Experiment no.

2 Power System

Experiment no.2
Ferranti Effect
Objective:
To verify the phenomena of Ferranti Effect.
Apparatus:
1. 3-phase Power Supply
2. Digital Multimeter
3. Capacitor Bank
4. Connecting Leads
Theory :
In general practice we know, that for all electrical systems current flows from the region of
higher potential to the region of lower potential, to compensate for the electrical potential
difference that exists in the system. In all practical cases, the sending end voltage is higher
than the receiving end due to line losses, so current flows from the source or the supply end
to the load. But Sir S.Z. Ferranti, in the year 1890, came up with an astonishing theory about
medium distance transmission line or long distance transmission lines suggesting that in case
of light loading or no load operation of transmission system, the receiving end voltage often
increases beyond the sending end voltage, leading to a phenomena known as Ferranti effect
in power system.
Ferranti Effect:
Definition: The effect in which the voltage at the receiving end of the transmission line is
more than the sending voltage is known as the Ferranti effect. Such type of effect mainly
occurs because of light load or open circuit at the receiving end. Ferranti effect is due to the
charging current of the line. When an alternating voltage is applied, the current that flows
into the capacitor is called charging current. A charging current is also known as capacitive
current. The charging current increases in the line when the receiving end voltage of the line
is larger than the sending end.
Why Ferranti Effect occurs in a Transmission Line?
A long transmission line can be considered to compose a considerably high amount of
capacitance and inductance distributed across the entire length of the line. Ferranti Effect
occurs when current drawn by the distributed capacitance of the line itself is greater than the
current associated with the load at the receiving end of the line(during light or no load). This
capacitor charging current leads to a voltage drop across the line inductor of the transmission
system which is in phase with the sending end voltages. This voltage drop keeps on
increasing additively as we move towards the load end of the line and subsequently, the
receiving end voltage tends to get larger than applied voltage leading to the phenomena called
Ferranti effect in power system. We illustrate that with the help of a phasor diagram below.
Thus both the capacitance and inductor effect of transmission line are equally responsible for
this particular phenomena to occur, and hence Ferranti effect is negligible in case of a short
transmission lines as the inductor of such a line is practically considered to be nearing zero.
In general for a 300 Km line operating at a frequency of 50 Hz, the no load receiving end
voltage has been found to be 5% higher than the sending end voltage. Now for analysis of
Ferranti effect let us consider the phasor diagrams shown above. Here, Vr is considered to be
the reference phasor, represented by OA.

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Roll no:16-ELE-03
Experiment no. 2 Power System

Figure
2.1: Ferranti Effect in Transmission Lines
This is represented by the phasor OC.
Now in case of a "long transmission line," it has been practically observed that the line
electrical resistance is negligibly small compared to the line reactance. Hence we can assume
the length of the phasor Ic R = 0; we can consider the rise in the voltage is only due to OA -
OC = reactive drop in the line. Now if we consider c 0 and L0 are the values of capacitance and
inductor per km of the transmission line, where l is the length of the line.

Since, in case of a long transmission line, the capacitance is distributed throughout its length,
the average current flowing is,

Thus the rise in voltage due to line inductor is given by,

From the above equation it is absolutely evident, that the rise in voltage at the receiving end
is directly proportional to the square of the line length, and hence in case of a long
transmission line it keeps increasing with length and even goes beyond the applied sending
end voltage at times, leading to the phenomena called Ferranti effect in power system.

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Roll no:16-ELE-03
Experiment no. 2 Power System

Electric Power Transmission Line Training Kit:

1. The transmission line training kit consists of main parts like Generating station,
transmission line, receiving station and VAR compensators.
2. At the sending end side, there are digital voltmeter, ammeter and power analyzer for
measurement purposes. A transformer tap changer is present for adjusting the input
voltage level. Supply is given to the source through auto-transformer. A circuit
breaker is present that isolates the source from transmission line model. 
3. The electric power transmission line training kit is designed as a 3 phase medium
length transmission line of 180 km. it is divided into 6 identical pi-models, each
section being 30 km long. In each pi-model, lumped capacitor is divided in two equal
sections.
4. At the receiving end side, there are digital voltmeter, ammeter and power analyzer for
measurement purposes. A transformer tap changer is present for adjusting the output
voltage level. A circuit breaker is present that isolates the transmission line model
from load.
5. The last section consists of VAR compensators having various arrangements of
inductive and capacitive loads for reactive power compensation of line. The block
consists of three phase shunt reactors, delta connected capacitors and series reactors.
6. The transmission line kit can tolerate maximum current of 2 A. Hence care should be
taken to keep the current within limits while operating the kit
How to reduce Ferranti effect:
Electrical devices are designed to work at some particular voltage. If the voltages are high at
the user ends their equipment get damaged, and their windings burn because of high voltage.
Ferranti effect on long transmission lines at low load or no load increases the receiving end
voltage. This voltage can be controlled by placing the shunt reactors at the receiving end of
the lines. Shunt reactor is an inductive current element connected between line and neutral to
compensate the capacitive current from transmission lines. When this effect occurs in long
transmission lines, shunt reactors compensate the capacitive VAr of the lines and therefore
the voltage is regulated within the prescribed limits.
Procedure:
1. I connected the circuit according to the circuit diagram.
2. I note down the sending end voltage and receiving end voltage.
3. Then I connected the capacitor bank on the both ends of the transmission lines &
again note the reading of the sending end voltage and receiving end voltage.
4. Then I disconnected the load and again note the reading of the sending end voltage
and receiving end voltage

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Roll no:16-ELE-03
Experiment no. 2 Power System

Figur
e 2.2:

Circuit Diagram of Ferranti Effect

Figure 2.3: Circuit Diagram of Ferranti Effect

Observation Table:
Table 2.1
Sr.no. Condition Table Sending End Receiving End
Voltage Voltage
1 Without Line capacitance 372 330
and capacitor bank
2 With line capacitance 363 466

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Roll no:16-ELE-03
Experiment no. 2 Power System

only(without load)
3 With Line capacitance and 364 508
capacitor bank

Conclusion:
I concluded from this experiment that when line on no load are at light load that is when
charging current is greater than load current than receiving end voltage is increased than the
sending end voltage due to line capacitance.
Questions:
Q#1:Differentaite between lumped Parameter and distributed parameter model?
Ans: Lumped Parameter Model: The
lumped element model simplifies the
description of the behaviour of spatially
distributed physical systems into a topology
consisting of discrete entities that
approximate the behaviour of the distributed
system under certain assumptions.

Distributed Parameter Model:The distributed

element model or transmission line model of
electrical circuits assumes that the attributes of the circuit (resistance, capacitance, and inductance) are
distributed continuously throughout the material of the circuit.

Q#2:Differentiate between insulator and dielectric?

Ans: Typically both are same with the fact that they are non-conductors. The difference is
that insulator does not allow charges to flow through them while dielectric materials are
insulators which conduct when subjected to an external electric field. Example
of Insulators are Glass, plastic, rubber etc.
Q#3:Classify TL according to voltage level and line length?
Ans: there are three types of transmission line according to length and voltage:
 Short Transmission line
 Medium Transmission line
 Long Transmission line
Q#4:Discribe the advantages and disadvantages of Ferranti effect?
Ans: Ferranti effect Advantages:

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Experiment no. 2 Power System

 This charging current causes the voltage drop and so power is loss in the overhead
lines. The efficiency of system is affected. Due to line capacitance effect the increase
of receiving end voltage as compared to sending end voltage is Ferranti Effect.
Ferranti effect disadvantages:
 a long transmission line draws a substantial quantity of charging current. if such a
line is open circuited or very lightly loaded at the receiving end, the voltage at
receiving end may become greater than voltage at sending end. this is known as
ferranti effect and is due to the voltage drop across theline inductance (due to
charging current) being in phase with the sending end voltages. therefore both
capacitance and inductance etc

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