MEASUREMENT OF RADIO INTERFERENCE VOLTAGES DUE TO

INSULATOR SETS AND OTHER LINE EQUIPMENT

S. Coatu, M. Costea, D. Rucinschi, V. Cristea, T. Leonida
Politehnica University of Bucharest – National Interuniversity Research Center
for High-Voltage Engineering and Electromagnetic Compatibility – TICEM

Abstract

The paper points out some practical aspects and remarks, from authors’ experience regarding
the measurements of radio-frequency interference voltages due to insulator sets and other
equipment for high-voltage overhead transmission lines. A critical review of today’s
international standards concerning this type of tests is also included.

1. Introduction

Corona discharges on conductors, insulator sets and other fittings, of high-voltage

overhead lines (HV-OHL) are sources of high-frequency electromagnetic noise, which may
cause interferences to radio reception. This issue is treated at length in CISPR 18-1
Publication, [1], referring to radio interference characteristics of overhead power lines and
high-voltage equipment. While the aggregate noise level from a HV-OHL may be established
only by site measurements, for line equipment and other high-voltage equipment, laboratory
measurements of the radio interference voltage (RIV) are foreseen. These laboratory
measurements are established by CISPR 18-2 Publication, [2], concerning the methods of
measurement and by the product standards IEC 60437, [3] - for the insulator sets,
respectively EN 61284, [4], for HV-OHL fittings.
In this report we point out some practical aspects and remarks concerning the RIV
measuring circuit, in general and the mounting arrangement at the tests of suspension
insulator sets.

2. The RIV measuring circuit

2.1. Generalities

According to CISPR 18-2 Publication, [2], the measuring circuit has the lay-out shown in
Fig.1, in which: EUT is the equipment under test, Tr. – a high-voltage test transformer, D – an
a.c. voltage divider, Co. – a corona free connection, simulating the line conductor, Cc. – a
coaxial cable, terminated in its characteristic impedance Zc at each end (R1 = Rm = Zc).
The others constituent parts of the circuit, as well as their prescribed characteristics are
specified in Table 1.
The measuring set – usually a receiver with a quasi-peak detector – shall be consistent
with the specifications of CISPR 16-1 Publication.
The high-frequency disturbance currents ip , generated by corona and micro-gap
discharges at the EUT are divided in:
• a current im , through the measuring impedance;
• a current ie , to ground, through the capacitance Ce of the EUT and
• a current is , to the test voltage transformer, limited by the rejection filter F.
 The characteristics of the circuit have been established so that the largest amount of the
disturbance current flows through the measuring impedance.
C1
or
L1
C2
is Co.
F L2
im
Zs
Cd or
ip ie
EUT
Tr. C3 Measuring
D R2 set
Ce
L3
R1 Cc. (Zc) Rm

(Um )
Test voltage
measurement

Fig. 1 – RIV measuring circuit, according to CISPR 18-2 Publication.

Table 1 – RIV measuring circuit requirements (acc. to CISPR 18-2 Publ.)

Circuit component Requirements Rel.
Rejection filter F: Z(fm) 20 k ;
• L1 – C1 parallel circuit, tuned to fm(*) (corresponding to an insertion attenuation ai (fm)
or 35 dB, in either direction) (1)
• inductor damped by parallel
resistors
Resistive load RL
RL = 300 (2)
(RL = R2 +R1/2; R1 = Rm = ZC)
Impedance ZS : shall withstand the maximum A.C. test voltage
• L2 – C2 series circuit tuned to fm
(3)
or
• coupling capacitor C3 low partial discharges level
Measuring impedance ( Z s + R L ) Z s + R L = 300 ± 40 Ω 
 at f m (4)
ϕ ≤ 20 0 
Inductor L3 L3 1mH, measured at 500 kHz; low stray
(5)
capacitance
(*)
f m is the measurement frequency
With respect to the measurement frequency, CISPR 18-2 Publication, [2] stipulates a
reference value f0 of 0.5 MHz or 1 MHz, with a margin of ± 10 % for the measurement
frequency fm . IEC 60437 Standard, [3] allows, in addition, any measurement frequency
between 0.5 MHz and 2 MHz, by agreement between purchaser and manufacturer.
In our opinion, the possibility to select a measurement frequency from a larger range is of
importance for the purpose of a reduction of the background noise levels, which may alter the
results of the tests, especially in the cases of large set-ups. At the same time, a higher
measurement frequency offers the advantage of a lower value for the capacitance of the
high-voltage coupling capacitor C3 , an expensive component of the measuring circuit (see
§ 2.2).

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 The results of ours experiments, on an 110 kV suspension insulator set – partially
exposed in Table 2 – point out a practically constant RIV level, for various measurement
frequencies, between 0.5 MHz and 2 MHz.
An important feature of the measuring circuit is that it must withstand the high
power-frequency test voltage. Usually, this shall be 1.1⋅ Un / 3 , for equipment tested with
respect to earth (Un – the nominal system voltage), [2], but the test procedure implies a
maximum applied voltage about 10 % higher. The impedance ZS – the coupling capacitor C3
or the L2 – C2 series circuit, in fig.1 – shall withstand this voltage!
2.2. Remarks on the impedance Zs
The impedance Z s may be a coupling capacitor (C3) or a series circuit (L2 – C2), tuned to
the measurement frequency. Both variants shall meet the requirement (2), (3) and (4), stated
in Table 1, [2].
The coupling capacitor is the most used solution, since it allows changes of the
measurement frequency, in relative large interval, during the test, to avoid the frequencies
with unacceptable background noise levels. To meet, simultaneously, both the requirements
(2) and (4), from Table 1, this capacitor must have a relative large capacitance,
C3 2.92 nF, (6)
for a measurement frequency of 0.5 MHz, respectively
C3 1.46 nF, (7)
for a measurement frequency of 1 MHz.
At the same time, the coupling capacitor shall be capable of withstanding, with a low
partial discharges level, a relative high power-frequency voltage, e.g. about 270 kV, when
testing an EUT with a nominal voltage of 400 kV. Such a capacitor being a relative expensive
equipment, we investigated the possibility to use coupling capacitors with capacitances
something smaller than the above-established values. Even the CISPR18-2 Publication, [2]
hints that a capacitance C3 at least five times greater than the capacitance to earth of the
EUT and its high – voltage connection may be sufficiently, respectively – for the usual
applications – a value of 1 nF should be satisfactory.
Ours experiments, carried out in the high-voltage laboratory of the “Politehnica”
University of Bucharest, on a clean and dry suspension insulator set, for a nominal system
voltage of 110 kV, with the results displayed in Table 2 pointed out that for a relative large
range of the capacitance of the coupling capacitor, between 1.85 nF and 7.40 nF and for both
measurement frequencies, all RIV levels are comprised in an interval of
66 ± 1 dB/ V/300 . The small differences may be due to the instability of the corona
discharges, small variations of the applied voltage and atmospheric conditions during the test
etc.
It should be observed that, at the reference measurement frequency of 0.5 MHz, only the
capacitances C33 and C34 meet the requirements of CISPR 18 - 2 Publication.

Table 2 – RIV level versus coupling capacitor capacitance – 110 kV suspension insulator set
C3, (nF) RIV, (dB/ V/300 ) (1), (2)
fm = 0.520 MHz fm = 1.060 MHz
C31=1.85 66.0 66.4
C32=2.50 66.0 65.1
C33=3.70 65.9 65.7
C34=7.40 66.6 66.1
(1)
Test voltage: 79 kV
(2)
Calibration of the test circuit, acc. [2, § 1.3.12] for each measurement

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In consequence, it may consider that:

(a) The requirement (4), concerning the measuring impedance Z S + R L , imposed by

CISPR 18-2 Publication is too restrictive; a capacitance of the coupling capacitor of
1.0 nF…1.5 nF is sufficiently, even for a reference measurement frequency of 0.5 MHz.
(b) The performance of the test at a reference measurement frequency of 1.0 MHz gives the
same results as well as that at a reference frequency of 0.5 MHz, but offers the
advantage of respecting the requirements imposed by CISPR 18 - 2 Publication, using a
capacitor with a smaller capacitance.
The L2 – C2 series circuit
As a variant for the coupling capacitor, the L2 – C2 series circuit shall be tuned to the
measurement frequency before the RIV test. In consequence, the requirement (4), in Table 1
is met “automatically”, excepting the situation of a resistance of the inductor L2 greater than
40 .
Practically, it is usefull to carry out the L2 – C2 series circuit so that the requirements (4)
be fulfilled – after a previous tuning at a reference frequency f0 – for any measurement
frequency fm = f0 ± 10 %, chosen at the beginning of the effective test, to minimize the
background noise.
Provided that the resistance of the inductor L2 is sufficiently low to neglect it, the
requirements to achieve the above desideratum are:
• for a reference frequency f0 = 0.5 MHz;
L2 165 H, C2 613 pF and L 2 ⋅ C 2 = 1/(2 ⋅ π ⋅ f0 ) 2 ; (8)
• for a reference frequency f0 = 1.0 MHz,
L2 82 H, C2 1226 pF and L 2 ⋅ C 2 = 1/(2 ⋅ π ⋅ f0 ) 2 ; (9)
Regarding these requirements, as well as others aspects relating to the measuring
circuit, the following remarks could be made.
(a) An upper limit for the capacitance C2 may be set, besides the cost of high-voltage
capacitor, by the power of the test transformer. At the same time, a lower limit for the
inductance L2 may be imposed by the stray inductance of the measuring circuit itself,
especially at higher test voltages. Under these circumstances, in this case, the use of a
reference frequency f0 = 0.5 MHz is more convenient.
(b) A low – voltage, air – core inductor L2 , provided with some taps and a fixed capacity C2
represents a realistic solution to adjust the tuning of the circuit, to changes in the
mounting arrangement. To avoid the effect of the interturn capacitances,
parallel-connected resistors may be required.
(c) A relative low value for the capacitance C2 , of 50 pF to 100 pF, as hints the
CISPR 18-2 Publication is not realistic, because
• implies a relative high value, of 1 mH … 2 mH for the inductance L2, unusual in case
of an air-core inductor and because
• it is difficult to control the effect of stray capacitances to ground, of the capacitor C2,
with a same order of magnitude, (10 pF … 20 pF per meter of height).

3. The mounting arrangement

Since the radio noise generated by high-voltage equipment depends mainly on the
distribution of the electric field at the surface of the equipment, the relevant standards
regarding insulator sets, [3], [4], [5] impose more or less restrictive mounting arrangements.

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 In some cases, e.g. by the tests of long insulator sets it is difficult – in laboratory
conditions – to fulfill exactly all these requirements. For this reason, we investigated the
extent in which reasonable deviations from the standardized mounting arrangements would
modify the measured RIV level.
The experiments has been carried out on an 110 kV suspension insulator set, in a
mounting arrangement sketched in Fig. 2, with the variants given in Table 3. Two metallic
structure, 100 mm by 100 mm mesh, “T” and “P” simulated, respectively, the tower and the
influence of the adjacent phase of the line, according to EN 61284 Standard, [4]. All
dimensions, excepting the distances to ground h = 5.20 m and h = 6.00 m agree with this very
restrictive standard. For more information, was measured the electric field in a point A,
situated on the vertical of string, at 1 m under the “line”.
1.4 m

1.65 m
4m

T P Φ 25 mm
1m

2.8 m A 2.2 m A 1.4 m

h
6m

Fig.2 – Mounting arrangements for the RIV measurement on an 110 kV insulator set.

Table 3: RIV level and electrical field strength at 1 m below the line (EA) for an 110 kV suspension
insulator set, in various mounting arrangements.
Mounting “T” structure “P” structure h, (m) EA RIV
arrangement (simulating the (simulating the (kV/m) (dB/ V/300 )
tower) adjacent phase)
6.00 12.5 63.0
M1 No No 5.20 13.3 64.8
4.40 13.6 64.0
M2 No Yes 4.40 14.3 64.3
M3 Yes Yes 4.40 14.2 64.4
Notes:
• Test voltage: 78 kV
• Measuring frequency: 520 kHz

The results of the experiments, given in Table 3 make evident that:

(a) at a same height against ground (h = 4.4 m), the presence both of simulating structure,
“P” and “T”, hasn’t a practical influence on the measured RIV level;
(b) a relative large variation of the height against ground, in the same mounting arrangement
(M1) gives insignificant changes of the measured RIV level, within the limits of the
inaccuracy of the experiment.

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4. Conclusions

The requirements imposed by CISPR 18-2 Publication, regarding the RIV measurement
circuit are:
• too restrictive, with regard to the capacitance of the coupling capacitor;
• unrealistic, in some measure, with regard to the L2 – C2 series circuit.
At the same time, the requirements imposed by EN 61284 Standard, regarding the
mounting arrangement for RIV tests are also too restrictive and in some cases difficult to fulfill
exactly, in laboratory conditions.
The acquired results may conduct to improvements of these standards, in order to
facilitate the tests and to reduce their cost.

5. Bibliography

[1] C.I.S.P.R. Publication 18-1 (1982): Radio interference characteristics of overhead

power lines and high-voltage equipment. Part 1: Description of phenomena.
[2] C.I.S.P.R. Publication 18-2 (1986), Am. 1 (1993): Radio interference characteristics of
overhead power lines and high-voltage equipment. Part 2: Methods of measurement and
procedure for determining limits.
[3] I.E.C. Standard 60437, 2nd. ed. (1997): Radio interference test on high-voltage insulators.
[4] EN Standard 61284 (1997): Overhead lines – Requirements and tests for fittings.
[5] I.E.C. Standard 60383 -2 (1993): Insulators for overhead lines with a nominal voltage
above 1000V – Part. 2: Insulators strings and insulator sets for a.c. systems – Definitions,
test method and acceptance criteria.