Skin Effect and Proximity Effect in Polyphase Systems of Rectangular Conductors Calculated on an RC Network

Abstract

The parameters of polyphase transmission lines consisting of two or three equal parallel rectangular conductors are calculated for low and high frequencies. An analog RC network with about 3300 nodes has been built which allows the diffusion equation and Laplace's equation in an infinite plane to be solved, and which lends itself favorably to the method of virtual displacement, too. From measurements on this network, the coefficients of resistance and internal inductance per unit length are given for the even and odd modes of two-conductor transmission lines and for Clarke's ?-s-0 components of three-conductor transmission lines. The results can be used to calculate the influence of proximity effect on resistive and inductive losses in busbar systems and cables with rectangular conductors carrying arbitrary phase currents. Besides these results, methods are indicated to determine the capacitance per unit length, the electric and magnetic fields, and the magnetic forces between current-carrying conductors by means of the analog network. It is believed that the method for direct measurement of serial losses and the curves in Figs. 4?10 for the proximity effect of rectangular conductors are new.