Proceedings of the WSEAS International Conference on ENVIRONMENT, MEDICINE and HEALTH SCIENCES

Magnetic Field Around The New 400kV OH Power

Transmission Lines In Libya
JAMAL M. EHTAIBA *
SAYEH M. ELHABASHI **
Organization for Development of Administrative Centers, ODAC
MISURATA / LIBYA
* EHTAIBA_J@YAHOO.CO.UK
** ELHABASHI_S@YAHOO.COM

Abstract:- In this paper, the magnetic field produced around a 400kV over-head power transmission lines recently
commissioned in Libya will be analytically computed. The approximate computations will be done using the image
method and applying Ampere's (Biot-Savart’s) law considering quasi-static fields and an infinite line sources
parallel to a perfectly conducting flat ground plane. The computation domain considered is the 2D free space in
the lateral directions perpendicular to the line conductors at 1 and 4m above ground level. The objective of this
work is to investigate how safe is the transmission corridor limits (±30m, ROW edges) set by the Libyan
government and to account for public awareness. The way of investigation is simply by comparing the field levels
to the electromagnetic fields exposure level limit standards set by the ICNIRP. The resulted field values
considering different loads are much less than the general public exposure level limit (B=100 μT) recommended by
the ICNIRP.

Keywords: high voltage; magnetic field; transmission corridor; right of way; exposure limit; ICNIRP.

1. Introduction the corridor width (Right Of Way, ROW) that extends

30 meters from both sides of the center-line of a high
voltage transmission lines. The international
High voltage power transmission lines in Libya
standards for public exposure limits as set by the
covers and extends nearly to the whole places where
ICNIRP [7], are 5kV/m for the electric field and
industry growing and people live. The maximum
100μT for the magnetic field.
high voltage used for over-transmission of power is
In a previous work [1], the electric field intensity
the 400-KV 50Hz system with single and double
around the same 400kV power transmission line
circuits with triple bundled conductors. The
system was computed analytically using static laws
electromagnetic fields generated around high-voltage
of electromagnetic. In this work, the static technique
lines in general have received many investigations
will also be used to analytically compute the
concerning their intensities and their influence to
magnetic flux density, B, in 2D using Ampere's law
human beings. In some places, especially where
(Biot-Savart) [2]. To simplify the integration of the
people live just under or near by these lines, the
field components around the charged lines, the ϕ-
awareness of the effects of the fields produced by
these lines becomes a serious problem. Neither the component of the magnetic flux density will be
Libyan government nor any other nongovernmental decomposed into two x- and y- components in a
local organization has set any exposure level limits to Cartesian coordinate system assuming power
electromagnetic fields. The government has set only transmission is along the z-direction.

2. Magnetic Field Formulation  o Id l  aR

dB  (1)
4R 2
The differential element dl of the line current shown
in Figure (1), assuming thin wire, makes a
differential magnetic flux density dB given by [3][5]

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 Proceedings of the WSEAS International Conference on ENVIRONMENT, MEDICINE and HEALTH SCIENCES

y y
-
dl
point(x',y',z')
I x.o
ay
I
R dB

+ point(x,y,0)
ax y. o
az
z=0-plane
aR
x x
Grou
nd
z
z y. o

-I
x.o

(a) (b)

Fig.1 Geometry of a thin wire carrying a current I and the differential quasi-static
magnetic field produced in the z=0 plane due to a differential element dl.
a) 3D view, b) line cross-section view and its image.

As shown in the figure in the computation space B  B x2  B y2 (7)

defined by z=0 plane and the perfectly conducting
ground plate in this paper. Integration of the overall
differential contributions dB's due to the differential
elements dl's over the line current and its image from 3. Results and discussion
–∞ to +∞ gives the total magnetic flux density B, as
follows: The magnetic flux density generated around the
50Hz, 400kV single- and double-circuits power
 transmission lines described above is analyzed and
 o Id l  aR
B  4R 2
 B x ax  B y ay (3) computed in the aforementioned way. The
 computations where done for 1.0 and 4.0m above
ground in the z=0 plane (mid-span) for the two real
Where for n conductors: line systems shown in Figure (2). The computer
program results are shown in Figure (5a,b,c,d) for the
n n single and double circuits. The field quantities were
Bx   B xi & By  B yi
(4) assumed quasi-static fields and computed on this
basis at discrete time instances corresponds to a
i 1 i 1 maximum value along a full time period. The
magnetic flux density was calculated twice for
Bxi 
 I i   y  y i '  y  y i '  different minimum possible clearances of the line
  2
2  x  xi '   y  yi '
2 2
x  xi '   y  yi ' 
2 conductors, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 meters for line
currents 215A and 1000A.
(5)
For the single circuit line configuration system, the
results for line currents of 215A shows a maximum
B yi 
 I i   x  x i ' 
 x  x i '  magnetic flux density values within the transmission
 
2  x  xi '2   y  y i '2 x  xi '2   y  y i '2  corridor of 8.4313μT and 11.5136μT at 1 and 4m
(6) above ground respectively. The maximum values at
The magnitude of the magnetic flux density is then: 1000A line currents are 39.2155μT and 53.5518μT at
1 and 4m above ground respectively. The maximum

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 Proceedings of the WSEAS International Conference on ENVIRONMENT, MEDICINE and HEALTH SCIENCES

magnetic flux density outside the transmission the maximum magnetic flux density, B, is 92.15%
corridor (at the ROW edges) is less than 1.4μT at and 89.29%, respectively, less than the ICNIRP
215A line currents, and less than 6.4μT at 1000A line exposure level limit for the 1 and 4m heights above
currents; which are about 98.6% and 93.6%, ground level respectively. For line currents of 215A,
respectively, below the general public exposure level these percentages go even higher those in case of
limit, 100μT, set by the ICNIRP. Within the 1000A line current.
transmission corridor, and for line currents of 1000A,

e a r th w ir e

e a r th w ir e e a r th w ir e
R

6 .2 7 5 m 6 .2 7 5 m
R R

S 5 .7 5 m 5 .7 5 m

R T S S

7 .0 5 m 7 .0 5 m
1 1 .3 8 m 1 1 .3 8 m
h 2+ 34 m
T T
h 1 + 9 .5 7 m h 2+ 24 m 6 .2 5 m 6 .2 5 m

h1 h 2+ 12 m
h 1+ 1 m

h2

(a) (b)

Fig.2 a) single-circuit, 400kv 3-conductors/phase, 2-earth wires; b) Double-circuit, 400kv 3-

conductors/phase, 1-earth wire. Bundled conductors are equispaced by s=40cm.

For the double circuit line configuration system, currents of 215A, these percentages go higher than
the results for line currents of 215A shows a those for 1000A line currents. Outside the
maximum magnetic flux density values within the transmission corridor, the maximum average
transmission corridor of 8.3074μT and 10.7735μT at magnetic flux density is 1.28μT and 5.96μT for 215A
1 and 4m above ground respectively. The maximum and 1000A line currents respectively. The table
values at 1000A line currents are 38.6392μT and below shows the maximum magnetic flux density
50.1093μT at 1 and 4m above ground level within and outside the transmission corridor.
respectively. The maximum magnetic flux density
outside the transmission corridor (at the ROW edges)
is less than 1.31μT at 215A line currents, and less
than 6.1μT at 1000A line currents; which are about
98.69% and 93.9% below the general public
exposure level limit set by the ICNIRP. Within the
transmission corridor, and for line currents of 1000A,
the magnetic flux density, B, is 92.27% and 89.98%
less than the ICNIRP exposure level limit for the 1
and 4m heights above ground respectively. For line

Single circuit at y(m) Double circuit at y(m) For single-Circuit at For double-circuit at
Max.Field
quantity above ground above ground -30 > x > +30 -30 > x > +30
1m 4m 1m 4m 1m 4m 1m 4m
B(μT), Io=215A 8.4313 11.5136 8.3074 10.7735 1.3620 1.3545 1.2543 1.3080

B(μT), Io=1000A 39.2155 53.5518 38.6392 50.1093 6.3347 6.3001 5.8338 6.0839

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 Proceedings of the WSEAS International Conference on ENVIRONMENT, MEDICINE and HEALTH SCIENCES

400kv Single-circuit magnetic flux density vs lateral distance x 400kv Single-circuit magnetic flux density vs lateral distance x
10 12
1.0m above ground 4.0m above ground
Line current=Io=215A Line current=Io=215A

8 10
H min= 8m
magnetic flux density, (T)

magnetic flux density, (T)

H min= 8m 8
6
6 H min= 10m

H min= 10m
4
H min= 12m 4 H min= 12m

H min= 14m H min= 14m

2 H min= 16m H min= 16m
2

0 0
-50 -30 0 30 50 -50 -30 0 30 50
Lateral distance, x (meters) Lateral distance, x (meters)

400kv Double-circuit magnetic flux density vs lateral distance x 400kv Double-circuit magnetic flux density vs lateral distance x
10 12
1.0m above ground 4.0m above ground
Line current=Io=215A Line current=Io=215A

8 H min= 8m 10
H min= 8m
magnetic flux density, (T)

magnetic flux density, (T)

H min= 10m
8 H min= 10m
6 H min= 12m

H min= 14m 6 H min= 12m

4 H min= 16m H min= 14m

4 H min= 16m

2
2

0 0
-50 -30 0 30 50 -50 -30 0 30 50
Lateral distance, x (meters) Lateral distance, x (meters)

(a) (b)

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 Proceedings of the WSEAS International Conference on ENVIRONMENT, MEDICINE and HEALTH SCIENCES

400kv Single-circuit magnetic flux density vs lateral distance x 400kv Single-circuit magnetic flux density vs lateral distance x
40 60
1.0m above ground 4.0m above ground
Line current=Io=1000A Line current=Io=1000A

50
30 H min= 8m H min= 8m
magnetic flux density, (T)

magnetic flux density, (T)

40

20 H min= 10m
30 H min= 10m

H min= 12m

H min= 14m
20 H min= 12m

10 H min= 16m H min= 14m

10 H min= 16m

0 0
-50 -30 0 30 50 -50 -30 0 30 50
Lateral distance, x (meters) Lateral distance, x (meters)

400kv Double-circuit magnetic flux density vs lateral distance x 400kv Double-circuit magnetic flux density vs lateral distance x
40 60
H min= 8m 1.0m above ground 4.0m above ground
Line current=Io=1000A Line current=Io=1000A

H min= 10m
50
30
magnetic flux density, (T)

magnetic flux density, (T)

H min= 8m
H min= 12m
40
H min= 10m
H min= 14m

20 H min= 16m
30 H min= 12m

H min= 14m

20 H min= 16m

10
10

0 0
-50 -30 0 30 50 -50 -30 0 30 50
Lateral distance, x (meters) Lateral distance, x (meters)

(c) (d)

Fig.(3): a) MF around single & double circuits 400kV TLs, 1m above ground, Io=215A.
b) MF around single & double circuits 400kV TLs, 4m above ground, Io=215A.
c) MF around single & double circuits 400kV TLs, 1m above ground, Io=1000A.
d) MF around single & double circuits 400kV TLs, 4m above ground, Io=1000A.

4. Conclusion
Analytical computation of the magnetic flux lines are decaying as the distance increases after the
density around 400kV overhead power transmission outer line conductors, the maximum magnetic field
lines of certain configuration was the main objective values in the general public area (outside the
of this work. Computer programs have been used to transmission corridor specified by the ±30m off the
simulate the magnetic flux density in a 2D plane center line) are those at exactly the ROW edges.
space. A comparison of the computed field values to These field values as compared to the ICNIRP
the ICNIRP international standards was the second standards for exposure limits to Mf are too weak to
step to see whether the magnetic field constitutes cause any health effects. Consequently, more safe
health risks or not according to some specific areas are guaranteed as we go far away from the
magnetic field reference level. Because magnetic ROW edges. For workers in the occupational area,
fields produced around overhead power transmission the magnetic field strength increases as they go

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 Proceedings of the WSEAS International Conference on ENVIRONMENT, MEDICINE and HEALTH SCIENCES

closer to the line conductors where risk increases and an increase in the minimum clearance of the line
the magnetic field reaches its maximum. The results conductors.
also show a noticeable decrease of the field values by

References:

[1] S. M. Elhabashi, and Jamal E. Ehtaiba, “Electric

Field Intensity Around the New 400kV Power
Transmission Lines In Libya”, WSEAS Proc. On
CSECS 2007.
[2] Walter L. Weeks, "Transmission And Distribution
of Electrical Energy", Harper & Row, 1981.
[3]Carl T. A. Johnk,"Engineering Electromagnetic
Fields & Waves", Wiley international edition, 1975.
[4] A. A. Dahab; W. S. Abu-Elhaija and F. K.
Amoura; "Acomparative study of electric fields
beneath compact and non-compact transmission
lines"; Int. Journal of Electrical Engineering
Education, 2007, 44 pt1, pp 76-83.
[5] A. Marincu; M. Greconici; and S. Musuroi, "The
electromagnetic field around a high voltage 400kV
electrical overhead lines and the influence on the
biological systems", FACTA University, Department
of electrical engineering, April 2005, pp105-111.
[6]LI Li; GAO Yougang;"Analysis of magnetic field
environment near high voltage transmission lines",
International Conference on Comm. Tech., ICCT'98,
Oct.22-24, 1998, Beijing, China.
[7] ICNIRP Guidelines, "Guidelines for limiting
exposure to time-varying electric, magnetic, and
electromagnetic fields, up to 300GHz", ICNIRP,
1998.

ISSN: 1790-5125 22 ISBN: 978-960-474-170-0