Attenuation of low frequency magnetic fields produced by HV underground power cables

Abstract

High-voltage underground cable systems are becoming more common as the demand for electrical power within urban centers increase, also considering the difficulties in building new overhead power lines in the vicinity of city centers because of authorization issues. Therefore, interest towards the evaluation of magnetic fields produced by high-voltage power lines has been triggered during the last decade and concern about effects on human health of exposure to extra low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields due to power lines has been increasing as well. Hence, the evaluation of the magnetic field produced by underground power cables is important in order to develop methods for mitigating their influence on the surrounding environment. In this paper, after a description of some technical solutions adopted nowadays to reduce ELF magnetic fields generated by power cables, a case study on a 380 kV power line will be considered.