Project EHV-Preliminary Corona
E33 cos03 ...... +EnIn Cos On (1)
Investigations: The EKect of
Harmonics on Corona Losses
A. H. FOLEY
ASSOCIATE MEMBER AIEI.E
PROJECT EHV is a prototype 3-phase
transmission line intended to be op-
erated at voltages as high as 750 kv to
permit a study of the factors affecting the
design and operation of extra-high-voltage
(EHV) transmission lines. It is being
constructed near Pittsfield, Mass., and
will be approximately 4.3 miles long.
Since it is a developmental line, it is to
be equipped with an unusually wide range
of instruments for the measurement of
environmental conditions and many
mechanical and electrical quantities.
Among the latter is complete instrumenta-
tion for the measurement of corona
losses. Information on corona losses will
be correlated statistically with other in-
formation such as meteorological condi-
tions and radio noise.
This paper describes some of the pre-
liminary work done to assist in the choice
of suitable instrumentation for the meas-
urement of corona losses.
Factors to Be Considered in Choosing
Corona Loss Instrumentation
Low POWER FACTrOR
Corona losses on Project EHV are to be
measured only while the line is unloaded,
or open-ended. Any such open-ended
line appears as an unbalanced 3-phase
capacitor having a low but widely variable
power factor. It is anticipated that
under the more favorable operating condi-
tions the effective power factor may be
as low as 0.05%. The significance of this
is that phase angle errors in the corona loss
measuring system must be reduced to a
small part of 1 minute if satisfactory ac-
curacy is to be obtained at low power
factors.
DYNAMIC RANGE
Corona losses on any outdoor trans-
mission line vary over a wide range,
particularly as weather conditions change.
Losses covering a range of the order of
100 to 1 are anticipated.
Along with these changes will be many
irregular fluctuations. Suitable instru-
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Pac=E=I, cos 0°1+E2I2 COS 02+
F. OLSEN
NONMEMBER AIEE
mentation must therefore have a wide
dynamic range and be suitably responsive
to the fluctuations though not so respon-
sive as to be unnecessarily disturbed by
various transient disturbances.
TRANSIENT DISTURBANCES
Disturbances of corona losses due to
transients are not of direct concern on
Project EHV since the losses are to be
recorded as watt-hours at suitable inter-
vals and not as instantaneous watts. As
atmospheric conditions become very
severe, as during a thunderstorm, the
interval at which recordings will be made
will be shortened which will tend toward
providing information on peak losses.
It is well to mention here that measure-
ments of radio noise will be made simul-
taneously with those of corona losses.
HARMONICS
The voltage wave on any commercial
transmission system will contain some
harmonics although in many well-de-
signed systems the harmonic content may
be well below 2%. Others may have
harmonic distortions approaching 5%.
In any case, for Project EHV corona
loss instrumentation, it was thought ad-
visable to consider the possible effects
of harmonics of both corona losses and
the loss-measuring instruments for volt-
age distortions as high as 5%.
AVAILABLE LOSS MEASURING
INSTRUMENTS
With the foregoing factors in mind a
more detailed study can now be made
toward choice of corona loss instrumenta-
tion. Two basic types of loss measuring
instruments will be considered. These
are:
1. Dynamometer wattmeter
2. High-voltage bridge
In considering these two types of instru-
ments it should be borne in mind that
power loss in an a-c system where voltage
and current distortions are present is
given by the equation.
where Pee is the total power loss in watts.
Each term to the right of the equation
represents power loss at the harmonic
indicated by the subscript, and 0 is the
phase angle between the voltage, E, and
the current, I, of each respective term.
It should be noted that the absence of
either a voltage or a current in any
term results in zero power for that
term. For example, a harmonic current
flowing in a line does not represent power
unless there is a corresponding voltage of
the same frequency across the line.
The dynamometer wattmeter is an
integrating instrument in that the sum
of all components of power, equation 1,
is indicated. Most wattmeters, however,
are subject to rather large errors at low
power factors. Typically, errors may be
as great as 25% at power factor levels
of 0.25%.
Contrasted with the wattmeter, a high-
voltage bridge of the type suitable for
dielectric loss measurements is well suited
for use at low power factors. Accuracies
of the order of 1% are feasible even at
power factors as low as 0.25%.
Bridges, however, measure losses at
one frequency only, usually the funda-
mental. In terms of equation 1, only a
single term would be registered. This
means that if appreciable losses are repre-
sented by the remaining terms, a bridge
measurement could be greatly in error
with respect to the total loss.
The question of harmonic response of
bridges will be taken up in greater detail
subsequently in this paper. For the
moment it is in order to mention a few
other desirable features of bridges as
instrumeints for power loss measurements.
Bridges are particularly suited to
measurements over a very wide range,
a million to one being not uncommon.
Continuous measurements of variable
losses are readily accomplished by the
application of servo techniques in mak-
ing them self-balancing.' Continuous
automatic recording of test results is
thereby possible. By suitable design
bridges can be made direct reading and
arranged to perform some computations
which can eliminate the need for further
reduction of data. 1'2
Though this very brief comparison of
wattmeters and bridges would appear
Paper 60-186, recommended by the AIEE Trans-
mission and Distribution Committee and approved
by the AIRE Technical Operations Department for
presentation at the AIEE Winter General Meeting.
New York, N. Y., January 31-February 5, 1960.
Manuscript submitted November 2, 1959; made
available for printing December 14, 1959.
A. H. FOLEY and F. OLSEN are with the General
Electric Company, Pittsfield, Mass.
JUNE 1 96a
to place the bridge in a favorable position
for corona loss measurements, the ques-
tion of the relative magnitude of losses
associated with harmonics must be re-
solved. If losses due to harmonic currents
and voltages represent too large a percent-
age (determined by accuracy require-
ments) of the total losses, clearly a bridge
cannot be used.
Resolution of the harmonic question
requires quantitative data. A review of
published literature3'4 revealed that com-
paratively little information in this area
was available. It was evident that an
investigation of the effects of harmonics
on corona losses had to be undertaken.
To investigate these effects it was neces-
sary to set up a high-voltage system which
could be excited at potentials well above
the corona starting point. Close control
of the magnitude and phase position of
each harmonic was necessary. Finally,
it was necessary to measure separately
the component of corona loss associated
with each frequency present in the system.
Investigation of Harmonic Influence
An existing 2-conductor experimental
transmission line near the high-voltage
laboratory of the Pittsfield plant was used
to conduct the harmonic investigation.
Its length was approximately 0.6 mile and
the two conductors were of rather old
and weathered copper wire, 0.162 inch in
diameter. The two conductors were
spaced approximately 12 feet apart and
suspended an average of 35 feet above
ground. One conductor was grounded
while the other was excited as required for
the tests. The complete system is shown
in Fig. 1.
THE POWER SUPPLY
Excitation of the line was supplied
principally through a 100-kv (max.) 50-
kva test transformer and a voltage regula-
,GE LINE
WAVE
ALYZER
iEPARATlON
JUNE 1 960 Foley, Olsen-Project EHV-PreliminaryiGorona Investigations
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tor from a 2,400-volt 60-cycle power line.
To provide complete control of both
magnitude and phase position of the third,
fifth, and seventh harmonics, a syn-
chronously driven barmonic generator
together with a large power amplifier
was employed inaseries feed arrangement.
A 60-cycle resonant shunt was placed
across the amplifier output to prevent
excessive values of 60-cycle current from
flowing through the amplifier. This over-
all arrangement provided an exceptionally
precise control of the wave form on the
high-voltage line.
FREQUENCY SELECTIVE BRIDGE FOR Loss
MEASUREMENTS
For the selective measurement of the in-
dividual frequency components of corona
loss, a bridge network was chosen. The
bridge is shown symbolically in Fig. I
and in somewhat greater detail in Fig. 2.
The success of such a bridge as a selective
loss analyzer depends to a high degree
upon the ability of the detector to respond
only to the desired frequency. In this
way the bridge can be balanced at the
desired frequency without interference
from voltages at other frequencies or
harmonics which may simultaneously be
present. A sensitive, highly selective
wave analyzer was used as the bridge
detector.
Referring to Fig. 2, CL and RL repre-
sent the equivalent capacitance and loss
elements of the high-voltage line when
corona loss is present. Rs is a low-phase
angle resistance or shunt through which
the line current, IL, flows.
Cs is a loss-free guarded and shielded
capacitor. Actually, a 300-kv gas-filled
capacitor of the type used in high-
voltage dielectric loss measurements was
used here. R1 is a low-phase-angle varia-
able resistance employed for making
the so-called capacitance balance.
At the lower part of Fig. 2 is a voltage
.
tCL tCL tCL RL
GROUND
FLTER Fig. 1. System For
Investigation of the
effects of harmonics
on transmission line
corona losses
11
Fig. 2. Basic circuit of bridge employed in
measuring fundamental and harmonic com-
ponents of corona loss
divider system consisting of R2 and resist-
ance potentiometer Pl. This system is
supplied by the voltage Em from the po-
tential coil of the test transformer. The
voltage Em is essentially in phase with
and proportional to the high voltage, Eh,.
The arrangement is such that a current
proportional to the setting of PI is caused
to flow through R3 and hence through
Rs.
When the bridge is in operation two
components of line current, a quadrature
component through CL and a real com-
ponent through RL, flow through Rs
thereby creating a voltage drop across
Rs. The purpose of the remaining ele-
ments in the bridge network is to measure
these components of drop and express
them in terms of the line capacitance, CL,
and line loss, Eh,2/RL.
By adjustment of RI to obtain a mini-
mum reading on the detector, a voltage
equal to the quadrature component across
Rs is established across R1. This com-
prises a capacitance balance and, as shown
in the Appendix, R1 is directly propor-
tional to CL.
For the so-called loss balance, Pi is
adjusted until the current injected through
Rs by way of R3 is exactly equal and
opposite the real component of current
in Rs due to RL. Correct adjustment
of Pi is indicated when the detector
shows a minimum reading. If RI has
previously been adjusted to its correct
position, the detector will then indi-
cate zero when PI is correctly set.
Bridge equations in the Appendix show
that this setting of Pi is directly propor-
tional to power loss in RL and hence repre-
sents corona loss on the line for that par-
ticular frequency for which the bridge
has been balanced.
WAvE FORM MONITORING
An essential part of the harmonic in-
vestigation was the monitoring and ad-
justment of the wave form of the voltage
on the line. The arrangement of appara-
tus for accomplishing this is shown on the
311
 COMPOSITE WAVE FORMS LISSAJOUS FIGURES
(A) FUNDAMENTAL AND 3Ro HARMONIC
(B) FUNDAMENTAL AND 5TH HARMONIC
Fig. 3. Examples oF composite wave Forms
and corresponding Lissajous figures
right of Fig. 1. Coupling to the high-
voltage line was made through a capaci-
tance divider comprised of C,8 and CD and
having a ratio of approximately 5,000 to
1.
The magnitude of the harmonics on the
line was measured with a precision wave
analyzer of the heterodyne type. The
phase position of each harmonic was deter-
mined from Lissajous figures displayed
on a cathode-ray oscilloscope. A separa-
tion filter was employed to provide suit-
able excitation voltages for the oscillo-
scope.
The separation filter was preceded by a
very linear buffer amplifier so as not to
load the capacitance divider. This filter
consisted of two channels. One was of
the low-pass type and effectively passed
only the fundamental of the wave. The
other channel was of the notch type and
completely suppressed the fundamental
while freely passing all other frequencies.
Both channels were designed to have
zero phase shift. This eliminated the
necessity for making phase angle correc-
tions for the filters.
The output of the low-pass filter,
marked F on Fig. 1, was connected to the
horizontal deflection plates of the oscillo-
scope. The notch filter output, marked
H, was connected to the vertical deflec-
tion plates. This arrangement provided
Lissajous figures of the type shown in Fig.
3.
In determing the phase position of a
harmonic relative to its fundamental by
this means no particular calibration is
required for the oscilloscope. It requires
only that the two deflection channels
have equal phase shifts, be linear, and
have sufficient sensitivity to provide es-
sentially full screen deflections for the
signals applied.
312 Foley, Olsen-Project EHV-Preliminary Corona Investigations
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Reference to Fig. 3 shows how the phase
position of a harmonic relative to its
fundamental can be determined from the
Lisajous figure. The ratio A/B is the
cosine of the angle made by the harmonic
relative to the fundamental wave. A is
the vertical distance between adjacent
cross-over points on the Lissajous figure
while B is the peak-to-peak vertical de-
flection.
Identical Lissajous figures can appear
for more than one phase angle. How-
ever, development of the necessary
skill to overcome these ambiguities was
easy. This was aided by the phase angle
calibrations on the harmonic generator
phase shifters. In general, the accuracy
of phase angle adjustments was better
than plus or minus three degrees through-
out the harmonic investigation.
Where it was necessary to set up wave
forms involving more than one harmonic,
phase adjustments were made for one
harmonic at a time, the other harmonics
having been temporarily reduced to zero.
After individual adjustments were com-
pleted the entire group of harmonics could
then be switched on. The over-all system
was sufficiently linear so that no ambigui-
ties resulted from this practice.
TYPES OF TESTS AND TEST PROCEDURE
Among the various types of tests made
were measurements of fundamental and
harmonic components of corona loss as
functions of phase positions of the
harmonics relative to the fundamental
wave, as a function of harmonic magni-
tude and as a function of line voltage.
Typical of the procedure followed in
making, for example, loss determination
as a function of harmonic phase position,
was first to raise the system voltage to
some chosen level with a pure funda-
mental (60-cycle) wave and then measure
the corona loss as a reference value. A
single harmonic was then superimposed
at some chosen level such as 2 or 5% of
the fundamental. Usually the phase posi-
tion of the harmonic was initially ad-
justed to zero. Corona loss measure-
ments were then again made of the funda-
mental component. Then, by setting the
bridge detector to respond to the har-
monic frequency, a measurement was
made of the harmonic component of loss.
This procedure was then repeated with
the harmonic advanced, say, 30 degrees,
then 60 degrees, and so on until the full
360 degrees had been covered. At fre-
quent intervals the loss with the pure
fundamental wave was remeasured. Re-
checking the pure wave loss in this way
gave valuable information where time-
weighting of the results was necessary.
SOME TEST RESULTS AND
OBSERVATIONS
One of the first, though not unantici-
pated, observations made during the
harmonic investigation was that very little
about corona loss is stable. Weather
conditions were constantly changing
and could not be controlled. This made
it necessary to make many repeat tests,
and extreme care had to be exercised in
reducing the data so as to obtain meaning-
ful curves. In spite of the difficulties
caused by the uncontrollable variables,
much useful information was obtained
and some very definite conclusions were
drawn. Some of the data and conclu.
sions are presented here.
Fig. 4 shows some typical results ob-
tained by following the procedure out-
lined above. Line voltage was set at
50 kv fundamental and a 5% third har..
monic was introduced. The weather was
partly cloudy and slightly windy. Air
temperature was approximately 60 F (de-
grees Fahrenheit) and the relative humid..
ity was near 68%.
The horizontal line at the 40-watt
level represents the line loss with a puro
fundamental wave, less than 0.05% dis..
tortion, applied. Upon introducing the
third harmonic and shifting its phase
position through 360 degrees, the funda,
mental component of the loss is seen to
vary widely. The third harmonic com-
ponent also varies widely but is seen to bQ
never more than about 2% of the funda.
mental component.
Note that in the vicinity of the 180.
degree-phase position, the introduction of
the harmonic has caused the fundamental
loss to icnrease some 65%. This occurs
where the harmonic phase position causes
the total voltage wave to become most
peaked.
60 cm POWER LOSS
71
WITH 5% \
WIATHER:
PARTLYCLJOUY
60NPr POWER
e _ ~~NO HARMONIICS PRESENT _
10
03Ko
MLONICND
HlAR
/POWIER LOSS Ng s
PECN OF 2
20
3HARICHNIC POWER _ONI
o
_
r , IN WlATTS P
LOSS l oI
O 60 120 ISO 240 300 360smcq:
PHASE POSITION OF HARMONIC RELATIVE TO FUNDAMENTAL
Fig. 4. Typical corona lces as functions of
harmonic phase position. 60-cps line-tow
ground voltage: 50 kv rms. Gradient: 37
kv peak/cm
JUNE 1960
 1750II Fig. 5. Corona loss compo- line excitation source and dissipated in
60 cps POWER LOSS nents and effective line capaci-
cn 1500 the line, the net harmonic energy at the
cn tance as functions of line volt- measuring instrument is zero. This is
0 t- 1250 age the condition represented in Fig. 5(B)
w
3
Z- where the zero-phase position third
M 750 harmonic loss goes to zero in the vicinity
o~
0>-
500 of 47 kv. Above 47 kv more third har-
C-)
monic energy is being sent back into the
IOD -1
line excitation source than is supplied to
the line by the source.
I.-0 EFFECTIVE LINE CAPACITANCE
C-,C Fig. 5(C) shows the effect of line volt-
La age variations on the effective capacitance
0r.a of the line for harmonics introduced
in two different phase positions. The
PHASE POSITION 180' jI data for these curves were easily obtained
1- NO HARMONIC PRESENT--
since a form of capacitance bridge was
z 7/
3
_ 0..
m-5%3sD
HARMONIC 3 - HARM employed in making the loss measure-
uJ
_ PHASE POSlTiON O LOSS ments.
0.q
g E '
(F LATTEED WAVE

35 40 45
LINE rO GROUND VOLTAGE
30 35
At the zero-phase position, where the
wave is flattened, the fundamental loss
has been reduced about 16%. The har-
monic voltage is acting as a control signal
for fundamental frequency loss. The
change in fundamental frequency loss fre-
quently is considerably greater than the
loss associated with the controlling har-
monic.
While the curves of Fig. 4 represent
but one case where only a third harmomnc
is introduced, similar curves are obtained
for either fifth or seventh harmonics.
Curves of this type are also obtained when
two or more harmonics are simultaneously
introduced. This latter case assumes
that the over-all voltage wave shape
gradually changes from a flattened to a
peaked shape and back again as the phase
position progresses over the 360-degree
range.
Of greatest significance in all of these
measurements is the fact that, though
harmonics present in the voltage wave do
cause pronounced changes in the total
corona losses, the majority of the change
50 55 60 65 70 KV RM'
40 45 50 KVp/CM
GRADIENT
nificant point again is that most of the
change in corona loss caused by the intro-
duction of the harmonic is reflected in the
fundamental frequency component.
It is shown in Fig. 5(B) that at times the
harmonic component is actually negative.
The explanation of this is that a certain
amount of energy is transformed from
the fundamental to a harmonic state
through the nonlinear mechanism associ-
ated with corona. This component of
energy is, nevertheless, supplied to the
line and measured at fundamental fre-
quency. In the case where no harmonic
voltage is present across the line at the
terminals of the loss measuring instru-
ment, the transformed component sim-
ply has been completely dissipated in the
line. This is the case when a pure sine
wave is applied.
Where a harmonic voltage is present
across the line at the measuring instru-
ment, harmonic energy may flow in
either direction depending upon whether
the source of the component is in the sys-
tem driving source, such as the harmonic
SENSITIVITY TO HARMONICS
Throughout the course of the investiga-
tion it was repeatedly observed that the
degree of control exercised by a harmonic
voltage on corona loss was subject to wide
variation. This variation of relative
control sensitivity was given some study
and the results tabulated and plotted in a
number of ways. One such set of curves
is shown in Fig. 6.
In this figure the data has been nor-
malized by plotting the relative or per-
cent change in fundamental corona
loss, upon introduction of the harmonic, as
a function of line power factor. Line power
factor was determined with a pure sine
wave at fundamental frequency applied.
Two curves are shown. The upper one
is for a 5% third harmonic voltage intro-
duced in its 180-degree-phase position
TO HARM6NCd
SENSITIVITY
6 (% NCREASE IN
40 ; tt
5% 3mo HARMONIC
30 / AT PHASE POSITION 180
(PEAKED WAVE)
CL

generally is reflected in the fundamental generator, or in the nonlinear transforma- 0~

frequency component of the loss. Fig. tion mechanism present on the line. In
5 illustrates this point further. the latter case the harmonic energy is
The data for Fig. 5 was taken at a differ- sent back along the line toward the line
ent time from that of Fig. 4 and under excitation source. Some of it is dissi-
slightly less favorable weather conditions. pated in the line and some in the real -20 X (FLATTENEO WAVE)
Here again the third harmonic case is component of impedance in the line excita-
taken but cases involving other har- tion source. 2 3 4 S 10 IS
monics singly and in combination are In the special case where that part of 60 CPS POWER FACTOR - PERCENT
qualitatively similar. the transformed energy dissipated in the Fig. 6. Sensitivity of corona loss to har-
Figs. 5(A) and 5(B) are plots of losses source impedance is equal to the corre- monic influence as a function of line powe
as functions of line voltage. The sig- sponding component supplied by the Factor

JUNE 1960 Foley, Olsen-Project EHV-Preliminary Corona Investigations 313

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(peaked wave) while the lower curve is
with the harmonic in its zero-phase
(flattened wave) position.
A number of sets of curves of this type
have been plotted from data taken at
different times and under different oper-
ating conditions. While the numerical
values of the relative changes in funda-
mental loss were different in each of these
plots, one common factor remained out-
standing. A pronounced peak occurred
always when the line power factor was in
the vicinity of 1%. In some instances
the corona loss was more than doubled
in this region upon introduction of a
5% harmonic.
While the curves of Fig. 6 are normal-
ized, this does not mean that the peak
harmonic sensitivity will necessarily al-
ways occur in the 1% power-factor region.
It did always occur in this region for the
particular line employed in this harmonic
investigation. It is evident, however,
that if the line capacitance were appre-
ciably different, other factors being equal
the peak response would occur at some
other power-factor level. The chief
significance of this observation is that
peak harmonic sensitivity is likely to occur
in the range of line power factors normally
encountered when measuring corona
losses on transmission lines.
BRIDGE PERFORMANCE
Particular attention was paid to the
behavior of the loss bridge throughout the
course of the harmonic investigation.
Operations were conducted under ex-
tremely varied weather conditions in-
cluding those of a nearby thunderstorm.
At no time was there undue difficulty
in obtaining a balance. At times, as at
the beginning of rain or snow fall, the
losses did change rapidly but it was al-
ways possible to follow the changes by
more or less continuous manual adjust-
ments of the balance controls. This
continuous follow-up can easily be handled
by a self-balancing bridge with well-
designed servo balance controls.
The small irregularities normally asso-
ciated with corona discharges did cause
some fluctuations of the output meter on
the bridge balance detector. In general
these were not troublesome because of the
low-pass filter characteristics of the
detector system. Cut-off frequency was
in the vicinity of 5 cycles per second.
Even the more severe discharges
associated with a nearby thunderstorm
did not seriously interfere with the meas-
urements. These groups of discharges
were of short duration with, in general,
enough time lapse between successive
bursts to permit a satisfactory balance
314 Foley, Olsen-Project EH V-Preliminary Corona Investigations
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of the bridge. No attempt was made to
operate the system while a thunderstorm
was in progress directly over the trans-
mission line. This was considered too
hazardous since manual operation of the
bridge was required. It is believed,
however, that the transient protection
which can be built into the system and
the filter characteristics which can be
tailored into the self-balancing servo-
mechanism can be expected to handle
the type and magnitude of transients
expected on Project EHV.
Summary of Observations and
Conclusions
The more significant observations made
during this investigation are:
1. For any combination of third,
fifth, and seventh harmonic voltages,
the total not exceeding 5% of the
fundamental wave, at least 97% of the
total corona loss is manifested at funda-
mental frequency; see Figs. 4 and 5.
2. The presence of one or more
harmonics in the voltage wave acts as
a control signal for fundamental fre-
quency corona losses and may cause
these to be either increased or decreased as
the voltage wave is peaked or flattened,
respectively. For a 5% harmonic the
increase can exceed 100%; see Fig. 4.
3. The sensitivity of the funda-
mental component of corona loss to the
influence of a harmonic voltage appears
to be most pronounced when the funda-
mental frequency power factor of the
line is in the region of 1%. This is a
power factor level commonly encountered
when measuring transmission line corona
losses; see Fig. 6.
4. Performance of the high-voltage
bridge as a corona loss measuring instru-
ment and as a frequency selective loss
analyzer was satisfactory under all
operating conditions.
The combination of the first and fourth
observations makes it evident that the
use of a high-voltage bridge is feasible
for corona loss measurements on Project
FM
CURF
ANSFORIER
SIDE.
Fig. 7. Corona loss in-
strumentation for Project
EHV
EHV. An accuracy of 5% or better can
be expected at any corona loss level for
line power factors of 0.05% or greater.
Corona Loss Instrumentation for
Project EHV
The outcome of the investigation re-
ported in this paper was the decision to
use bridge networks as the heart of the
corona loss mneasuring system. A block
diagram of this system is shown in Fig.
7.
Losses are to be measured on the
3-phase transmission line by the so-
called 3-wattmeter method employing
three single-phase self-balancing high-
voltage bridges. The total line loss will
be the sum of the losses indicated by the
three bridges.
Coupling for line potential will be
through three completely shielded and
guarded high-voltage gas-filled capacitors
having a basic impulse insulation level
(BIL) of 2,150 kv. The phase angle
error introduced by this means of coupling
should be completely negligible.
Line charging current information is to
be relayed to a 3-channel receiver at
ground potential by means of three
FM (frequency-modulated) transmitters
mounted directly on the high-voltage line.
Unusual accuracy is required in the
transmitter-receiver links, particularly
with respect to phase shift between trans-
mitter input and receiver output. It is
expected that this phase shift, at 60
cycles, will be a small part of 1 minute.
The loss readings of the three bridges
will be totalized and passed along to an
electronic time-integrator for conversion
to watt-hours. In this form the results
will be digitized and recorded on punched
paper tape along with data from the many
other instruments in the Project EHV
system. This tape will be employed in
the final analysis of all Project EHV
data.
As essential part of the system for
corona loss measurements will be the
controls for symmetrizing the readings of
JUNE 1 960
the three bridges. Symmetrization is
necessary because of unequal interphase
capacitances on the line. Currents re-
sulting from these cause rather large com-
ponents of apparent power to appear in
each individual phase. Instruments
scaled to measure expected corona losses
may easily be driven off scale, making
accurate summation of the three losses
impossible. No attempt will be made
here to describe the actual symmetrizing
system planned for Project EHV. Suffi-
cient to say that this areawill be given due
attention.
It should be noted that, with the ex-
ception of the FM transmitters on the
high-voltage line, all instruments for
corona loss measurements on Project EHV
are at ground potential. This is a feature
of very considerable convenience since
it will permit adjustments and servicing
of the various components without the
need for shutting down the high voltage
line.
Appendix. Derivation of the
Corona Loss Bridge Equations
With reference to Fig. 2, two conditions
must simultaneously be satisfied in order to
bring about a bridge balance. First, that
component of voltage drop across RS due
to current through CL must exactly be
matched in both magnitude and phase by a
corresponding drop across R1. Second, that
component of drop in RS due to current
Discussion
J. M. Vanderleck (The Hydro-Electric
Power Commission of Ontario, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada): A knowledge of the
influence of harmonic voltages on corona
loss is important in the investigation of per-
formance of EHV lines because ignorance
can lead to wrong conclusions regarding
optimum designs of these lines. At the
Coldwater Project' the troublesome third
and fifth harmonic voltages have been kept
within 1% of the fundamental by the in-
stallation of filters in the 5,000-kva power
supply.
Fig. 6 shows the percentage change in
total corona loss due to the addition of 5%
third harmonic voltage. It would be ex-
pected that the influence of a certain per-
centage of third harmonic on corona loss
would always be less than that of the same
percentage change in fundamental voltage.
Did the authors find this relation to be true?
Is the influence of a harmonic voltage pro-
portional to the amount of harmonic volt-
age, all other factors being unchanged?
The form of the curves in Fig. 6 is
unexpected. Theoretically, the greatest
percentage influence of harmonics should be
at a 60-cycle power factor of zero when the
JUNIE 1960 Foley, Olsen-Project EHV-Preliminary Corona Investigations
Authorized licensed use limited to: Tallinn University of Technology. Downloaded on April 08,2021 at 12:29:24 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
through RI, must completely be neutralized
by introducing a component of current in RS
exactly equal in magnitude, but opposite in
phase, to the current due to RL. Thus
stated, equations for the two balance condi-
tions can separately be written.
Relative to CL,
ICLRS = IcsR,
Relative to RL,
IRL = I3
In the practical case Rs<<XCL. XCL is
the reactance of the line-to-ground capaci-
tance. Therefore
ICL =jWCLEhv
and similarly,
Ics =jw CsEh v (5)
Substituting equations 4 and 5 in equation
2,
jWCLEhvRS =jCCSEhCDtR
from which the effective line-to-ground
capacitance is
C_C8R1
CL= C-R8
R
Returning to RL, the equivalent resistance
representing line-to-ground loss,
IRLR
RL
Assuming the loading effect of the current
through R3 to be negligible on the voltage
across Pi, which requires that R3 be suffi-
ciently high, and that R3>>Rs, very
closely
peak gradient is just at the critical value.
Then the addition of a 5% third harmonic
in the phase position to give a peaked wave,
should cause some corona loss. The per-
centage increase should be infinite. Is there
an explanation for the behavior indicated
in Fig. 6 near zero power factor?
Fig. 5(A) shows a constant loss of about
50 watts at all voltages below 45 kv. One
would expect that the corona loss would fall
to zero at a critical gradient of about 35 kv
per centimeter. With the experimental line
described, it appears that a loss of 50
watts would not permit the line power
factor to fall below 1%. If this is true, how
were the data in Fig. 6 obtained at less than
17% power factor?
The main object of the paper, to find
whether the corona losses in the harmonics
can be ignored in loss measurements,
has been achieved. The difficulties of ob-
taining bridge measurements at 180 and 300
cycles must have been severe when the 60-
cycle component was predominant. It is
to be hoped that the author will describe
the bridge in more detail in a future paper.
REFERENCE
1. THE COLDWATER PROJECT, J. G. Cassan.
Ontario Hydro Research News, Toronto, Ont.,
Canada, vol. 11, Jan.-Mar. 1959, pp. 3-9.
kJ'IKlEhv
(9)
R3(R2+P1)
where k is that fraction of Pi bridged by R3+
Rs, and K, is Em/uED. Substituting equa-
tions 8 and 9 in equation 3 and solving for
RL,
(2) R (R2+P1)R3
IR= kP1Kj (10)
(3) Since power loss in RL is
Eh v2
PL=R (11)
RL
substitution of equation 10 in equation 11
(4) yields
EhV2kPiKI
(R2R+P )R3
(12)
For a given operating voltage, Eh,, the
line power loss is directly proportional to k.
A linear direct-reading power loss scale on
(6) P1 is therefore possible for any chosen level
of Ehv.
ReFerences
(7)
1. A SE1LF-BALANCING TRANSFORMER-CORE-Loss
BRIDGE, A. H. Foley. AIEE Transactions, pt. I
(Communication and Electronics), vol. 76, Nov.
1957, pp. 567-73.
2. A SELF-BALANCING CAPACITANCE BRIDGE,
A. H. Foley. Ibid., vol. 66, 1947, pp. 797-801.
(8) 3. ON THE INFLUENCE OF HARMONICS IN THED
VOLTAGE CURVE OF CORONA Loss oF WIRES, R.
Strigel. Zeitschrift fur Elektrotechnik, Stuttgart,
Germany, vol. 2, Apr. 1949, pp. 73-82.
4. NEw INVESTIGATIONS OF AC CORONA ON
CONDUCTORS, H. Laepple. Elektrotechnische Zeit-
schrift, Berlin, Germany, vol. 65, Jan. 27, 1944,
pp. 25-31.
A. H. Foley, F. Olsen: Mr. Vanderleck
has raised a number of interesting questions
in connection with the investigation of the
effect of harmonics on corona losses on
high-voltage transmission lines. These
questions will be discussed in the order
in which they appear in the discussion.
1. As would be expected, the introduc-
tion of a given percentage of harmonic
voltage, in a phase position to make the
voltage wave most peaked, always results
in a smaller increase of fundamental corona
loss than that caused by the same per-cent
increase in fundamental voltage. It also
follows that, when considering one har-
monic at a time, the higher the harmonic
order becomes the lower the increase
in fundamental corona loss becomes. This
is as would be expected since, as the har-
monic order is increased, the time duration
of the excess voltage is decreased in each
fundamental cycle.
2. From numerous observations made
during the harmonic investigation it appears
that the increase in fundamental corona loss
is not proportional to the amount of harmonic
voltage present, but increases as some power
of the relative magnitude of the harmonic.
In one case, for example, the fundamental
corona loss increased 15% upon introducing
2% of third harnonic (peaked wave phase
315