Suggested location of the equivalent horizontal conductor when replacing catenary

Medium voltage overhead lines are usually routed over flat terrain. Spans are in the order of 100m long. Sometimes large spans are needed, in particular in steeped terrains. That implies large sags. In those cases the catenary of the conductors is important. For electrical calculations, in steady state or transient propagation, it is usual to replace the catenary by an "equivalent" horizontal line located at the "average height": Hav = H −2/3 S where H is the maximum height and S the sag of the catenary. In this contribution we suggest that, for normal steady operation and also for the analysis of transients propagation along the line, the best location to place the equivalent horizontal line is near the minimum height of the catenary.