Transmission Lines

EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT
A transmission line can be represented by an equivalent circuit.
An equivalent circuit of a transmission line can be developed by considering a two-conductor
line of uniform size.

A transmission line is described in terms of its Line Parameters, which are its
• Resistance per unit length R,
• Inductance per unit length L,
• Conductance per unit length G,
• Capacitance per unit length C.

The resistance and inductance parameters appear in series along the line.
The capacitance and conductance parameters appear in shunt between the two conductors.

It should be noted that

1. The line parameters R, L, G, and C are not discrete or lumped but distributed (not physically
separable) all along the line.
Since the wires are of uniform size, the parameters are uniformly distributed
along the entire length of the line.

1
2. G  ; R is the ac resistance per unit length of the conductors comprising the line and G
R
is the conductance per unit length due to the dielectric medium separating the conductors.

Reason of Consideration of
R, L, G and C Parameters

• Cause of R

DC Resistance & AC Resistance (due to Skin Effect) of Conductor

R = l / A → Resistance of a material
R = R / l =  / A → Resistance per unit length

Since the wires are of uniform size,

the resistance of the conducting material is uniformly distributed along their lengths.

Class Note by Santanu Das 1

 Transmission Lines

• Cause of L → a current flow in wire

Because of current flow in the wires, a magnetic field is created in and around the line.
If this current is time varying (a.c.), H changes with time and back emf (Faraday’s law) is
generated in the conductors (which are making a loop).
This emf opposes the current flowing through the wire.
This phenomenon gives rise to the effect of self-inductance.

Since the wires are of uniform size,

this inductance is also distributed uniformly along the entire length of the line.

Since this inductance impedes (opposes) the current flow,

it is effectively in series with the resistance.

• Cause of G & C → Presence of Shunt Admittance

Even though there is no physical connection between the two wires constituting the line,
the fact that the input and output currents are different, suggest the possibility of an
admittance between the wires.

This shunt admittance consists of a conductance and a capacitance in parallel.

C
The presence of capacitance is due to the fact that the line consists of two conductors
separated by dielectric and a voltage gradient exists between conductors.

G
Since the dielectric is not perfect (  0), a conduction current (Jc = E) will flow
between the wires. This leakage path is represented by a conductance between the wires.

Since wires are uniformly spaced & of uniform size, G & C parameters are also uniformly
distributed.

Note: The series impedance per unit line length is Z = R + jL

the shunt admittance per unit length is Y = G + jC

where, R = Resistance per unit length,

L = Inductance per unit length
G = Conductance per unit length
C = Shunt capacitance per unit length.

1
• Z is not equal to
Y
• all the parameters are expressed per unit length.

A circuit similar to this equivalent circuit gives the same performance (response) as that of a
transmission line.

Class Note by Santanu Das 2