GTD EEE55 Mohan B S
GENERATION, TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
Course Code: EEE55
MODULE 5
CORONA
Corona
The phenomenon of violet glow, hissing noise and production of ozone gas in an overhead transmission line is
known as corona.
When an alternating potential difference is applied across two conductors whose spacing is large as compared to
their diameters, there is no apparent change in the condition of atmospheric air surrounding the wires if the
applied voltage is low. However, when the applied voltage exceeds a certain value, called critical disruptive
voltage, the conductors are surrounded by a faint violet glow called corona.
The phenomenon of corona is accompanied by a hissing sound, production of ozone, power loss and radio
interference. The higher the voltage is raised, the larger and higher the luminous envelope becomes, and greater
are the sound, the power loss and the radio noise. If the applied voltage is increased to breakdown value, a flash-
over will occur between the conductors due to the breakdown of air insulation.
Theory of corona formation.
Some ionization is always present in air due to cosmic rays, ultraviolet radiations and radioactivity. Therefore,
under normal conditions, the air around the conductors contains some ionised 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 ionisation is
cummulative. The result of this ionisation is that either corona is formed or spark takes place between the
conductors.
FACTORS AFFECTING CORONA
(i) Atmosphere. As corona is formed due to ionsiation of air surrounding the conductors, therefore, 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 that a
solid conductor.
NHCE, Bangalore Dept of EEE AY: 2019-2020
GTD EEE55 Mohan B S
(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. The line voltage greatly affects corona. 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.
CRITICAL DISRUPTIVE VOLTAGE
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:
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,
VISUAL CRITICAL VOLTAGE
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 :
NHCE, Bangalore Dept of EEE AY: 2019-2020
GTD EEE55 Mohan B S
POWER LOSS DUE TO CORONA
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
Corona has many advantages and disadvantages. In the correct design of a high voltage overhead line, a balance
should be struck between the advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
(i) 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 electrostatic stresses between the conductors.
(ii) Corona reduces the effects of transients produced by surges.
Disadvantages
(i) Corona is accompanied by a loss of energy. This affects the transmission efficiency of the line.
(ii) Ozone is produced by corona and may cause corrosion of the conductor due to chemical action.
(iii) 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 neighbouring communication lines.
METHODS OF REDUCING CORONA EFFECT
It has been seen that intense corona effects are observed at a working voltage of 33 kV or above. Therefore,
careful design should be made to avoid corona on the sub-stations or bus-bars rated for 33 kV and higher
voltages otherwise highly ionised air may cause flash-over in the insulators or between the phases, causing
considerable damage to the equipment. The corona effects can be reduced by the following methods :
(i) By increasing conductor size. By increasing conductor size, the voltage at which corona occurs is raised and
hence corona effects are considerably reduced. This is one of the reasons that ACSR conductors which have a
larger cross-sectional area are used in transmission lines.
(ii) By increasing conductor spacing. By increasing the spacing between conductors, the voltage at which
corona occurs is raised and hence corona effects can be eliminated. However, spacing cannot be increased too
much otherwise the cost of supporting structure (e.g., bigger cross arms and supports) may increase to a
considerable extent.
NHCE, Bangalore Dept of EEE AY: 2019-2020
GTD EEE55 Mohan B S
PROBLEMS
1. A 3-phase line has conductors 2 cm in diameter spaced equilaterally 1 m apart. If the dielectric strength of air
is 30 kV (max) per cm, find the disruptive critical voltage for the line. Take air density factor δ = 0·952 and
irregularity factor mo = 0·9.
2. A 132 kV line with 1·956 cm dia. conductors is built so that corona takes place if the line voltage exceeds 210
kV (r.m.s.). If the value of potential gradient at which ionisation occurs can be taken as 30 kV per cm, find the
spacing between the conductors.
3. A 3-phase, 220 kV, 50 Hz transmission line consists of 1·5 cm radius conductor spaced 2 metres apart in
equilateral triangular formation. If the temperature is 40ºC and atmospheric pressure is 76 cm, calculate the
corona loss per km of the line. Take mo = 0·85.
NHCE, Bangalore Dept of EEE AY: 2019-2020
GTD EEE55 Mohan B S
4. A certain 3-phase equilateral transmission line has a total corona loss of 53 kW at 106 kV and a loss of 98 kW
at 110·9 kV. What is the disruptive critical voltage? What is the corona loss at 113 kV?
NHCE, Bangalore Dept of EEE AY: 2019-2020