Advanced Transmission Line Parameters

and
Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

Power Analytics Corporation

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San Diego, California 92127
U.S.A.
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www.PowerAnalytics.com

©Copyright Power Analytics Corporation 2012

 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

IMPORTANT NOTE: Power Analytics Corporation’s software products are tools intended to be
used by trained professionals only. They are not substitutes for your professional judgment or for
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Power Analytics Corporation.

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 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Tables

Table 1: Comparison of positive sequence impedances using DesignBase and IEEE 29

Table 2: Comparison of zero sequence impedances using DesignBase and IEEE .. 29
Table 3: Comparison of positive sequence impedances using DesignBase and EMTP
.......................................................... 49
Table 4: Comparison of zero sequence impedances using DesignBase and EMTP . 49

List of Figures

Figure 1: General Input Dialog ........................................ 7

Figure 2: Input Dialog for Circuit Data ................................... 9
Figure 3: Input Dialog for Phase Conductor Data .......................... 11
Figure 4: A Bundle With Four Conductors ............................... 12
Figure 5: Input Dialog for Ground Conductor ............................. 14
Figure 6: A Line With Continuous Ground Wires .......................... 15
Figure 7: A Line With Segmented Ground Wires .......................... 15
Figure 8: Geometrical Parameters for the Sample Case ..................... 16

Note: You can view this manual on your CD as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. The file name is:

 Advanced Transmission Line Constants Trans_Line.pdf

You will find the Test/Job files used in this tutorial in the following location:

 C:\DesignBase\Samples\LineConstant = Adv. Transmission Line Constant

Test Files: m2-2, m1-2, emtp, double, dommel

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Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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Foreword

The DesignBase Transmission Line Constants program is designed to calculate electrical

parameters of overhead transmission lines. The program also computes the electric and magnetic
fields surrounding the transmission lines. It is assumed that the user is a professional engineer
familiar with the concept under consideration. The interpretation and use of the results of the
calculations encompassed by this program are the sole responsibility of the user.

All DesignBase programs and related documents are the sole property of POWER ANALYTICS
CORPORATION, and are provided to the user’s company subject to the POWER ANALYTICS
CORPORATION LICENSE AGREEMENT for the company’s use only. None of these programs
should be supplied or loaned to any third party, or copied, or reproduced in any form without the
express, written permission POWER ANALYTICS CORPORATION. All copies and reproductions
shall be the property of POWER ANALYTICS CORPORATION and must bear the copyright notice
and ownership statement in their entirety.

The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.

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 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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Introduction

This program computes electrical parameters of overhead transmission lines based on the
characteristics and positions of the conductors, and applies the matrix-oriented method using
Carson's formula. The program is user friendly and a very powerful tool for practicing power system
engineers, and for designers who would like to avoid time consuming and complex longhand
calculations of overhead transmission lines based on electrical characteristics and positions of the
wires.

It is import that a few program data requirements be discussed before the program usage is
described. These data requirements will be illustrated through examples.

A double circuit transmission line configuration having bundle conductors is shown below. This line
parameters program computes the average height of a conductor based on the user selection of any
of the two following methods:

1) [Height of the conductor at the tower - (2/3) x (Catenary sag at mid-point between towers)]. 2)
[Height of the conductor at the tower - (1/3) x (Catenary sag at mid-point between towers)].

For example, for the above example, the average height can be computed:

Average height =Yaverage= Ytower –(2/3)*Sag or (1)

Average height =Yaverage= Ytower –(1/3)*Sag (2)

The user should provide the height of the conductor at the tower (Ytower ) and Catenary Sag and the
program will compute the average height based on the user selected method (equation 1 or 2
above).

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Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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The program is capable of calculating electrical parameters of multiple circuits, bundled phases,
continuous or segmented ground wires, solid or hollow conductors.

It should be noted that some of the required transmission line data in this program may be obtained
from the conductor manufacturers. For example, computation of DC resistance can be quit involved
especially for conductor constructions such as ACSR. However, manufacturer commonly provides
the effective DC resistance (see the “Transmission and Distribution Reference Book” by
Westinghouse for the ACSR characteristics tables). Another example is the knowledge of the
thickness to diameter ratio TDR. For hollow conductors, TDR can be computed from the internal and
external radius of the conductors. However, for ACSR conductors that are stranded the thickness to
diameter ratio should be obtained from manufacturer. TDR=0.5 for solid conductors. Value of
0.375 is recommended for most ACSR conductors.

TDR and GMR

Conductor Thickness to Diameter Ratio TDR is define for a tubular conductor as shown below:

For the above tubular conductor TDR = T/D. Computation of TDR for stranded conductor is not
straightforward. The stranded conductors are normally:

 Copper (not often used due to expense)

 All aluminum conductor (AAC)
 Aluminum conductor, alloy reinforced (ACAR)
 Aluminum conductor, steel reinforced (ACSR)
 Others

For example, ACSR has central strands of steel for mechanical strength, with outer strands of
aluminum for electrical conductivity as shown below:

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and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

For the stranded conductor like ACSR, TDR does not apply unless TDR for an equivalent tubular
conductor that approximates ACSR is computed. It is suggested that to obtain an equivalent tubular
conductor to represent ACSR, the steel strands should be ignored and space occupied by steel to
represent the hollow part.

If the conductor GMR (geometric mean radius or equivalent conductor radius) is known (is usually
available from the manufacturer), then, it is recommended that the user supply the GMR rather than
TDR. For practical stranded conductors, look up the resistance and the conductor GMR from tables
supplied by the manufacturer. Geometric Mean Radius (GMR) value:

 For stranded conductor is obtained from the manufacturer’s data

 For solid conductor, GMR  e1 / 4 * r =0.7788*r (r is the conductor radius)

Supplied Sample Cases

For the convenience of the users, several sample cases have been prepared. The sample cases
are:

DOMMEL.LC2 This example is fully described in the “Tutorial Section”

M2-2.LC2 Described in section “EXAMPLE - DOUBLE CIRCUIT LINE WITH GROUND
WIRE”
EMTP.LC2 This example is used in the “Validation And Verification Part II”
DOUBLE.LC2 This is another example of a double circuit lines
M1-2.LC2 Example of a transmission line with one circuit and two ground wires

The above sample data files can be found in the “\EDSA2004\samples\ LineConstant” directory.

Objective

The objective of this program is to provide an easy-to-use program with a proven methodology for
calculating the electrical parameters and electric and magnetic fields of overhead transmission lines.

Program Theory

The program is based on the matrix-oriented method [1,3,6] using Gary, Deri, Tevan, Semlyen and
Castanheira [4, 5]. It uses the bundling procedure and ground wire elimination procedure of
reference [6]. The program also incorporates skin effect [4] based on non-magnetic tubular
conductors. Bessel functions in the skin effect formula are evaluated by using polynomial
approximations [5].

Though the program has been developed basically for power frequencies, it can also be used for
higher frequencies.

With Z = Series impedance matrix in phase domain, and

C = Nodal capacitance matrix in phase domain,

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Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

the admittance matrix Y and susceptance matrix B are given by

-1
Y = Z , and B = wC.

The sequence parameters are obtained through the transformation

-1 -1
Zs=AZA , and Cs=ACA

where A is the transformation matrix from phase domain to sequence domain, and Zs and Cs
respectively are impedance and capacitance matrices in sequence domain.

It may be noted that the zero-sequence coupling capacitance between two circuits is the negative of
respective element in Cs.

The transformation matrix A for a general configuration with multiple circuits is a block-diagonal
matrix. The diagonal block corresponding to a circuit is the normalized (power invariant)
transformation matrix from phase domain to sequence domain for that circuit.

In order to avoid mutual coupling of sequence networks in the case of untransposed circuits, the
program averages appropriate elements within Z and C before applying the transformation from
phase domain to sequence domain.

Segmented ground wires are considered in capacitance calculation, but are ignored in impedance
calculation.

Program Functions and Capabilities

The program has the following modeling capabilities:

a. One, or more, three-, two-, or single-phase circuits on the same or adjacent right of ways.

b. Up to 100 physical wires (conductors).

c. Bundling of conductors.

d. Computation of zero sequence mutual coupling for up to 5 circuits

e. Ground wires being either continuous or segmented.

f. Power frequencies as well as higher frequencies.

g. Un-transposed or continuously transposed circuits.

h. Compute electric field.

i. Compute magnetic field.

j. Graphical display of electric and magnetic fields in 1-D, 2-D and 3-D

k. Export of electric and magnetic fields result into text format

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 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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The program can compute the following data:

a. Series impedance & admittance matrices in phase domain.

b. Nodal capacitance and susceptance matrices in phase domain.

c. Positive-sequence self-impedance and capacitance.

d. Zero-sequence self-impedance and capacitance.

e. Zero-sequence mutual impedance and capacitance between circuits.

f. Line Loading Analysis and Degree of unbalance calculation

The program is able to compute electrical parameters of overhead transmission lines with the
following system of unit options:

a. English system;

b. Metric system.

Ground wire type options:

a. Continuous;

b. Segmented.

Output options:

Any combination of

a. Impedance and capacitance matrices in phase domain;

b. Admittance and susceptance matrices in phase domain;

c. Sequence parameters.

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Required Input Data

General:

Frequency in c/s or Hz.

Earth resistivity in meter-ohm (for English as well as Metric units).
Number of circuits
Number of ground wires
System unit options: English or Metric units by checking the desired radio button.
Average Height Calculation option (Please refer to page 2.)
Transposition

Figure 1: General Input Dialog

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 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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Transposed vs. Un-transposed

The transmission lines are normally transposed to achieve balanced condition. This program computes the transmission
line series impedance and shunt capacitance matrices based on the provided line configuration. It is important to note
that the so-called “sequence impedances” (positive, negative and zero) are actually defined for transposed (balanced)
configuration. If the line is not transposed, then, the sequence impedances do not apply and “modal impedances”
definition should replace them. This program provides the following output as far as transposition is concerned:

1) The series impedance matrix as well as shunt capacitance matrix is always computed and reported for the un-
transposed configuration. The transposed series impedance matrix can easily be obtained by averaging as
follows:

Zaa=Zbb=Zcc=1/3[Z(1,1)+Z(2,2)+Z(3,3)] (1)
Zab=Zac=Zbc=1/6[Z(1,2)+Z(1,3)+Z(2,1)+Z(2,3)+Z(3,1)+Z(3,2)] (2)

2) The modal impedances are computed and reported

3) The sequence impedances are computed assuming perfectly transposed configuration (using equations 1 and 2
above) as follows:

Z0=Zaa+2*Zab
Z1=Zaa-Zab

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Input variables for a circuit:

Circuit Name: Circuit identification/name; can be linked to the 2004 Analysis program such as powerflow,
short circuit, etc. (optional data)
From Bus Name: Substation name associated with the above-defined circuit (optional data)
To Bus Name: Substation name associated with the above-defined circuit (optional data)

Figure 2: Input Dialog for Circuit Data

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Input variables for a conductor of a circuit:

Phase Identification, an id assigned to a phase (e.g. A, B, R, S, T)

Height, height of the phase conductor at the tower (Ytower see Introduction), in feet (English) or meters
(Metric). (Please refer to page 2)

Catenary Sag, The phase conductor sag (see Introduction), in feet (English) or meters (Metric). (Please
refer to page 2)

Horizontal Position, position from an arbitrary reference vertical plane, in feet (English units) or
meters (Metric).

Outside diameter in inches (English) or centimeters (Metric).

Thickness/diameter, Thickness to diameter ratio. Note that TDR=0.5 for solid conductors. (See page 3)
or
Geometric Mean Radius (GMR), Alternative to providing TDR, the user can supply the GMR which is
normally available from the manufacturer (See page 3)

DC resistance in ohms per mile (English) or per kilometer (Metric). Computation of DC resistance can be
quit involved especially for conductor constructions such as ACSR. However, manufacturer commonly
provides the effective DC resistance (for example, see the “Transmission and Distribution Reference Book”
by Westinghouse for table of ACSR characteristics).

Phase to Phase Voltage (kV), this is only used in the electric field calculation

Voltage Angle (degrees), this is only used in the electric field calculation

Phase Current (Amps), this is used in the magnetic field calculation and line loading and degree of
unbalance evaluation

Current Angle (degrees), this is used in the magnetic field calculation and line loading and degree of
unbalance evaluation

Number of wires (conductors) in a bundle; enter 1 if conductor is not a bundled conductor (see Figure 4)

Separation between Wires, in inches (English) or in centimeters (Metric).

Angular Position of Wires in the bundle, in degree; positive angles are measured counter-clockwise.

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Figure 3: Input Dialog for Phase Conductor Data

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A regular bundle of four wires (conductors) is shown below. In a regular bundle, all the component wires are
identical and the wires are uniformly spaced around the circumference of a circle.

Figure 4: A Bundle With Four Conductors

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Input variables for a ground wire:

Ground Wire Identification, an id assigned to a ground wire (e.g. G, G1)

Type, either the ground wire is continuous or the ground wire is segmented (see Figure 6 and Figure 7).

Height, height of the ground conductor at the tower (Ytower see Introduction), in feet (English) or meters
(Metric). (Please refer to page 2.)

Catenary Sag, The ground conductor sag (see Introduction), in feet (English) or meters (Metric). (Please
refer to page 2.)

Horizontal Position, position from an arbitrary reference vertical plane, in feet (English units) or
Meters (Metric).

Outside diameter in inches (English) or centimeters (Metric).

Thickness/diameter, Thickness to diameter ratio. Note that TDR=0.5 for solid conductors. (Please refer
to page 3)
or
Geometric Mean Radius (GMR), Alternative to providing TDR, the user can supply the GMR which is
normally available from the manufacturer (Please refer to page 3)

DC resistance in ohms per mile (English) or per kilometer (Metric).

Phase to Phase Voltage (kV), this is only used in the electric field calculation

Voltage Angle (degrees), this is only used in the electric field calculation

Phase Current (Amps), this is only used in the magnetic field calculation

Current Angle (degrees), this is only used in the magnetic field calculation

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Figure 5: Input Dialog for Ground Conductor

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Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

Figure 6: A Line With Continuous Ground Wires

Figure 7: A Line With Segmented Ground Wires

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Tutorial – How to Use the Program

This tutorial will illustrate the step-by-step procedure to calculate the electrical parameters of the following
transmission line:

60

500 kV
50

Conductor Diameter = 0.9" Spacing between phases = 40'

Bundle Spacing = 18" Average Hieght above ground = 50'
DC Resistance = 0.1686 40

30

20

Earth Resistivity = 100 ohm/m

No Ground wires 10

0
-50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50

Figure 8: Geometrical Parameters for the Sample Case

The tutorial is based on line configuration shown above which includes single three-phase circuit with no
ground wires but bundled phase conductors (see Appendix A or IEEE Trans. PAS, vol. 104, pp. 366-370,
1985)

Figure 8 illustrates the information that pertains to the example used. All the measurements are given in
feet. Details of how to enter data for each circuit and conductors are given in the tutorial steps that follow.

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1.1 From the main menu screen, invoke the Transmission Line Parameters program as follows:

> Select Analysis / Additional Calculations/ Transmission Line Parameters

1.2 Once in the program main menu, proceed to create the new file as follows:
 Select File -> New or select the “New” icon as shown below:

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1.3 Proceed to assign a name to the file and save it.

> In the File name field, type "newcase.lc2" and then Press “Open” as shown above.

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 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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1.4 Proceed to define the configuration of the circuit under study. For this tutorial, we will consider one
circuit only. We will not include any ground wires in this example. The rest of general data are
shown in the dialog below (Note that in this example, we have selected the US standard unit):
> In the Frequency field type 60 Hz.
> In the Number of Circuits field type 1
> In the Earth Resistivity field type 100 Ohm-m
> In the Number of Ground Wires field type 0
> Select US Standard Unit

1.5 Once the general data is specified, the program will direct the user to all of the necessary data
dialogs through a “Wizard” as shown below:

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Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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1.6 Next proceed to enter the circuit identification for each circuit as shown below:

 Circuit Name: Enter C1

 From Bus Name: Enter 1
 To Bus Name: Enter 2

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1.7 Once the circuit identification data has been entered, proceed with the Phase Input Data as
follows (note the below dialog is for the Phase 1 or Circuit 1):

Change the default data as follows:

Phase Identification A
Height 50 feet
Horizontal Position 40 feet
Outside diameter 0.9 inches

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Thickness/diameter 0.5 (for solid conductor)

DC resistance 0.1686 ohm/mile
Phase to Phase Voltage (kV) 400 kV
Voltage Angle (degrees) 0 degree
Number of wires (conductors) in a bundle 4
Separation between Wires 18 inches
Angular Position of Wires 45 degrees

The completed data dialog for phase 1 of circuit 1 is shown below:

1.8 Now proceed to enter the data for other two phases as shown below:

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Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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1.9 Since no more data is required (based on the general data specified), select “Finish” as shown
below:

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 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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1.10 To compute the transmission line parameters, select “Run->Impedance Calculation” as shown
below:

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Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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1.11 Before proceeding with the calculation, select if the report should contain full results as shown
below:

The report generated for the above example is shown below:

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 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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Once the calculations are completed the results are shown in the results output screen (see above figure).
With the aid of the tool bar menu, the user has the following options: Scroll up and down to read the
results, Print the results, and Copy the results into the clipboard for importing purposes. From here, press
DONE to return to the main menu. The user can save the result to a text file for later printing or inclusion
in any other documents.

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Validation and Verification – Part I (DesignBase vs IEEE)

The sequence impedances computed for the above example are compared with those results published in
the IEEE paper: IEEE Trans. PAS, vol. 104, pp. 366-370, 1985 (or see Appendix A using Bundling by Matrix
Reduction). In the previous example, we assumed a TDR of 0.5. Since the aforementioned IEEE paper
does provide GMR values, then, a new jobfile is created named dommel.lc2 which uses a GMR of 0.3672
inch as specified in the paper. The summary of the comparison is shown in the table below:

Table 1: Comparison of positive sequence impedances using DesignBase and IEEE

Resistance (ohm/mi) Reactance (ohm/mi) susceptance (µSiemens/mi) Capacitance µF/mi)
DesignBase 0.0428 0.5353 8.0560 0.02137
IEEE Paper 0.0422 0.5339 8.0672 0.0214
Difference (%)
-0.23 0.67 0.14 0.14

Table 2: Comparison of zero sequence impedances using DesignBase and IEEE

Resistance (ohm/mi) Reactance (ohm/mi) susceptance (µSiemens/mi) Capacitance µF/mi)
DesignBase 0.3203 2.0331 5.0660 0.01344
IEEE Paper 0.3174 2.0060 5.0728 0.01346
Difference (%) -0.75 -1.1 0.13 0.13

Electric and Magnetic Fields

Electric and magnetic fields are generally created by combination of current and voltage. Electric field is
produced by voltage and current produces magnetic field. The word EMF refers to Electric and Magnetic
Fields and not Electromagnetic. When the distances from source is large as compared to wavelength,
electric and magnetic fields are linked and should be considered together. However, when the distance
from source is small, such as in the case of magnetic field in the vicinity of transmission lines, the fields
are independent and are considered independent and should be considered separately as electric and
magnetic fields and not electromagnetic fields or radiation. The following sections show how to perform
the electric and magnetic fields using DesignBase’s program.

Computation of Electric Field

The electric field in the surrounding area of the transmission lines can be computed for any number of
conductors operating at different voltage levels. It should be noted that the computed electric field is
the net electric field due to all of the conductors having non zero voltage. If the user wishes to
examine electric field due to one or more conductors, then, voltages for other conductors should be set to
zero.

To compute the space electric field, select “Run Electric Field Contour Graph” as shown below (of course,
it is assumed that the data for the transmission line circuits have already been entered as was
demonstrated in the previous section):

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Next, the program prompts the user to specify the area where the space electric field should be computed.

The space electric field is computed in a vertical plane defined above. The equipotential contours of the
space electric field is then computed and displayed for the area defined as shown below:

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Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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The above graph can be saved or printed. The options are shown below:

It is also possible to compute the surface electric field along a user-defined path. To exercise this option,
select “Run Electric Field Axis Graph” icon as shown below:

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Next, the beginning and end point of the computation axis should be defined in the dialog shown below:

The program will display the electric field computed along the specified path.

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Computation of Magnetic Field

The magnetic field in the surrounding area of the transmission lines can be computed for any number of
conductors with different currents flow through them. It should be noted that the computed magnetic
field is the net magnetic field due to all of the conductors having non zero current. If the user
wishes to examine magnetic field due to one or more conductors, then, currents for other conductors
should be set to zero.

To compute the space magnetic field, select “Run Magnetic Field Contour Graph” as shown below (of
course, it is assumed that the data for the transmission line circuits have already been entered as was
demonstrated in the previous section):

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 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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Next, the program prompts the user to specify the area where the space magnetic field should be
computed.

The space magnetic field is computed in a vertical plane (perpendicular to the line) defined above. The
magnetic fields contours (equal magnetic field magnitude) is then computed and displayed for the area
defined as shown below:

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Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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The above graph can be saved as shown before.

It is also possible to compute the magnetic field along a user-defined path and the ground level. To
exercise this option, select “Run Magnetic Field Axis Graph” icon as shown below:

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 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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Next, the beginning and end point of the computation axis should be defined similar to the electric field
computation. The program will display the magnetic field computed along the specified path.

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Validation and Verification of Magnetic Field Computation

The example of reference 9 (Magnetic Field Management for Overhead Transmission Lines: A Primer,
Definitions, Methods of Performing Calculations, Field Management Options, and Other Issues. EPRI
(Electric Power Research Institute report TR-103328 December 1994, page 1-21) is used to validate the
magnetic field computation result. The line consists of three phases without ground wire. The coordinates
of each phase are as follows:

Phase X (m) Height(m) Current (Amps)

A -9.15 12.2 1000
B 0 12.2 1000
C 9.15 12.2 1000

The result of magnetic field calculation is shown in the below figure:

The only result reported in reference 9 corresponds to the value of magnetic field at the lower left hand
corner of the above figure, i.e., X=-30.5, H=1.0

DesignBase EPRI Deviance (%)

32.3 32.33 0.093%

The above shows an excellent agreement with the result of reference 9.

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Line Loading and Degree of Unbalance

The program can compute the line loading and determine the degree of unbalance. The measure of
unbalance is defined as follow:

zero sequence voltage

u0  *100
positive sequence voltage

negative sequence voltage

u1  *100
positive sequence voltage

Where u0 is the degree of zero sequence voltage unbalance and u1 is the degree of negative sequence
voltage unbalance. Power utilities have defined different acceptable values for the degree of unbalance.
To compute these indices the user should enter all phase voltage and current information correctly. The
program first computes the line loading from the following equation:

S A  VA * I A

Where:
S A is the total power on phase A
VA phase A line-ground voltage and

I A is the conjugate of phase A current.`

Similar calculation is performed for other phase. The program then computes the receiving end voltages
assuming the sending end voltages are VA, VB, etc. and the line is loaded SA, SB, etc. The computation is
also performed for different line length. To obtain the result for line loading analysis, select “Run-
>Impedance Calculation”. Sample output is shown below:

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Example – Double Circuit Line with Ground Wire

In this example we will show how to enter data for a double circuit transmission line having ground wire.
The data with line has already been entered and saved in sample file named “M2-2.LC2”. The line
geometry is shown in the below figure:

45
Ground wire
40 RDC = 3.8 ohm/km
Diameter = 1.05 cm

35

30
Circuit 1 Circuit 2
RDC = 0.066 ohm/km RDC = 0.066 ohm/km
25
Diameter = 2.952 Diameter = 2.952

20

15

10

0
-10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10

First, let’s examine how the general data is entered. After loading the above sample data file (“M2-2.LC2”),
select “Edit->Edit Master File” as shown below:

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The general data shows that the system frequency in this example is 50 Hz. The system of unit is Metric
and earth resistivity is 100 ohm-m. Since this is a double circuit line, we have specified Number of Circuits
to be 2. There is only one ground wire in this example.

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The three phases of circuit one are shown in the figure below. To inspect the data for a phase, double left
mouse click on the corresponding row. The data dialog for the selected phase/conductor will appear as
shown on the next page:

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and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

To examine the data for the second circuit, use the dropdown shown to the right of “Circuit” and select the
desire circuit as shown below:

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 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

To examine the data for ground wire(s), select the radio button to the left of “Ground Wires” as shown
below:

Now, double left mouse click on the desired ground wire (see above figure) will open the data dialog for
the selected ground wire:

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Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

The calculated line parameters for the above example are shown below. Note that since a double circuit
line is considered in this example, the sequence impedances for each circuit are reported followed by the
mutual impedances between circuit 1 and circuit 2.

Overhead Configuration
======================

Frequency = 50.00 (Hz)

Earth Resistivity = 100.00 (ohm-meter)
Average Height Calculation : Method 1
Transposition : Yes

Circuits
========

[ 1] Circuit Name : C1

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 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

From Bus : 1
To Bus : 2
Number of Phases : 3

No. Phase Bdl DC RES Avg Horz DIA TDR GMR Voltage Bundle
Wrs Hght Pos Sep Angle
(ohm/km) (m) (m) (cm) (cm) (kV) (deg) (cm) (deg)
--- ----- --- -------- ------- -------- -------- ----- ------- ------- ------ ----- -----
1 A 1 0.06600 31.550 5.000 2.925 n/a 1.18400 500.0 0.0 40.0 45.0

2 B 1 0.06600 25.050 8.000 2.925 n/a 1.18400 500.0 240.0 40.0 45.0

3 C 1 0.06600 18.550 5.000 2.925 n/a 1.18400 500.0 120.0 40.0 45.0

[ 2] Circuit Name : C2
From Bus : 3
To Bus : 4
Number of Phases : 3

No. Phase Bdl DC RES Avg Horz DIA TDR GMR Voltage Bundle
Wrs Hght Pos Sep Angle
(ohm/km) (m) (m) (cm) (cm) (kV) (deg) (cm) (deg)
--- ----- --- -------- ------- -------- -------- ----- ------- ------- ------ ----- -----
1 A 1 0.06600 31.550 -5.000 2.925 n/a 1.18400 500.0 0.0 40.0 45.0

2 B 1 0.06600 25.050 -8.000 2.925 n/a 1.18400 500.0 240.0 40.0 45.0

3 C 1 0.06600 18.550 -5.000 2.925 n/a 1.18400 500.0 120.0 40.0 45.0

Ground Wires
============

No. Grnd SEG DC RES Avg Horz DIA TDR GMR Voltage
Wire Hght Pos
(ohm/km) (m) (m) (cm) (cm) (kV) (deg)
--- ----- --- -------- ------- -------- -------- ----- ------- ------- ------
1 G1 N 3.80000 41.400 0.000 1.050 n/a 0.40800 0.0 0.0

Impedance Calculation Results

=============================

Series-impedance matrix(Ohm/km)
0.1316 0.6974 6.3418E-02 0.3034 6.2565E-02 0.2660
6.5353E-02 0.2819 6.3413E-02 0.2589 6.2562E-02 0.2514
6.3418E-02 0.3034 0.1280 0.6984 6.1011E-02 0.3040
6.3413E-02 0.2589 6.1726E-02 0.2533 6.1006E-02 0.2595
6.2565E-02 0.2660 6.1011E-02 0.3040 0.1266 0.6986
6.2562E-02 0.2514 6.1006E-02 0.2595 6.0352E-02 0.2830
6.5353E-02 0.2819 6.3413E-02 0.2589 6.2562E-02 0.2514
0.1316 0.6974 6.3418E-02 0.3034 6.2565E-02 0.2660
6.3413E-02 0.2589 6.1726E-02 0.2533 6.1006E-02 0.2595
6.3418E-02 0.3034 0.1280 0.6984 6.1011E-02 0.3040
6.2562E-02 0.2514 6.1006E-02 0.2595 6.0352E-02 0.2830
6.2565E-02 0.2660 6.1011E-02 0.3040 0.1266 0.6986

Shunt-admittance matrix(Mho/km)
0.000 2.4012E-06 0.000 -4.2648E-07 0.000 -1.8845E-07
0.000 -3.0699E-07 0.000 -1.6592E-07 0.000 -1.2646E-07

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Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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0.000 -4.2648E-07 0.000 2.4327E-06 0.000 -4.0285E-07

0.000 -1.6592E-07 0.000 -1.2907E-07 0.000 -1.4785E-07
0.000 -1.8845E-07 0.000 -4.0285E-07 0.000 2.4473E-06
0.000 -1.2646E-07 0.000 -1.4785E-07 0.000 -2.6913E-07
0.000 -3.0699E-07 0.000 -1.6592E-07 0.000 -1.2646E-07
0.000 2.4012E-06 0.000 -4.2648E-07 0.000 -1.8845E-07
0.000 -1.6592E-07 0.000 -1.2907E-07 0.000 -1.4785E-07
0.000 -4.2648E-07 0.000 2.4327E-06 0.000 -4.0285E-07
0.000 -1.2646E-07 0.000 -1.4785E-07 0.000 -2.6913E-07
0.000 -1.8845E-07 0.000 -4.0285E-07 0.000 2.4473E-06

Current Eigenvectors [Ti]

0.3828 -8.9127E-03 0.3283 3.5364E-02 0.5087 -6.0787E-03
-0.5030 1.5435E-02 -0.3731 4.0564E-03 -0.2846 -1.4423E-02
0.3799 2.3206E-03 0.5301 5.4938E-03 3.0209E-03 2.1352E-02
-2.9196E-03 4.0098E-02 0.4700 -4.2889E-03 0.5797 -8.8969E-04
0.4574 5.5305E-03 0.3381 -4.2948E-02 -0.4916 -6.1590E-03
0.4990 1.5793E-02 -0.3741 -9.4340E-03 -0.2885 1.2440E-02
0.3828 -8.9127E-03 -0.3283 -3.5364E-02 0.5087 -6.0787E-03
0.5030 -1.5435E-02 0.3731 -4.0564E-03 -0.2846 -1.4423E-02
0.3799 2.3206E-03 -0.5301 -5.4938E-03 3.0209E-03 2.1352E-02
2.9196E-03 -4.0098E-02 -0.4700 4.2889E-03 0.5797 -8.8969E-04
0.4574 5.5305E-03 -0.3381 4.2948E-02 -0.4916 -6.1590E-03
-0.4990 -1.5793E-02 0.3741 9.4340E-03 -0.2885 1.2440E-02

[Y'] Diag (Mho/km)

-1.6095E-09 1.2286E-06 1.4025E-09 2.2362E-06 2.4398E-09 2.4448E-06
-1.3616E-09 2.7768E-06 -4.0949E-11 2.9734E-06 -8.3032E-10 2.9027E-06

[Z'] Diag (Ohm/km)

0.4395 2.053 6.6078E-02 0.5016 6.6671E-02 0.4635
6.6293E-02 0.4005 6.6221E-02 0.3742 6.6329E-02 0.3834

Eigenvalues of [Y].[Z]
Mode 1: -.252289E-11 0.536732E-12
Mode 2: -.112157E-11 0.148470E-12
Mode 3: -.113310E-11 0.164125E-12
Mode 4: -.111234E-11 0.183539E-12
Mode 5: -.111272E-11 0.196886E-12
Mode 6: -.111290E-11 0.192214E-12

Modal propagation constants

Mode 1: 0.168021E-06 0.159722E-05
Mode 2: 0.699439E-07 0.106135E-05
Mode 3: 0.768918E-07 0.106725E-05
Mode 4: 0.867194E-07 0.105823E-05
Mode 5: 0.929632E-07 0.105894E-05
Mode 6: 0.907668E-07 0.105884E-05

Surge impedances (Ohm)

Mode 1: 1299.82 -138.457
Mode 2: 474.636 -30.9799
Mode 3: 436.576 -31.0160
Mode 4: 381.077 -31.4164
Mode 5: 356.138 -31.2698
Mode 6: 364.769 -31.3742

Sequence Impedances Assuming Complete Transposition

Impedances for Circuit number 1

Resistance (ohm/km) Reactance (ohm/km) susceptance (Micro-Siemens/km)

------------------- ------------------ ------------------------------
Positive Sequence 0.0664 0.4070 2.7664
Zero Sequence 0.2534 1.2804 1.7486

Impedances for Circuit number 2

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 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

Resistance (ohm/km) Reactance (ohm/km) susceptance (Micro-Siemens/km)

------------------- ------------------ ------------------------------
Positive Sequence 0.0664 0.4070 2.7664
Zero Sequence 0.2534 1.2804 1.7486

Mutual Impedance between Circuit 1 and Circuit 2

Resistance (ohm/km) Reactance (ohm/km) susceptance (Micro-Siemens/km)

------------------- ------------------ ------------------------------
Zero Sequence 0.1871 0.7860 -0.5286

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Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

Validation and Verification – Part II (DesignBase vs EMTP)

In this validation we will compare the result of a transmission line parameters calculated using
DesignBase to the result obtained from the Electromagnetic Transient Program (EMTP). The line
configuration for this example is shown below:
30

25

20
Average Height (meters)

15

Diameter = 3.3 cm
Thickness/Diameter=0.375
DC resistance = 0.04822 ohm/km
Base Frequency = 60 Hz
10

0
-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6
Distance (meters)

The sequence impedances computed for the above example using DesignBase are compared with those
results obtained by EMTP. The summary of the comparison is shown in the tables below:

Table 3: Comparison of positive sequence impedances using DesignBase and EMTP

Resistance (ohm/mi) Reactance (ohm/mi) susceptance (µSiemens/mi) Capacitance µF/mi)
DesignBase 0.05100 0.50120 3.28260 0.00871
EMTP 0.04998 0.50107 3.28714 0.00872
Difference (%) -2.05 -0.03 0.14 0.14

Table 4: Comparison of zero sequence impedances using DesignBase and EMTP

Resistance (ohm/mi) Reactance (ohm/mi) susceptance (µSiemens/mi) Capacitance µF/mi)
DesignBase 0.22260 1.52560 2.05300 0.00545
EMTP 0.21995 1.51000 2.05588 0.00545
Difference (%) -1.20 -1.03 0.14 0.14

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 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

References

1. Anderson, P.M., "Analysis of Faulted Power Systems", The Iowa State University Press/AMES,
1973.

2. Carson, J.R., "Wave Propagation in Overhead Wires with Ground Return", Bell System Technical
Journal, vol. 5, pp. 539-554, 1926.

3. Dommel, H.W., "Overhead Line Parameters from Handbook Formulas and Computer Programs",
IEEE Trans. PAS, vol. 104, pp. 366-370, 1985.

4. Dwight, H.B., "A Precise Method of Calculation of Skin Effect in Isolated Tubes", AIEE Journal,
vol. 42, pp. 827-831, 1923.

5. "Handbook of Mathematical Functions", edited by Abramowitz, M., and I.A. Stegun, pp. 384-385,
published by US Dept. of Commerce, 1964.

6. Hesse, M.H., "Electromagnetic and Electrostatic Transmission - Line Parameters by Digital

Computer", IEEE Trans. PAS, vol. 82, pp. 282-291, 1963.

7. Shipley R.B., and Coleman D.W., "A New Direct Matrix Inversion Method", AIEE Trans, pt. I
(Commun. and Electronics), vol. 78, pp. 568-572, 1959.

8. Woodruff, L.F., "Electric Power Transmission", John Wiley & Sons Inc., 1938.

9. Magnetic Field Management for Overhead Transmission Lines: A Primer, Definitions, Methods of
Performing Calculations, Field Management Options, and Other Issues. EPRI (Electric Power
Research Institute) report TR-103328 December 1994.

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Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

Appendix A: Overhead Line Parameters from Handbook Formulas and Computer

Programs
*
IEEE Transaction on Power Apparatus and Systems, Vol. PAS-104, No. 2. February 1985

OVERHEAD LINE PARAMETERS

FROM HANDBOOK FORMULAS AND COMPUTER PROGRAMS

H.W. Dommel, Fellow, IEEE

The University of British Columbia
2356 Main Hall
Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1W5 Canada

Abstract - Overhead line parameters can be calculated from handbook formulas, or with more general
computer-oriented methods. At power frequency, the differences between the two approaches are usually
negligible, but they can become large at higher frequencies. This paper discusses the causes of these
differences for the engineer who wants to compare results from computer programs with those obtained
from handbook formulas. It contains no new theories, but simply summarizes the experience gained in
analyzing such differences over many years.

A1. Introduction

Nowadays, overhead line parameters are usually obtained with computer programs. Some of
these programs may still be based on handbook formulas, but most of them use more general
computer-oriented methods which are valid for any number of phases and ground wires at any
frequency. A prudent engineer may not want to trust the output of such general-purpose program
blindly, but may want to compare at least some results with those obtained from handbook
formulas. There are differences in the results from the two approaches, which this paper tries to
explain. While the differences are sometimes of little practical importance, they must be
understood if one wants to gain confidence in the results of a general-purpose program.

After a brief discussion of computer-oriented methods, the positive and zero sequence
parameters obtained with them are compared with those obtained from handbook formulas.

A2. Computer-Oriented Method

A general method well suited for the calculation of overhead line parameters with computers was
described by M.H. Hesse more than 20 years ago [1]. To explain this method, a single-circuit,
three-phase line with twin bundle conductors and two ground wires, as shown in Fig. 1, will be
used as an example. It must be emphasized, however, that the method is completely general, and
could as well be used for a double - circuit line, or for a single-circuit, three-phase line in parallel
with a bipolar dc line, or for any other configuration of which one might think.
For the case of Fig. A-1, there are 8 parallel conductors. Two systems of equations describe the
steady-state behavior of these 8 conductors, namely the system of phasor equations.

*
This paper has been printed with the permission of The Institute of Electrical and electronics Engineers, Inc. Standards
Activities. Please note: “ (OVERHEAD LINE PARAMETERS FROM HANDBOOK FORMULAS AND COMPUTER PROGRAMS
IEEE, Transaction on Power Apparatus and Systems, Vol. PAS-104, No. 2. February 1985. ), Copyright  1985. IEEE. All rights
reserved. This is an unapproved IEEE Standards Draft, subject to change. The IEEE disclaims any responsibility or liability
resulting from the placement and use in the described manner.”

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 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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   [Z][I]
dV
(1)
dx
for the longitudinal voltage drops along the line, and the system of phasor equations

   j [ C ][ V ]
dI
(2)
dx

for the current changes along the line ( shunt conductances, as usual, are ignored here ).

Fig. A-1

Tower Configuration

The elements of the 8  8 impedance matrix [ Z ] in Eq. (1) are usually calculated from Carson’s
formula [ 2 ]. The diagonal element Zii is the series impedance per unit length of the loop formed
by conductor i and ground return, and the off - diagonal element Zik = Zki is the series mutual
impedance per unit length between the two loops conductor i / ground return and conductor k /
ground return. Carson’s formula contains integrals which can not be solved in closed form. They
have been developed into reasonably well converging infinite series for small arguments of the
parameter a,

f
a  2.8110 3 D (3)


where: f = frequency in Hz,

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Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

 = earth resistivity in m,

D = distance in m between conductor i and image below earth surface of conductor k for
mutual impedance ( or twice conductor height in m for self impedance ).

For large arguments a, asymptotical expansions are usually used. Most handbook formulas were
derived from these series, with only the first one or two terms retained. In computer-oriented
methods, it is best to add as many terms as are necessary for obtaining a specified degree of
accuracy. Fig. 2 shows that the errors with truncation of the series after the first or second term
would be unacceptable for the mutual impedance between two conductors in cases of wide
separation, or alternatively, in cases of less wide separation but higher frequency or lower earth
resistivity [3].

Much simpler impedance formulas with closed-form solutions have recently been developed by
Gary, Deri, Tevan, Semlyen and Castanheira [4, 5]. They give results close to those obtained from
Carson’s formula (largest differences approximately 10% in the range 100 Hz to 10 kHz, and
smaller elsewhere). These new formulas may replace Carson’s formula one day, but they are not
discussed here because they have been adequately described in [4, 5].

Fig. A-2

Mutual Reactance Between Two Parallel Conductors

The elements of the 8  8 capacitance matrix [C] in Eq. (2) are easier to calculate, and are real
rather than complex. They are obtained indirectly, by first building a “potential coefficient” matrix
[P], with

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 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

1 2h 1 D
Pii  In i , Pik  In ik (4)
2  0 ri 2   0 d ik

where: hi = average height above ground of conductor i,

ri = radius of conductor i,

Dik = distance between conductor i and image below earth surface of conductor k,

dik = direct distance between conductor i and k,

0 = permittivity of free space.

Once [P] is know, [C] is found by matrix inversion,

[C] = [P]-1 (5)

A3. Matrix Reduction and Transformation

Usually one is not interested in the details contained in the 8  8 matrices of Eq. (1) and (2). A
simpler description is obtained by reducing them to 3  3 matrices for the phase quantities, which
still contains more detail than most handbook formulas would allow. The reduction is
accomplished by first introducing the bundling conditions into the equations. For example, if
conductors 1 and 2 form phase A, then V1 = V2 = VA and I1 + I2 = IA in Eq. (1). For continuous
ground wires which are grounded at every tower, e.g., for conductors 7 and 8, one simply sets V 7
= V8 = 0 in Eq. (1). The reduction to smaller matrices is then achieved, in the example, by
introducing IA as a new variable, and by eliminating I1, I2, I7 and I8. The reduction procedure for
ground wires is correct as long as the ground wire potential is continuously zero. For typical tower
spans of 250 m to 350 m, this assumption is reasonable up to approximately 250 kHz [6]. For
bundling, the reduction procedure is correct as long as the potentials on the subconductors are
continuously equal, which is a reasonable assumption up to approximately 500 kHz with spacers
typically 100 m apart.

Even the 3  3 matrices are often too detailed. For example, only positive sequence parameters
are needed in power flow studies, or positive and zero sequence parameters in short-circuit
studies. Sequence parameters are easily obtained from the 3  3 matrices for phase quantities by
transforming them to 3  3 matrices for symmetrical components. The zero, positive and negative
sequence parameters are simply the diagonal elements of these matrices, with Z neg = Zpos, while
the off-diagonal elements are normally ignored. For untransposed lines, the off - diagonal
elements, do contain useful information about coupling effects between sequences quantities,
however, and are used in [7, pp.93 - 103] to derive unbalance factors.

A4. Comparison Between Bundling Procedures

The bundling procedure by matrix reduction, as described in section 3, differs from the procedure
used in most handbook formulas and in some computer programs, where the bundle of
subconductors is replaced by a single equivalent conductor from the beginning ( 7, pp. 111 - 114).
Formulas are usually only given for the more important case of symmetrical bundles, even though
they could be derived for asymmetrically bundled conductors as well. In Eq. (4), replacing the

54
Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

bundle of subconductors by one equivalent conductor located at the center of the bundle is
achieved by using requiv in place of r,

requiv = N N  r  A N1 (6)

where: N = number of subconductors in bundle,

r = radius of subconductor,

A = radius of bundle.

For the impedance calculation, the geometric mean radius GMR of one conductor is replaced by
GMRequiv, with the same formula as Eq. (6) ( except GMR in place of r ).

In practice, the bundling procedures with matrix reduction and with equivalent conductors produce
almost identical results. For the case of a 500 kV three-phase line with the data of Table 1, the
results from both procedures are shown in Table 2. At least in this case, they are practically
identical at 60 Hz, though they would probably differ somewhat more at higher frequencies.

Table 1

Data for 500 kV Three - Phase Line

Phase arrangement: Horizontal tower configuration

Spacing between phases = 40 feet

Average height above ground = 50 feet

Bundle with 4 subconductors, requiv = 7.80524 inches

GMRequiv = 7.41838 inches

Spacing between subconductors = 18 inches

Subconductors r = 0.45 inches

GMR = 0.3672 inches

dc resistance = 0.1686 /mile

No ground wires Earth resistivity = 100 m

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 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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Table 2.

Comparison Between Bundling Procedures

Positive and Zero Sequence Bundling by Matrix Reduction Equivalent Conductors

Parameters at 60 Hz

Rpos ( /mile ) 0.042223 0.42205

Xpos ( /mile ) 0.53394 0.53399

Cpos ( F/mile ) 0.021399 0.021397

Rzero ( /mile ) 0.31740 0.31738

Xzero ( /mile ) 2.0065 2.0065

Czero ( F/mile ) 0.013456 0.013455

A5. Influence of Ground Wires on Positive Sequence Resistance

While it is well known that ground wires have an influence on zero sequence parameters, it is less
well known that they can influence positive sequence parameters, too. Of practical importance is
the increase in the positive sequence resistance Rpos if the line has ground wires which are
grounded at every tower. Since the mutual impedances from the three phase conductors A, B, C
to the ground wire G are never exactly equal, there is always a small longitudinal voltage induced
in the ground wire, even for symmetrical positive sequence currents with IB = IA e -j120C, IC = IA e
+j120C
.

dVG
 ( Z AG  Z BG e  j120 C  ZCG e  j120 C )I A
o o
 (7)
dx

With the ground wire grounded at every tower, this induced voltage produces a circulating current
which flows through the ground wire, towers and ground ( Fig. A-3 ). This circulating current
produces additional losses, which show up as an increase in the value of the positive sequence
resistance in computer-oriented methods. Handbook formulas would not show this increase. In one
particular case of a single-circuit 500 kV line, this increase was 6.5% at 60 Hz.

To avoid the losses associated with these circulating currents, some utility companies use
“segmented” ground wires in an arrangement which has the form of a “ T”: The ground wire is
grounded in the middle, and insulated at the adjacent towers to the left and right. At both ends of the
segmentation section, the ground wire is interrupted as well, to prevent circulating currents from
flowing. In computer-oriented methods, segmented ground wires are handled by ignoring them in the
series impedance calculation (or by setting the mutual impedance to the other conductors to zero),
but by taking them into account in the capacitance calculation.

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Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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Fig. A-3

Circulating Current in Ground Wire

A6. Comparison for Sequence Capacitances

For positive sequence capacitance, most handbooks give the formula

2  0
C pos  (8)
d
In m
requiv

with dm = geometric mean distance among the three phases. For the 500 kV line of Table 1, this
produces a value which is approximately 4% lower than that obtained from computer-oriented
methods. The difference is caused by ignoring the influence of height above ground in Eq. (8), or
more specifically, by assuming that the geometric mean distance Dm from one phase to the image of
another phase is approximately equal to twice the geometric mean height. Almost identical results
would be obtained with

2  0
C pos  (9)
d m  2h m
In
requiv  D m

where: hm = 3 hA hB hC ( geometric mean distance).

dm = 3 d AB d AC d BC ( geometric mean distance ).

Dm = 3 D AB D AC D BC ( geometric mean distance to images ).

The differences would be less for lines of lower voltage ratings, because the phases would be closer
together.
The formula for zero sequence capacitance in Eq. (8, 9).

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 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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2  0
C zero  ( Siemens ) (10)
2h m  D m 2
In
requiv  d m 2

can be derived by averaging the diagonal elements of Eq. (4) among themselves, as well as
averaging the off-diagonal elements among themselves, to account for transposition. Computer-
oriented methods do the averaging in the elements of the [C] - matrix. Both give practically the same
answer. For the line of Table 1, Eq. (10) produces a value for Czero which is 0.23% lower than the
value obtained from computer-oriented methods. In [10], Eq. (10) is further simplified by assuming
Dm = 2hm, or

2  0
C zero  ( Westinghouse ) (11)
( 2 h m )3
In
requiv  d m 2

which produces a value which is 4% higher than the value from computer-oriented methods for the
line of Table 1. While Eq. (11) is theoretically less accurate, the value obtained from it may actually
be closer to measured values because the influence of towers on the zero sequence capacitance,
which is neglected in all formulas, increases the calculated zero sequence capacitance. This
increase is typically 8 to 9% on 110 kV lines, 6% on 220 and 380 kV lines, and 4% on 700 kV lines [
11, p.218 ].

A7. Comparison for Sequence Impedance

The formulas for zero and positive sequence impedances in most handbooks are based on the
assumption that parameter a in Eq. (3) is so small that only the first term in Caron’s infinite series
need be retained. For normal phase spacings this is a reasonable assumption at power frequency
(50 or 60 Hz). Then, after all diagonal and off-diagonal elements in [Z] of Eq. (1) have been averaged
out among themselves, respectively, to account for transposition, the correction terms for the
influence of the finite earth resistivity become

   104
R self  R mutual  /km (12)
2

and

f
Xself  2 104 [ 0.6159315  In ( 281
. 103  2 h m  )] /km


f
X mutual  2 10 4 [ 0.6159315  In ( 2.8110 3  D m  )] /km (13)


where: hm, Dm in m, f in Hz, and  in m. With these correction terms, the zero and positive
sequence impedances can easily be derived from the self and mutual impedances, with
Zpos = Zself - Zmutual (14)

and

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Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
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Zzero = Zself + 2Zmutual (15)

Using the correction terms of Eq. (12) and (13) leads to the simple expression for the positive
sequence impedance

dm
Zpos = R ac  j2  10 4 In in /km (16)
GMR equiv

which is found in all handbooks, with Rac = ac resistance of the bundle. It is surprising that the
influence of ground resistivity and of conductor height, which is present in the self and mutual
impedances, disappears completely in Zpos of Eq. (16). This can easily be verified, however, if one
knows that Zpos without earth resistivity correction terms* is

2h m d m
Zpos ( R = X = 0 ) = R ac  j2  10 4 In in /km (17)
GMR equiv D m

Table 3 compares the results from the handbook formula (16) and from computer-oriented methods
with accurate earth resistivity correction terms for the 500 kV line of Table 1. In this comparison, skin
effects within the conductors were intentionally ignored (Rac = Rdc), to clearly show the influence of
earth resistivity. Table 3 shows that the handbook formulas are quite accurate for the inductance Lpos
over a wide frequency range, whereas Rpos becomes less accurate as the frequency increases
(0.33% difference at 100 Hz, but different by orders of magnitude at 100 kHz). The increases in Rpos
for higher frequencies is caused by eddy currents in the ground, as indicated for a bipolar dc line or a
single-phase ac line in Fig. A-4 (the phenomenon is similar in three-phase lines, but not as easy to
illustrate as for a two-conductor line). Handbook formulas ignore this eddy current effect in the
ground.

Fig. A-4

Eddy Currents in Earth

59
 Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

Table 3

Accurate and Approximate Positive Sequence Resistance and Inductance

ACCURATE APPROXIMATE FROM EQ. (16)

f ( Hz ) Rpos ( /mile ) Lpos ( mH/mile ) Rpos ( /mile ) Lpos ( mH/mile )

10-6 0.04215 1.417 0.04215 1.417

10 0.04215 1.416 0.04215 1.417

100 0.4229 1.416 0.04215 1.417

1000 0.05003 1.416 0.04215 1.417

10000 0.3528 1.413 0.04215 1.417

100000 6.229 1.401 0.04215 1.417

The zero sequence impedance obtained with the correction terms of Eq. (12) and (13) is

 f 
4
 659 
3 10 4   
Z zero  ( R ac  )  j6 10 In   in /km (18)
2 2
 3 GMR equiv d m 
 

with f in Hz,  in m, Rac in /km, and all distances in m. This is the formula found in most
handbooks, including [8, 9, 10]. Table 4 compares the results from the handbook formula (18) with
those obtained from computer-oriented methods with accurate earth resistivity correction terms. The
zero-sequence resistance Rzero and inductance Lzero of the handbook formula are reasonably
accurate in the lower frequency range (up to approximately 1 kHz), but differ appreciably at higher
frequencies.

60
Advanced Transmission Line Parameters
and Electric and Magnetic Fields Computation Program

Table 4

Accurate and Approximate Zero Sequence Resistance and Inductance

ACCURATE APPROXIMATE FROM EQ. (18)

f ( Hz ) Rzero ( /mile ) Lzero ( mH/mile ) Rzero ( /mile ) Lzero ( mH/mile )

10-6 0.04215 13.94 0.04215 13.94

10 0.08905 6.170 0.08980 6.158

100 0.4960 5.084 0.5187 5.046

1000 4.169 4.052 4.807 3.934

10000 32.12 3.164 47.69 2.823

100000 184.0 2.568 476.6 1.711

A8. Conclusions

Differences in overhead line parameters obtained with computer-oriented methods and from
handbook formulas are usually small at power frequency (50 or 60 Hz). The bundling procedure
based on matrix reduction and the use of equivalent conductors for bundles produce practically
identical results. The zero and positive sequence capacitances may differ by approximately 4% for a
typical 500 kV line. Of more practical importance is the increase in the value of the positive sequence
resistance on lines with ground wires which are grounded at every tower. This increase reflects the
losses caused by the circulating currents in the ground wire.

Line parameters at higher frequencies are required for switching and lightning surge studies, for
power line carrier studies, and for similar problems. Results in the high frequency range from
handbook formulas and from computer-oriented methods can be quite different. This is not
surprising, since most handbook formulas were not derived for frequencies much beyond power
frequency.

61
 A9. References

[1] M.H. Hesse, “ Electromagnetic and electrostatic transmission - line parameters by digital
computer, ” IEEE Trans. Power App. Syst., vol. 82, pp. 282 - 291, June 1963.

[2] J.R. Carson, “ Wave propagation in overhead wires with ground return, ” Bell System Techn.
Journal, vol. 5, pp. 539 - 554, 1926.

[3] H.W. Dommel, discussion of “Electromagnetic Effects of Overhead Lines”, by IEEE Working
Group, IEEE Trans. Power App. Syst., vol. PAS-93, pp. 900-901, May/June 1974.

[4] C. Gary, “Approche Complete de la Propagation Multifilaire en Haute Frequence per

Utilisation des Matrices Complexes” (“Complete Approach to Multiconductor Propagation at
High Frequency with Complex Matrices”, in French), EdF Bulletin de la Direction des Etudes
et Recherches, Serie B, no. 3 /4 pp. 5-20, 1976.

[5] A. Deri, G. Tevan, A. Semlyen and A. Castanheira, “The Complex Ground Return Plane, A
Simplified Model for Homogeneous and Multi-Layer Earth Return”, IEEE Trans. Power App.
Syst., vol. PAS-100, pp. 3686-3693, Aug. 1981.

[6] L.M. Wedepohl and R.G. Wasley, “Wave Propagation in Polyphase Transmission Systems;
Resonance Effects Due to Discretely Bonded Earth Wires”, Proc. IEEE, vol. 112, pp. 2113-
2119, Nov. 1965.

[7] General Electric Co., Transmission Line Reference Book 345kV and Above. New York: F.
Weidner & Son Printers, 1975.

[8] E.V. Rziha, Starkstromtechnik-Taschenbuch fuer Elektrotechniker, (“Electric Power

Handbook for Electrical Engineers”, in German), Berlin: Wilhelm Ernst u. Sohn, 1960.

[9] Siemens, Formel-und Taballenbuch fuer Starkstrom-Ingenieure, (“Handbook of Formulas

and Tables for Electric Power Engineers”, in German), Essen: Girardet 1965.

[10] Westinghouse Electric Corp., Electrical Transmission and Distribution Reference Book.
Pittsburgh: Westinghouse Electric Corp., 1964.

[11] H. Happoldt and D. Oeding, Elektrische Kraftwerke und Netze (“Electric Power Plants and
Networks”, in German), Berlin: Springer, 1978.

*The self and mutual inductances without correction terms are calculated from formulas which have the same form as
1 
Eq. (4), except that is replaced by , and r is replaced by GMR.
2 0 2