INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE

EEN-206: Power Transmission and Distribution

Lecture - 12

Chapter 2: Overhead Transmission Lines

• Corona
What is Corona?

“Corona is a luminous discharge due to ionization of the air

surrounding an electrode, caused by a voltage gradient exceeding a
certain critical value (breakdown strength of air (gas)).”

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corona_discharge
Ionization and Breakdown Process

 The electrons gets accelerated in electric field. The

velocity of electron depends on the intensity of the electric
field.
 If the electric field strength exceeds certain critical value,
electrons gain sufficient velocity and energy to knock one
of the outer orbit electron from the one of the two atoms
of air molecule.
 This is called as ionization and the ion formed with the
missing electrons are called as positive ion.
 Both electrons then again gets accelerated in electric field
causing more ionizations and ultimately forms an electron
avalanche.
Non-Uniform Field

Conductor

𝜂=

It is in thousands

• Therefore in non-uniform field, some region of

dielectric experiences higher electric stress (potential
Ground gradient) than the critical value, while other region
electric stress is well below critical value.
Corona
HV V
• There are always free-electrons in the air due to ultraviolet
radiations from sun, cosmic rays from outer space,
radioactivity of earth, etc.

• The breakdown of a gas takes place when a self sustained

discharge or ionization process is set in.
GND
• This takes place when the electric field stress exceeds a certain
critical value.

• For air breakdown strength (at 250C and 760 mm Hg) is 30

kV/cm for DC and 30 kV/cm (peak) for AC.

• In the case of uniform field, this condition is satisfied at all the

points and there will be complete breakdown by forming an arc
between the electrodes.

• However, if the electric field is highly non-uniform the breakdown

condition may not be all over the gap.
 Corona Formation
• Thus, self sustained discharge condition will be valid only in the
strong field region giving rise to corona.

• This associated with a glow and a hissing (or frying sound) and
when it takes place in air and ozone, oxides of nitrogen and nitric
acid (in the presence of moisture) are formed.

• The corona manifests itself by visual corona, audible noise, radio

interference.

• The avalanches, being electrons in motion, actually constitute

electric current and produces electro-magnetic field in the vicinity.
Since they are sudden and short in duration induce high frequency
voltage pulses in nearby radio antenna.

• The positive conductor has more uniform bluish (or violet)

white glow near to conductor

• Negative polarity isolated reddish tufts or beads are formed.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corona_discharge
Why Corona is Important for transmission lines?

• Corona from conductors may cause audible noise and radio

interference.
• Audible noise from conductors may violate noise standards.
• Radio noise from conductors may interfere with radio, television,
and communications systems.
• Corona loss may be significant (during rainy season) when
compared with resistive loss of conductors.
• Corona can cause possible damage to polymeric insulators.
• Therefore, corona free lines needs to be designed which requires
an understanding of factors that affect corona.
Critical Disruptive Voltage
• The minimum potential difference required between the conductor to start ionization is
called critical disruptive voltage or corona inception voltage
a b Also D >> r for typical power transmission line
r P r
+q -q Ex 
q

q

q 1 1 
  
x 2 0 x 2 0  D  x  2 0  x  D  x  
D q  D 
Ex   
2 0  x  D  x  

Potential Difference between the conductor

 0 V
r
V    Ex   
r
q 1

1 

q D  r V
q D q
  ln ln  D
D r D r
2 0  x  D  x    0 r  0 r  ln 
 r

Ex 
V / 2   D 
 
 D   x  D  x  
 ln 
 r 
Critical Disruptive Voltage

Ex 
V / 2   D 

V'  D  V '
V
V '
V
    2 2
 D   x  D  x    D   x  D  x  
 ln   ln  a b
 r   r  r r
P
Maximum Gradient at conductor surface i.e. x=r +q -q
x
V'  D  V ' 1
Emax    Emax    D
 D   r  D  r    Dr 
 ln   ln 
 r   r 

 D
V '  r Emax  ln 
 r
When Emax reaches g0 (breakdown strength of air) air breaks down.
 For 250C and 760 mm Hg, and smooth cylindrical conductor
Vc  g 0 r ln  D r  g 0  30 kV/cm (Peak/DC) OR g 0 
30
 21.2 kV/cm (rms)
2
Critical Disruptive Voltage
 For 250C and 760 mm Hg, and smooth cylindrical conductor
 D
Vc  g 0  r ln  kV
 r 
30
g 0  30 kV/cm (Peak/DC) OR g0   21.2 kV/cm (rms)
2
 At any other weather conditions,
 D
Vc  g 0   r ln  kV
 r
where, δ is the relative air density or air density correction factor.
p 273  25 p
   0.392
273  t 760 273  t
Electric Field of Stranded Conductor

 Polished, solid, and cylindrical conductors with

smooth surface
 D
Vc  g 0   r ln  kV
 r 
Smooth Cylindrical

 Weathered, rough and stranded conductors

m0 is Surface irregularity factor (0< m0 <1)

 D
Vc  g 0 m0   r ln  kV
 r 
Stranded Broken Strands
Critical Disruptive Voltage
• The minimum potential difference required between the conductor to start ionization is
called critical disruptive voltage or corona inception voltage
P 273  25
 
760 273  T
P
 0.392
273  T
Critical Disruptive
 D
Voltage or Corona Vc  g 0 m0   r ln  kV
Inception Voltage  r 

g0  21.2 kV/cm (rms) OR 30 kV/cm (peak)

 m0 =1 for smooth, polished, solid and cylindrical conductors

 m0 = 0.93 ̶ 0.98 for weathered (rough surfaced), solid cylindrical conductors
 m0 = 0.87 ̶ 0.9 for weathered and stranded conductors (more than 7 strands)
 m0 = 0.80 ̶ 0.87 for weathered and stranded conductors (up to 7 strands)
Visual Critical Disruptive Voltage
• If the voltage is further increased at some point corona becomes visible. This voltage
is called as visual critical disruptive voltage or visual corona inception voltage.
• The voltage gradient (gv) for visual corona is given by [Peek]:

Visual critical disruptive  0.301   D

voltage or Visual Corona 
Vv  g 0 mv  1    r ln  kV
Inception Voltage  
r   r 


 mv = 1 for smooth, solid, cylindrical and polished conductor

 mv = 0.93-0.98 for solid, cylindrical and weathered conductor
 mv = 0.80-0.85 for general visual corona on stranded conductor
 mv = 0.70-0.75 for local visual corona on weathered stranded conductor
Corona Loss
 The ionized charges near the conductor surface take energy from the supply
system and thus there is loss of some energy due to corona.
 Peek’s Empirical relation for corona in fair whether condition
f  25 r
 p c
2
Pc  241  10 5  V  V kW/phase/km
 d

Where VP phase to neutral operating voltage in kV and f is frequency.

 For storm or foul whether condition voltage is 0.8 Vc

f  25 r
Vp  0.8Vc  kW/phase/km
5 2
Pc  24110 
 d
Atmospheric Factors
P 273  25 P
   0.392
760 273  T 273  T

 d
Vc  m0 g 0   r ln 
 r

f  25 r
 p c  kW/phase/km
2
Pc  241 105  V  V
 d

 Temperature: T    VC  PC 

 Pressure P    VC  PC 

 Dust, dirt Dust or Dirt  VC  PC 

 Rain, snow, fog Rain, Fog, Smoke, Snow  VC  PC  (0.8VC )

Electrical Factors Affecting Corona

p 273  25 p
   0.392
273  t 760 273  t
 d
Vc  m0 g 0   r ln 
 r

f  25 r
 p c  kW/phase/km
2
Pc  241 105  V  V
 d

 Frequency f  PC 

 Voltage Operating Voltage  E  PC 

Line Configuration Affecting Corona
 d
Vc  m0 g 0   r ln 
 r

f  25 r
 p c  kW/phase/km
2
Pc  241 105  V  V
 d

 Radius of conductor
 Conductor spacing
 Bundled conductor
 Number of conductors
 Spacing of conductor in bundle
 Surface conditions and number of strands
Effect on Corona

• Effect of radius of conductor

Effect of conductor
spacing
Effect on Corona

Effect of bundled
conductor

Effect of conductor surface Effect of stranded conductor

19
Prevention of Corona
 Modern transmission lines are designed in such a way that corona will
be small enough in a fair weather conditions.

 To prevent corona loss, critical disruptive voltage higher the phase

voltage.

o Increasing conductor spacing

o Use of bundled conductors Expanded ACSR

o Spacing between bundled conductor

o Elimination of sharp points

o Increasing radius of conductor (Expanded ACSR)

o Homogenous Insulators
ACCC (Aluminum
o Using Corona rings Conductor Composite Core)
Corona Ring
Merits and Demerits of Corona
 Demerits

o Corona loss

o Audible Noise, RI and TVI

o Interference with communication lines

o Damage insulators

 Merits

o Act as safety valve during lightning and switching surges. The waves gets dissipated as
corona loss.

o Other applications:

• Van de Graaff generator, Electrostatic precipitator, Electro printing, Electrostatic

deposition