Simulation and analysis of magnetic fields around High-Voltage power lines using Python for enhanced safety and...

Area of Science:

• Computational Electromagnetics
• Power Systems Engineering
• Environmental Health Physics

Background:

• Accurate modeling of magnetic flux density around high-voltage power lines is critical for public health, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), and infrastructure safety.
• Existing models often lack detailed consideration of ground-air boundary effects, potentially leading to inaccurate exposure assessments.
• International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines set exposure limits that necessitate precise field calculations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel, open-source, Python-based simulation framework for calculating magnetic flux density around high-voltage power lines.
• To analyze the magnetic field distribution for different conductor configurations (horizontal, vertical, triangular) under realistic loading conditions.
• To investigate the impact of ground-air boundary conditions on magnetic field intensity and safety clearance distances.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Biot-Savart Law for magnetic field computation, enhanced with a modified finite element module to incorporate ground-air boundary conditions.
• Simulated three conductor layouts (horizontal, vertical, triangular) using Aluminium Conductor Steel-Reinforced (ACSR) 'Linnet' conductors at 10m above ground level under balanced three-phase loading (132 kV, 100 A).
• Validated simulation results through field measurements using a precision three-axis gaussmeter, comparing predicted values with experimental data.

Main Results:

• The horizontal configuration produced the highest peak magnetic flux density (120 µT), exceeding the ICNIRP (2020) public exposure limit of 100 µT at 1.5m height.
• The triangular layout yielded the most uniform field distribution (peak 57.6 µT, std dev 7.3 µT), while the vertical arrangement showed broader lateral dispersion.
• Incorporating ground-air interactions increased local field intensity by 28.3% at 1.5m, reducing effective safety clearance by up to 1.2m; boundary effects reduced spatial prediction error by 15-25%.

Conclusions:

• The developed Python simulation framework offers a cost-effective, scalable, and regulator-aligned tool for magnetic field analysis around power lines.
• The study highlights the significant impact of conductor configuration and ground-air interactions on magnetic field exposure, informing optimized layout design and safety protocols.
• The validated model supports accurate risk assessment, compliance with exposure limits, and informed urban planning and transmission routing decisions.