Effects of the ground on power-line communications

In this paper, a radiated-emission model of broad-band power-line communications (PLCs) in the frequency range from 1 to 30 MHz is presented. The model is based on the full-wave approach with the formulations of the extracted Maxwell equations. The transmission characteristic of the power line is obtained with the boundary conditions. The effects of the ground on the transmission characteristic and radiation are emphasized. Experiments were made to check the validity and accuracy of our model. It shows that the model is useful in predicting the effect of the ground on the radiation of straight PLCs.