Characteristics of the magnetic field under hybrid ac/dc high voltage transmission lines

Abstract In recent years, the possibility for ac and dc transmission lines running parallel to each other, sharing the same right-of-way (ROW) or even the same-tower has increased. Design of such hybrid ac/dc networks requires a precise calculation of the magnetic field around and under them. This paper presents quantitative analysis of the magnetic field at 1-m height above ground surface for different hybrid ac/dc transmission lines. Lateral profiles for typical 275, 132 (running in Kuwait), 500, 220 and 132 kV (running in Egypt) ac transmission lines after adding bipolar dc lines are presented. The magnetic vector potential concept, as extended to multi-conductor transmission lines employing the superposition principle is used to model and calculate the RMS values of the magnetic field generated by the hybrid ac/dc lines at any point in the space. The RMS values of the field are determined directly without dividing the ac supply cycle into a sufficient number of subintervals. The presented graphs are useful for setting the maximum allowable ac and dc line current magnitudes, for existing lines, corresponding to a certain safe level of the magnetic field at the edge of right-of-way.