Corona Discharge Impact Suppression in Ultra High Voltage Using a Novel Mechanism With Dielectric Oil

Ultra-high voltage at transmission systems enables to reduce the electrical power losses due to the Joule effect. However, if the environment is not the proper (i.e., polluted, high humidity, high temperatures, etc.) this fact may lead to an air ionization causing a Corona discharge. As a result, electromagnetic parameters in the transmission line may be affected causing reduction in power transfer capacity on the line, or in critical situations, it may cause interruption of the electrical service. To face these challenges, this manuscript presents an innovative mechanism that can be attached to the transmission lines and suppress the impact due to the Corona discharge. Such mechanism contains dielectric oil that is released when the Corona discharge takes place, producing an isolated layer that protects the line from the high electrical fields. The manuscript includes the quantification of the impact of the Corona discharge on the electrical features of the transmission line through COMSOL Multiphysics 5.6 software. Then, the impact of the Corona discharge and the line are modelled as a two-port network in such a way that the operation of the line is analyzed in a circle power diagram. The results reveal that the incorporation of the innovative mechanism reduces or mitigates (in the best-case scenario) the impact of the Corona discharge, opening a pathway to future applications in the power systems protection field.

Automated summary

This paper introduces an innovative mechanism that can suppress the impact of Corona discharge in ultra-high voltage transmission systems, protecting the line from high electrical fields and improving power transfer capacity. Through quantification and modeling analysis of the impact of Corona discharge on transmission lines, the study shows that the mechanism can effectively reduce or mitigate the impact of Corona discharge, opening up new possibilities for future applications in the field of power systems protection.