Energy and Power Engineering, 2009, 65-71
doi:10.4236/epe.2009.12010 Published Online November 2009 (http://www.scirp.org/journal/epe)
Computational Aspects of Electromagnetic Fields
near H.V. Transmission Lines
Ossama E. GOUDA1, Ghada M. AMER2, Waleed A. SALEM2
1the Engineering College, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
2the High Institute of Technology, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
Abstract: Biological effects of electromagnetic fields on the human body, animals and plants have been a
subject of scientific interest and public concern for their risk on the living organisms such as blood leukemia
and others. The high voltage transmission and distribution lines, which pass beside some houses, factories
and schools are source of electromagnetic fields. This paper presents the field calculations around and near of
high voltage transmission lines 220 kV and 500kV. To calculate the induced current, the power density, the
electric field and the magnetic field of grounded and ungrounded human body cylindrical model are used.
MATLAB program package is used for mathematical calculation of the distribution of the EMF in human
body under high voltage power transmission lines.
Keywords: computational aspects, EMF, H. V., transmission lines
1. Introduction
Electric and magnetic fields produced by electric power
systems have recently been added to the list of environ-
mental agents that are a potential threat to public health [1,
2]. The increasing use of distribution and transmission of
electrical energy between randomly occurring causes
concerns regarding the risks of human exposure to near-
field radiation from the transmission lines and electric
substations. The studies into the health effects of long-
term exposure have been progressing on several fronts [1].
At ground level, beneath high-voltage transmission lines,
the electric fields created have the same frequencies as
those carried by the power lines. The characteristics of
these fields depend on the line voltage, and on the geo-
metrical dimensions and positions of the conductors of the
transmission line. [1] Inside buildings near HV transmis-
sion lines, the field strengths are typically lower than the
unperturbed field by a factor of about 10-100, depending
on the structure of the building and the type of materials
[1]. The magnetic field beneath high-voltage overhead
transmission lines is directed mainly transversely to the
line axis. In this paper calculations are carried out for the
electromagnetic fields near the overhead transmission
lines and also the induced current produces in human
body due to these fields.
2. Computational Model for EMF under H.V.
Transmission Line Calculation
In this paper the electric field E, induced in the human
body when exposed to a transmission power line electric
field Einc, is determined in analytical form using the sur-
face integral equation method. Account is taken of the
presence of the earth below the three-phase Power line
[3]. Model of long-distance power line consists of three-
phase power lines which are arranged in several different
configurations that are used in this study. The central
conductor number l is in the plane y = 0, while conduc-
tors number 2 and number 3 are respectively in the
planes y = L and y = -L. Three conductors in the plane
z=d in the air (Region 0) above the surface z = 0 of the
earth (Region 1) are shown in Figure 1. The electromag-
netic fields near 220 kV and 500 kV high voltage tower
are calculated in three dimensions by using (1) to (6).
The analytical formulas for the field calculations of the
three phase's power system are derived in [4] Final Stage
2 22 2
03
00
22222
1
() ()()2
(0,, )()[( )][( )()]
i
x
il zd yzdyL
Eyz kde
kzdy zdyL
22





 




 

















222
2
3
2
])()[(
2)()(
Lydz
Lydz
e
i

(1)

O. E. GOUDA ET AL.
66
2 2
0 0
2 2 2
01 1
3
022222 22 2
0
22
11
11
(0,, )[]()[]
2() ()()()()()
i
y
kk
il kk
EyzyeyL
kzd y zd yzdyLzdyL







 














]
)()(
2
1
)()(
1
)[(22
2
1
2
0
22
3
2
Lydz
k
k
Lydz
Lye
i 
(2)
2
03
022222 22 2
0
(0,, )2()()()( )()( )
i
z
lzd zdzdzd
Eyz e
kzd y zd yzdyLzdyL




  




 
 
23
22 22
()()()()
izd zd
ezd yL zd yL


 




 


 (3)
22
00 33
02222 2222
1
2() ()()()()
(0,, )[()][()() ][()() ]
ii
x
ilk yz dyLz dy Lz d
Byze e
kzdyzdyLzdyL

22




 
 

 


(4)
22 2
00 0
3
02 2222222222 222
1 1
4()( )4()( ) 2[( )]
(0,, )1
2[( )]( )( )()[( )()]
i
y
lz dkdz dkd zd yzdzd
Byz e
kzd yzd yzd y zd ykzdyL






  




 
 

22 20
3
2222 2222
1
4()( ) 2[()() ]
1()() ()()()()[()()]
izdkd
zd yLzdzde
zd yLzdyLzdyLkzd yL



22

  

 

 
  

























222222
22
)()()()()()(
])()[(2
1Lydz
dz
Lydz
dz
Lydz
Lydz (5)
22
2
yL
22 2
00
10 3
02222 2222222
1
(12/)4()2[( )]()
(0,, )1
2()()[() ]()()()
i
z
lykkykd
yzdy
Byz e
z
d yzd ykzdyzd yzdyL







 
 


 



22 22
2
01 03
222222 222
1
()(12/) 4()()2[()() ]()
1
()() [()()]()()()()
i
yLkkyLkdzdyLyL
e2
z
d yLkzd yLzdyLzd yL





   
 



 




























22
22
2222
1
0
22
2
1
2
0
)()(
])()[(2
1
])()[(
))((4
)()(
)/21)((
Lydz
Lydz
Lydzk
dkLy
Lydz
kkLy (6)
Figure 1. Tower of power line simulation, conductors at height “d” over earth (flat configuration)

O. E. GOUDA ET AL.
67
where E0x(0,y,z), E0y(0,y,z), and E0z(0,y,z) are electric
field components of the three phases in x, y and z planes
respectively. B0x(0,y,z), B0y(0,y,z), and B0z(0,y,z) are
magnetic field components of the three phases in x, y and
z planes respectively. L is the distance between power
line phases. d is the vertical distance from the earth to the
power lines. I is the line current in ampere. k0 is the wave
number of the air and k1 is the wave number of the earth
and μ0 is the permeability of free space. The parameters
for the transmission lines 220 kV and 500 kV are given
in Table 1. The electromagnetic field for 220 kV and 500
kV are shown in Figures 2 to 10 at distances 0, 2, 4, 6, 8,
10, 12, and 20 meters starting from the transmission lines
conductors.
Figure 4. E0z (0, y, z) near a 220kV three-wire power line
over vertical distance from 0 to 20 m, current =300 Amp
Table 1. the parameters for the transmission lines 220 kV
and 500 kV
parameters 220 kV 500 kV
L 3m 12m
D 15m 19.1m
I 300A 1200A
F( frequency) 50 Hz 50 Hz
Z From 0 to 15 m From 0 to 18 m
Figure 5. B0x (0, y, z) near a 220kV three-wire power line
over vertical distance from 0 to 20 m, current =300 Amp
Figure 2. E0x (0, y, z) near a 220kV three-wire power line
over vertical distance from 0 to 20 m, current =300 Amp
Figure 6. B0y (0, y, z) near a 220kV three-wire power line
over vertical distance from 0 to 20 m, current =300 Amp
3. Computational Model for Induced
Current in Human Body
The human body is a complex structure with parts like
skin, fat, bone, marrow, muscle, blood, nerve fibers, etc.,
each of which is characterized on the macroscopic level
Figure 3. E0y (0, y, z) near a 220kV three-wire power line
over vertical distance from 0 to 20 m, current =300 Amp

O. E. GOUDA ET AL.
68
and within definite boundaries by a conductivity σ and a
relative permittivity εr, that may be frequency dependent
and anisotropic. The average conductivity σ for most tis-
sue types 0.5 S/m is taken in calculation of electric field
inside human body [5]. To study the induced current, the
power density, the electric field and the magnetic field of
grounded and ungrounded human body cylindrical model
is represented by a cylinder as shown in Figure 11.
Figure 7. B0z (0, y, z) near a 220kV power line over vertical
distance from 0 to 18 m, current =300 Amp
Figure 8. E0x (0, y, z) near a 500kV power line over vertical
distance from 0 to 20 m, current =1200 Amp
Figure 9. E0y (0, y, z) near a 500kV three-wire power line
over vertical distance from 0 to 18 m, current =1200 Amp
Figure 10. E0z (0, y, z) near a 500kV three-wire power line
over vertical distance from 0 to 18 m, current =1200 Amp
Figure 11. Coordinates x′ , y′, z with origin O on axis at
center of cylinder and x′, y′, z′ with origin O ′on axis at base
(surface of earth); z′= z+ h, h′=2h
(a)
(b)
Figure 12. Induced current in a cylindrical conducting body
(a) governed by an integral equation (b) governed by am-
pere’s law

O. E. GOUDA ET AL. 69
The integral equation for the current induced in a cy-
lindrical conducting body as shown in Figure 12 is read-
ily evaluated when the body is electrically short, a)
E2z
inc(0) and B2y inc(0) induce an axial current I1z(z') by
using an integral equation, and b) E2z
inc(0) and B2y inc(0)
induce a circulating current governed by ampere’s law.
The circulating current of electric field induced in the
cylindrical body by B2y
inc component is smaller than that
induced by E2z
inc and it can be ignored.
When a person is under or near a power line not too
close to the earth, such as lying in a bed in an upstairs
bedroom near a power line, or a lineman in an elevated
basket works under one of the wires, the body acts as an
isolated electrically very short parasitic antenna excited
by the component of the electric field parallel to its
length. Since the body is a good conductor at f= 50 Hz
and is long compared with its cross sectional dimensions,
the well-known integral equation for the total axial cur-
rent induced in a conducting cylinder by the field Es
inc
can be applied. Here Es
inc is the part of the axial field that
is constant in amplitude over any transverse cross section
of the body. With a body length 2h = 1.75 m and a mean
radius al = 0.14 m, the electrical half-length at f= 50 Hz
is ko = 9.l6 X lo-7 << 1, where ko is the wave number of
the air. The current induced in a parasitic antenna parallel
to an s-directed electric field is [6–10].
00
00 0
4coscos
() cos( )
inc
s
s
dU U
jEks kh
Is kkh

 

h
(7)
where:
s = 0 is the center of the body.
s = ± h are its two ends of the body.
ko is the wave number of the air, ko = ω/ c =2πf/c and c is
the velocity of the light.
ζ0 = (μ0/ εo) 1/2, μ0 is permeability of free space and εo is
permittivity of free space.
When koh<<1, (7) can be reduced to
0
0
2
() 1
Zinc Z
s
sZ
dU
jkhE
s
Is h





 
(8)
Note that the current at the center, s=0, is
0
0
2
(0)
Z
inc
s
s
dU
jkhE
I


 (9)
where
1
2
2ln() 3
dU ha
 
,
1
0hk
  
1
ss
s
Z
J
sIs
Es a

 (10)
The heat generated in the body by J(s) is given by power
density
 
2
Ps Es   (11)
the magnetic field in the body due to the axial current




2
,,
I
sJs

   is given by:




1
0
2,
s
pB sIs,

 
 or



0
,0.5s Bs Js  
The magnetic field equation can be written as

2
7
2
,1
inc
s
s
BsjE h 





10
(12)

is the radius of the cylinder.
A man in good contact with the earth as shown in Fig-
ure 11 can be represented by a cylinder of radius a1 has a
collinear image in the earth. He may have insulated soles
with a capacitive impedance ZL = - j/ ωC between them
and their image, or he may be barefooted with ZL=0. The
current in the body in the general case is given by [6]

2
0
2
00
211
zinc
ZL
Z
L
jkhEZ ZZ
IZ ZZ hh


 








0zh h2



 (13)
where z' = z + h is measured upward from the surface of
the earth and h'= 2h is the length of the body (half-length
of the body and its image).
0
0
0
2
,21n
2
m
mm
jh
Zkh a
 

3



(14)
where h'm is the distance from the top of the head at z'= h'
to the point of maximum current at z' = z'm. Z0 is the im-
pedance of the body referred to the maximum of current
at the distance h'm from the top of the head. z' is the
maximum height of human body. z'm is the point at the
maximum current and am is the equivalent radius am=
(A/π)0.5 where A is the area of the cross section at z'm.
The location of the maximum current is [3]
0
2
L
m
L
Z h
Z
Z
Z

 (15)
So that













L
L
mZZ
Z
hh
0
2
1
1 (16)
When (13) is expressed in terms of z and h, it becomes

00
00
22
11
ZincZ
Z
ZZ
L
jkhE Z zz
IZ
Z
Zhh









 (17)
where z is measured upward from the center of the body
and h is its half-length. In (17)
0
0
0
2
-,2ln
2
m
mm
j
Zkh a
 

3
h

 (18)
where hm is the distance from the top of the head at z = h
to the point of maximum current at z= zm. Where
00
m
00
-,1
m
LL
Zh Z
Zhh
Z
ZZ





Z
(19)

O. E. GOUDA ET AL.
70
Three cases of special interest are:
1) ZL= ∞ this means that the person is far from the sur-
face of the earth.
2) ZL= -j/ωC this means that the person is standing on
a paved road or sidewalk or directly on the earth with
insulating soles, and
3) ZL=0 this means that the person is barefooted in
good contact with the earth.
The first case is given by (8) with s = z. the other two
cases are considered as the following: The capacitance C
between the soles of the feet and their image is approxi-
mately given by (20) and the impedance between the
soles of the feet is given by (21). Where A= 0.06 m2 is
the area of the soles, εr = 2 is the relative permittivity of
the insulating layer of asphalt, cement or rubber and its
image, εo = 8.85×10-12 and d is the thickness of the layer
and its image [3].
C=Aεrε0/d (20)
ZL =-j/ωC (21)
The electric field, magnetic field, axial current in the
human body model, power density, electric and magnetic
field due to axial current are calculated for the three
cases as:
1) The human is grounded then ZL=0 this means
that the person is barefooted in good contact with the
earth. With ZL=0, h'=1.75 m, k0h'=2.2×l0-6, h'm = h, am
=0.138, ψ=3.47, and Z0= -j0.79×108. From (13) takes
the form:

8
2.22 101,0
Z
inc
Zz
Z
z
I
zj Ezh
h



 


 (22)
2) The human is standing on a paved road or sidewalk
or directly on the earth with insulating soles:-consider
the first layer is consisting of 13cm of asphalt and 1.5cm
of rubber, i.e. the thickness of the layer and its image of
two layers is d=29cm, From (20) C = 3.66 ×10-12 F, ZL =
-j8.69×108 Ω is calculated using (21) where f equals 50
Hz. At am= (A/π)0.5= (0.06/ π)0.5 = 0.138, for maximum
current at zm = 0.117 m then hm=0.992m. From (14) it is
found that Z0 = -j9.34×107Ω is calculated. The axial cur-
rent from (17) is calculated by the following equation:

9
8.261010.194 1
Z
inc
Zz
Z
zz
Iz jEhh







hzh (23)
3) For a human stand directly on moist earth with rub-
ber soles of 1cm thick, d = 2cm, C = 53.1×10-12 F, ZL =
-j0.6×108 Ω, z'm = 0.165h' = 0.289m, h'm = 0.835h' =
1.461m, ψ = 3.11 and Z0 = -j0.847×108 Ω. The axial cur-
rent is calculated as:

8
2.471010.415 1
Z
inc
ZZ
Z
z
Iz jEhh



 


0zh



 (24)
The electric and magnetic fields, the total current, and
power densities in the interior of a human body when the
body is exposed to l04 V/m in the three cases are deter-
mined and graphed as shown in Figures 13 to 16.
4. Conclusions
1) The electromagnetic field near a high voltage trans-
mission line is determined in analytical form. Cylindrical
model is used in calculating the electric and magnetic
fields, the total axial current, and power densities in the
interior of a human body are determined when the human
is standing on the ground under or near the line .
2) Analytical method is used for calculating the inte-
rior currents and power densities of human body when
the human body is grounded, isolated by soles and iso-
lated in moist soil.
Figure 13. Total axial current in grounded and ungrounded
human model; σ=0.5 S/m, Ez
inc = l04 V/m and f =50 Hz
z
 



 
Figure 14. Total power density in grounded and unground-
ed human model; σ=0.5 S/m, Ez
inc = l04 V/m and f =50 Hz

O. E. GOUDA ET AL.
71
REFERENCES
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Figure 15. Total axial electric field in grounded and ungrou-
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Figure 16. The magnetic field in the body due to axial cur-
rent in grounded and ungrounded human model; ρ = 0.14m,
σ=0.5 S/m, Ez
inc = l04 V/m