Alpha breathing

Corona effect in transmission line

Evocation
For corona effect to occur effectively, two factors
here are of prime importance as mentioned
below:-

1)Alternating electrical potential difference must be

supplied across the line.

2) The spacing of the conductors, must be large

enough compared to the line diameter.
 What is Corona?
• When an alternating current is made to flow
across two conductors of the transmission line
whose spacing is large compared to their
diameters, then air surrounding the conductors
(composed of ions) is subjected to di-electric
stress.
• At low values of supply end voltage, nothing
really occurs as the stress is too less to ionize the
air outside.
• But when the potential difference is made to
increase beyond some threshold value of around
30 kV known as the critical disruptive voltage,
• Then the field strength increases and then the
air surrounding it experiences stress high enough
to be dissociated into ions making the
atmosphere conducting.
• This results in electric discharge around the
conductors due to the flow of these ions, giving
rise to a faint luminescent glow, along with the
hissing sound accompanied by the liberation of
ozone, which is readily identified due to its
characteristic odor.
• This phenomena of electrical discharge occurring
in transmission line for high values of voltage is
known as the corona effect in power system.
• If the voltage across the lines is still increased
the glow becomes more and more intense
along with hissing noise, inducing very high
power loss into the system which must be
accounted for.
• If the conductors are polished and smooth,
the corona glow will be uniform throughout
the length of the conductors,
• otherwise the rough points will appear
brighter. 
• With d.c. voltage, there is difference in the
appearance of the two wires. 

• Positive corona usually appears as a bluish

white sheath along the conductor, whereas

• negative corona appears as reddish-brown

localized sources.

• The number of sources increases with increasing

voltage.
Example of Conductor Corona
 Corona Formation

Corona Formation. Corona discharge on insulator string of a

500 kV overhead power line. Corona discharges represent a
significant power loss for electric utilities.
• Some ionization is always present in air due to cosmic
rays, ultra-violet radiations and radioactivity. 
• Therefore, under normal conditions, the air around
the conductors contains some ionized particles (i.e.,
free electrons and +ve ions) and neutral molecules.  
• When p.d. is applied between the conductors,
potential gradient  is set up in the air which will have
maximum value at the conductor surfaces. 
• Under the influence of potential gradient, the
existing free electrons acquire greater velocities.
• The greater the applied voltage, the greater the
potential gradient and more is the velocity of free
electrons.
• When the potential gradient at the conductor
surface reaches about 30 kV per cm (max. value),
the velocity acquired by the free electrons is
sufficient to strike a neutral molecule with enough
force to dislodge one or more electrons from it. 
• This produces another ion and one or more free
electrons, which is turn are accelerated until
they collide with other neutral molecules, thus
producing other ions. 
• Thus, the process of ionization is cummulative. 
• The result of this ionization is that either corona
is formed or spark takes place between the
conductors.
 Factors & condition effecting Corona
• The phenomenon of corona is affected by the
– physical state of the atmosphere as well as by the
– conditions of the line. 
• The following are the factors upon which corona depends :
(i) Atmosphere
• As corona is formed due to ionsiation of air surrounding the
conductors, there-fore, it is affected by the physical state of
atmosphere. 
• In the stormy weather, the number of ions is more than normal and as
such corona occurs at much less voltage as compared with fair weather.

(ii) Conductor size

• The corona effect depends upon the shape and conditions of the
conductors. 
• The rough and irregular surface will give rise to more corona because
unevenness of the surface decreases the value of breakdown voltage. 
• Thus a stranded conductor has irregular surface and hence gives rise to
more corona than a solid conductor.
(iii) Spacing between conductors
•If the spacing between the conductors is made very
large as compared to their diameters, there may not be
any corona effect. 
•It is because larger distance between conductors
reduces the electro-static stresses at the conductor
surface, thus avoiding corona formation.

(iv) Line voltage

•If it is low, there is no change in the condition of air
surrounding the conductors and hence no corona is
formed. 
•However, if the line voltage has such a value that
electrostatic stresses developed at the conductor surface
make the air around the conductor conducting, then
corona is formed.
Corona discharge from a Wartenberg pinwheel in air caused by applying a
high voltage, ~30kV
 Puzzles

Using the digits 1 up to 9, two numbers must be made. The product of these two
numbers should be as large as possible. All digits must be used exactly once.
 9 96 964 9642 9642
-> -> -> ->
8 87 875 8753 87531

Conclusion: the requested two numbers are 9642 and 87531 (and the product of
these two numbers is 843973902).
 Important terms due to Corona
(i) Critical disruptive voltage - It is the minimum phase-neutral voltage at
which corona occurs.
• Consider two conductors of radii r cm and spaced d cm apart. 
• If V is the phase-neutral potential, then potential gradient at the
conductor surface is given by:
g =[V/ r loge (d/r)] volts / cm

• In order that corona is formed, the value of g must be made equal to

the breakdown strength of air. 
• The breakdown strength of air at 76 cm pressure and temperature of
25oC is 30 kV/cm (max) or 21·2 kV/cm (r.m.s.) and is denoted by go. 
• If Vc is the phase-neutral potential required under these conditions,
then,
go =[Vc/ r loge (d/r)] volts / cm

• where go = breakdown strength of air at 76 cm of mercury and 25oC

= 30 kV/cm (max) or 21·2 kV/cm (r.m.s.)
 ∴ Critical disruptive voltage, Vc = go r loge d/r
•The above expression for disruptive voltage is under standard conditions i.e., at 76
cm of Hg and 25ºC. 
•However, if these conditions vary, the air density also changes, thus altering the
value of go.
•The value of go is directly proportional to air density. 

•Thus the breakdown strength of air at a barometric pressure of b cm of mercury and

temperature of tºC becomes δ go where
δ = air density factor = 3.92b / 273 +  t
Under standard conditions, the value of δ = 1.

∴ Critical disruptive voltage ,Vc = go δ r loge d/r

•Correction must also be made for the surface condition of the conductor. 
• This is accounted for by multiplying the above expression by irregularity factor
mo.
∴ Critical disruptive voltage, Vc = mo go δ r loge d/r …. kV/phase
where
mo = 1 for polished conductors (it is called as roughness factor )
= 0·92 to 0·98 for dirty conductors
= 0·8 to 0·87 for stranded conductors 
(ii) Visual critical voltage
•It is the minimum phase-neutral voltage at which corona
glow appears all along the line conductors.
•It has been seen that in case of parallel conductors, the
corona glow does not begin at the disruptive voltage Vc but
at a higher voltage Vv , called visual critical voltage. 
•The phase-neutral effective value of visual critical voltage
is given by the following empirical formula :

•where mv is another irregularity factor having a value of

1·0 for polished conductors and 0·72 to 0·82 for rough
conductors.
 Power loss due to corona
• Formation of corona is always accompanied by energy loss
which is dissipated in the form of light, heat, sound and
chemical action. 
• When disruptive voltage is exceeded, the power loss due to
corona is given by :
Advantages and disadvantages of Corona.
Advantages
•Due to corona formation, the air surrounding the conductor
becomes conducting and hence virtual diameter of the conductor
is increased. 
•The increased diameter reduces the electro-static stresses
between the conductors.
•Corona reduces the effects of transients produced by surges.

Disadvantages   
•Corona is accompanied by a loss of energy.  This affects the
transmission efficiency of the line.
•Ozone is produced by corona and may cause corrosion of the
conductor due to chemical action.
•The current drawn by the line due to corona is non-sinusoidal and
hence non-sinusoidal Voltage drop occurs in the line.  This may
cause inductive interference with neighboring Communication
lines.
Reading
Discussion
Drawing mind map
 Corona is a luminous
discharge due to ionization
of the air surrounding an electrode,
caused by a voltage gradient
exceeding a certain critical value.
• AUDIBLE NOISE
• RADIO INTERFERENCE

VISUAL DISRUPTIVE VOLTAGE

Visual glow appears CORONA LOSSES

ADVANAGES
REDUCES SURGES
INCREASES VIRTUAL DIAMETER
CRITICAL DISRUPTIVE VOLTAGE DISADVANTAGES
Corona appears CORROSION
LOSSES OF POWER
Summarize
SUMMARY:
1. CORONA EFFECT:
The phenomenon of violet glow, hissing noise and
production of ozone gas in an overhead transmission line is known
as corona.
2. FACTORS AFFECTING CORONA:
a. atmosphere
b. conductor size
c. spacing between conductors
d. line voltage
1.Electric stress is expressed in terms of
a.Ohms / cm.
b.kV / cm.
b.Farad / cm.
c.Henry / cm.

2. The electric breakdown strength of a material

depends on its
a. composition.
b. thickness.
c. moisture current.
d. All the above