of conductor 2 on the round conductor a.
3
+
+ - h 3 (s w) tan-' -+ - 8hs3 tan-' -
h 3 S There are n round conductors constituting conductor 1,
s 4 h and there are therefore n of these distance. The geometric
-zh3stan-1-+-h(s+w)3tan-1 __
3 h 3 s-w mean of these distances (the nth root of the product of
4 s - 1u
- + -hA (s - U ) tan-' - - L5w2h2 (4) these distances) represents the GMD between conductors
3 h
1 and 2.

The denominator contains terms like

An empirical formula obtained for the self GMD of a
rectangular section, is
As can be seen from (3) and (4), calculating inductances
of conductors of arbitrary shapes and arrangements by
using (1) is fairly cumbersome. Fortunately. there is an
alternative.
Discretization
Stevenson [4] gives the following expression for the in-
ductance of one composite conductor in a single-phase
transmission line consisting of two composite conductors,
each in turn consisting of a number of identical round
conductors (see Figure 3 which illustrates the process of
discretization):
d(DaaDabDac . . . Da,a,which represents the total effect
of all the other round conductors in conductor 1. on the
round conductor a. This term is a distance at which one
other round conductoir should be placed from conductor
a , so that it would have the same effect as all of the round
conductors 6 to n. on conductor a . The geometric mean
of all these distances is the self GMD of conductor 1.
The remarks in t,he previous two paragraphs can be sum-
marized by pointing to the similarities between equations
(6) and (2).
Calculation Results
The calculations were performed for a single-phase trans-
mission line consisting of two rectangular conductors with
the following dimensions:

w = 2 cm, h = 10 cm, s = 10 cm

Direct calculation yielded t.he following results:

+
Dll = 0, %235(w h ) = 26,8 mm

Each rectangular conductor in Figure 2 has been replaced
by a number of identical round conductors arranged in
such a way that they resemble the shape of the original
conductor. Each of the thin round conductors constituting
conductor 1 is denoted by a letter Q to n and each of those
constituting conductor 2 is denoted by a letter U' to m'.
The GMD between two round conductors is simply the
distance between their center points (denoted by Dab', for
Ll = 276,9 nH.m-'
A program written in MathCad and implementing the dis-
cretization algorithm yielded the results shown in Table
1.
A finite element analysis package was also used to cal-
culate the inductances L1 and La, and values of 272,2
nH.m-' and 272,3 H.m-l were obtained.

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 Table 1
Results of Discretization of Rectangular Conductors
No. of points L1, L2 [nH.m-l]
6x2 271,4
11 x 3 261.3
21 x 5 264.6
MINIMIZING CONDUCTION LOSSES OF A
TRANSMISSION LINE WITH A FIXED
REQUIRED INDUCTANCE
Consider a transmission-line structure consisting of two
foils, the thicknesses of which have already been optim-
ized with respect to the operating frequency, i.e. there
is no variation in the current distribution in the thick-
ness of the foils. The current distribution therefore only
varies laterally (along each foil’s width). Assume further
that the transmission line is required to have a specific
inductance, for example to limit fault currents.
First, it is necessary to consider why some foil shapes are
characterized by higher losses than other shapes. Con-
sider the two-foil transmission line in Figure 4. The foils
are shown in dashed lines. while a few of the filaments
of which the foils are considered to be constituted. are
shown as round conductors. A number of flux lines, res-
ulting from the current flowing in the foils, are also shown.
The filaments toward the centers of the foils are linked by
all of the flux shown, whereas those toward the edges of
the foils are linked by fewer flux lines, so that they are
characterized by lower inductances.
Everywhere in nature, systems seek out states of min-
imum energy, and these systems tend to gravitate toward
those states. Since the energy associated with the mag-
netic field of the current flowing in the outer filaments,
W = +Li2,is less than that of the field associated with
current flowing in the center filaments, more current will
tend to flow in the outer filaments. This variation in
lateral current distribution gives rise to an increased res-
istance, since the cross-sectional area of each foil is not
fully utilized.
There are again at least two ways to determine the o p
timal shape of the foils, viz. discretization and finite ele-
ment analysis.
Discretization
Initially each foil conductor is represented by a horizontal
row of evenly-spaced thin round conductors, which will
Fig. 4. Transmission Line consisting of two Flat Foils
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0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1
Fig. 5. Iterative Process to find Optimal Shape of Discretazed Foils
be called filaments, for the sake of brevity. Each fila-
ment’s inductance is then calculated. The inductance of
conductor a in Figure 4, for example, is given by
I
VDaalDab, . . . Dam,
L~ = 2.10-~1n (7)
VDaaDab . ..Dan
and the total inductance of each foil conductor can be
calculated using equation (6).
Due to the symmetrical nature of the transmission line,
the calculations need only be performed for one of the
foils. As the final step of each iteration, the mean and
standard deviation of the inductances of the filaments rep-
resenting the foil must be calculated.
The second iteration involves moving the two outer fila-
ments of each foil away from the other foil by an angle 8,
but keeping the distance between the outer filament and
the adjacent filament second from the outside constant,
so a s not to alter the width of the foils.
Once again the inductance of each filament is calculated,
as well as the values of the mean and standard deviation of
the filamentary inductances in each foil. The standard de-
viation should decrease as more iterations are performed.
As soon as the standard deviation of the filamentary in-
ductances in a foil starts to increase again, the previous
configuration is such that the filamentary inductances in
each foil conductor is most nearly equal. This means that
the current distribution will be the closest to uniform for
that configuration and the foil should be shaped like the
curve passing through all of the filaments.
The process described above, involves only the moving of
the outermost filaments in each foil, but the same process
can be carried out after the filaments second from the
outside in each foil have been moved by a certain angle,
and so on toward the center filaments.
This method is of a recursive nature and can easily be
implemented in a computer program. All of the iterations
described above, can be incorporated into the program, so
that the user only needs to specify the foil width and the
shortest separation distances between the two foils. The
program would then calculate and display the optimal
positions of the filaments.
Finite Element Analysis
Another method to determine the optimal shape of the
two-foil transmission line, is to use a two-dimensional
finiteelement analysis package that solves for the mag-
netic vector potential after current sources and the con-
ductor geometries have been specified.
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Am?
2/’
_..._.. ._._._ ..... .-._-..
_............_...... .--.....-.-__-
~
Fig. 6. Iterative Process to find Optimal Foil Shape by Simulation
Lines of constant magnetic vector potential are, in fact,
flux lines, and these lines should not cross the foil cross-
sections if all filaments are to link the same amount of
flux, and hence have equal inductances.
Initially the two flat foils separated by a certain distance,
would be simulated and the calculated direct-current flux
lines plotted.
The user would then have to alter the geometry in such
a way that the foils do not cross any direct-current flux
lines, and the process would be repeated.
Once the foil shapes need not be changed any more to
prevent flux lines from crossing the foil surfaces, the op-
timal shapes have been determined.
The first two steps in the process are shown in Figure 6.
Application to Busbars
The foil shapes arrived at by means of the above method,
are usually not easily manufacturable, but there are some
practical busbar shapes that closely resemble the calcu-
lated shapes for various inter-conductor distances. Figure
7 [6] shows some theoretical foil shapes and the closest
corresponding practical busbar shapes.
ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS OF THE
GMD
The advantages of using the G I I D for inductance calcu-
lations are that in some cases:
Fig. 7. Practical Busbar Shapes m o s t closely resembling Theoret-
ical Foil Shapes
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results can be obtained more rapidly than with other
methods
it is cheaper to use than methods such as finite ele-
ment analysis
it is as flexible as more expensive methods in terms
of conductor shapes and arrangements that can be
dealt with.
The main limitation of the use of the GILZD is that it is re-
stricted to direct-current conditions where the current is
distributed uniformly across the conductor cross-section.
or cases where the current distribution is known exactly
(for example, at very high frequencies where current only
flows on the conductor surfaces, or when the conductors
are so thin that the skin effect, does not influence the cur-
rent distribution noticeably).
CONCLUSIONS
The Geometric Mean Distance as a tool for analysis and
design has long been discarded in favor of Finite-Element
Methods (FEM), but in certain cases it can still be used
to great advantage to yield approximate results more
quickly and cheaply than finite-element methods.
REFERENCES
[I] T. J. Higgins. “Theory and Application of Com-
plex Logarithms and Geometrical Mean Distances”,
Trans. AIEE, vol. 66, pp. 12- 16, 1947.
PI Copper Development Association,
Copper for Busbars. Potters Bar, Hertfordshire:
Copper Development Association, ch. 9, pp. 33-
36, 1984.
131 P. J. H. Rata and A. G. Thomas,
Aluminium Busbar. London: Northern Aluminium
CO. (Ltd.), ch. 5, pp. 37- 40, 1960.
[4] W. D. Stephenson, Jr.. Elements
of Power System Analysis New York: McGraw-Hill
Book CO.. ch. 3, pp. 52- 55, 1982.
[5] A. H. M. Arnold, “The Inductance of Linear Con-
ductors of Rectangular Section”, JIEE, vol. TO, pp.
,579- 586. 1932.
[6] A. H. M. Arnold, “The Transmission of Alternating-
Current Power with small Eddy-Current Losses”,
JIEE. vol. 80. pp. 395- 400, 1937.
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