CHAPTER 7:

TRANSMISSION LINES

PART 1

EMT238 – ELECTROMAGNETIC THEORY

 Chapter Outline
 General Considerations
 Lumped-Element Model
 Transmission-Line Equations
 Wave Propagation on a Transmission Line
 The Lossless Transmission Line
 Input Impedance of the Lossless Line
 Special Cases of the Lossless Line
 Power Flow on a Lossless Transmission Line
 The Smith Chart
 Impedance Matching
 Transients on Transmission Lines
 General Considerations
• Transmission line – a two-port network
connecting a generator circuit to a load.
 So…What is the use of
transmission line??
• A transmission line is used to transmit
electrical energy/signals from one point to
another
– i.e. from one source to a load.
• Types of transmission line include: wires,
(telephone wire), coaxial cables,
optical fibers n etc…
 The role of wavelength
length of line, l
The impact of a transmission line
on the current and voltage in the
circuit depends on the: frequency, f of the
signal provided by
generator.

• At low frequency, the impact is negligible

• At high frequency, the impact is very significant
Propagation modes
Electric field lines
Magnetic field lines
 Propagation modes

A few examples of transverse electromagnetic (TEM) and higher order transmission line
 Lumped- element model
• A transmission line is represented by a parallel-
wire configuration regardless of the specific
shape of the line, (in term of lumped element
circuit model)
– i.e coaxial line, two-wire line or any TEM line.
• Lumped element circuit model consists of four
basic elements called ‘the transmission line
parameters’ : R’ , L’ , G’ , C’ .

Series element Shunt element

 Lumped- element model
 Lumped-element transmission line parameters:
– R’ : combined resistance of both conductors per unit length, in Ω/m
– L’ : the combined inductance of both conductors per unit length, in H/m
– G’ : the conductance of the insulation medium per unit length, in S/m
– C’ : the capacitance of the two conductors per unit length, in F/m

• For example, a coil of wire has the property of inductance. When a

certain amount of inductance is needed in a circuit, a coil of the proper
dimension is inserted
Lumped- element model
Lumped- element model for 3 type of lines

Table 7.1
Note: µ, σ, ε pertain to the insulating material between conductors
 Example 1
• Use table 7.1 to compute the line
parameter of a two wire air line whose
wires are separated by distance of 2 cm,
and, each is 1 mm in radius. The wires
may be treated as perfect conductors with
σc= .
R’ = ?, L’=?, G’=?, C’=?
 Solution Ex 1

f o f o
Rs Rs 
R'  o Rs   Rs  0  R ' 0

a σc= 

  
L'  ln ( d / 2a )  (d / 2a ) 2  1 
  

G' 
 2 
ln (d / 2a )  (d / 2a )  1) 
σc=  G ' 0
 

C'
 2 
ln (d / 2a )  (d / 2a )  1) 
 
   
L'  ln ( d / 2a)  (d / 2a ) 2  1 
  

d  2cm  0.02m
a  1mm  0.001m

  0.02 0.02 2 
L'  ln ( ) ( )  1
  2(0.001) 2(0.001) 

 L'  1.20H / m
 
C'
 
ln (d / 2a )  (d / 2a ) 2  1) 
 
d  2cm  0.02m
a  1mm  0.001m


C'
 0.02 0.02 2 
ln ( ) ( )  1
 2(0.001) 2(0.001) 

 C ' 9.29 pF / m
 Example 2
• Calculate the transmission line parameters
at 1 MHz for a rigid coaxial air line with
an inner conductor diameter of 0.6 cm
and outer conductor diameter of 1.2 cm.
The conductors are made of copper.
(μc=0.9991 ; σc=5.8x107)
f = 1MHz
r1 = 0.006m/2 = 0.003m
r2 = 0.012m/2 = 0.006m
 Solution Ex 2

f
Rs  1 1  Rs 
R'     o
2  a b 
 (1Mhz ) 
Rs   Rs  2.608 x10  4
5.8 x107

2.608 x10 4  1 1 
R'    
2  0.003 0.006 

 R '  0.0208 / m
 
L'  ln(b / a )
2

a  0.003m
b  0.006m

  0.006 
L'  ln 
2  0.003 

 L'  0.138H / m
 2
C'
ln b / a 

d  2cm  0.02m
a  1mm  0.001m

2
C'
 0.006 
ln  
 0.003 

 C ' 80.3 pF / m
 2
G' 
b
ln 
a
Because, the material
G ' 0 separating the inner and
outer is perfect dielectric
(air) with σ=0, thus G’ = 0

G’ : the conductance of the

insulation medium per unit length,
in S/m
 Transmission line equations
Is used to describe the voltage and the current across the
transmission line in term of propagation constant and
impedance

• Complex propagation constant, γ

   R'  jL' G'  jC '
   j

• α – the real part of γ

- attenuation constant, unit: Np/m

• β – the imaginary part of γ

- phase constant, unit: rad/m
 Transmission line equations
• The characteristic impedance of the line, Z0 :

R ' jL'
Z0   
G ' jC '

• Phase velocity of propagating waves:

   2f
u p  f 


where f = frequency (Hz)

λ = wavelength (m)
β = phase constant
 Example 3
An air line is a transmission line for which air is
the dielectric material present between the two
conductors, which renders G’ = 0.
In addition, the conductors are made of a
material with high conductivity so that R’ ≈0.
For an air line with characteristic impedance of
50Ω and phase constant of 20 rad/m at 700MHz,
find the inductance per meter and the
capacitance per meter of the line.
 Solution to Ex 3
• The following quantities are given:
Z 0  50,   20 rad/m, f  700 MHz  7 108 Hz

• With R’ = G’ = 0,
• propagatio n constant,       R' jL' G ' jC ' 
   

 
 jL' jC '    L' C ' 
2


   L' C '
and
R ' jL' L'
• Z0  
G ' jC ' C'
 Solution to Ex 3
2
  L' C ' L'
   Z 0 L ' C
• The ratio is given by: Z0 L' C'
C'

 L' 
     2 Z o 2 ( L' C ' )
2  2   2 Z o 2C 2
 C' 
   Z o C

 20
C'    90.9  pF/m 
Z 0 2  7  10  50
8

• We get L’ from Z0
Z 0  L' C '  L'   50  90.9 1012  227  nH/m
2
 Lossless transmission line
Transmission line can be designed to minimize ohmic losses by
selecting high conductivities and dielectric material, thus we assume :
• Lossless transmission line - Very small values of R’
and G’.
• We set R’=0 and G’=0, hence:
 0 (lossless line)
   L' C ' (lossless line)

R ' jL'
Z0 
G ' jC '
since R'  0 and G'  0,
L'
Z0  (lossless line)
C'
 Lossless Transmission line
equations

• Complex propagation constant, γ

   R'0  jL' G'
0  j C ' 
   j

• α – the real part of γ

- attenuation constant, unit: Np/m

• β – the imaginary part of γ

- phase constant, unit: rad/m
 Lossless transmission line
• Using the relation properties between μ, σ, ε :
    (rad/m)
1
up  (m/s)


• Wavelength, λ
upc 1 0
  
f f r r

Where εr = relative permittivity of the insulating

material between conductors
 Example 4
• For a losses transmission line, λ = 20.7 cm
at 1GHz. Find εr of the insulating material.

λ=20.7cm 0.207m ; f=1 GHz

up c 1 0 3 x108 1
   0.207 
f f r r 1GHz r

2
3 x108 1  r  1.449
r   r  2. 1
1GHz 0.207
 Example 5
• A lossless transmission line of length 80
cm operates at a frequency of 600MHz.
The line parameters are :
C  100 pF/m L  0.25 μH/m

Find the characteristic impedance, the

phase constant and the phase velocity.
The condition apply that the line is
lossless, So: R= 0 & G=0
• characteristic L L  0.25 μH/m
Z0 
impedance : C C  100 pF/m

0.25 x10  6
 Z0   50
100 x10 12

• phase constant:   Im      R' jL' G ' jC ' 

With R n G = 0     L' C '

 2 (600 x106 ) (0.25 x10  6 )(100 x10 12 )

= 18.85 rad/m
    2f
• phase velocity: u p  f 


 2 (600 x106 )
vp  
 18.85
8
 2 x10 m / s