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Line voltage from disc voltages of 4-disc string

Short answer

Given V2=13.2 kV and V3=18.2 kV, solving V3 = V2 + m(V1+V2) with V2 = V1(1+m) yields m = 0.2072. Then V1 = 10.94 kV, V4 = 26.97 kV, string phase voltage = 69.31 kV, line voltage = √3×69.31 ≈ 120 kV.

A 3-φ overhead line is supported on 4-disc suspension insulators. The voltages across the second and third discs are 13.2 kV and 18.2 kV respectively. Calculate the line voltage.

The two given disc voltages fix the unknown ratio m=C1/Cm = C_1/C. Once mm is known, the other disc voltages and the line voltage follow.

Relations (discs 1 at tower to 4 at line end)

V2=V1(1+m),V3=V2+m(V1+V2),V4=V3+m(V1+V2+V3)V_2 = V_1(1+m),\qquad V_3 = V_2 + m(V_1+V_2),\qquad V_4 = V_3 + m(V_1+V_2+V_3)

Given V2=13.2V_2 = 13.2 kV and V3=18.2V_3 = 18.2 kV.

Finding mm

From the first relation, V1=13.2/(1+m)V_1 = 13.2/(1+m). Substituting into the second:

18.2=13.2+m(13.21+m+13.2)18.2 = 13.2 + m\left(\frac{13.2}{1+m} + 13.2\right) 5(1+m)=13.2m(2+m)13.2m2+21.4m−5=0m=−21.4+21.42+4×13.2×52×13.2=0.2072\begin{aligned} 5(1+m) &= 13.2m(2+m)\\ 13.2m^2 + 21.4m - 5 &= 0\\ m &= \frac{-21.4 + \sqrt{21.4^2 + 4\times13.2\times5}}{2\times13.2} = 0.2072 \end{aligned}

Disc voltages

V1=13.21.2072=10.935 kVV4=18.2+0.2072(10.935+13.2+18.2)=26.971 kV\begin{aligned} V_1 &= \frac{13.2}{1.2072} = 10.935\ \text{kV}\\ V_4 &= 18.2 + 0.2072(10.935+13.2+18.2) = 26.971\ \text{kV} \end{aligned}

Phase voltage (voltage across the string):

Vph=10.935+13.2+18.2+26.971=69.31 kVV_{ph} = 10.935 + 13.2 + 18.2 + 26.971 = 69.31\ \text{kV}

Line voltage

VL=3×69.31=120.04 kVV_L = \sqrt3\times 69.31 = 120.04\ \text{kV}

Answer: The disc voltages are 10.94, 13.2, 18.2 and 26.97 kV, the string voltage is 69.31 kV, and the line voltage is about 120 kV.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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