The Status Quo of Research on high-voltage AC transmission
Lines in High-altitude Areas
Li Yuchao
School of Electrical Engineering
Wuhan University
Wu Han, China
ni124ght@163.com
Abstract—Along with the rapid economic development in recent
years, people's demands for electricity have also been increasing
very rapidly, which makes the power industry grow very fast,
however, there have also been new challenges for the safety of
the grid. Due to the complexity of China's topography, many
power transmission lines under construction and planning are
inevitable to pass through the high-altitude areas. Due to the
high altitude and low air pressure, a number of external
environmental factors are quite different from these of the
low-altitude areas, and all these factors have a great impact on
the power transmission lines, which will bring a lot of special
problems to the design and operation of the power transmission
lines. This paper describes the finite element method analysis
which is used to calculate the relevant parameters of power
transmission lines in high-altitude areas, as well as the status quo
of the research on high-voltage AC power transmission lines in
high-altitude areas. By analyzing the status quo of these studies
and combined with the actual terrain situations of high-altitude
areas, we can provide the construction of high-voltage AC power
transmission line in high-altitude areas with some valuable
references, thus to ensure the safe operation of such power
transmission lines.
Keywords- high-voltage AC power transmission lines; finite
element method; altitude correction factor
I. INTRODUCTION
Since the geographical and meteorological conditions of
high-altitude areas are quite different from these of low-
altitude areas, the insulation coordination parameters of low-
altitude areas can not be fully applied for power transmission
line design in high-altitude areas. Therefore, to directly apply
the insulation coordination parameters of high-altitude areas
has a great importance in safe and economic operation of such
power transmission lines.
Currently, there are two main means to obtain such
parameters, one is to directly carry out relevant tests in high-
altitude areas to obtain insulation coordination parameters in
high-altitude areas, currently, Yunnan Electric Power Test &
Research Institute has obtained the first batch of experimental
data needed for design of power transmission lines in
high-altitude areas; the other is to set up three-dimensional
electrostatic field model by virtue of the software like Ansys
and carry out stimulation and calculation on the computer by
virtue of finite element method, and then draw the relevant
parameters.
This paper describes the significance of using finite
978-1-4577-0547-2/12/$31.00 ©2012 IEEE
Zheng Jingwen
School of Electrical Engineering
Wuhan University
Wu Han,China
zhengjingwenayw@163.com
element method to calculate relevant parameters, as well as
the status quo of domestic and foreign researches on power
transmission lines in high-altitude areas.
II. RESEARCH ON HIGH-VOLTAGE AC TRANSMISSION
LINES IN HIGH-ALTITUDE AREAS
A. Research Background
At present, the voltage level of 500 kV has been widely
applied in many substations in China that we have
accumulated a wealth of design and manufacturing experience.
We have built 500 kV Caopu Substation at an altitude of
1,800m in Yunnan in 1991, 500 kV Zhaojue Substation at an
altitude of 2,100 m in Xichang, Sichuan Province in 1993, and
500 kV Qujing Substation at an altitude of 1,800mm in Yunan
in 2002. However, we still haven’t built any substation
which is located in a place at an altitude higher 3,000m, and
there are also some unreasonable situations in the established
substations in high-altitude areas, which still need to be
further improved. For example, for the insulator strings of
power transmission lines, the higher the altitude is, the smaller
the air density will be, therefore, the discharging voltage of
the insulator strings of power transmission lines and air gaps
will be reduced, which can not fully ensure the safe operation
of power transmission lines in high-altitude areas. In addition,
the interference of power transmission lines and substations
(or booster stations) on the communications, radio and
television has become obvious, the sources of the interference
are mainly divided into two types, corona discharge and gap
discharge. How to reduce the interference of these two
negative effects is also an important issue that we need to
explore. In addition, the insulation performances of
high-voltage power transmission lines in high-altitude areas
are still needed to be further studied. Since the geographical
and meteorological conditions of high-altitude areas are quite
different from these in low-altitude areas, the insulation
coordination parameters of low-altitude areas can not be fully
applied for power transmission line design in high-altitude
areas. Therefore, to directly apply the insulation coordination
parameters of high-altitude areas has a great importance in
safe and economic operation of such power transmission
lines.
B. Research Significance
The development and application of fittings for 500 kV
substations in high- altitude areas can effectively reduce
environmental pollution caused by the noise generated by
corona. Can reduce the damage caused by the electrical
energy losses to the equipments, reduce the interference of
discharge phenomena on external environment, and improve
the safety factors and stability performances of power
transmission line in high-altitude areas. Along with the rapid
development of 500 kV substations in high-altitude areas of
Northwest China, to develop supporting anti-corona fittings
and reduce the surface field strength of the fittings is of
practical significance, which can also provide adequate
practical experience for research and construction of high-
voltage substations in high-altitude areas.
C. Modeling
The following three-dimensional solid models can be
obtained by using the Solidworks software, the following Figure 3. Grading Ring Model (Track Type)
models are only a part of the results by using the software.
Figure 1 shows the insulator solid model, Figures 2 & 3 are
the grading ring models of different shapes, Figure 4 is the
assembly model for insulator strings, grading rings and pole
tower.
We can carry out calculation and stimulation by changing
the shapes, sizes and other parameters of the fittings. As
shown above, we have changed the shapes and other
parameters of grading rings to figure out the optimal
configuration, so as to provide valuable reference for the
design of power transmission lines in high-altitude areas.

Figure 4. Assembly model for insulator strings, grading rings

and pole tower

The establishment of Solidworks models is to facilitate the

Figure 1. Insulator Solid Model
Figure 2. Grading Ring Model (Round)
finite element method analysis and calculation by virtue of
Ansys software, to use Ansys to establish simplified
calculation model can draw the optimal configuration for
power transmission lines in high-altitude areas by virtue of
calculation.
D. The Advantages of Finite Element Method for Measuring
the Potential Distribution of Insulator Strings
For decades, people have proposed various ways to
measure the potential distribution of insulator strings (I.E.,
capacitance equivalent circuit method and charge simulation
method), however, there is still an inherent problem which
needs to be overcome during the measurement process, that is
to say, the distribution of measurement probes change the
electric field distribution of insulator strings, which brings a
certain amount of systematic errors, and a very long period is
needed for the test method, the costs are high and it is very
difficult to implement. In recent years, due to the substantial
improvement in the level of computer hardware and software,
finite element method has been widely applied to solve
electromagnetic field problems[1].
E. Research Trends
Currently, many in-depth researches have been carried out
on electric field optimization of fittings of high-voltage power
transmission lines in low-altitude areas, combined with high
altitude and abundant power resources in Western China and
other factors, to vigorously develop the power industry in
Western China is inevitable. Therefore, we should try to
vigorously engage in research on power transmission lines in
high-altitude areas, thus to explore more optimal and more
reasonable design parameters of fittings, reduce the surface
field strength of fittings, prevent the corona and reduce the
noise, reduce the environmental pollution caused by the
equipments and reduce energy losses.
III. DESIGN REQUIREMENTS OF HIGH-VOLTAGE AC POWER
TRANSMISSION LINES IN HIGH-ALTITUDE AREAS
A. Relevant Domestic Provisions
Yunnan Electric Power Test & Research Institute has
drawn the first batch of required experimental data for design
of power transmission lines in high-altitude areas by carrying
out impact tests for full-scale towers and other samples at the
high-altitude extra-high voltage outdoor testing ground in
Kuming, which has provided valuable reference for the design
and review of 500Kv power transmission lines in high-
altitude areas in the future[2].
China has formulated the relevant provisions for altitude
correction in GB/T 2317.2-2000: Corona and RIV Tests for
Electric Power Fittings and GB/T 775.2-2003:Test Methods
for Insulators-Part 2:Electrical Test Methods.
1) Method 1. GB /T 2317.2-2000 has proposed that the
testing voltage UH in high-altitude areas is equal to the testing
voltage U0 in low-altitude areas multiplied by the correction
factor, namely:
U H = K HU 0
kH = 1/(1.1 − 0.1H)
Where H is the altitude, and it is expressed in km. Since the
formula is used for the areas with an altitude higher than
1,000 m, the correction factor kH is > 1. It shows that the
testing voltage UH used for high-altitude areas shall be higher
than the testing voltage used for low-altitude areas.
2) Method 2. GB / T 775.2-2003 has proposed that the
altitude 0m is taken as the base for the visible corona test for
insulators. When the testing places are not at the sea level, the
test results shall be multiplied by the correction factor k
=1/(1− H/10 000).
Most of the existing altitude correction methods are based
on the experimental data of the areas with an altitude below
2,000m, and the correction curves are often formed on basis
of the data points of two areas. The altitude correction
methods proposed on basis of the above-mentioned data is
much more consistent with the actual conditions, which can
provide more valuable and practical reference for engineering
design [3].
According to test results of Xi'an Jiaotong University and
State Grid Electric Power Research Institute and relevant
altitude correction experiences at home and abroad, the
following results can be applied as altitude correction factors.
The margin of safety factor should be not less than 1.2 [4].
Table 1. Altitude Correction Factors
Altitude (km) 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
Correction Factors 1.05 1.11 1.17 1.24 1.31 1.38 1.46 1.54 1.63 1.72
B. Relevant International Provisions
The International Electrotechnical Commission has also
stipulated altitude correction factors for equipment insulation
in high-altitude areas. The relevant provisions in IEC 60694
are as follows:
In certain weather conditions, the reduction of external
insulation withstand level of electrical equipments in high-
altitude areas has exponential relationships with the altitude H.
Since only the equipments located in the place with an
altitude higher than 1,000m is needed to be corrected, the
altitude correction factor Ka for external insulation of
high-voltage equipments in high-altitude areas can be
expressed by the following formula:
Ka=exp[m (H-1000)/8150]
A large number of experimental results show that the more
uneven the distribution of electric field is, the greater the air
gap distance is, the smaller the impact of changes of air
density on impact discharge voltage is, therefore, the altitude
correction factor Ka will also be smaller. In order to solve the
differences of voltage type correction factors, the index m has
been introduced into the formula (2) to differentiate different
voltage types, thus to avoid equipment investment increase
caused by over-high external testing withstand voltage of the
equipments due to unreasonable selection of altitude
correction factor.
As stipulated by IEC 60694, the value of the index m is as
follows: for power frequency voltage, lightning impulse
voltage and inter-phase switching impulse voltage, m=1; for
vertical insulation operating impulse voltage, m = 0.9; for
phase-to-ground impulse voltage, m = 0.75. The insulation of
AC high-voltage equipments stipulated in IEC 60694 is of
significance in the design and operation of power
transmission lines in high-altitude areas [5].
V. CONCLUSIONS
This paper briefly describes the status quo of the research
on high-voltage AC transmission lines in high-altitude areas,
it first describes the research background, research
significance and research trends of high-voltage AC
transmission lines in high-altitude areas, and then briefly
introduces finite element method, a very popular and
important research method for the research.
Currently, all the countries in the world have carried out in-
depth researches on power transmission lines in high-altitude
areas. This paper describes relevant provisions of altitude
correction factor parameters in China and other countries and
lists several widely-used formulas, thus to provide valuable
reference for the design and construction of power
transmission lines in high-altitude areas.
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[2] Li Xiaojian, Zheng Zengtai, et al. Research on Insulation Coordination
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