Transmission line parameters of two parallel wires

Appendix 4: Transmission line parameters of

two parallel wires
We calculate the capacitance of two parallel wires that are shown in

Figure A.4-1. The radius of each wire is a.

equipotential contours

V=0 y V(x, y)
P

r1 r2
+ρL −ρL
x
a

2s

D
Figure A.4-1. Equipotential contours surrounding two line charges +ρL and -ρL.

The surfaces at r = a are equipotential surfaces so the electric field will always be

normal to the metal surfaces.

The two wires can be replaced with two line charges +ρL and -ρL. The

precise location of these equivalent line charges is determined from the re-

quirement that the surfaces of the metal wires be equipotential surfaces. This

implies that the tangential electric fields will always be equal to zero on these

surfaces. The potential V(x,y) at the point P is given by

ρ  s  − ρ L  s  ρ L  r1 
V( x, y ) = L ln  + ln  = ln  (A.4.1)
2πε  r2  2πε  r1  2πε  r2 

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 Transmission line parameters of two parallel wires
The plane at the midpoint between the two wires is an equipotential surface that

is equal to zero potential. Other equipotential contours are found by setting

r1 (s + x )2 + y 2
= = k = cons tan t (A.4.2)
r2 (s − x )2 + y 2
This can be written as
(s + x )2 + y 2 = k 2 [(s − x )2 + y 2 ] (A.4.3)

or
2
 k 2 + 1  2ks 
 x − s 2  + y 2 =  2  (A.4.4)
 k − 1  k − 1

The common factor

k2 +1
s2
k2 −1
has been added to both sides of (A4.3) in order to complete the squares.
Equation (A.4.4) is an equation for a family of circles which have radii
k2 +1
r0 = s 2 2 (A.4.5)
k −1
and are centered at the points
 
(h,0) = s 2 k 2 + 1,0
2
(A.4.6)
 k −1 

where
k2 +1
h=s
k2 −1
Eliminating the term s between (A.4.5) and (A.4.6), we obtain
2kh
k2 − +1= 0 (A.4.7)
r0

The two solutions for this equation are given by

2
h h
k = ±   −1 (A.4.8)
a a

The root k with the + sign will give the equipotential contours in the region x > 0
)
and the root k with the - sign will give the equipotential contours in the region x <

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 Transmission line parameters of two parallel wires
0. We will have particular interest in the equipotential contour at the surface of
the wire at ro = a. The spacing h must also be greater than this radius a of the

wire and we will set it equal to D/2.

The potential difference between the wires is given by
ρ ρ ρ
∆V = L ln k − L ln k̂ = L ln k
2πε 2πε πε
(A.4.9)
ρL  D 
2
 D
= ln ±   − 1
πε  2a  2a  
 

Making use of the identity

[ ]
ln ξ + ξ 2 − 1 = cosh −1 ξ (A.4.10)

we write the capacitance as

ρ ∆z ∆z πε∆z
C= L = = (A.4.11)
∆V 1 D D
cosh −1   cosh −1  
πε  2a   2a 

In order to calculate the inductance per unit length, we make use of the
L C
relation that = µε and write
∆z ∆z
µ∆z D
L= cosh −1   (A.4.12)
π  2a 

There are alternative derivations that can be used to approximate the

equivalent circuit parameters. For example, if we define a point between the two
cylinders as x̂ and place the left cylinder at x = 0, then the magnetic flux density
is given in Figure A.4-2.

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 Transmission line parameters of two parallel wires

D-x

B
0 a x D-a D

Figure A.4-2. Alternative cross section of a twin-lead transmission line.

If the current is into the paper in the wire centered at x = 0 and out of the paper in
the wire centered at x = D, the magnetic flux densities will add in the center.
From Ampere's circuital law, we write the magnetic flux density as
µI  1 1 
B=  + (A.4.13)
2  x̂ D − x̂ 

The total magnetic flux that passes between the two wires is found from
Ψm D−a µI
= ∫ Bdx̂ = [ln x̂ − ln(D − x̂ )]Da−a = µI ln D − a  (A.4.14)
∆z a
2 π π  a 

The inductance per unit length is given by

 Ψm 
 
L  ∆z  µ  D − a  µ  D 
≡ = ln  ≈ ln  (A.4.15)
∆z I π  a  π a

which is in agreement with (A.4.12) in the limit of D >> a.

Applying Gauss's law to the two wires that are assumed to each have a
linear charge density +ρL and –ρL C/m distributed on the two wires, we find the

electric field at x̂ to be given by

ρ L ∆z  1 1 
E= + (A.4.16)
2πε  x̂ D − x̂ 


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 Transmission line parameters of two parallel wires
The potential difference ∆V between the two wires is obtained by integrating the
electric field between the two wires to yield
D −a
ρ ∆z  D − a 
∆V = ∫ Edx̂ = L ln  (A.4.17)
a
πε  a 

The capacitance per unit length is given by

C ρ πε πε
≡ L = ≈ (A.4.18)
∆z ∆V D −a D
ln  ln 
 a  a

This is in agreement with (A.4.11) in the limit of D >> a.

We present the both methods to obtain the same results since you may
encounter them in different books. The twin-lead is commonly used in practice. In
neither calculation did we include the self-inductance of each wire that arises
when D ≈ a. This will cause an additional small constant term to appear in the
final results.

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