Capacitance of Overhead Transmission Lines

Introduction
Transmission line conductors constitute a capacitor between them. The
conductors of the transmission line act as a parallel plate of the capacitor
and the air is just like a dielectric medium between them. The capacitance
of a line gives rise to the leading current between the conductors. It depends
on the length of the conductor. The capacitance of the line is proportional to
the length of the transmission line. Their effect is negligible on the
performance of short (having a length less than 80 km) and low voltage
transmission line. In the case of high voltage and long lines, it is considered
as one of the most important parameters.

Electric Potential:
Electric potential is defined as the amount of work needed to move a unit
charge from a reference point to a specific point against the electric field.
When an object is moved against the electric field, it gains some amount of
energy which is defined as the electric potential energy. The electric
potential of the charge is obtained by dividing the potential energy by the
quantity of charge.
Strength of the electric field depends on the electric potential. It is
independent of the fact of whether a charge should be placed in the electric
field or not. Electric potential is a scalar quantity. At point charge +q, there
is always the same potential at all points with a distance r. Let us learn
to derive an expression for the electric field at a point due to a system of n
point charges.
The electric potential of an object depends on these factors:

 Electric charge the object carries.

 The relative position with other electrically charged objects.

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Electric Potential Due to a Point Charge:
The electric potential at a point in an electric field is the amount of work
done moving a unit positive charge from infinity to that point along any
path when the electrostatic forces are applied. Suppose that a positive
charge is placed at a point. The charge placed at that point will exert a force
due to the presence of an electric field. The electric potential at any point at
a distance r from the positive charge +q is shown as:
q
V=
4πℰr

Where r is the position vector of the positive charge and q is the source
charge.
As the unit of electric potential is volt, 1 Volt (V) = 1 joule coulomb-1(JC-1)
When work is done in moving a charge of 1 coulomb from infinity to a
particular point due to an electric field against the electrostatic force, then it
is said to be 1 volt of the electrostatic potential at a point.

Electric Potential Due to Multiple Charges:

Learn to derive an expression for the electric field at a point due to a system
of n point charges. When there is a group of point charges say q1, q2,
q3,….qn is kept at a distance r1, r2, r3,……rn, we can get the electrostatic
potential at any particular point. We can find the electrostatic potential at

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any point due to each individual charge by considering the other charges
absent. We then add all the charges algebraically.
Hence, the electric potential at a point due to a group of point charges is the
algebraic sum of all the potentials due to individual charges.
It is given as.
π
1 qi
V= ∑
4πℰ ri
i=1

Capacitance of Two Wire Line:

Consider a Capacitance of Two Wire Line shown in Fig1 excited from a
single-phase source. The Capacitance of Two Wire Line develops equal
and opposite sinusoidal charges on the two conductors which can be
represented as phasors qa and qb so that qa = – qb.

Fig 1.0

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The potential difference Vab can be written in terms of the contributions
made by qa and qb by use of Eq. (1.1) with associated assumptions (i.e. D/r
is large and ground is far away). Thus,

1.1

1.2

Since

The line capacitance Cab is then

1.3a

or

1.3b

If ra = rb = r,

1.3c

The associated line charging current is

1.4

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As shown in Figs1.3 (a) and (b) the line-to-line capacitance can be
equivalently considered as two equal capacitances is series. The voltage
across the lines divides equally between the capacitances such that the
neutral point n is at the ground potential. The capacitance of each line to

1.5

neutral is then given by

The assumptions inherent in the above derivation are:

1. The charge on the surface of each conductor is assumed to be uniformly

distributed, but this is strictly not correct.
If non-uniformity of charge distribution is taken into account, then

1.6

If D/2r ≫ 1, the above expression reduces to that of Eq. (3.5) and the error
caused by the assumption of uniform charge distribution is negligible.
2. The cross-section of both the conductors is assumed to be circular, while
in actual practice stranded conductors are used. The use of the radius of the
circumscribing circle for a stranded conductor causes insignificant error.

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Capacitance of Three Phase Transmission Line with :

Unsymmetrical Spacing :
Consider a three-phase overhead transmission line with unsymmetrical
spacing between the conductors a, b, and c as shown in the figure below.

Let the voltages Va, Vb, and Vc are supplied to the conductors a, b, and c
resulting in the charges q1, q2, and q3 such that, q1 + q2 + q3 = 0 (assuming
balanced condition). Let x, y, and z be the spacing between the conductor a,
b, and c respectively and r be the radius of each conductor.
Since the conductors are spaced unsymmetrically, the value of voltage
from conductor to neutral is not the same for the three conductors. In order
to make these voltages equal, the lines are transposed. After that, the value
of any conductor to neutral becomes the same and it is given by the average
values of the voltage in each position the conductor takes during
transposition.
Now, concentrating on conductor 'a' and calculating the voltages in
three positions, it takes during the transposition, which is shown below.

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 When the conductor 'a' is in the position as shown in figure 1 above, the
voltage is given by,

 When the conductor 'a' is in the position as shown in figure 2 above, the
voltage is given by,

 When the conductor 'a' is in the position as shown in figure 3 above, the
voltage is given by,

Therefore, the average value of the voltage of the conductor 'a' is given by,

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At balanced condition q1 + q2 + q3 = 0. From this q2 + q3 = -q1. Now the
above equation can be modified as,

We know that the capacitance of conductor 'a' is given by,

The above equation gives the capacitance of conductor 'a'. In a similar

fashion, the capacitance of the conductors 'b' and 'c' can be formed. They
are given by,

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symmetrical three-phase line:
In symmetrical three-phase line, all the conductors are placed at the corners
of the equilateral triangle. Such an arrangement of conductors is also
referred to as equilateral spacing. It is shown in the diagram below

Let the spacing between the conductors be D and the radius of each conductor, r. The
flux linkages of conductor a is given by the equation:

In this case

For a three-wire system, the algebraic sum of the currents in the conductors is zero.

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So the flux equation becomes

The inductor of conductor, ‘a’ is

The inductance of conductors b and c will also be the same as that of a. The
inductance of the three-phase line is equal to the two-wire line.

Effect of Earth on Capacitance of Overhead Transmission

Lines | Electricity

n determination of capacitance of transmission lines, the presence of earth

is ignored. But it is not true; the presence of earth affects the electric field
of a line and so the capacitance. The effect of earth on capacitance can be
modelled by the method of images.

The electric field of too long, parallel conductors having charge +q and -q
per unit is such that it has a zero potential between the conductors, as
depicted in Fig. 1.7 If a conducting sheet of infinite dimensions is placed at
the zero potential planes, the electric field is not disturbed. Further, if the
conductor carrying charge -q is now removed, the electric field above the
conducting sheet stays intact, while that below it disappears.

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Fig 1.7
Using these well known facts in reverse, the presence of ground below a
charged conductor can be replaced by a fictitious conductor having equal
and opposite charge and located as far below the ground surface as the
overhead conductor above it—such a fictitious conductor is the mirror
image of the overhead conductor. This method of producing the same
electric field as in the presence of earth is called the method of images
originally suggested by Lord Kelvin.

Effect of Earth on the Capacitance of a Single Phase

Transmission Line:

onsidering the case of a single phase overhead line, assume conductors A’

and B’ as image conductors of conductors A and B respectively, as shown
in Fig. 1.8. Let the height of conductors be h metres above the earth and
charge of +q coulombs per metre length and -q coulombs per metre length
on the conductors A and B respectively.

Fig 1.8

The equation for the voltage drop VAB as determined by two charged
conductors A and B and their images A’ and B’ may be written as follows:

1.9

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ubstituting qA = q’B = + q and q’A = qB = -q we have,

Capacitance between conductors A and B,

1.10

The above expression for capacitance reveals that the presence of earth

modifies the radius of conductor r to The above expression for

capacitance reveals that the presence of earth modifies the radius of

conductor r to and for all practical purposes the effect of earth

on line capacitance can be neglected.

Effect of Earth on the Capacitance of a Three Phase Line:

Figure 1.11 shows the conductors of a 3-phase line along with image
conductors. The line is assumed to be transposed and in the first part
of the transposition cycle conductor A is in position 1, B is in position 2
and C is in position 3. Let the charges on line conductors be qA, qB and
qC while those on image conductors be –qA, –qB and –qC respectively,
as shown in the figure.

Fig 1.11
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The equation for the three sections of transposition cycle can be written for
the voltage drop VAB as determined by three charged conductors and their
images. With conductor in position 1, B in position 2 and C in position 3,
we have,

1.12

Similarly, equations for VAR can be written for the second and third
sections of the transposition cycle. If the fairly accurate assumption of
constant charge per unit length of the conductor throughout the
transmission cycle is made, the average value of three sections of the cycle
is given by,
1.13

The equation for the average value of the voltage VAC can be determined in
the same way. Using VAB + VAC = 3VAN and qA + qB + qC = 0, we
ultimately have the following expression for the capacitance to neutral,

1.14

A comparison of above equation with Eq. (1.15) reveals that the

presence of earth increases the line capacitance by a small amount.
However, the effect is very-very small because the heights of
conductors are large as compared to the distance between them.
1.15

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Capacitance of 3Ph Line with more than One Circuit:

Consider the arrangement of conductors shown in the Fig. 1.16

Fig 1.16

The voltage between phases a and b is given by,

We have, Vab + Vac = 3 Van

qa + qb + qc = 0
.
.. qb + qc = - q a

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Capacitance per phase will be nothing but 2 Can

Capacitance of a Three Phase Double Circuit Line with Unsymmetrical

Spacing (Transposed):
Consider the arrangement of conductors shown in the Fig. 1.17. It consists
of three phase double circuit. The radius of each conductor r.

Fig1.17

The voltage between phases a and b can be calculated in order to

calculate capacitance.
One complete cycle of transposition is shown in the Fig. 1.17

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 Similarly,

We have, Vab + Vac = 3 Van

Also, qa + qb + qc = 0

The capacitance per phase will be 2 Can .

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