TransCo

Determination of
Minimum Right-ofWay (ROW) Width
for Overhead
Power
Transmission
Lines
Bienvenido D. Valeros
John C. Placente

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

May 2013

Objective
Study aims to:
1. Provide the technical basis of transmission line
right-of-way (ROW) width based on applicable
electrical and safety codes.
2. Determine opportunities on cost-savings by
paying only the ROW width that is needed by
TransCo.

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

TRANSMISSION LINE LENGTH

(in CKT-KM)

Luzon

As of CY2011
9,482
4,979
5,361
Visayas
PHILIPPINES

19,822

Mindanao

Mindanao

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

Transmission Line Length

As of December 31, 2011

Voltage
(kV)

Luzon
(km)

Visayas
(km)

Mindanao
(km)

Total
(km)

500

491.15

491.5

350

214.79

259

473.79

230

3,136.07

171.92

3,307.99

138

1,296.24

2,269.50

3,565.74

115

209.45

209.45

69 & Below

2,632.90

2,148.47

2,076.55

6,857.92

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

Right-of-Way (ROW)

is to provide
an access corridor for maintenance of
transmission lines, with consideration to
safety clearances and EMF exposure limits.

ROW Width

ROW Width

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

ROW Width Determination

230 kV

12 m

40 Meters
ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

Voltage
Level
(kV)

FIXED
Width
(m)

69

15

115

30

138

30

230

40

345

50

500

65
6

Proposed ROW Width Determination

230 kV

12 m

ROW= Design, EMF

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

References for Determination

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

Horizontal Clearance at Rest

Formula Above 36 kV, Altitude 1000 m
Philippine Electrical Code Rule 3.4.5.7(a)

WHCL R WREST

VLL m

0.01
22
3

WHCL-R

is the effective horizontal clearance (@ rest), meters

WREST

is the horizontal clearance on PEC Table 3.4.5.3(a)(1)

for open supply conductors, 2.3 meters

VLL

is the line to line voltage, kV

is the maximum voltage multiplier;

1.05 (69-345kV) and 1.10 (500kV and above)

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

Horizontal Clearance at Rest

(Computed)
Nominal
Voltage Level,
in kV

Maximum
Voltage Level,
in kV

Horizontal Clearance At
Rest, Altitude 1000 m,
in Meters
(Based on PEC)

69

72

2.50

115

121

2.78

138

145

2.92

230

242

3.47

345

362

4.17

500

550

5.26

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

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Horizontal Clearance,
Conductor Displaced by Wind
Formula for Above 36 kV, Altitude 1000m, Wind
Philippine Electrical Code Rule 3.4.5.3

WHCLW WWIND

VLL m

0.01
22
3

WHCL-W

is the horizontal clearance requirement

when displaced by wind

WWIND

is the minimum wind clearance requirement as

listed in Table 3.4.5.2(a)(2); for overhead
conductor, 1.4 meters.

VLL

is the line to line voltage.

is the maximum voltage multiplier;

1.05 (69-345kV) and 1.10 (500kV)

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

11

Horizontal Clearance When Conductor

is Displaced by Wind (Computed)
Nominal
Voltage Level,

Maximum

Horizontal Clearance With

in kV

Voltage Level,
in kV

Wind Displacement, Altitude

1000 m,
in Meters
(Based on PEC)

69

72

1.60

115

121

1.88

138

145

2.02

230

242

2.57

345

362

3.27

500

550

4.36

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

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Conductor Swing Angle Calculation

IEC 60826, Philippine Electrical Code
2

/
2

V
1
C
R GL D aW
C tan

m
g

CC
VR
GL
D
mC
g
aW
a

is the swing angle of the conductor blown by wind

is the air density (1.14-1.29, assumption: 1.16 kg/m3)
is the drag factor equal to 1.0 for stranded conductor
is the wind speed/velocity (meters/second)
is the span factor taking into account the effect of span
length (Values are 1.0 to 0.875 for 200 m to 600 m)
is the conductor diameter (meters)
is the conductor mass per unit length (kg/m)
is the gravitational acceleration constant (9.8 m/s2)
is the wind span
is the conductor span length (assumption: a=aW)

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

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Span Factor, GL
IEC 60826
Wind Span, aW
(meters)
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
550
600
ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

Span Factor, GL
1.000
0.984
0.969
0.953
0.938
0.922
0.906
0.891
0.875
14

Example
Condor (795 MCM), 270 KPH or 75 m/s

/ 2 CC VR2 GL D aW
C tan

mC g a

kg
2
1.16 3
m

1.0 75 0.9840.0277m aW

tan1
kg
1km
m

1523
9.8 2 a
km 1000m

Assumption: conductor span, a is assumed equal to

wind span, aW; therefore,

C 80.5
ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

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Conductor Swing Angles Per KPH

Philippine Electrical Code 2, 2009

Condor (795 MCM) @ Span = 250 m

Wind
Speed

Zone

Swing
Angle

270 KPH
75 m/s

Zone 1

80.5O

240 KPH
67 m/s

Zone 2

78.2O

160 KPH
44.45m/s

Zone 3

64.5O

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

240
KPH

160
KPH

270
KPH

Example
The 230 kV double circuit
overhead conductors are
supported by two towers with
dimensions as shown. The two
towers are on same elevation
and the span between them is
250 meters. Surveyed data
from the field indicates that the
total insulator length and
conductor sag amounts to 6.0
meters. Conductor is in Zone 1
(270 KPH).
Recommend a minimum rightof-way (ROW) based on
clearances of conductors at rest
and under wind displacement.
ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

TOWER
A

TOWER
B

250 m
1.5 m

1.5 m

4.5 m
NOT TO SCALE
FOR ILLUSTRATION ONLY

17

A. Compute for the Horizontal

Clearance at Rest

230 1.05

2.3 0.01
22
3

230 1.05

WHCL W 1.4 0.01

22
3

5.92 m

80.5o

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

Clearance
At Rest

4.5 m

3.5 m

1.5 m

Clearance
With Wind

WHCLW 2.57 m 2.6 m

WHCL R 3.47 m 3.5 m

2.6 m

WHCL R

B. Compute for the Horizontal

Clearance, with Wind

18

Illustration #1

29.2 m

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

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2.6

2.6
5.92

2.42
5.92

3.5

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

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3.5
2.6

2.42

HORIZONTAL CLEARANCE, WITH WIND DISPLACEMENT

HORIZONTAL CLEARANCE AT REST

HORIZONTAL CLEARANCE, WITH WIND DISPLACEMENT

Illustration #2

2.6

29.04 m
20

ROW WIDTH ESTIMATES

Voltage Level

CURRENT

PROPOSED*

(kV)

(Fixed)

(Design Dependent)

69

15

6-12

115

30

11-26

138

30

11-26

230

40

20-32

345

50

23-38

500

65

33-53

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

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LATEST EMF EXPOSURE LIMITS

General Public, 60 Hertz, 2010 ICNIRP*
*International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection

PARAMETER

VALUE

Electric Field

4.17 kV/m

Magnetic Field

2000 milliGauss*

*1998 Value = 833 mG

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

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Limits: Electric Field = 4.17 kV/m

Magnetic Field = 2000 mG

Calculated EMF Levels

Information:

230 kV, Bundle of 4, 820 Amps Per Cond, Double Ckt

Distance from
Conductor
Centerline
(m)

2.5

7.5

10

12.5

15

17.5

20

Electric Field
(kV/m)

0.172

0.451

0.796

1.048

1.177

1.185

1.1

0.959

0.796

Magnetic Field
(mG)

186.44

184.06

177.71

167.53

154.09

138.43

121.88

105.68

90.69

Measured EMF Levels @ 5 m from Conductor Centerline

Transmission Line

Electric Field

Magnetic Field

Sucat-Araneta-Balintawak 230 kV

0.04

3.15

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

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Benefits

Reduction of area
acquisition cost of

28-32%.

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

24

Way Forward
1. Status. Completed 10 Consultation meetings
with distribution utilities and other power
experts. Preparing for 2 more technical
consultations and then legal consultations.
2. Board Approval. Seek final
approval/recommendation from management
team.
3. Program Development. Create a software
and database system (tower design data, sag,
span) which will compute for ROW acquisition.
ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

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FOR COMMENTS
Email:
MR. BIENVENIDO D. VALEROS
bdvaleros@transco.ph

MR. JOHN C. PLACENTE

jcplacente@transco.ph
MS. SHELYMAR F. AURIGE
sfaurige@transco.ph

MS. DIVINA I. CUSTODIO

dicustodio@transco.ph

ME TDSGA 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

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