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Experiment No. - 4 To Study Design Considerations of Extra High Voltage (EHV) Lines
Experiment No. - 4 To Study Design Considerations of Extra High Voltage (EHV) Lines
EXPERIMENT NO. – 4
THEORY: Introduction
1. Number of Lines
2. Voltage
Voltage is probably the largest single factor affecting the strength of an electric
field produced by a transmission line. Because the power delivered is proportional
to the product of voltage and current, high voltages are used for power
transmission to keep current-related line losses at economically viable levels.
Similarly, magnetic fields (which are related to current level) are reduced when
3. Height of Conductors
Generally, EMF strength is inversely related to the height of the transmission line
conductors. As one moves away from the centerline, the increased distance will
also reduce the Ems; however, at points 120 ft and 200R from the centerline, data
for some 9 transmission line configurations show negative values (increasing
EMFs) when conductor height is increased.
Air and specially designed insulators provide insulation between the conductors
and the towers. The higher the voltage, the larger the spacing and insulator length
are required to be. All air spacing and insulators must be able to withstand voltage
surges caused by lightning or switching, as well as allow sufficient insulating
space for utility personnel to carry out their work safely during live-line
maintenance activity. If placing all three phase conductors in the same physical
space were electrically possible, the electric fields from the conductors would
completely cancel each other out. Although close or compact placement reduces
field strength, the ability of designers to achieve such reductions is limited because
of the clearances required for insulation and the practice of performing live-line
maintenance.
5. Positioning of Phases
Although the direction of currents in a single circuit line produces currents that
oppose one another, the direction of currents in a double circuit line can be
arranged so that currents oppose one another to an even greater extent. This
arrangement results in significant reduction in magnetic field strength.
6. Balance of Phases
The ideal situation for minimum magnetic field strength is equal (balanced) phase
currents. In practice, though, fluctuations in power demand between phases cause
current differences in the individual phases, creating a condition known as phase
unbalance. Although currents in each phase of most transmission lines are nearly
balanced, the currents are never in perfect balance.
Conductors can be physically arranged in ways that will change the EMFs
produced at a given current or voltage. Some of the more common configurations
are defined later in this report.
9. Underbuilding
The width of the right-of-way for power lines is typically determined by the cost
of the land and the amount of space required for construction, operation, and
maintenance of the line. Because EMF strength generally decreases with lateral
distance from the center line, the wider the right-of-way, the weaker the field
strengths are at the edge.
CONCLUSION: