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Calculation of induced current in the objects placed in the vicinity of the high
voltage transmission lines

Article  in  Przeglad Elektrotechniczny · January 2010

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 Abdelber BENDAOUD, Farid BENHAMIDA, Amar TILMATINE, Karim MEDLES
IRECOM Laboratory, University Djillali Liabes, Sidi-Bel-Abbes, Algeria

Calculation of induced current in the objects placed in the

vicinity of the high voltage transmission lines
Abstract. This paper gives a method of equivalent charge for calculate and represent the electric field around the three-phase lines and the current
which will be induced in the objects near the high voltage transmission lines. In this present work, we establish a calculation program based on
MATLAB in order to calculate and trace the induced current by the electric field under the lines. We can make simulation for several cases in order to
establish some criteria which must be studied to evaluate safety and to make the provisions necessary to minimize the influence of electric field on
the human body.

Abstract. This paper gives a method of equivalent charge for calculate and represent the electric field around the three-phase lines and the current
which will be induced in the objects near the high voltage transmission lines. In this present work, we establish a calculation program based on
MATLAB in order to calculate and trace the induced current by the electric field under the lines. We can make simulation for several cases in order to
establish some criteria which must be studied to evaluate safety and to make the provisions necessary to minimize the influence of electric field on
the human body.

Keywords: Equivalent charge, Induced current, electric field, transmission lines, simulation.
Słowa kluczowe: in this line the Editor inserts Polish translation of keywords.

Introduction
For the design of High voltage lines, it is necessary to
dimension these installations according to the high electric
fields. The electric field at the industrial frequency is a
phenomenon which exists around the electric power lines. It
is increasingly high used which results in taking the
consequences of this phenomenon in consideration. This
subject proposes to the owner of these lines the replies to
the problems raised by this constraint. It’s necessary to
know the determination of electric fields, their calculation
and their measurement, as well as the determination of the
induced currents in the objects, including in living organisms
by electric field.
The solution generally planned to attenuate or eliminate
these effects is to design HV transmission lines with
bundled conductors in order to increase the apparent ray Fig.1. Representation of a conducting object placed under a High
and to install electrostatic screens [1]. voltage line.

Phenomenon study In Fig. 1.b, the object M has potential zero, which gives the
Consider an object conductor M, placed in the vicinity of charge Q carried by influence:
a high voltage line as represented in fig 1. Where
conductors: 1, 2 and 3 of the three phases have (3) Q  V1C10  V2C20  V3C30
respectively the potential V1, V2 and V3 [1, 2]
In general, we can distinguish the two following cases: In sinusoidal mode, the induced current is according to the
 The object M is entirely isolated from the ground charge which is given by:
(Fig.1.a)
 The object M is connected at the ground by a (4) I 0   jQ
conductor wire (Fig.1.b).
V0 is the potential of the object M and Q his charge From the relations (2), (3) and (4), we can write:
The general equation of electrostatics relating to the object
M can be written: I0
(5) V0 
(1) Q  V0C0  V1C10  V2C20  V3C30 jC0

where Ci0 represent the mutual capacities between the We can thus consider the object M and the ground as two
various conductors and the object. terminals of a generator which presents a V0 electromotive
In Fig.1.a the object is insulated and consequently the force and I0 short-circuit current with an internal
charge is Q = 0 what gives the floating potential V0 : impedance Zi (Fig.2.a):

V1C10  V2 C 20  V3C30 1
(2) V0   (6) Zi 
C0 j C 0

Ci0 is negative, the V0 potential is of the same sign than the If one connects to this generator a Z unspecified
phases potentials. impedance, one can deduce from it the current I through
this impedance (Fig. 2.b):

310 PRZEGLĄD ELEKTROTECHNICZNY (Electrical Review), ISSN 0033-2097, R. 86 NR 12/2010

 I0 q
(7) I (11) E
1  j C 0 Z 2.  0 

The Vm voltage at the Z impedance will be: where ρ is the distance from the point where the field
compared to the conductor and its image is calculated and
Z which carries the charge (Q) per unit of length.
(8) Vm  I 0 . To calculate the electric field intensity in the case of a
1  j C 0 Z
conductor and its image one uses the following formulas by
taking a plan perpendicular to the line (Fig 3):

 xd 
 
q  x  d    y  h  
2 2
(12) Ex   
2. . 0  xd 
 2   y  h 2 
  x  d  

 yh 
 
q  x  d    y  h  
2 2
Fig 2. Equivalent Circuit for various conditions of earth
(13) Ey   
2. . 0  h y 

 x  d 2   y  h 2 
For the equivalent generator, V0 , C0 and I0 are defined  
by the equation (5). It is thus enough to know two of them
to solve the general problem.
The equations (7) and (8) show that, as long as the
condition C0Z < 1 is satisfied, the current by Z is practically
equal to I0.
We can consider the impedance Z is composed of two
branches in parallel Z1 and Z2, one of branches Z1
belonging to the permanent circuit and other Z2 being added
occasionally.
The problem consists in determining the current in the
second branch. The permanent voltage in open circuit is not
equal to V0 but VS < V0.
When the permanent branch is a resistance R (resistance
leak):

jRC0
(9) VS  V0 .
1  jRC0

The internal impedance of the equivalent generator is :

R
(10) Zi  Fig 3. Diagram used for the calculation of the electric field
1  jRC0
Into the design assumption of the electric field intensity
Calculation of V0, C0 and I0
on the level of the ground (y=0), only the vertical component
The electric field generated by a H.V line presents a
is concerned (EX = 0).
prevalent vertical component of about constant value, since
The formulas (12) and (13) are applied to a pair of
the level of ground until a height from 2 to 3 m. Its
charge (Q; - Q), at point (M) of Fig 4, the resulting field will
transverse variation (component horizontal) along a profile
be then:[2]
is relatively weak, except under the conductors where the
variation of phase is very important. [1, 3]
One can admit that the objects of moderate size placed (14) E  E x2  E 2y
in the vicinity of the ground don’t have an influence on the
charges carried by the conductors of the line. By these To generalize with “n” charges, one applies the theorem
conditions one can admit that the object considered is of superposition; the resulting fields horizontal and vertical
plunged in a homogeneous and uniform field. This are calculated respectively by: [2]
simplification remains valid about until dimensions of a large
vehicle when the conductors of the line are with more than n
15 m above ground-level. (15) Ex   Ex
i 1 i
Calculation of the Electric field Intensity
n
The Charges by unit of length being determined, one (16) Ey   E y
calculates the electric field intensity by using the Gauss
theorem: [1, 5] i 1 i
To calculate the total field resulting due to the unit from
charges, one uses the formula (14).

PRZEGLĄD ELEKTROTECHNICZNY (Electrical Review), ISSN 0033-2097, R. 86 NR 12/2010 311

  One carries initially the object to the potential imposed
by the problem considered, generally the null potential of
the ground
 Under this condition of potential, one determines the
configuration of the disturbed electric field, i.e. the
configuration of field in the presence of the object.

One draws the surface field, in any point of surface S of

the conducting object. The relation between the surface
field of a conducting object and the density of superficial
charge is given by:

(21)    0 .E

In alternate field, this density of charge also varies, and

Fig 4. Resulting electric field at the point (M) it will result from it a current inside the object of which the
local density can be written:
Calculation of V0
The potential V0 can be determined only if the object is (22) J  j   j 0 E
entire contents in an equipotential surface. It is the case of
a horizontal wire, parallel to tended the line or roughly the One deduces then the total current charge:
case of a sheet planes more or less horizontal (for example
a hangar roof) (23) I 0  j  0  E ( S ) dS
S
A. Case of a horizontal wire
When the wire is parallel to the axis of line, its potential is : Application to the fence wire
Many plantations, in particular the vines, require
(17) V0  E.h supports in the form of wire tended horizontally.
The calculation of the induced current relating to a wire
E: quasi-constant electric field over all its length and h its length L, is carried out immediately by using the formulas
height above ground-level (5); (17) and (20).
When the wire, while being horizontal, is not parallel any When several wires are tightened the ones above the
more to the line, its floating potential can ensore be others with different heights and are connected electrically
calculated, by using the following expression: between them, one can express the characteristics of the
equivalent generator in a simple way; by neglecting the
2 X mutual coupling between wires, one can calculate for “n”
h
(18) V0  .  E.e j dX wires:
X 2  X1 X
1
V0i .C0i
were: X2 - X1 is the length of the wire and φ the phase of (24) V0  n
the electric field at point X  C 0i
n
B. Case of a not very tilted metal roof (25) I 0 j.L V0i .C0i
The non-disturbed electric field varies only in a way n
moderate from one point to another of the surface occupied Four in parallel tended wire, of which most is to 2 m,
by the roof, the potential of this one can be to determine with intervals of 50 cm between them would be able to
by: output a theoretical current of 20 mA on the other hand
which is regarded as dangerous, under the same
(19) V0  E.h conditions, only one wire can produce 9 mA.
In practice, there are leak resistances which ensure a
Where E and h are respectively the average field and the sufficient protection.
average height of the roof. To avoid any nuisance, there remains judicious to
preferably lay out the rows of plantation perpendicular to
C. Calculation of the capacity C0 of horizontal cylinder the line. For the fences, whose capacity C0 can be higher
The capacity per unit of length of horizontal cylinder has than that of tended wire, it is appropriate systematically to
the following expression: put them at the ground every 20 m approximately. It would
be naturally desirable to proceed, each time, with a direct
2  0 measurement of the current I0 on the spot, in order to make
(20) C0 
2h sure that an earthing is really necessary.
ln
r
Calculation of the Induced Current
where h: the height of the axis of the cylinder above In order to calculate and to trace the current induced by
ground-level, R: the ray of cylinder and ε0 is the permittivity the electric field in a wire of fence at any transverse
of the vacuum. distance, one carried out a calculation programme based in
Software MATLAB.
D. Calculation of I0
This method consists in proceeding as follows:

312 PRZEGLĄD ELEKTROTECHNICZNY (Electrical Review), ISSN 0033-2097, R. 86 NR 12/2010

Application Influence of wire length
A. 750 kV horizontal line One took the same preceding example, but for a length
Voltage = 750 kV of wire L=200 m and L=20 m. After execution of program
The height of the phase conductors h = 18 m. one obtains the curves of figures 8 and 9, representatives
Ray of beam = 0,212 m the transverse induced current in the wire respectively for
Ray of conductor phase = 15,5 mm the two preceding lengths.
Numbers of conductors by beam = 4
The length of the fence wire L = 1000 m
The ray of wire Rf = 2m
The height of wire: hf = 2 m.

Fig.8. Induced current according to the transverse distance (L =

200m)

Fig. 5. 750 kV horizontal line

Presentation of the results and interpretations

After execution of program one obtains the curves of
Fig. 6 and Fig.7 representatives the transverse field of the
line considered and the transverse induced current in the
wire.

Fig.9. Induced current according to the transverse distance (L = 20

m)

By analyzing figures 7; 8 and 9, it’s noted that the

current induces decreased from 37 mA to 0,75 mA with the
lower part of the conductor side phase.

Influence ray and height of the wire

Fig. 6. Electric field according to the transverse distance
By analyzing the Fig. 7, one notes that the induced
current is very dangerous for the human body for example
with the top of a side phase, current 37 mA for a length wire
of 1000 m.
One took the same preceding example with the length of
the wire L = 1000 m; after execution of program one obtains
the curves of fig.10 representatives the transverse induced
current in the wire. By analyzing Fig. 10, one notes that the
induced current increases in a considerable way according
to the ray of the wire.

Fig. 7. Induced current according to the transverse distance (for L =

1000m)
Fig.10. Induced current according to the wire ray of fence

PRZEGLĄD ELEKTROTECHNICZNY (Electrical Review), ISSN 0033-2097, R. 86 NR 12/2010 313

 According to the curves obtained, we can say that the
shape and the intensity of the electric field and the current
which will be induced depend primarily on dimensions of the
line: the distance between the conductors and their height
above ground-level (it’s noticed that one has more raised
value of the field for a less significant height). The type of
conductor or beam equipping the line intervenes in the form
of the profile only by the structure of the matrix of the
capacities.
It is noticed that one has a maximum value of the
electric field and consequently of the current induces below
the side phases.
Conclusion
The reduction of the electric field requires that the long
wires, drains, be studied and are selected. By comparing
the figures of the results of simulation, we can note that we
have a less significant current induced for a smaller length
of wire. In practice, there are generally natural leak
resistances which ensure a natural protection, failing this,
earthings must be installed (for example every 20 m).
About this study, we can say that it’s necessary to lay
out wire perpendicular to the line instead of the parallel
provision. Therefore, safety requirements must be laid down
while being based on all the criteria which one saw in this
study.
Lastly, the calculation program that we carried out,
appears very useful to us to calculate and trace the induced
current by the electric field under the lines and simulate a
very great number of cases, which makes it possible to see
the influence of each parameter on the intensity of induced
current in order to make the provisions necessary to
minimize the influence of the electric fields on the human
body.
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Conference on Electrical Engineering and its Applications. Sidi
Bel-Abbès, May 22 & 23,2006
Authors: Dr. Bendaoud Abdelber, University of Djilali Liabes,
IRECOM Laboratory, Engineering Faculty, Sidi Bel Abbès, Algeria
E-mail: babdelber22@yahoo.fr