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Transmission Line Losses

There are three main types of losses that occur in transmission lines: copper losses, dielectric losses, and radiation/induction losses. Copper losses, also known as I2R losses, result from the resistance of the conductor and increase with frequency due to the skin effect. Dielectric losses are proportional to voltage across the dielectric material and increase with frequency. Radiation and induction losses can be reduced by terminating the line with a resistive load that matches the characteristic impedance and by using coaxial cables with grounded outer conductors to provide shielding.

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164 views1 page

Transmission Line Losses

There are three main types of losses that occur in transmission lines: copper losses, dielectric losses, and radiation/induction losses. Copper losses, also known as I2R losses, result from the resistance of the conductor and increase with frequency due to the skin effect. Dielectric losses are proportional to voltage across the dielectric material and increase with frequency. Radiation and induction losses can be reduced by terminating the line with a resistive load that matches the characteristic impedance and by using coaxial cables with grounded outer conductors to provide shielding.

Uploaded by

LG TV
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Transmission Line Losses

Whenever the electrical characteristics of lines are explained, the lines are often
thought of as being loss-free. Although this allows for simple and more readily under-
stood explanations, the losses in practical lines cannot be ignored. Three major losses
occur in transmission lines: copper losses, dielectric losses, and radiation or induction
losses.
The resistance of any conductor is never zero ohms. When current flows through
a transmission line, energy is dissipated in the form of I2R losses. A reduction in resist-
ance will minimize the power loss in the line. The resistance is indirectly proportional
to the cross-sectional area. Keeping the line as short as possible will decrease the
resistance and the I2R loss. The use of a wire with a large cross-sectional area is also
desirable; however, this method has its limitations, partly because of increased cost
and weight.
At high frequencies the I2R loss results mainly from the skin effect. When a dc cur-
rent flows through a conductor, the movement of electrons through its cross section is
uniform. The situation is somewhat different when ac is applied because the flux density
is greater at the center of a conductor than it is at the outer edge. Therefore, the induct-
ance and inductive reactances are greater, causing lower current in the center and more
along the outer edge. This effect increases with frequency. Forcing current to the edge
effectively reduces the cross-sectional area and, therefore, the area of the conductor
through which current can flow. Resistance increases because it is inversely proportional
to cross-sectional area. This increase in resistance is called skin effect. At frequencies in
the high UHF and microwave regions, skin effect becomes great enough that wires can no
longer be used to carry current. At these frequencies, single-conductor “pipes” called
waveguides are used to couple or guide the energy from source to load.

Dielectric losses are proportional to the voltage 140


across the dielectric. They increase with frequency and, RG-58/U
when coupled with skin-effect losses, limit most practical 120
RG-59/U
operation to a maximum frequency of about 18 GHz.
U

100
4/
/U

These losses are lowest when air dielectric lines are used.
Attenuation (dB/km)

-1
-62

RG

In many cases the use of a solid dielectric is required, for 80


RG

/U
example, in the flexible coaxial cable, and if losses are to -19
RG
be minimized, an insulation with a low dielectric constant 60
is used. Polyethylene allows the construction of a flexible
40
cable whose dielectric losses, though higher than air, are
still much lower than the losses that occur with other types 20
of low-cost dielectrics. Because I2R losses and dielectric
losses are proportional to length, they are usually lumped
0
together and expressed in decibels of loss per meter. The 200 400 600 800 1000
loss versus frequency effects for some common lines are Frequency (MHz)
shown in Figure 12-11.
The electrostatic and electromagnetic fields that surround a conductor also cause FIGURE 12-11 Line
attenuation characteristics.
losses in transmission lines. The action of the electrostatic fields is to charge neighboring
objects, while the changing magnetic field induces an electromagnetic force (EMF) in
nearby conductors. In either case, energy is lost.
Radiation and induction losses may be greatly reduced by terminating the line with a
resistive load equal to the line’s characteristic impedance and by properly shielding the
line. Proper shielding can be accomplished by the use of coaxial cables with the outer con-
ductor grounded. The problem of radiation loss is of consequence, therefore, only for
parallel-wire transmission lines.

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