PC applications measure EMFs induced by power lines

The features of the Florida Power and Light buried power line (FPLBPL) and the Florida Power and Light overhead line (FPLOVR) programs, two software packages developed to evaluate buried and overhead transmission-line-induced electromagnetic fields (EMF), are described. The packages are based on techniques utilizing the common methods of solving boundary-element problems. A built-in strategy segments the domain or region in which EMF is evaluated with appropriate matching of the boundary conditions. The outcome is that a huge matrix of 22.58-million elements is solved by a PC (8386-based machine) in about 1.5 h. The computational protocol, however, maintains the accuracy as would be realized in mainframe environments. Thus, these software packages provide accurate field calculations, and at the same time, are user-friendly and suitable for office environments.<>