Waves on Transmission

Lines

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 Transmission lines
• A transmission line is used for the transmission of electrical power from
generating substation to the various distribution units. It transmits the wave of
voltage and current from one end to another.
• Any transmission line can be simply represented by a pair of parallel wires into
one end of which power is fed by an a.c. generator.

Transmission line

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Wave equations for both voltage and
current in a transmission line
• In the deriving the wave equation, a short element of the line is considered.
• Transmission line parameters are composed of resistance, inductance,
conductance and capacitance.
• The flowing currents gives rise to the combined inductance L0 H per unit length.
• Between the lines, which form a capacitor, there is an electrical capacitance C0 F
per unit length.
• Resistance in the line is represented by R0  per unit length.
• Conductance due to an imperfect insulating property of the insulator between the
two conductors can be designated as G0 S per unit length.

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 Distributed element in a transmission line

These parameters vary according to the type of line.

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Ideal or lossless transmission line
• In the absence of any resistance and conductance; i.e. R 0 = G0 =0, only
L0 and C0 completely describe the line, which is known as ideal or
lossless.
• Representation of element of an ideal
transmission line length dx.
• The inductance of the element is L0dx
and capacitance of the element is C0dx.

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Derivation of the voltage and current waves
• CURRENT WAVE EQUATION
VOLTAGE WAVE EQUATION
• If the rate of change of current per unit length at
• If the rate of change of voltage per unit length constant time is I/x, there is a loss of current
at constant time is V/x. along the length dx of -(I/x)dx.
• The voltage difference between the ends of the • The loss is because some current has charged the
element dx is (V/x)dx, which is equals the capacitance C0dx of the line to a voltage V.
voltage drop from the inductance -(L0dx)I/t • If the amount
V I dq  of charge is q = (C0dx)V,
dx   L0 dx  dI   C0 dx V ; differential current through C
x t dt t
V I I  I 
  L0  dx  C0 dx V    C0V
x t • So that x t x t

• Since 2/xt = 2/tx, a pure wave equation • Since 2/xt = 2/tx, a pure wave equation for
for the voltage with a velocity of propagation the current with a velocity of propagation given by
given by 2V 2V v2 = 1/L0C0 is
L0C0 2 I 2 I
v2 = 1/L0C0 is x 2 L0C0 2
t 2 x 2
t
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Coaxial cables

• Many transmission lines are made in

the form of coaxial cables.
• The structure of the cables are
composed of a cylinder of dielectric
material having one conductor along
its axis and the other surrounding its
outer surface.

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Inductance per unit length and conductance
per unit length of coaxial cable

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Characteristic impedance Z0
• The ratio of the voltage to the current in the waves travelling along the
cable is
V L
Z 0  0
I C0

• Z0 is defined as the characteristic impedance if the impedance is seen by the

waves moving down an infinitely long cable.
• The impedance of the coaxial
L cable
1  canb 1be 1written
0 b as
Z  0 
0 ln  ln
C0 2  a 2 r 0 a
0
where 376.6  and r 1
0

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 Characteristic impedance of a
transmission line (1)
• Recall the wave equations of voltage and current waves
2V 2V 2 I 2 I
2
L0C0 2 2
L0C0
x t x t 2
• The solutions for travelling wave propagating in the positive direction are givens as
2
V V0 sin vt  x  “+” refers to a wave moving in
Both travelling waves are in phase. 
2 the positive x-direction.
I  I 0 sin vt  x 

• The voltage and current relates to each other via (V/x) = -(L0dx)I/t: the voltage
drops across an element length dx.
• This gives V vL0 I 

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 Characteristic impedance of a
transmission line (2)
V
• Subsequently, this gives L0
vL0  Z 0
I C0
1  b
Z0  ln
• The value of Z0 for the coaxial cable is found
2 to
 bea

• In common with the specific acoustic impedance, a negative sign is

introduced to the ratio when the waves are travelling in the
negative x-direction.
• When waves are travellingVinVboth   Vdirections along the transmission
line, the total voltage and current
I I   Iat
 any point will be given by

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Reflection from the end of a transmission line

• Suppose that transmission line of characteristic impedance Z 0 has a finite

length and that the end opposite that of the generator is terminated by a load
of impedance ZL.
Travelling wave to the right

Travelling wave to the left

• Provided that the boundary condition at Z L must be V++V- = VL, where VL is

the voltage across the load and I++I- =IL.
• In addition, V+/V- = Z0, V-/I- = -Z0 and VL/IL = ZL.
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 • Voltage amplitude • Current amplitude
coefficient coefficient

• Reflection coefficient • Reflection coefficient

V Z L  Z 0 I  Z0  Z L
 
V Z L  Z 0 I  Z L  Z0
• Transmission coefficient
• Transmission coefficient
VL 2Z L IL 2Z0
 
V Z L  Z 0 I  Z L  Z0

It is clear that if the line is terminated by a load ZL = Z0, its characteristic impedance, the line
is matched, all the energy propagating down the line is absorbed and there is no reflected wave.
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 Derivation of the reflection coefficient
V Z L  Z 0
• Starting with V++V- = VL and I++I- =IL , derive 
V Z L  Z 0

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Solution

1
load impedance Z L R  iX c R  i
2 fC
1
=50  i
 
2 108 10 11 
=50  i159
V Z L  Z 0 50  i159   100
reflection coefficient = 
V Z L  Z 0 50  i159   100

=0.77e
 
i 590

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Short circuited transmission line (Z L = 0)

• If the ends of the transmission line are short circuited,

VL we
Vhave
 V 0
• This gives V+ = -V and there is total reflection with a phase change of .

• This is the condition for the existence of standing waves.

• The figure shows that the voltage and current standing waves are out of phase
in space by 900.
• In addition, both of them are also out of phase by 900 in time.
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Derivation of the voltage and current standing
waves at any point along the transmission line.
• At any position x on the line, the two voltage waves may be written as
V Z 0 I  V0e 
i t  kx 

V  Z 0 I  V0 e 
i t kx 

• With the total reflection and  phase shift, V0+ = -V0-,

 
Vx V  V  V0 e  ikx  eikx eit  i  2V0eit sin kx
• The total voltage at x is

I x  I   I   
• The total current at x is Z0
e  
V0  ikx ikx it 2V0 it
e e 
Z0
e cos kx

• Can you see the phase difference between voltage and current in space and time?
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Effect of resistance in a transmission line

• In practice, some resistance always exists in the wires which will be

responsible for energy losses.
• The transmission line is supposed to have a series resistance R 0  per
unit length and a short circuiting or shunting resistance between the wire.
• The inverse shunt resistance is represented as a shunt conductance G 0
(siemens per meter).
• Current will now leak across the transmission line because the dielectric
is not perfect.

Real transmission line element includes a series resistance R0  per unit length and
a shunt conductance G0 S per unit length
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 Travelling waves in a transmission line
with resistance (1)
• Recall the voltage and current changes across the line element length dx in
case of lossless line, V  L0 I and I   C0V
x t x t

V I
• Now, adding
x
the
 L
t
-R0 I   RR
0 resistance 00
i0 L0 conductance
and I, G0 to the equation,
I 
 C0V  G0V  G0  iC0 V ; where V V0eit and I I 0eit Attenuation or
x t
absorption
coefficient
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Propagation
V I constant
  R0  i L0   R0  i L0 G0  i C0 V  2
V
• Inserting /x
x into one of the above equation gives
2 x Wave
where  2  R0  i L0 G0  iC0  which may be written as  =  ik number

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 Travelling waves in a transmission line
with resistance (2)
• Similarly, the differential equation for the current may written as
2 I V
 G0  iC0  R0  i L0 G0  iC0  I  2 I
x 2 x

2V
 2V
• It is clear that the solutions for x-dependence
x 2 of are
of the form   x  x
V  Ae or V Be ;where A and B are constants.

• The completesolution with the time-dependence term exp(it) may be

V  Ae   x  Be  x eit  Ae   x e 
i t  kx 
 Be x e 
i t kx 

written as
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• Voltage and current waves in both directions along a transmission line with resistance.
• The effect of the dissipation term is shown by the exponentially decaying wave in each
direction.
• Note that, the behavior of the current wave I is exactly similar.
 
2
 x
e
• Since power is the product VI, the power loss with distance varies as

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Characteristic impedance of a
transmission line with resistance
• Let’s consider one of the solution to the equation 2I/x2 = 2I,
I  Ae   x ;the current wave in the positive x-direction.

• Recall
I
x
 G0  iC0 V  
  Ae   x  G0  iC0 V
, this leads to

R0  i L0 G0  iC0     x  Similarly,

• Or G0  iC0 
Ae  V

 I 
  
V
  
R0  i L0   Z 
V
 
R0  i L0  Z  I G0  iC0  0

I G0  iC0  0

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