Properties of Power Lines in the Carrier Frequency Range

Abstract

Carrier communication over power lines started with equipment borrowed from wireless telephony. The previously mentioned coupling antenna is one of the most characteristic examples. Transmission was believed to be a space radiation process with wive propaguation concentrated along the power line route. “Line-bound radio frequency transmission” or similar terms were used at that time to distinguish this mode of operation from wireless radio frequency transmission. There is no essential difference, however, between the transmison of electrical energy with commercial AC currents of 16 2/3 Hz or 50 Hz and the transmission of HF currents at frequencies ranging between 15 kHz and 500 kHz Current and voltage of the line produce an electromagnetic field between the conductors and the energy is transmitted through this field [6]. It is true, however, that line properties vary greatly with the frequency. Energy losses, in particular, increase rapidly at higher frequencies. The attenuation of the line is a measure of energy losses. (Appendix 9.5). It is a function of loss resistance and the characteristic impedance of a line.

The erratum of this chapter is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-46286-3_10