Joint Task Force cigre CIRED C4.2.

05

Characterisation of
ELF Magnetic fields

Curitiba 2005-C3 meeting

Ing. Héctor Leopoldo Soibelzon

Director de Proyecto I001
Facultad de Ingeniería
Universidad de Buenos Aires
 Index

 1. Introduction  4. Definition and

 2. Scope
 3. Basic concepts
 3.1 Quantities and
constants
 3.2 Field calculation
 3.3 H versus B
 3.4 Field polarization
description of the
quantification parameters
 4.1 Field magnitude
 4.2 Factors influencing
the assessment of
the field level

2
 Introduction

• Electromagnetic fields (EMF) at extremely low

frequencies (ELF), and more particularly
magnetic fields (MF), are an important concern
for System Operators and for electricity users
due to their possible impacts on living
organisms.

• The purpose of the guide is in no way to discuss

limits or the possible impacts of limits.

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 The problems
• Neither the standards nor the existing regulations
give clear definitions of the meaning of a given field
level or the way to assess conformity with any set of
limits.

• Magnetic fields vary greatly in space and change with

time.

• The low field values mentioned in epidemiological

studies refer to estimates of long-term human
exposure. Hence, if reference in some regulation is
made to lower values than the ICNIRP reference
levels, there is a need to define correctly these values,
in terms of statistical quantities evaluated over a
given space and during a given period of time.
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 The problems

• with respect to the time: mean values over 1 day, mean values
over 1 year, median values, values not exceeded during 95 % of
the time (as for noise characterization).

• with respect to space: choice and number of measurement

points, distance to the source…).

• As regards the space variations, they influences the statistical

quantities (average values) and the uniformity of the field and
hence, the relation between the field levels and the possible
induced current in the body (that are often taken as basic
restrictions by the international bodies).

• On the other hand, since fields can be produced by several

sources, there is also a need to be able to assess the contribution
of each source.

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 Scope
• The purpose of the guide is to identify representative
characteristics of ELF magnetic fields produced by power
electrical installations and to propose a set of
“quantification parameters” able to correctly qualify
magnetic fields in a way better than a single figure can.

• In other words the main target of this guide is to try to

identify several Exposure Metrics defined by WHO and
more particularly:

 statistical metrics for long term exposure

 metrics for instantaneous exposure to non uniform fields
 metrics for multi-source fields and multi-frequency field

• The guide is mainly intended for regulatory authorities and

standardisation bodies.

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 Field calculation
Some interesting points:
• One single conductor (e.g. railway overhead power supply, earth
wire of an overhead power line): the magnetic fields decreases as
1/R, where R is the distance to the energised conductor
(Ampere’s law).

• System of parallel conductors, energised by a system of

balanced currents (e.g. electrical networks): the magnetic fields
decreases as 1/R², where R is the mean distance to the energized
conductors. This empirical law is valid when R is high compared
to the distance between the different conductors.

• Localised sources (e.g. electrical domestic appliances, power

transformer) can be considered as magnetic dipoles: the
magnetic fields decreases as 1/R3, where R is the distance to the
source. In the same way as previously, this empirical law only
applies when d is high compared to the size of the source itself.

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 Variation in time of vectors’ amplitude
B(t)
1,5

1
Elliptical
Amplitudes 0,5

Bx(t) ≠ By(t)
0
Phase angle () 0 5 10 15 20
-0,5
 ≠ 0 and
multiples of  Bx(t)
-1

-1,5 By(t)
t(ms)

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 Variation in space of
vectors’ amplitude and orientation
1,5 By

Elliptical 0,5
Amplitudes B(t)
Bx
Bx(t) ≠ By(t) 0
-1,5 -1 -0,5 0 0,5 1 1,5
Phase angle ()
-0,5
 ≠ 0 and
multiples of 
-1

-1,5

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 Variation in time of vectors’ amplitude

1,5
B(t)

Linear 1

Amplitudes 0,5

Bx(t) ≠/= By(t) 0

Phase angle () 0 5 10 15 20
-0,5
 = 0 and
multiples of  -1
Bx(t) By(t)

-1,5
t(ms)

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 Variation in space of
vectors’ amplitude and orientation

By
1,5

1
Linear
Amplitudes 0,5

Bx(t) ≠/= By(t) Bx

0
Phase angle () -1,5 -1 -0,5 0 0,5 1 1,5

 = 0 and
-0,5

multiples of 
-1

-1,5

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 Variation in time of vectors’ amplitude
1,5
B(t)

1
Circular
0,5
Amplitudes
Bx(t) = By(t) 0
0 5 10 15 20
Phase angle ()
-0,5
 = multiples of Bx(t)
/2 -1

By(t)
-1,5
t(ms)

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 Variation in space of
vectors’ amplitude and orientation
By
1,5

Circular
0,5
Amplitudes
Bx
Bx(t) = By(t) 0
-1,5 -1 -0,5 0 0,5 1 1,5
Phase angle ()
-0,5

 = multiples of /2
-1

-1,5

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Name Company Country
Jean Hoeffelman ELIA Belgium
Yukio Mizuno Nagoya Institute of Technology Japan
Hiroyuki Yomori The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc Japan
Jun Yoshinaga Tokyo Electric Power Co. Japan
Jarmo Elovaara Fingrid Oyj Finland
Kees Koreman TenneT bv The Netherlands
Hector Soibelzon Universidad de Buenos Aires Argentina
David Renew National Grid Transco. United Kingdom
Pauli Vanhala Helsinki Energy Finland
Jaques Pezard EdF R+D France
Renato Conti CESI Italy
Ener Salinas London South Bank University United Kingdom
Pedro Cruz Universidad de Sevilla Spain
Francois Deschamps RTE France

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