CORONA PHENOMENA

When the voltage gradient due to the electric field strength at the conductor surface
exceeds a value of 30kv\cm, the air around the conductor is ionized. The collisions of ions
in air are maximum near the surface of conductor and reduce as the distance from the
conductor increases. Due to ionization around conductor, the energy is exhibited as:-
a- noise b- light glow (visible) c- chemical action of ozone smell.
All these cause power loss; this whole process of partial breakdown of air around
conductor is called CORONA.
The actual voltage at which take place depends upon the density of air which itself
depends upon atmospheric pressure, temp. , height above sea level .etc, it also depends
upon the size and smoothness of conductor surface.
The critical electric field intensity E
o
at which corona begins by:

E
o
=
o m

o
2
10 3
6
.. (1)
Where : - density of air
M
o
: - conductor roughness factor whose value = 1 for smooth round solid
conductor. For standard conductors it varies from 0.93 to 0.98.
The air density is taken relative to that under standard of 20 c temp. and pressure 76 cm
of mercury The air density at any other temp. and pressure p is given by :-
= ( )
o
o
u +
+
273
20 | 273
76
p
=
u + 273
86 . 3 p
.(1a)

Electric Field Intensity at Conductor Surface
For a conductor of surface of radius r meters, the electric field intensity:-

r
q
r
E
o
tc 2
=
(2)
The voltage between the conductors of single phase line
r
D
q
v ln
o
tc
=
volts (3)
Where D : spacing
r : radius
substituting in equation 2


r
D
r
E r v ln 2 =
(4)
when Er reaches the value E
o
(given by equation 1) , the voltage v is called the
DISRUPTIVE CRITICAL VOLTAGE V
d
substituting the value of E
o
for E
r


r
D
m r ln v
2
10 6
d1
6
=

o |
o
.(5)

For a 3 line (symmetrical or unsymmetrical)

r
D
eq
ln v
2
q
o
tc
=
.(6)

Where D
eq
: equivalent symmetrical spaces
Comparing with eq. 2


r r
ln E r v
eq
D
=
.(7)
When Er become E
o
, corona occurs hence the disruptive critical voltage for 3 lines

r o
2
10 3
d3
ln m r v
6
eq
D
=

o
|
v(r.m.s).(8)
The value of electric field intensity at which corona can be seen the voltage is called
visual critical corona voltage . The intensity Ev at which it occurs is given by :


( )
r
03 . 0
v
2
10 3
v
1 m E
6

+ =
o
o
v\m.(9)
Where r: conductors radius in meter
Mv: surface factor for calculating visual corona voltage.
Substituting for Ev for single phase line

( )
r
r
03 . 0
v
2
10 6
v1
ln 1 m r v
6
D

+ =
o
|
o
.(10)
For 3 line

( )
r
D
r
03 . 0
v
2
10 3
v3
eq
6
ln 1 m r v

+ =
o
|
o
(11)

Power Loss Due to Corona given by empirical formula and depends mainly as the
ratio V\V
d
(1) Peeks Formula


( ) ( )
5
2
d D
r 25 f
c
10 v - v 5 . 243 P

+
=
o
kw/km/phase
Where V : phase voltage in kv (R.M.S)
V
d
: disruptive critical voltage kv (R.M.S) \ phase
r: conductor radius in meter
f: system frequency Hz
corona loss under bad whether conditions can be found by peeks formula by substituting
Vd for bad whether as 80% of Vd for good whether , when the V\V
d
ratio is low i.e. below
1 or 1.1 the Petersons formula is used where Pc is given by :

( )
F

=

2
r
D
2 6
c
ln
v f 10 21
P
Kw/km/phase

The value F depends upon the V\V
d
ratio and varies from 0.012 for V\V
d
= 0.6 to 0.08 for
V\V
d
=1.2

Example :-for a 250 km , 220 kv , 50 Hz ,3-ph transmission line as shown find 1- the
disruptive critical voltage v
d
2- visual critical voltage (local as well as general ) and 3-
power loss of the whole line under good and bad whether conditions . atmospheric
data : temp.=25
o
c , p =73 cm of Hg , conductor surface factor m
o
=0.84 ,
Conductor surface factor m
o
=0.84 2.226cm D
Irregularity surface factor m
v
for local corona = 0.72
Irregularity surface factor m
v
for general corona = 0.82 6m

Sol:
1: from the question data
r = 1.11310
-2
m
9456 . 0
275
p 86 . 3
= =
+u
o where p=73 , = 25
o
D
eq
= D = 6 m ,
m
o
= 0.84
( ) ( ) ( )
2
2
6
10 113 . 1
6
2
10 3
3
ln 84 . 0 9456 . 0 10 113 . 1 v

=
|
v
=117958.67 or 117.958 kv R.M.S/phase
2 : total visual corona voltage m
v
=0.92
( )
r
10 113 . 1 9456 . 0
03 . 0
2
2
10 3
v3
ln 1 72 . 0 9456 . 0 10 113 . 1 v
2
6
eq
D

+ =
|

=130674.14 or 130.674 kv R.M.S\phase
for general corona m
v
=0.82
( )
82 . 0 v
0.72
v
v3
corona local v3
=
|
|

= phase \ R.M.S kv 411 . 148
72 . 0
82 . 0 674 . 130
=

3 : Power loss due to corona ( peeks formula ) kv 127 v
3
220
= =
( ) ( )
5
d 6
10 113 . 1
9456 . 0
25 50
c
10 v 127 5 . 243 P
2

+
=

kw\km\ph
Using v
d
= 117.958 kv
P
c
=0.6738 kw\km\ph or total loss =25030.6738 = 505 kw
Under bad whether conditions v
d
=0.8(117.958) = 94.36 kv R.M.S
P
c
(bad whether) = ( ) ( ) 84 . 8 10 36 . 94 127 5 . 243
5 2
6
10 113 . 1
9456 . 0
75
2
=

kw\km\ph
Total line loss under bad whether
25038.84 = 6630 kw








Factors which affect corona loss
1-Effect of frequency: - corona loss is directly proportional to frequency, hence during the
period when freq. is high the loss is more.
2-Effect of system voltage: the corona loss being proportional to (v-v
d
)
2
,the loss increases
rapidly when system has over voltage conditions.
3-Effect of conductivity of air: the conductivity of air is more during the conditions of rain,
thunderstorm, etc. under these conditions the loss is higher than under normal conditions.
4-Effect of density of air: the ionization activity is much more when density of air is less
due to larger mean free path for atoms & molecules .hence in hills or mountains areas of
higher altitude corona loss is more than in areas near sea level.
5-Effect of corona radius: corona loss is inversely proportional to the conductor radius. For
larger diameter conductors the electric field intensity at surface is less. ACSR conductors
have more diameter than equivalent copper conductor hence the corona loss is lower with
ACSR conductors than with copper conductor. Corona loss in bundle conductors is much
less than that for single conductor for same reason.
6-Effect of surface conditions of conductor: corona loss is less for smooth conductor.
Conductor when new has more corona loss but as the oxidation of surface makes it smooth,
the loss becomes less.
7-Effect of load current: the I
2
R losses due to load current raise the temp. of cond.
sufficiently to prevent formation of no-load conditions.