CAPACITANCE OF TRANSMISSION LINES 55

2 0
=C= (3.43)
Va Dab Daa
ln
r Dab
Therefore, the capacitance of the single phase transmission line will be
0
C=
Dab Daa
ln
r Dab
Daa
From the expression for capacitance it is clear that since the ratio < 1, the effect of
Dab
earth on the capacitance of the system is to increase it. However, normally the distance of
separation between the conductors is much smaller than the height of the conductor above the
Daa
ground; therefore, the ratio ~ 1 and for all practical purposes the effect of earth can be
Dab
neglected.
3.7.2 Effect of Earth on the Capacitance of a 3-phase Line
Since the conductors along with their images are unsymmetrically spaced the capacitance
calculation will be made by transposing the lines (Fig. 3.11).
Again assuming a point P very far from the system the potential of conductor a in
position 1.

1 LM FD D D D IJ D FG D IJ FG IJ OP
Va =
2 0 MN GH
a ln a ln a + b ln b ln b + c ln c ln c
r Daa Dab K
Dab DacH Dac K H K PQ
=
1 LM ln D aa
+ b ln
Dab D
+ c ln ac
OP (3.44)
2 0
a
N r Dab Dac Q
a

c b

Dcc Daa

c b

Fig. 3.11 3-phase transmission line and its image.