Electromagnetic pulse interaction with multiconductor transmission lines

ABSTRACT This paper deals with the study of transients in multiconductor lines excited by interfering plane wave disturbances. By means of the telegrapher's equation model, we derive a general expression for the Laplace transform of the end voltages and currents and show that it. depends on the line characteristics, on the geometry of the interfering wave, and on the terminal loads, which are assumed to contain linear non-reactive elements. Additional assumptions lead to expressions that can be analytically transformed in the time domain. These closed-form results, despite their apparent limited applicability, provide a useful insight into the electromagnetic mechanisms of the interferences and constitute a valid check for more complex all-numerical simulations. Finally, we present the results of a computer program that can handle lines with sufficiently general characteristics (e.g., losses, finite conductivity of the ground, and pulses of arbitrary shape).