The document discusses the corona effect, which occurs when an alternating voltage is applied to two nearby conductors. Under high voltages, the electric field between the conductors can ionize the surrounding air molecules. This ionization produces light and sound as the charged ions neutralize the conductors. Specifically, the corona effect is known to occur for conductors with small diameters spaced far apart, when the voltage exceeds the critical disruptive voltage of about 30kV. In power transmission systems, the corona effect causes significant power losses as energy is converted to light and sound through air ionization, producing ozone and accelerating corrosion of transmission wires.
Original Description:
The Corona Effect in High voltage transmission lines.
The document discusses the corona effect, which occurs when an alternating voltage is applied to two nearby conductors. Under high voltages, the electric field between the conductors can ionize the surrounding air molecules. This ionization produces light and sound as the charged ions neutralize the conductors. Specifically, the corona effect is known to occur for conductors with small diameters spaced far apart, when the voltage exceeds the critical disruptive voltage of about 30kV. In power transmission systems, the corona effect causes significant power losses as energy is converted to light and sound through air ionization, producing ozone and accelerating corrosion of transmission wires.
The document discusses the corona effect, which occurs when an alternating voltage is applied to two nearby conductors. Under high voltages, the electric field between the conductors can ionize the surrounding air molecules. This ionization produces light and sound as the charged ions neutralize the conductors. Specifically, the corona effect is known to occur for conductors with small diameters spaced far apart, when the voltage exceeds the critical disruptive voltage of about 30kV. In power transmission systems, the corona effect causes significant power losses as energy is converted to light and sound through air ionization, producing ozone and accelerating corrosion of transmission wires.
When an alternating voltage is applied to two conductors lying near each other, the medium between the conductors gets polarized. This is due to the attraction between the atoms of the medium and the charge on the conductor. Under normal circumstances, when the voltage is low, nothing is observed. However, when the voltage across the conductors is increased, the polarization of the atoms keeps on increasing as well, until such a time when the voltage is high enough to completely ionize the atoms of the medium (which then become charged ions). This ionization produces light and sound, as energy is released when the charged ions neutralize the charged conductors. When this phenomenon occurs between two conductors, in air, whose diameters are small as compared to the space between them, its known as the Corona Effect. The voltage at which the Corona Effect occurs is called the Critical Disruptive Voltage and is about 30kV which is the breakdown voltage of air.
The Corona Effect in Transmission Lines
In a Power System, the Corona Effect is a major disadvantage because it causes enormous power losses in the system. Such a system usually deals with generating huge voltages and transferring them from the generators to the consumption areas via closely laid wires (conductors). This high voltage causes the Corona Effect and results in huge power losses as energy is converted into light and sound due to the ionization of the air. The light can be seen as a faint glow along the wires and a loud hissing noise is heard as well. Furthermore, the ionization of air produces copious amounts of ozone (because of the oxygen present in air) which causes corrosion of the wires as it reacts with copper to form copper oxide.
Muhammad Usman Shahid EE-1057
Use of Capacitor in the Ceiling Fan A household ceiling fan uses a single phase induction motor. Unfortunately, a single phase induction motor cannot produce enough torque to overcome the inertia of the blades and hence the ceiling fan can either start at all or can start very slowly and is unable to get to its full speed. The capacitor is therefore used to split the single phase from the mains supply into two so that the induction motor produces enough torque to start the fan. Since a capacitor is a transient device, theres a delay small delay before the voltage reaches a constant state. This time delay, determined by the time constant (t = RC), causes a time difference of t seconds between the original source voltage (Vs )and the voltage across the capacitor (Vc). This time difference is seen as a phase shift between Vc and Vs as the AC waveform from Vs is either leading or lagging behind the Vc by ts. The voltage across the capacitor and the original voltage from the mains supply together produce a two phase voltage which when applied to the induction motor causes it to start and thereby starting the ceiling fan!