Basic Electric and Magnetic Fields

Glenn Davidson David Phillips

Lets Look at Some Basic Theory

Electric Field Definition
The concept of an electric field was introduced by Michael Faraday The Electric field depicts the force that would be exerted on other electrically charged objects in the vicinity of the electrically charged object that the field surrounds The strength or magnitude of the field at a point is defined as the force that would be exerted on a positive charge of 1 Coulomb at that point, and the direction of the field is the direction of that force

Electric Field Strength Units

In SI Units, the magnitude of an electric field at a point has the units of Newtons per Coulomb. (Or alternatively Volts per meter)
Volts per meter or kilovolts/meter are the units commonly used measurements on electric power systems in the US

The Electric Field Between Two Charges

Things to Note
The lines show the direction of force exerted on a charged particle in the field
Since there can be only one direction at any point, the lines do not intersect The direction of the force is away from positive charge and toward negative charge (shown by the arrows) The lines go on (theoretically) to infinity, unless they terminate on another charge or a conducting object

Electrically Charged Wires

The diagram also shows the electric field surrounding two parallel conductors in air, whose distance above ground is far greater than their separation. In the down direction, the field lines terminate on the ground. In the up direction they go on to infinity

Varying Charge Magnitudes

So far we have just looked at two charges or charged objects (conductors), with constant charge. Energized conductors on a power system (60 Hz) have continuously varying charges as their potential goes from positive maximum to negative maximum, thus the magnitude and direction of the electric field at a point is continuously varying.

Why Does Anybody Care?

The energized conductors of a power line are electrically charged, therefore they are surrounded by electric fields Electric fields affect conducting objects within their area of influence. Humans are conducting objects

Humans in Electric Fields

Some basic concepts
Any energized conductor has an electric field surrounding it. The strength of the magnetic field is inversely proportional to the distance away from the conductor. Current does not need to be flowing to have an electric field

Some Sources of Electric Fields

Appliances such as Electric ranges, coffee makers, lights, electric blankets, televisions, etc. Power lines such as overhead and underground distribution lines, and transmission lines Industrial machinery We live in an environment full of electric fields

Issues with Electric Fields

In the 1970s and 80s there were experiments performed on laboratory animals in strong electric fields that produced adverse health effects The popular press produced articles on the topic causing much public concern Governments and Utilities spent millions in research dollars and found no cause-effect relationship between electric fields and adverse health effects

What was the Result?

States reacted to public concern by establishing limits on field strength for transmission lines (NY & FL for example)
These regulations are still in effect

The public remembers the sensational articles and is still concerned about electric fields
In any transmission line siting hearing the issues are raised

Measuring Electric Fields

Electric field strength can easily be measured
Objects in the field can alter the field, so measurements must be carefully made using accurate instruments. IEEE Standard 644-1994 Standard Practice for Measurement of Power Frequency Electric and Magnetic Fields from AC Power Lines

Electric field strength from a transmission line are generally characterized by a profile where the field strength is measured and plotted along a line perpendicular to the line.

Electric field magnitude for a 115kV H-frame line

Example of a transverse profile across a right-of-way

Electric Field Calculation

There are several commercially available programs for calculating electric field strength. They are quite accurate. Most are two-dimensional programs and the electric field is calculated at the location where the conductors are closest to the ground, with the maximum voltage anticipated

Factors that Affect Electric Field Strength at Ground Level

Height above ground:
Electric field strength decreases rapidly with distance from the conductors, so increasing height decreases the field strength at ground level

Configuration of the phases:

Different configurations produce different field strengths

Shielded by houses, trees, other conductors

Flat Configuration
Configuration 1
3 2.8 2.6 2.4 2.2

Electric Field (kV/m)

2 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 -100 -90 -80 -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 30 Foot Height 40 Foot Height 50 Foot Height

Distance Perpendicular to the Line (Feet)

Vertical Configuration
Configuration 2
3 2.8 2.6 2.4 2.2

Electric Field (kV/m)

2 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 -100 -90 -80 -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 30 Foot Height 40 Foot Height 50 Foot Height

Distance Perpendicular to the Line (Feet)

Double Circuit
Configuration 3
4 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.2 3 2.8 2.6 2.4 2.2 2 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0

Electric Field (kV/m)

30 Foot Height 40 Foot Height 50 Foot Height

-100 -90

-80

-70

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Distance Perpendicular to the Line (Feet)

Double Circuit
Configuration 4
2.4 2.2 2 1.8

Electric Field (kV/m)

1.6 1.4 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 -100 -90 -80 -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 30 Foot Height 40 Foot Height

50 Foot Height

Distance Perpendicular to the Line (Feet)

Triangular Configuration
Configuration 5
2.8 2.6 2.4

2.2
2

Electric Field (kV/m)

1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 -100 -90 -80 -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 30 Foot Height 40 Foot Height 50 Foot Height

Distance Perpendicular to the Line (Feet)

Magnetic Fields
Magnetic fields occur when current flows in a conductor.
An energized conductor carrying current produces both electric and magnetic fields

Lets Look at some Basic Theory

Magnetic Field Definition
A magnetic field is a region of space near an electric current in which a magnetic force acts on any moving charged particle The strength of the magnetic field diminishes apidly with distance away from the current

Magnetic Field Strength Units

Magnetic field strength is measured in milliGauss (mG), or microTesla (T)
1 T = 10 mG

In the US, mG is generally the preferred unit of measure

Why Does Anybody Care?

Energized current carrying conductors are surrounded by a magnetic field Magnetic fields affect conducting objects in their field Humans are conducting objects

Humans in Magnetic Fields

Any current-carrying conductor produces a magnetic field. The strength of the field decreases with distance Magnetic fields from power lines require current to be flowing

Sources of Magnetic Fields

Appliances, when they are operating, produce magnetic fields Power lines carrying current produce magnetic fields Industrial and office machinery, when they are operating, produce magnetic fields We live in an environment full of magnetic fields

Issues with Magnetic Fields

In the 1990s and 2000s there were reports that people living close to distribution lines and transmission lines had greater incidences of Cancer.
Wertheimer & Leeper published a report that gained a lot of public reaction Governments and Utilities spent millions on research and found no cause-effect relationship between magnetic fields and adverse health effects.

What was the Result?

States reacted to public concern by establishing limits on field strength for transmission lines (NY and FL for example)
These regulations are still in effect

The public remembers the sensational articles and is still concerned about magnetic fields
In any transmission line siting hearing the issue of adverse health effects is still raised

Measuring Magnetic Fields

Magnetic fields are easily measured
IEEE Standard 644-1994 Standard Practice for Measurement of Power Frequency Electric and Magnetic Fields from AC Power Lines

Magnetic fields are generally characterized by a profile across the right of way where the field strength is measured and plotted The measuring instruments are generally quite accurate

Magnetic field magnitude for a 230kV H-frame Line

Magnetic Field Calculation

There are several commercially available programs for calculating magnetic field strength They are quite accurate Most are 2-dimensional programs, and the magnetic field is calculated at the point where the conductors are at minimum ground clearance at a stated current:
Rated ampacity or anticipated maximum current

Factors that Affect Magnetic Field Strength at Ground Level

Height above ground Current magnitude Configuration of the phases Magnetic fields are difficult to shield
Ferromagnetic materials

Flat Configuration
Configuration 1
220 210 200 190 180 170 160 150 140 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -100 -90 -80 -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Magnetic Field (mG)

30 Foot Height 500 Amps 30 Foot Height 1000 Amps 40 Foot Height 500 Amps

40 Foot Height 1000 Amps

50 Foot Height 500 Amps 50 Foot Height 1000 Amps

90

100

Distance Perpendicular to the Line (Feet)

Vertical Configuration
Configuration 2
120 110 100 90

Magnetic Field (mG)

80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -100 -90 -80 -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 30 Foot Height 500 Amps 30 Foot Height 1000 Amps 40 Foot Height 500 Amps

40 Foot Height 1000 Amps

50 Foot Height 500 Amps 50 Foot Height 1000 Amps

Distance Perpendicular to the Line (Feet)

Double Circuit
Configuration 3
160 150 140 130 120 110 30 Foot Height 500 Amps 30 Foot Height 1000 Amps 40 Foot Height 500 Amps 40 Foot Height 1000 Amps 50 Foot Height 500 Amps 50 Foot Height 1000 Amps

Magnetic Field (mG)

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -100 -90 -80 -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

80

90

100

Distance Perpendicular to the Line (Feet)

Double Circuit
Configuration 4
150 140 130 120 110 30 Foot Height 500 Amps 30 Foot Height 1000 Amps 40 Foot Height 500 Amps 40 Foot Height 1000 Amps 50 Foot Height 500 Amps 50 Foot Height 1000 Amps

Magnetic Field (mG)

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -100 -90 -80 -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

80

90

100

Distance Perpendicular to the Line (Feet)

Triangular Configuration
Configuration 5
200 190 180 170 160 150 140 30 Foot Height 500 Amps 30 Foot Height 1000 Amps 40 Foot Height 500 Amps 40 Foot Height 1000 Amps 50 Foot Height 500 Amps 50 Foot Height 1000 Amps

Magnetic Field (mG)

130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -100 -90 -80 -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

80

90 100

Distance Perpendicular to the Line (Feet)

What is Corona?
Beer? Cigar? Corona is a luminous discharge due to ionization of the air surrounding a conductor, caused by a voltage gradient exceeding a certain critical value

Corona on a Conductor

Gradient
An electric field exists around an energized conductor The space potential of all points in the field can be calculated or measured. Connecting the points of equal potential (Equipotential lines) completes the map of the field. The gradient is the rate of change of the electric field at a point The gradient is greatest at the surface of a conductor

Conductor Surface Gradient

High conductor surface gradients can result in radio noise, television interference, audible noise, and visible corona. An approximate formula for determining the conductor surface gradient is:

Where:

g is the surface gradient in kV/cm kVll is the line to line voltage in kV r is the conductor radius in cm D is the Geometric Mean Distance (GMD) of the phase conductors in ft

Geometric Mean Distance

The Geometric Mean Distance between the phases of a 3-phase line is the cube root of the product of the distances between the three phases.

Example:
230kV line Horizontal config. 10 ft phase-phase 1590 kcmil Lapwing

RUS Recommendation
RUS Manual 1724 E200 recommends not exceeding a surface gradient of 16 kV/cm

Corona
Corona is formed due to the alternating attraction and repulsion of ions in the air in the vicinity of the conductor.
Negative ions being light, are accelerated rapidly When a negative ion collides with a neutral atom it can cause additional electrons to be released The recombination of electrons and positively charged ions releases energy, some of it in the audible or visible light frequency spectrum

Issues Caused by Corona

Corona from conductors and hardware may cause audible or radio noise
Audible noise is an annoyance factor and may be subject to legislative standards Radio noise may interfere with communications or navigation

Corona can cause damage to composite insulators

What Affects Corona?

The onset of corona is a function of voltage Corona onset is a function of relative air density Corona onset is a function of relative humidity Corona is a function of the electric field at the surface of a conductor, and the gradient of that field Corona is a function of the radius of curvature of the conductor

Relative Air Density

Corona is inversely related to relative air density Elevation of the line makes a big difference
Line designs that work well at sea level may not work well at high elevations

Audible Noise
Corona generated audible noise is often characterized as the sound of frying bacon
The noise can be broadband or a hum

ANSI/IEEE Standard 695 provides methods for measurement of audible noise EPA and many local jurisdictions have established limits on noise levels
55dbA is a frequently cited standard level for residential areas at night

Audible Noise and Phase Configuration

A B C - A B C phase arrangement is called Super bundle configuration. A B C C B A phase arrangement is called Low Reactance configuration.
Magnetic field level is decreased with Low Reactance phase arrangement Audible noise level is increased with Low Reactance phase arrangement

Corona on Hardware
Hardware assemblies are usually tested in a high voltage laboratory to determine if it is corona free
Sharp points on hardware easily generate corona Corona nuts, corona rings, large smooth radii are generally effective in preventing corona formation