Field reduction simulation based on covered conductors design in medium voltage lines

Abstract

This research presents a numerical study of the economic design of the medium voltage overhead transmission lines based on the maximum reduction in the electric field in the studied domain using the Finite Element method (FEM). Seven different cases of bare and covered conductors with cross-link polyethylene (XLPE) material are used to investigate the field reduction. Three bare conductors – three covered conductors – and one bear with two covered conductors - one covered conductor with two bare are simulated using the concept of FEM considering the distance between the conductors to be 1 and 0.5 ​m. The ratio of the field reduction is comparing the maximum field value in the domain resulting from each case with the fundamental one. The fundamental is the case of three bare conductor. The results showed that the maximum value of the field reduction is existing in case of one bare and two covered conductors with distance 0.5 ​m. The field reduction in this case reaches 0.9646 of the fundamental value. The electric field is simulated by the concept of FEM using COMSOL Multiphysics with LiveLink™ for SOLIDWORKS system design.

Keywords

• Covered conductors
• Bare conductor
• Field reduction
• Overhead transmission line design
• Medium voltage
• Finite element method