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Corona Effect & Discharge in


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A Full Guide about Corona Effect / Corona Discharge in


Transmission Lines

Table of Contents 

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1. What is Corona Effect or Corona Discharge?


2. What is the Difference between Corona effect and Skin Effect.
2.1. Corona Effect / Discharge:
2.2. Skin Effect:
3. Theory of Corona Formation
4. Mathematical Modelling of Corona Effect
5. Important terms related to Corona
5.1. Critical disruptive voltage
5.2. Visual critical voltage
6. Factors & condition effecting Corona
6.1. Atmosphere
6.2. Conductor size
6.3. Spacing between conductors
6.4. Line voltage
7. Power Loss due to Corona
8. Methods of reducing corona effect
8.1. By increasing conductor size
8.2. By increasing conductor spacing.
9. Solved Examples of Corona Calculations
10. Advantages and Disadvantages of Corona Effect

What is Corona Effect or Corona Discharge?


When an alternating potential difference is applied across two
conductors whose spacing is large as compared to their diameters,
there is no apparent change in the condition of atmospheric air
surrounding the wires if the applied voltage is low.

However, when the applied voltage exceeds a certain value, called


critical disruptive voltage, the conductors are surrounded by a faint
violet glow called corona.

The phenomenon of corona is accompanied by a hissing sound,


production of ozone, power loss and radio interference.

The higher the voltage is raised, the larger and higher the luminous
envelope becomes, and greater are the sound, the power loss and
the radio noise. If the applied voltage is increased to breakdown
value, a flash-over will occur between the conductors due to the
breakdown of air insulation.
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Corona effect or corona discharge in transmission lines and power


system may be defined as:


The phenomenon of violet glow, hissing noise and
production of ozone gas in an overhead
transmission line is known as corona.

If the conductors are polished and smooth, the corona glow will be
uniform throughout the length of the conductors, otherwise the rough
points will appear brighter. With d.c. voltage, there is difference in the
appearance of the two wires. The positive wire has uniform glow
about it, while the negative conductor has spotty glow.

You may also read: Design of Grounding / Earthing System in a


Substation Grid

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What is the Difference between Corona effect and Skin


Effect.
Difference between Corona and skin effect as follows.

Corona Effect / Discharge:


As described above, corona is an effect of violet glow, hissing noise
and production of ozone gas in an overhead transmission line is
known as corona which leads to hissing sound, production of ozone,
power loss and radio interference in power system.

Skin Effect:
Skin effect is a behavior or tendency of alternating current to flow
through the surface (outer layer) of a conductor instead of the core of
the wire in power system transmission lines.

In this scenario, the current density is lager near the surface of the
wire or conductor and decreases with greater depths in the conductor
which leads to increase in resistance of the conductor, thus increase
the overall power loss in the power system (generally transmission
lines).

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Theory of Corona Formation


Some ionization is always present in air due to cosmic rays, ultra-
violet radiations and radioactivity. Therefore, under normal
conditions, the air around the conductors contains some ionized
particles (i.e., free electrons and +ve ions) and neutral molecules.

Corona Formation. Corona discharge on insulator string of a 500 kV


overhead power line. Corona discharges represent a significant
power loss for electric utilities.

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When p.d.is applied between the conductors, potential gradient is set


up in the air which will have maximum value at the conductor
surfaces. Under the influence of potential gradient, the existing free
electrons acquire greater velocities.The greater the applied voltage,
the greater the potential gradient and more is the velocity of free
electrons.

When the potential gradient at the conductor surface reaches about


30 kV per cm (max. value), the velocity acquired by the free electrons
is sufficient to strike a neutral molecule with enough force to dislodge
one or more electrons from it.

This produces another ion and one or more free electrons, which is
turn are accelerated until they collide with other neutral molecules,
thus producing other ions. Thus, the process of ionization is
cumulative. The result of this ionization is that either corona is
formed or spark takes place between the conductors.

Introduction to Harmonics – Effect of Harmonics on Power


System

Mathematical Modelling of Corona Effect


Corona effect or corona discharge is a phenomenon that results
from a partial discharge in the air (or in any fluid) caused by the
ionization of the environment when an electrical current flows in a
conductor and when the electric field gradient[1] is strong enough to
ionize the environment, but it is not strong enough to cause
dielectric breakdown[2] or arcing between the conductors.

This phenomenon that is characterized by a glow (mostly with a color


in blue/violet spectrum), mainly happens in overhead lines, close to
the suspension and strain insulators, when the distance between
conductors is much greater than the diameters of the conductors.

Generally for parallel conductors in the air there is corona effect


when.

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D/r < 5.85

Where:

r is the radius of the conductors


D is the distance between the conductors

When studying corona effect it is important to evaluate the minimum


value of the voltage between phases or between one phase and
the neutral (or the ground) for which the corona effect takes place.

This voltage is named Critical Disruptive Voltage. If r [cm] is the


radius of the conductor, d [cm] is the distance between the conductor
and the neutral (or the ground) and U [V] is the gradient of the electric
field E (mathematical notation: grad E), the critical disruptive voltage
that we will designated as G, is calculated by the equation:

G = (U / (r x ln (d/r)) [V/m]

Where ln represents the natural logarithm.

To corona effect takes place it is necessary that G will be equal or


greater than the disruption voltage of the air, that at atmospheric
pressure (1.01325×105 Pa = 1 atm = 760 mmHg[3]) and at a
temperature of 25 ºC is equal to 30 kV/cm – considering the
maximum value of U – or 21.2 kV/cm – considering the rms[4] value
of U.

Designating by G0 the value of grad E that obeys to the above


condition the critical value of the disruption voltage (Uc) is
calculated by the equation:

Uc = G0 x r x ln (d/r) [kV/phase]

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For different conditions of temperature and of atmospheric


pressure, the density of the air is also different; it is possible to
express that variation by a factor δ that for a given pressure P [Pa]
and temperature θ [ºC] is calculated by the equation:

δ = (3.92 x 1.01325×105 x P) / ((273 + θ) x 760)

Being G’0 the value of grad E corresponding to the new


atmospheric conditions, its value is calculated by the equation:

G’0 = δ x G0

Hence, the critical value of the disruption voltage (U’c) is calculated


by the equation:

U’c = G0 x r x δ x ln (d/r) [kV/phase]

Taking into account the irregularity of the conductor surface and


expressing that irregularity as a factor m0, the value of U’c is then:

U’c = m0 x G0 x r x δ x ln (d/r) [kV/phase]

Common values of m0 are:

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Polished conductors: m0 = 1
Dirty conductors: m0 = 0.92-0.98
Stranded conductors: m0 = 0.8-0.87

Another value used to characterize the corona effect is the Visual


Critical Voltage, represented by Uv, that is the minimum voltage
between one phase and the neutral (or the ground) for which the
corona effect takes place all along the conductor. That voltage is
calculated by the following empirical equation:

Uv = mv x G0 x δ x 3 x (1 + (0.3 / √(δ x r)) x ln (d/r) [kV/phase]

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Factor mv is also a “measure” of the irregularity of the conductor,


assuming the following values.

Polished conductors: mv = 1
Rough conductors: mv = 0.72-0.82

Another value that must be calculated when studying the corona


effect is the losses caused by this effect; considering the rms value
of Uc and being U the rms rated voltage of the network, both in kV,
and f [Hz] the rated network frequency, losses by corona effect (Pco)
are calculated by the equation:

Pco = 242.2 x ((f + 25) / δ) x √(r/d) x (U(exp)2 – Uc2) x 10-5


[kW/km/phase]

Short Circuit Currents And Symmetrical Components

Important terms related to Corona


The phenomenon of corona plays an important role in the design of
an overhead transmission line. Therefore, it is profitable to consider
the following terms much used in the analysis of corona effects:

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Critical disruptive voltage


It is the minimum phase-neutral voltage at which corona occurs.
Consider two conductors of radius r (cm) and spaced d (cm) apart. If
V is the phase-neutral potential, then potential gradient at the
conductor surface is given by:

g =[V/ r loge (d/r)] volts / cm


In order that corona is formed, the value of g must be made equal to
the breakdown strength of air. The breakdown strength of air at 76
cm pressure and temperature of 25ºC is 30 kV/cm (max) or 21·2
kV/cm (r.m.s.) and is denoted by go.

If VC is the phase-neutral potential required under these conditions,


then,

go =[Vc/ r loge (d/r)] volts / cm


where go = breakdown strength of air at 76 cm of mercury and 25ºC
= 30 kV/cm (max) or 21·2 kV/cm (r.m.s.)

∴ Critical disruptive voltage, Vc = go r loge d/r

The above expression for disruptive voltage is under standard


conditions i.e., at 76 cm of Hg and 25ºC. However, if these conditions
vary, the air density also changes, thus altering the value of go.

The value of go is directly proportional to air density. Thus the


breakdown strength of air at a barometric pressure of b (cm) of
mercury and temperature of tºC becomes δ go where

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δ = air density factor = 3.92b / 273 + t

Under standard conditions, the value of δ = 1.

∴ Critical disruptive voltage ,V c = go δ r loge d/r

Correction must also be made for the surface condition of the


conductor. This is accounted for by multiplying the above expression
by irregularity factor mo.

∴ Critical disruptive voltage, Vc = mo go δ r loge d/r …. kV/phase

where,
mo = 1 for polished conductors
= 0·98 to 0·92 for dirty conductors
= 0·87 to 0·8 for stranded conductors

Visual critical voltage


It is the minimum phase-neutral voltage at which corona glow
appears all along the line conductors.

It has been seen that in case of parallel conductors, the corona glow
does not begin at the disruptive voltage Vc but at a higher voltage Vv ,
called visual critical voltage.

The phase-neutral effective value of visual critical voltage is given by


the following empirical formula :
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where mv is another irregularity factor having a value of 1·0 for


polished conductors and 0·72 to 0·82 for rough conductors.

Typical AC Power Supply system (Generation, Transmission


and Distribution)

Factors & condition effecting Corona


The phenomenon of corona is affected by the physical state of the
atmosphere as well as by the conditions of the line. The following are
the factors upon which corona depends :

Atmosphere
As corona is formed due to ionization of air surrounding the
conductors, there-fore, it is affected by the physical state of
atmosphere. In the stormy weather, the number of ions is more than
normal and as such corona occurs at much less voltage as compared
with fair weather.

Conductor size
The corona effect depends upon the shape and conditions of the
conductors. The rough and irregular surface will give rise to more
corona because unevenness of the surface decreases the value of
breakdown voltage. Thus a stranded conductor has irregular surface
and hence gives rise to more corona that a solid conductor.

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Spacing between conductors

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If the spacing between the conductors is made very large as


compared to their diameters, there may not be any corona effect. It
is because larger distance between conductors reduces the
electrostatic stresses at the conductor surface, thus avoiding corona
formation.

Line voltage
The line voltage greatly affects corona. If it is low, there is no change
in the condition of air surrounding the conductors and hence no
corona is formed. However, if the line voltage has such a value that
electrostatic stresses developed at the conductor surface make the
air around the conductor conducting, then corona is formed.

Factors and condition effecting Corona. Corona


discharge from a Wartenberg pinwheel in air
caused by applying a high voltage, ~30kV.

Power Distribution in Industries – All You Need to Know

Power Loss due to Corona


Formation of corona is always accompanied by energy loss which
is dissipated in the form of light, heat, sound and chemical action.
When disruptive voltage is exceeded, the power loss due to corona is
given by:

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Methods of reducing corona effect


It has been seen that intense corona effects are observed at a
working voltage of 33 kV or above. Therefore, careful design should
be made to avoid corona on the sub-stations or bus-bars rated for
33kV and higher voltages otherwise highly ionized air may cause
flash-over in the insulators or between the phases, causing
considerable damage to the equipment.

The corona effects can be reduced by the following methods:

By increasing conductor size


By increasing conductor size, the voltage at which corona occurs is
raised and hence corona effects are considerably reduced. This is
one of the reasons that ACSR conductors which have a larger
cross-sectional area are used in transmission lines.

By increasing conductor spacing.


By increasing the spacing between conductors, the voltage at which
corona occurs is raised and hence corona effects can be eliminated.
However, spacing cannot be increased too much otherwise the cost
of supporting structure (e.g., bigger cross arms and supports) may
increase to a considerable extent.

Why Power Transmission Lines are Loose on Electric Poles &


Transmission Towers?

Solved Examples of Corona Calculations

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Corona Effect


Corona effects on communication lines. Corona has many
advantages and disadvantages. In the correct design of a high
voltage overhead line, a balance should be struck between the
advantages and disadvantages. Below are the Advantages and
disadvantages of Corona.

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Advantages

Due to corona formation, the air surrounding the conductor


becomes conducting and hence virtual diameter of the
conductor is increased. The increased diameter reduces the
electrostatic stresses between the conductors.

Corona reduces the effects of transients produced by surges.

Disadvantages

Corona is accompanied by a loss of energy. This affects the


transmission efficiency of the line.
Ozone is produced by corona and may cause corrosion of the
conductor due to chemical action.
The current drawn by the line due to corona is non-sinusoidal
and hence non-sinusoidal Voltage drop occurs in the line. This
may cause inductive interference with neighboring
Communication lines.

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Good to know:

[1]
Gradient
Gradient is a differential operator that when applied to a
scalar field F defines the vector in which direction is achieved
the greatest rate of increase of that field.

[2]Dielectric
Dielectric breakdown of an insulating material happens
when the value of the electric field applied to that material is too
high, causing the material to become conductive. In the air this
breakdown happens when the value of the electric field is ≈
3×106 V/m. In this case a disruption takes place.

[3] Between brackets are indicated pressure units: Pa – Pascal;


atm – atmosphere; mmHg – millimeter of mercury.

[4]rms: root mean square, a measure of the magnitude of a


varying quantity.

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