Measuring and simulation of magnetic field generated by high voltage overhead transmission lines

Abstract

Overhead transmission lines produce significant Magnetic Fields (MF).MF impact is crucial for Overhead Transmission lines (OTL) design because of health concerns regarding radiation effects because they can induce electrical currents within the human body. This paper presents the MF measurement results underneath OTL in two different locations and periods in Malaysia. The first site consisted of two 132 kV double-circuit transmission lines, while the second site contained a 132 kV double-circuit line and a 132 kV quadruple-circuit system. The measurements are conducted in December 2023 and February 2024. The measured MF levels are presented via graphs to facilitate the localization of zones with high-intensity MF. The study found that areas beneath the transmission lines with the highest levels of MF intensities were identified by analyzing the measured results. In the first site, for both double and quadruple circuits, the maximum RMS magnetic flux density level is 2.81 μT, and in the second site, for double circuits is 3.5 μT. For validation of the measurement results, MF is simulated using ANSYS Electronics based on IEEE standards, CIGRE, and other researchers. The measurement outcomes closely matched the simulated MF with very few errors for both double-circuit and quadruple-circuit measurements, as well as for two double-circuit measurements. The simulated and measured MFs were compared with the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) limit in occupational and general exposure values. The study found that the measurement outcome closely matched the simulated MF under the ICNIRP limit.

Keywords

• Overhead transmission lines
• Magnetic fields
• Double-circuit
• Quadruple-circuit
• ICNIRP limit