BEEE304L

Power Systems
Engineering

Module – 04: Performance of Transmission Line

Lecture – 04: Ferranti-effect, Surge Impedance Loading
Dr. ARUN S L
Assistant Professor,
Dept. of Electrical Engineering, SELECT
VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India, 632014
 Ferranti-effect

When a long line is operating under no load or light load condition, the receiving end voltage is greater than the
sending end voltage. This is known as Ferranti-effect.

❖ A simple explanation of Ferranti-effect can be given by approximating the distributed parameters of the line
by lumped impedance as shown in figure

❖ Since usually the capacitive reactance of the line is quite large as compared to the inductive reactance,
under no load or lightly loaded condition the line current is of leading p.f. The phasor diagram is given for this
operating condition.

Dr. Arun S L, Asst. Prof., SELECT, VIT BEEE304L - Power Systems Engineering 2
 Ferranti-effect

❖ The charging current produces drop in the reactance of the line which is in phase opposition to the
receiving end voltage and hence the sending end voltage becomes smaller than the receiving end
voltage.
❖ Yet another way of explaining the Ferranti-effect is based on the net reactive power flow on the line. It is
known that if the reactive power generated at a point is more than the reactive power absorbed, the
voltage at that point becomes higher than the normal value and vice versa.
❖ The inductive reactance of the line is a sink for the reactive power whereas the shunt capacitances
generate reactive power.
❖ In fact, if the line loading corresponds to the surge impedance loading, the voltage is same everywhere as
the reactive power absorbed then equals the reactive power generated by the line.
❖ The SIL, therefore, gives definite meaning to the terms lightly loaded or fully loaded lines.
❖ If the loading is less than SIL, the reactive power generated is more than absorbed, therefore, the
receiving end voltage is greater than the sending end voltage.
❖ This explains, therefore, the phenomenon due to Ferranti-effect.

Dr. Arun S L, Asst. Prof., SELECT, VIT BEEE304L - Power Systems Engineering 3
 Surge Impedance Loading
❖ The surge impedance loading or SIL of a transmission line is the MW loading of a transmission line at which
a natural reactive power balance occurs.
❖ Transmission lines produce reactive power (MVAr) due to their natural capacitance. The amount of MVAr
produced is dependent on the transmission line's capacitive reactance (XC) and the voltage (V) at which the
line is energized. In equation form the MVAr produced is:
𝑉2
MVAr Produced =
𝑋𝐶
❖ Transmission lines also utilize reactive power to support their magnetic fields. The magnetic field strength is
dependent on the magnitude of the current flow in the line and the line's natural inductive reactance (XL). It
follows then that the amount of MVAr used by a transmission line is a function of the current flow and
inductive reactance. In equation form the MVAr used by a transmission line is:
MVAr Used = 𝐼 2 𝑋𝐿
❖ A transmission line's surge impedance loading or SIL is simply the MW loading (at a unity power factor) at
which the line’s MVAr usage is equal to the line’s MVAR production. In equation form we can state that the
SIL occurs when: 𝑽𝟐 𝑽𝟐
𝟐
𝑰 𝑿𝑳 = 𝑿 𝑳 𝑿𝑪 = 𝟐
𝑿𝑪 𝑰

Dr. Arun S L, Asst. Prof., SELECT, VIT BEEE304L - Power Systems Engineering 4
 Surge Impedance Loading

𝑽 𝝎𝑳 𝑳
= =
𝑰 𝝎𝑪 𝑪
𝑳
❖ The term in the above equation is by definition the "surge impedance.
𝑪

❖ The theoretical significance of the surge impedance is that if a purely resistive load that is equal to the
surge impedance were connected to the end of a transmission line with no resistance, a voltage surge
introduced to the sending end of the line would be absorbed completely at the receiving end.
❖ The voltage at the receiving end would have the same magnitude as the sending end voltage and
would have a phase angle that is lagging with respect to the sending end by an amount equal to the
time required to travel across the line from sending to receiving end.
❖ The concept of a surge impedance is more readily applied to telecommunication systems than to power
systems. However, we can extend the concept to the power transferred across a transmission line. The
surge impedance loading or SIL (in MW) is equal to the voltage squared (in kV) divided by the surge
impedance (in ohms). In equation form:
𝑽𝟐𝑳−𝑳 (𝑰𝒏 𝒌𝑽)
𝑺𝑰𝑳 𝒊𝒏 𝑴𝑾 =
𝑺𝒖𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆
Dr. Arun S L, Asst. Prof., SELECT, VIT BEEE304L - Power Systems Engineering 5
 Surge Impedance Loading

❖ Note in this formula that the SIL is dependent only on the

kV the line is energized at and the line's surge
impedance.
❖ The line length is not a factor in the SIL or surge
impedance calculations. Therefore, the SIL is not a
measure of a transmission line's power transfer
capability as it does not consider the line's length, nor
does it consider the strength of the local power system.
❖ The value of the SIL to a system operator is realizing
that when a line is loaded above its SIL it acts like a
shunt reactor - absorbing MVAr from the system - and
when a line is loaded below its SIL it acts like a shunt
capacitor - supplying MVAr to the system.
❖ A graphic illustration of the concept of SIL is shown in
figure.

Dr. Arun S L, Asst. Prof., SELECT, VIT BEEE304L - Power Systems Engineering 6