J. Leman
POWER Engineers, ID, USA
Designing power transmission lines requires accounting for many factors: mechanical stress due to environmental conditions and hardware loads, performance testing, and--of course--electrical analysis. Transmission line hardware contains both insulating and conducting assemblies. One common electrical phenomenon is called corona discharge, which occurs when electric fields near the surfaces of insulating assemblies and high-voltage conductors cause the surrounding air molecules to ionize. This can cause electromagnetic interference, visible light, energy losses, and audible noise. In a project to reduce corona discharge in transmission lines, Jon Leman, a senior project engineer at the consulting firm POWER Engineers, Inc. used COMSOL Multiphysics to model an insulator assembly. His team used their simulation to determine the electric field strength and electric potential around different surfaces of the transmission line hardware. They used their results to predict which areas were most susceptible to corona discharge, and gained valuable knowledge about how insulator assembly designs can be modified for better performance.
Suggested Stories
Look Inside the Battery with COMSOL Multiphysics®
The key to designing high-performance, durable, and safe batteries is to first understand the battery technology and ...
Solving the Superconductor Teaching Challenge with Apps
Superconductors can be a challenging subject to teach. Explore how a professor is addressing this problem with an open ...
Radio-Frequency-Induced Heating of Medical Devices in MRI Systems
MED Institute Inc., a full-service contract research organization (CRO) for the medical device industry, is using ...
The Burning Need for Modeling
Riello Burners manufactures high-efficiency low maintenance burners for use in residential and commercial heating ...
