Chapter- 4

CHARACTERISTIC AND PERFORMANCE

OF POWER TRANSMISSION LINES
Outline
 Introduction
 Short Transmission Line
 Medium Transmission line
 Long Transmission line
 CHARACTERISTIC AND PERFORMANCE OF POWER TRANSMISSION LINES

Transmission lines are normally operated with a balanced three-phase

load; the analysis can therefore proceed on a per phase basis. A
transmission line on a per phase basis can be regarded as a two-port
network, wherein the sending end voltage Vs and current are related to
the receiving-end voltage Vo and current Io through ABCD constants as:

Also the following identity holds for ABCD constants:

AD-BC=l

Depending on their distance coverage and voltage levels transmission

lines can be classified as: Short transmission line, Medium Transmission
line and long Transmission line
 SHORT TRANSMISSION LINE
 Short transmission line is a transmission of a distance less than
80Km and operating voltage lower than 20 kV. Due to smaller
distance and lower line voltage, in the case of a short transmission
line the effects of capacitance and conductance may be neglected
Leaving only the series resistance and inductance to be taken into
consideration.
 Though in actual line, the resistance and the inductance are
distributed along the whole length, but in case of short lines the total
resistance and inductance are assumed to be lumped at one place.
 In single phase, the total loop inductance and resistance is to be
taken in to account, but in three phase system per phase (line to
neutral) parameter is to be taken in to account.

Fig.4 .1a Equivalent circuit of a short line

 Short transmission line (cont’d…)
 The current entering the line at the sending-end termination is equal to
the current leaving at the receiving-end, and the same current flows
through all the line sections. The R and L parameters may therefore
be regarded as ' lumped '.

Phasor Representation of short transmission line.

Fig (4.1 b): Vector diagram for a short transmission line.

 short transmission line cont’d

 The currents IS and IR will be equal in magnitude but not in phase.

 Referring to the equivalent circuit: IS  IR (4.1a )

VS  VR  ( R  jX L ) I R (4.1b)
 VR  Z I R
 Short transmission line ( cont’d…)
 The phasor diagram of the line for lagging load power factor shown
in the above figure. From the right angled triangle ODC, we get
approximate expression,
 short transmission line ( cont’d…)
 An approximate expression for the sending end voltage VS can be
obtained as follows. Draw perpendicular from B and C on OA
produced as shown in Fig. a Then OC is nearly equal to OF i.e.,

OC = OF = OA + AF = OA + AG + GF
= OA + AG + BH
∴ VS = VR + I R cos φR + I XL sin φR

Solution in complex notation. It is often convenient and profitable to

make the line calculations in complex notation.
short transmission line cont’d
 short transmission line cont’d

• Hence, if the receiving-end conditions are known the necessary sending-

end voltage may be calculated. The above equation can be rewritten as:

VSX  VR  I R R cos  R  I R X L sin  R

VSY  I R X L cos  R  I R R sin  R

 VS =[ (VR  I R R cos  R  I R X L sin  R )2

+(I R X L cos  R  I R R sin  R )2 ]1 2
 short transmission line ( cont’d…
The following points may be noted :
 However (IR XL) and (IR R) are very much less than VR and the small
voltage is in quadrate with the much larger VSX for lagging power
factor,
 VS  VSX  VR  I R R cos  R  I R X L sin  R

 The approximate formula for VS = VR + I Rcos φR + I XL sin φR gives

fairly correct results for lagging power factors. However, appreciable
error is caused for leading power factors.
 The voltage regulation of the line is given by the rise in voltage when
a full load is removed for lagging pf:
VS  VR ( R cos  R  X L sin  R )
%age voltage regulation   IR
VR VR
• Efficiency of the line can be obtained from the ratio of power
delivered to sent power   power delivered x100%
power sent
short transmission line cont’d
 Example-1

• A three-phase line delivers 3 MW at 11 KV for a distance of 15 Km. Line

loss is 10 % of power delivered, load power factor is 0.8 lagging.
Frequency is 50 Hz, 1.7 m equilateral spacing of conductors. Calculate the
sending-end voltage and regulation.

Solution 11,000
Receiving-end phase voltage =  6.360  VR
3
Line current = phase current ( assuming a star connection )
3,000  103
=  197 A
3  11  103  0.8

Total line loss =3 I 2 R (in three conductors)

10
=  3, 000  103
100

300  103
 R
3  197 2
 2.58 ohms
 Example -1 cont’d
• Assuming that the conductors are manufactured from copper having a
resistance of 0.0137 ohms per meter for a cross-sectional area of 1 mm 2, the
conductor cross-section is 80 mm2 corresponding to a radius of 5 mm.
1 d
Inductance =L  (1  4 log c )  107 H / metre
2 r
 X L   L  length
1 1.7  103
= 314  (1  4 log c )  10 7  15  10 3
2 5
=5.75 ohms
 VS  VR  I R R cos  R  I R X L sin  R
= 6,350 + ( 197  2.58  0.8) + ( 197  5.75  0.6)
= 6,350 + 1057
= 7,407 V per phase
= 12,780 V line
( R cos  R  X L sin  R ) VS  VR
Regulation =I R =
VR VR
1,057
=  16.7 %
6,350
 Problem-1

• A single phase overhead transmission line delivers 1100 kW at 33 kV at 0·8

p.f. lagging. The total resistance and inductive reactance of the line are 10
Ω and 15 Ω respectively. Determine : (i) sending end voltage (ii) sending
end power factor and (iii) transmission efficiency.

• Taking receiving end voltage VR as the reference phasor

Problem -1 cont’d
 Problem-2
• An overhead 3-phase transmission line delivers 5000 kW at 22 kV at 0·8
p.f. lagging. The resistance and reactance of each conductor is 4 Ω and 6 Ω
respectively. Determine : (i) sending end voltage (ii) percentage regulation
(iii) transmission efficiency.
Problem -2 cont’d
 MEDIUM TRANSMISSION LINE

• Medium transmission line is a line having a length between 80km to

250km and line voltage between 20kv to 100kv. The capacitance effects
are required to be in to account. Though the capacitance is uniformly
distributed over the entire length of the line, yet for the simplification of
calculation, the capacitance is assumed to be concentrated at one or more
points. Thus all the admittances are lumped at sending - end, receiving-
end or at center.
• A number of localized capacitance methods have been used to make
approximate line performance calculations. The following methods are
more commonly used:
a) Nominal T method
b) Nominal π method

• These methods of calculation give reasonably accurate results for the

solution of most transmission-line problems.
 Medium transmission line cont’d

Nominal T method
 In a nominal T method the total line capacitance is assumed to be concentrated at
the middle point of the line. The T representation of a line is shown in fig. below.

Fig 4.2a equivalent T- modeling of medium line

Series impedance of the line Z  R  jX

Shunt admittance Y  j C
 Medium transmission line cont’d

• With the usual meanings of the quantities given in fig 4.2

Voltage at the mid-point of the line Z

Vab  Vr  Ir
2

Current in the capacitor, Iab  Vab Y

Sending-end current, Is  Ir  Iab

= Ir  Vab Y
Z
= Ir  (Vr  Ir ) Y
2
Z Y
Is = Ir (1  )  Y Vr
2
 Medium transmission line cont’d
Z
V V I
Sending-end voltage ab s 2
s
Z Z Y Z
=V  I  [ I (1   Y V )]
r r 2 r 2 r 2

Z Y Z Y
Vs  Vr (1  )  Ir ( Z  )
2 4
 Other quantities , such as phase shift, power input, efficiency, regulation, etc, can be
determined in the usual manner .

From the above two questions, we observe that:

A=?
B=?
C=?
D=?
 Medium transmission line cont’d

• Phasor diagram

Fig.4.2b: Phasor diagram of a nominal T network

 Medium transmission line cont’d

• In the phasor diagram:

Medium transmission line cont’d
 Medium transmission line cont’d

Nominal π method.
• This method assumed that one-half of the total line capacitance is
concentrated at each end of the line and the total resistance and inductive
reactance are concentrated at the center.
Fig. (4.2c) shows the nominal π representation of the line.

Figure 4.2C nominal Pi model

 Medium transmission line cont’d

From fig. 4.2c, Y

Iab  Vr
2
Y
I=Ir  Iab  Ir  Vr
2

Vs  Vr  I Z
Voltage at the sending-end
Y
 Vr  ( Ir  Vr )Z
2
Z Y
 (1  )Vr  Z Ir
2 Y
Icd  Vs
2
Sending-end current, Is  I  Icd
Z Y Y
 [(1  )Vr  Z Ir ]
2 2
Y ZY Y
Is  Ir  Vr  [(1  )Vr  Z Ir ]
2 2 2
Z Y2 ZY
 ( Y+ ) Vr  ( 1  ) Ir
4 2
 Medium transmission line cont’d

Phasor diagram

The phasor diagram of a nominal π circuit is shown in fig.(4.2d). It is also

drawn a lagging power factor of the load.

Fig (4.2d) Phasor diagram of nominal pi modeling

 Medium transmission line cont’d

In the phasor diagram the quantities shown are as follows:

 Example-2

• A three-phase, 50 Hz, 150 km line operates at 110 Kv between the lines at

the sending-end. The total inductance and capacitance per phase are (0.2
H) and (1.5 μF). Neglecting losses calculate the value of receiving-end load
having a power factor of unity for which the voltage at the receiving-end
will be the same as that at the sending-end. Assume one-half of the total
capacitance of the line to be concentrated at each end.

Solution 110  1000

Vr  Vs   63510 v
3

Inductive reactance per phase, X  2  fL  2  3.14  50  0.2  62.8 

L

Series impedance per phase,

Z =jX L  j 62.8 
 Example-2 cont’d

Shunt admittance per phase, Y  2  fC  2  3.14  50  1.5  106

 4.71  104 siemins
Y=j 4.71  104

Vr  Vr  j 0

Figure 4.2e Pi nominal model

 Example-2 cont’d

Current in the load-end capacitor, Y 4.71

Iab  Vr  j  104  63510  j14.96 A
2 2

Let the load current be Ir. Since the load power factor is unity,

Ir  I s  0  I s  j 0

Current through the inductive reactance,

I =Ir  Iab
 Ir  j14.96
 Example-2 cont’d

Sending-end voltage, Vs  Vr  I Z
=Vr  j 0  ( Ir  j14.96)( j 62.8)
=(Vr -939.5)+j 62.8 I r

Vs2 =(Vr -939.5)2  (62.8 I r )2

(63510)2 =(63510-939.5)2  (62.8 I r ) 2
(62.8 I r )2  118  106

10862
 Ir   173 A
62.8
 Problem-3
• A 3-phase, 50-Hz overhead transmission line 100 km long has the following
constants :
Resistance/km/phase = 0.1 Ω
Inductive reactance/km/phase = 0·2 Ω
Capacitive susceptance/km/phase = 0·04 × 10 −4 siemen
Determine (i) the sending end current (ii) sending end voltage (iii) sending
end power factor and (iv) transmission efficiency when supplying a balanced
load of 10,000 kW at 66 kV, p.f. 0·8 lagging. Use nominal T method.
• Solution. Figs. 10.13 (i) and 10.13 (ii) show the circuit diagram and phasor
diagram of the line respectively.
Problem-3 cont’d
Problem-3 cont’d
 Long Transmission Line
 Lines longer than 250 km (150 miles) are long transmission line
 For long lines, it is not accurate enough to approximate the shunt
admittance by two constant capacitors at either end of the line.
 Instead, both the shunt capacitance and the series impedance must be
treated as distributed quantities; the voltages and currents on the line
should be found by solving differential equations of the line.
 However, it is possible to model a long transmission line as a π model
with a modified series impedance Z’ and a modified shunt admittance
Y’ and to perform calculations on that model using ABCD constants.
 The modified values of series impedance and shunt admittance are:
 Cont…

thus,

 Here Z is the series impedance of the line; Y is the shunt admittance

of the line; d is the length of the line; γ is the propagation constant of
the line:
 Cont…

 Where, y is the shunt admittance per kilometer and z is the series

impedance per km. As γd gets small, the ratios approach 1.0 and the
model becomes a medium-length line model. The ABCD constants for
a long transmission line are