Power System Analysis

3. Overhead Transmission Line Parameters

3.2 Capacitance

Jayson Bryan E. Mutuc

1
 Introduction

Transmission line conductors exhibit capacitance with

respect to each other due to the potential difference
between them. This capacitance together with
conductance forms the shunt admittance. When an
alternating voltage is applied to the transmission line,
the line capacitance draws a leading current. The line
capacitance is proportional to the length of the
transmission line and may be neglected for a line less
then 100km of length

2
 Line Capacitance
The amount of capacitance between conductors is a function of
conductor size, spacing, and height above ground. By definition, the
capacitance is the ratio of charge q to the voltage V, given by
𝑞
𝐶=
𝑉
Consider a long round conductor with radius r, carrying a charge of q
coulombs per meter length as shown in Figure

The charge on the conductor gives rise to an

electric field with radial flux lines. The total
electric flux is numerically equal to the value of
charge on the conductor. The intensity of the
field at any point is defined as the force per unit
charge and is termed electric field intensity
designated as E

3
 Line Capacitance
From Gauss Law, for one meter length of conductor the electric flux
density at a cylinder radius x is given by

𝑞 𝑞
𝐷= = EQ. 3.39
𝐴 2𝜋𝑥(1)

The electric field intensity E may be found from the relation

𝐷 EQ. 3.40
𝐸=
𝜀!
Where εo is the permittivity of free space and is equal to 8.854x10^-12
F/m
𝑞 EQ. 3.41
𝐸=
2𝜋𝜀! 𝑥

4
 Line Capacitance
The potential difference between the cylinders from position D1 and D2
is defined as the work done in moving a unit charge of one coulomb to
D1 to D2 through the electric field produced by the charge of
conductor. That is given by

$" $"
𝑞 𝑞 𝐷#
𝑉"# = / 𝐸 𝑑𝑥 = / 𝑑𝑥 = 𝑙𝑛 EQ. 3.42
$! $! 2𝜋𝜀! 𝑥 2𝜋𝜀! 𝐷"

The notation V12 implies the voltage drop from 1 to 2 , that is, 1
understood to be positive relative to 2. the charge q carries its own sign.

5
 Potential Difference in an Array of Solid
Conductors
Neglecting the distortion effect and assuming
that the charge is uniformly distributed around the
Conductor, with the following constraint
𝑞! +𝑞" + 𝑞# … . +𝑞$ = 0
Now apply the equation 3.42 to the
multiconductor configuration shown in the figure
Assume a conductor m has a charge qm
coulomb/m. The potential difference VKi(qm)
between conductors K and i due to the charge
( +#!
qm alone is 𝑉%& 𝑞' = ")*
!
ln +$!
Volts
"

.
1 𝐷&'
𝑉%& 𝑞' = 2 𝑞' ln EQ. 3.43
2𝜋𝜀, 𝐷/'
'-!

6
 Capacitance of Single-Phase Lines
Consider one meter length of a single phase line consisting of two long
solid round conductors each having a radius r as shown in Figure. The
two conductors are separated by a distance D. Conductor 1 carries a
charge of q1 coulombs/meter and conductor 2 carries a charge of q2
coulombs/meter. The presence of the second conductor and ground
disturbs the field of the first conductor. The distance of separation of wire
D is great with respect to r and the height of conductors is much larger
compared with D. Therefore the distortion is small and the charge is
assumed to be uniformly distributed on the surface of the conductors.

7
 Capacitance of Single-Phase Lines
The potential difference V12 can be obtained in terms of q1and q2 by using eq. 3.43 Thus
&
1 𝐷&(
𝑉%& = ' 𝑞( ln
2𝜋𝜀' 𝐷%(
()%

1 𝐷&% 𝐷&&
𝑉%& =
2𝜋𝜀'
𝑞% ln
𝐷%%
+ 𝑞& ln
𝐷%&
EQ. 3.44

Since q2 = -q1 , D21 = D12 = D, D11 = r1 and D22 = r2

1 𝐷 𝑟&
𝑉%& = 𝑞% ln − 𝑞% ln 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑡
2𝜋𝜀' 𝑟% 𝐷 EQ. 3.45
2𝑞% 𝐷
𝑉%& = 𝑙𝑛 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑠
2𝜋𝜀' 𝑟% 𝑟& EQ. 3.46
If r1 = r2 =r

𝑞 𝜋𝜀* 𝐹
𝐶%& = = EQ. 3.47
𝑉%& 𝑙𝑛 𝐷 𝑚
𝑟

8
 Capacitance to Neutral or Ground of
Single-Phase Two-Wire Line
Equation 3.47 gives the line to line capacitance between the
conductors. For the purpose of transmission line modeling, we find it
convenient to define a capacitance C between each conductor and a
neutral as illustrated in Figure below. Since the voltage to neutral is half
of V12, the capacitance to neutral C = 2C12 or
𝑞 2𝜋𝜀! 𝐹
𝐶% = = EQ. 3.48
1 𝐷 𝑚
𝑙𝑛
2 𝑉"# 𝑟

The line charging current is

𝐼& = 𝑗𝜔𝐶"# 𝑉"# EQ. 3.49

9
 Capacitance per Phase to Neutral of a 3-
Phase Lines
Case 1: Symmetrical Spacing
D = Dab = Dbc = Dca

:;<7 >
𝐶9 = 8 ?
EQ. 3.50
=9 9

Case 2: Unsymmetrical Spacing

:;<7 >
𝐶9 = :;8
=9 ?
9
Where:
#
GMD of the transposed line is 𝐷'( 𝐷() 𝐷)'
r is the radius of the conductor

10
 GMR of Bundled Conductors in
Capacitance
For two-subconductor bundle
$
𝐷* ( = (𝑟 𝑥 𝑑)# = (𝑟 𝑥 𝑑) EQ. 3.51

For three-subconductor bundle

% #
𝐷* ( = (𝑟 𝑥 𝑑 𝑥 𝑑)+ = 𝑟 𝑥 𝑑# EQ. 3.52

For four-subconductor bundle

!& $
𝐷* ( = (𝑟 𝑥 𝑑 𝑥 𝑑 𝑥 𝑑 𝑥 2"/# )- = 1.09 𝑟 𝑥 𝑑+ EQ. 3.53

Where:
r – radius of the conductor
2𝜋𝜀! 𝐹
𝐶% = EQ. 3.54
𝐺𝑀𝐷 𝑚
𝑙𝑛
𝐷* (

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Capacitance of Three-Phase Double Circuit
Lines
The method of GMD in capacitance of three-phase double circuit is
similar to GMD of inductance of three-phase double circuit.
𝐷'( = $ 𝐷'"(" 𝐷'"(# 𝐷'#(" 𝐷'#(#
𝐷() = $ 𝐷(")" 𝐷(")# 𝐷(#)" 𝐷(#)#
𝐷)' = $ 𝐷)"'" 𝐷)"'# 𝐷)#'" 𝐷)#'#
The equivalent GMD per phase is
𝐺𝑀𝐷 = # 𝐷'( 𝐷() 𝐷)'
But the GMR of each phase group is different
from GMR of inductance
$
𝐷.' = (𝑟 𝑥 𝐷'"'# )# = 𝑟 𝑥 𝐷'"'#
$
𝐷.( = (𝑟 𝑥 𝐷("(# )# = 𝑟 𝑥 𝐷("(# EQ. 3.55
$
𝐷.) = (𝑟 𝑥 𝐷)")# )# = 𝑟 𝑥 𝐷)")#

#
𝐺𝑀𝑅 = 𝐷*' 𝐷*( 𝐷*)

12
 Effect of Earth on Capacitance
For an isolated charged conductor the electric flux lines are radial and
are orthogonal to the cylindrical equipotential surfaces. The presence of
earth will alter the distribution of electric flux lines and equipotential
surfaces, which will change the effective capacitance of the line.

The effect of the earth plane is accounted for by the method of images,
described as follows. Consider a single conductor with uniform charge
distribution and with height H above a perfectly conducting earth
plane, as shown figure(a). When a conductor has a positive charge, an
equal quantity of negative charge is induced on the earth. The electric
field lines will originate from positive charges on the conductor and
terminate at the negative charges on the earth. Also, the electric field
lines are perpendicular to the surfaces of conductor and earth.

13
 Effect of Earth on Capacitance
Now replace the earth by the image conductor shown in Figure (b),
which has the same radius as the original conductor, lie directly below
the conductor separation H11 = 2H, and has an equal quantity of
negative charge. The electric field above the dashed line representing
the location of the removed earth plane in Figure (b) is identical to the
electric field above the earth plane in Figure (a). Therefore, the voltage
between any two points above the earth is the same in both figures

14
 Capacitance of Single-Phase Line Considering
Effect of the Earth
Line to Line Capacitance of a Single-Phase Transmission Line:

𝜋𝜀! 𝐹
𝐶/0 =
𝐷 𝐻 𝑚
ln 𝑥 //1'
𝑟 𝐻/0 Hxx’ Hxy’

EQ. 3.56

15
 Capacitance of Three-Phase Line Considering
Effect of the Earth

2𝜋𝜀! 𝐹
𝐶% =
𝐷23 𝐻 𝑚
ln − 𝑙𝑛 /
𝑟 𝐻0

#
𝐻/ = 𝐻45 𝐻5& 𝐻&4

#
𝐻0 = 𝐻4 𝐻5 𝐻&

EQ. 3.57

16
 Electrostatic Induction and Corona
Transmission line electric fields affect objects in the proximity of the line.
The electric field produced by high voltage lines induces current in
objects which are in the area of the electric fields. The effects of electric
fields becomes of increasing concern at higher voltages. The human
body is affected with exposure to electric discharges from charged
objects in the field of the line. These may be steady current or spark
discharges. The current densities in human induced by electric fields of
transmission lines are known to be much higher than those induced by
magnetic fields.

When the surface potential gradient of a conductor exceeds the

dielectric strength of the surrounding air, ionization occurs in the area
close to the conductor surface . This partial ionization in known as
corona. The dielectric strength of air during fair weather and at NTP (25
degrees Celsius and 76cm of Hg) as about 30kV/cm

17
Optimized Transmission or Distribution Voltage
(kV) and Spacing

𝑘𝑊
𝐸𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑘𝑉 = 5.5 𝐿?J=KL + 𝑘𝑉 EQ. 3.58
100

𝐸𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑆𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 = 10 + 1.28 𝑘𝑉 𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ EQ. 3.59

18
 Sample Problems

1) A single phase line operating at 60 Hz consists of two 4/0 12-strand

copper conductors with 1.5 m spacing between conductor centers.
The line length is 32 km. Determine the line to line capacitance in F
and the line to line admittance in S. if the line voltage is 20 kV
determine the reactive power in kVAR supplied by this capacitance.
2) A completely transposed 60 Hz three-phase line has flat horizontal
phase spacing with 10 m between adjacent conductors, each
phase conductors has a bundle of two with bundle spacing of 0.4m.
The conductors are 403 sq.mm ACSR 26/2 with outside diameter of
1.108 in. determine the capacitance to neutral in F and the shunt
admittance to neutral in S. if the line voltage is 345 kV, determine the
charging current in kA per phase. The line length is 200 km
3) If the single phase line in prob 1 has flat horizontal spacing with 5.49
m average line height, determine the effect of earth on
capacitance. Assume a perfectly conducting earth plane

19
 Supplementary Problems
A three-phase transposed transmission line is composed of four solid
round conductors per phase with horizontal configuration as shown in
the figure. The diameter of each conductor is 3.55cm. Calculate the
capacitance per phase if the bundle spacing is 50-cm.

Calculate the capacitance to neutral of a single phase line composed

of four equal strands as shown in the figure. The radius of each
subconductor is 0.5 cm. if the line voltage is
13.8 kV compute for the line charging current
and the shunt admittance

20