Corona Energy Loss

Influence of Surface Conditions as Affecting Corona Energy Loss

From High-Voltage Transmission Lines
BY WM. D. WEIDLEIN*
Associate, A. I. E E.

Synopsis.-Coatings of various materials, lacquers, oils, oxides ments of corona energy losses above and below critical corona
or paints were applied to conductors of number 2 B & S gage 257.3 voltages were made by means of a wattmeter setting and water
mils diameter, solid aluminum or copper conductors. Measure- resistor multiplier.

INTRODUCTION at the center of wire was less than 2 in. in all cases.
D URING the spring of 1930, corona loss measure- Clearance in all other directions was greater than 15 ft.
ments on a 220-kv., 60-cycle, three-phase experi- As to diameters of speci,mens, when coated, increase in
mental line, 700 ft. in length and of various sizes size by 0.001 in. was the maximum, which would pro-
(0.91 in. to 1 in. in diameter) and types of conductors duce but very little variation of corona losses.
were made at the Ryan Laboratory, Stanford Uni- Insulator loss on the out end is included in all results
versity. In connection with these measurements some but is of negligible amount; and for comparison of
of the test specimens were cleaned with gasoline and results this insulator loss does not enter, being present
then washed, resulting in at least a temporary reduction in all tests. Insulator loss of wattmeter end of speci-
of corona loss. The question of a permanent reduction men is completely shielded from wattmeter reading.
of corona loss and of the influence of surface conditions
presented itself. s.oeI I
The following report is on research as suggested by
160 t
VITl
-
NO. I-A AS RECEIVED FROM MANUFACTURER.
SCREEN CAGE. _ PROTECTIVE ..-SUPPORT INSULATOR a SOAP
_
NO.2-A AFTER WASHING WITH GASOLINE,
WATER, AND WATER.
-
--- 1
GAPS
21ooQ - - 50FT 01N.0140 NO.3-A THIN FILM TRANSFORMER OIL APPLIEDe;
|.ATTMtET R ~~SHIELD,
III
I SHE'"
=f
SHIELH -l
NO.4-B LACQUER WITH LINSEED OIL AND
d CARBON FILM.
r*TEST CONDUCTOR NO.5-C CLEAR LACQUER FILM. /
X
350 KV. ~ NO.2 B&S GAGE-8FT.61N.TO
t k,!} c 120
DEC. 18, 1930.
FORAFOME ER COIL
COLSILE A LL OTHER DIRECTIONS 0
3B TEMP. 58DEG.FAHR.
PER CENT/
)VOLTMETER L TE IETOSzHUMIDITY
RESISTOR WATER = BAROMETER 30-14 IN.Hg. / /

6IL 80 -a
-TFRESH-- 4---
WTMETR
FONIATING
WATER P UM6P PUM PLY 7'
_ FLOW OF PRESSURE GAGE BREATHER - - -
/ -

MAIN PMP MIXING- -

VALVE
FIG. 1-DIAGRAM OF COMPLETE SET UP OF TESTING 20| 1
EQUIPMENT
60 65 70 75 80 85 90
this precise work which was undertaken to determine R. m. S
KILOVOLT S

what variation of corona loss results under various FIG. 2-TESTS ON COPPER SPECIMENS
conditions of the surface of a conductor.
EQUIPMENT All tests were made within the laboratory and under
The complete set of the test specimens and of the as near similar conditions of temperature, humidity,
wattmeter setting as diagramatically shown in Fig. 1 and barometric pressure as possible. Variation of
is sir t -up of a g s t e is s o -these factorsbeduring
that would tests would
appreciable. All in
results werecause
no case errors
plotted as
ing the tests as noted in the introduction.
~ cosse,f5-t.lntso
The~~~~tes
spcie o read, no corrections being made for such variations.
The extreme range of barometric variation was 0.16
B & S gage solid copper or aluminum conductors, i.n Hg
supported with 8 ft. 6 in. clearance to ground. The sag *
*Engineer, Black & Veatch, Kansas City, Mo.
_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TESTS
Presented at the South West District Meeting, Kansas City, Mo., The procedure followed in applying voltage was to
Oct. 22-24, 1931. build up the voltage to 100 kv., reading the loss at this
154
31-139

Authorized licensed use limited to: Tallinn University of Technology. Downloaded on April 08,2021 at 12:05:01 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
March 1932 WEIDLEIN: CORONA ENERGY LOSS 155

point and then at iower values of potential, with 5-kv. ductor as received from the manufacturer is no doubt
or 2.5-kv. intervals, depending upon the rate of change due to residue left from "pickling" process or from draw-
in loss. ing during manufacturing.
The accompanying illustrations are presented as A comparison of losses from aluminum and copper
____________________
18 _ NO.8-G ALUMINUM AFTREWCEIVEDFROM MFG. W
conductors
In Fig. 4isthe firstinrun
shown 3. a-D was of a conductor
Fig.No.

160 NO.5-A COPPER CLEANED WITH GASOLINE

ANDPE RUBBNED.WT ASLN RBi
A
coated with a thick film of linseed oil brushed on and
dried. This wire was then cleaned and a cloth soaked
NO.4-A COPPER WEATHERED INSIDE
DEC.18!H-.
FROM
/wtoiwa one tewr. cm
-140 NO. -A COPPER
(TEST AS RECEIVED FROM / MFGR. with linseed oil was wiped once along the wire. A com-
v NO.1-A,N0.4-A
DEl8 ,Ol- t mplete film was not formed, accounting for the weathering
)
0I20 HEMP 5TY8 ANDF38 PER CENT /)'
D
/| and higher losses after drying. Curve 3-D gives the
NO.7-G,N.8-GETER 3014 INHg loss after wiping a second film onto the wire, resulting
H TEMP.SSDEG.FAHR.
~I0HUMIDITY
BAROMETER30.14INHg.54 PER CENT i//2/
// /
in a decrease of losses near 75 kv. applied. Apparently
there may be some justification for the act that with
t 80 A9I3 complete covering with a thin film ionizing velocities
- .-y 0_A of electrons cannot be attained within the film, having
<- 4, mhx insufficient
,60 _A / t/ ionizing potential fall; then space charge
i
20 -.
IA-A< .60
7- 3

863- NO.3-F BAKELITE VARNISH FILM.JAN.I,1931.

8 G/ NO.I -E CLEAR LACQUER ON CU. JAN. 9,
_-o f- > o
;/ 7tBARIUM
1931. , _ OXIDE SMOOTHED / /

60 65 70 75
OEE60 85 90
._o01140 WITH EMERY PAPER, RUBBED.
TEMP. 58 DEG. FAHR. /'
,
/
,,
KILOVOLTS HUMIDITY 50 PER CENT f
,R. M. S. Co BAROMETER 30.14 IN. Hg. //
'~120 NO.1-2E,NO.I-E JAN.6,1931. 7 /
FIG. 3-COMPARISON OF ALUMINUM AND COPPER LOSSES TEMP. 58 DEG. fAHR.
HUMIDITY 38 PER CENT. /
o 100 BAROMETER 30.14 IN. Hg.SF 9
showing the variation of loss with change in corona HN0 . A FILMM-ERCUY.H
CLEANED
NO. 6-A WITH ,
/
surface structure of conductor or applicationof thin films. GA
80L JAN.I6,I9.3 i
Results of tests on copper specimens are given in X H BAROMETER
cr

0-
TEMP. 60 DEG.FAHR.
IN.H //. /
PER CENT
HUMIDITY 5830.20
Fig. 2. The shape and shift of the curves between 60- - - - j- - -
Z
X t (;
16018)- f -f - 040L00
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-40-
6 _

I 0
,611111
~ i ~ iLI .
~

NO.a-D LINSEED OIL FILM,DEC. 181930

NO.I-D ATTEMPT TO CLEAN OFF FILM
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ --0~

1/1 20 |/ I
/
A -I- -
.I
/1
--
- - 4. - -.
o ~~~~WITH SOLVENT, TURPENTINE, . - - - - -9
_|
140 RUBBED,DEC.29,1930. 1 . -
NO.2-D
VERY THIN FILM LINSEED OIL
FOR 8 DAYS.-WITH
WIPED ON
CLOTH. DRIED
JAN. 6,1931. KILOVOLTS60 65 7065 90
R . m. s.
C, 120 NO. 3-D 2ND THIN FILM LINSEED OIL
CS IFI WIPEDON RUN JAN.9 17/ FIG. 5-ILLUSTRATING THE EFFECT OF VARIOUS THIN FILMS

-J | / ]Iincreases to a point where leakage resistance of the space

0801 BC - - - I I,
I.. I2 Icharge starts to decrease, permitting of greater potential
- -- - l/1/
7 fall throughout the adjacent air causing a sharper rise
|
260C incoronaloss.
The curves in Fig. 5 illustrate the effect of various
_ | 1/l//4 -|
-40
- -4 - I - thin coatings of materials. The same type of film was
-4 , X applied to copper and aluminum as shown in Fig. 6.
20| a-D. 2-D-D - In Fig. 7 copper and aluminum conductors, previously
0zlit;Jiiit I 1- | cleaned and then suspended open to weather, show
75 60
60 65 70 KILOVOLTS 85 90 equal losses over the range tested.
Curve of Fig. of a on a conductor
FIG. 4-ILLUSTRATING THE EFFECT OF THICK :FILM OF L.INSEED
R.~~ ~ ~ ~caeM.t3-Fa cae ihasot
ot isurtaestf
ufc fcpe
copperoxdfrmdb
omdb xd
OIL heating. With corona forming around this wire at
21 kv., there were no steamers formed over the range of
values of 72.5 to 80 kv. should be noted. Joffe's theory voltage tested up to 150 kv., r. m. s. The corona
that the resistance of a polarized layer decreases when formation appears similar to that forming around a
the e. m. f., produced by polarization due to space small wire. With this type of discharge there was very
charge exceeds 2,000 volts, is a very plausible explana- little if any ozone smell detected, which was a decided
tion of this action. The high loss from copper con- contrast to adischarge with steamers.

Authorized licensed use limited to: Tallinn University of Technology. Downloaded on April 08,2021 at 12:05:01 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
156 WEIDLEIN: CORONA ENERGY LOSS Transactions A. I. E. E.

Curves 1-N, 2-N and 3-N show the losses from a film may be the polished surface of a metal itself, or the
conductor heated in acetylene gas. On removal from formation of a film by materials that flow readily and
the gas a granular deposit of carbon covered the con- solidify with a glaze or a crystalline surface.
ductor, and the losses were as plotted curve 1-N. With Corona losses from copper and aluminum conductors
are of equal value after weathering, providing any
180 n~ 1 j j.r | |detrimental effects remaining from drawing have been
160 60 v-T i- _ bL. eliminated.
NO.8-B COPPER WITH _
CARBON -LACQUER
NO.4-J ALUMINUM WITH CARBON LACQUER FILM.-
Favorable results in the reduction of corona loss are
£ 140
JAN. 16,1931
TEMR 60 DEG. FAHR.
/!' illustrated by the shape and shift in position of the
oe HUMIDITY 58 PER CENT
~~~~BAROMETER 30.20 IN.Hg.9,-
curves in several cases. Deviation of the curves to
120
co
NO.5-B CU.CARBON,LACQUER,WEATHERED
OUTSIDE FROM JAN. 16T-H
the right from a straight line from high to low values of
oz AL.CARBONLACQUER
NO.6-J OUTSIDE FROM JAN. 16
WEATHERED i loss and at voltages of 72.5 to 80 kilovolts for this size
~> 100
100 RUN FEB. 17,1931
TEMP 62 DEG. FAHR. of conductor support Of
are shown in several tests in support
z
HUMIDITY 80 PER CENT this conclusion.
BAROMETER 30.15 IN, Hg. /AC OL GE
0 --' _ ' C -l+IACKNOWLEDGMENT
Bc {} | 1 The author expresses his appreciation and indebted-
~s60 -!--; i -8>-68 ness to Doctor J. S. Carroll, Doctor Harris J. Ryan and
7 J Doctor J. W. McBain for their active cooperation and
very helpful advice and suggestions.
-t;tT'n 20 i' r C>332CO--III!tt
III-Ii1I3/
Iijl1-
_
£
I30C 7 ' X a
'I 0°280 NO.3-F COPPER-OXIDE COATINGiBYI4EATING
WITH 750 AMPERESAV
HUMIDITY 65 PER CENTDE-6TfARR.
0 ....i~.1
I ' il ~ n
JAN.27,1931 TEMR 61
260 _
-
60 5 70 5 0 BAROMETER 30.02 IN.Hg
KILOVOLTS c" 240 NO.I-N COPPER WITH CARBON COATNG BY HEATING IN ACETYLEN
R.m. S. C R, FEB. 10, 1931 TEMP 57 DEG. FAHR.
220 HUMIDITY 75 PER CENT BAROMETER 29.9 IN.Hg.
FIG. 6-COMPARISON OF FILMS ON COPPER AND ALUMINUM pE200 NO.2-N EXCESS CARBON RUBBED- OFF
o 180 NO. 4-N CLEANED WITH EMERY CLOTH. FEB.10,1931
160 NO.3-A COPPER SWABBED WITH SULFURIC AkCID.
this carbon rubbed off with a cloth the loss was as 140 NO. N .2I93OTEMP460DEG.FAHR. - - *-
plotted in curve 2-N; the interesting point, in this 120 BAROMETER 30.14 IN. Kg. l
connection was that carbon had been deposited to a 0°1OC - L
depth of 116 in. into the conductor. 1- 80
z
4C0
01 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 IIC
i60 -I KILOVOLTS
NO. I-G ALUMINUM WEATHERED OUTSIDE R. M.S.
FROM JAN. 16THA
°- NQ2-G ALUMINUM SMOOTHED WITH A FIG. 8-TEST OF COPPER CONDUCTOR UNDER VAFRIOUS SUR-
1440 EMERY CLOTH NO.00 "
V,,, NO. 3-A COPPER WEATHERED OUTSIDE FACE TREATMENTS
FROM JAN. 16TH 1
co NO.4-A COPPER SMOOTHED WITH
0120H EMERY CLOTH NO.00 copper conductors were furnished by the
22!1 IThe
TEMP 62 DEG.FAHR.
FEB. 17, 1931
z 1I
Anaconda Wire and Cable Company; the aluminum
ozI00H H8u^BAROMETER 30.15 IN.H.
COMW1PARE WITH FIG.4 Idy///t' |
~ <
cconductors by the Aluminum Company of America,
San Francisco office; and the Lacquers and Pigments by
S 801 h |hVh< "-G7tfr 1the J. W. Fuller Paint Company, San Francisco.
F 6C1 -i1- 1-4 3A2S4.!A t Bibliography
Z
3 1A§
1 1 1 1-.| I3 - - -
Corona Loss Measurements on a 220-Kv., 60-Cycle, Three-
1.
/
0-Phase
4 Experimental Line, J. S. Carroll, L. H. Brown, D. P.
<t) V| otix1/ I I Dinapoli, TRANS. A. I. E. E., March 1931, p. 36.
2C 7 7
IIII V ,'8l,i I I I | 2. Dielectric Absorption and, Theories of Dielectric Behavior,
/ txt/1 | | | | | |J. B. Whitehead, Feb. 1926, TRANS. A. I. E. E., Vol 45; and

0 65 85
-I.0 75 80
N: Jf ty I I | | I 1Elec. World, Vol. 94, No. 22, Nov. 30, 1929.
L.
3. High-Voltage Corona in 4ir, Waldorf, TRANS. A. I. E. E.,
KILOYOLTS Vol. 49, April 1930.
FIG.
R.M.S.
7-CLEAN ALUMINUM AND COPPER CONDUJCTORS SHOW
~~~~~~4.
"The Physics of Crystals," A. F. Joffe.
5. " Matter, Electricity, Energy," Walter Gerlach, Uni-
EQUAL LOSSES IN OPEN AIR versity of Tubingen.
6. "Properties of Dielectrics, Electric Moment and Molec-
CONCLUSION Ular Structure," C. P. Smyth, Frank. Inst. Jl., 207-No. 6.
7. "Valence -and the Structure of Atoms and Molecules,"
Thinfilmcoaingsof
Thln ilm ertan maerils
oatlgs o ceraln aterals ae efectve GN.
re efectv
in decreasing corona loss from high-voltage conductors,
Lewis.'
8. Development in the Manufacture of Copper Wire, Shea and
whereas thicker films will increase such loss. Such a M1cMullen. TRANS. A. I. E. E., Vol. 46, 1927.

Authorized licensed use limited to: Tallinn University of Technology. Downloaded on April 08,2021 at 12:05:01 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.