Quantifying and mitigating electrical and environmental impacts of corona discharge

Corona discharge has been recognized for centuries, with sailors reporting the bluish glow of St. Elmo's fire on ship masts during storms. In the early development of high-voltage engineering, researchers such as Townsend and Peek described the physical basis of this phenomenon as the ionization of air around a conductor when the electric field exceeds the strength of the surrounding medium. The result is a partial discharge that produces visible light, hissing sounds, ozone, and other reactive gases, while also creating radio interference and ultraviolet radiation. In modern transmission systems, these effects appear as wasted power, accelerated wear of insulators, shortened equipment lifetime, and environmental concerns. Although corona has been studied for decades, it continues to challenge the reliable and economical operation of high-voltage networks, particularly under changing weather conditions. This study investigates the phenomenon by analyzing its causes, effects, and mitigation strategies through a combination of theoretical modelling, simulation, and statistical analysis. Using MATLAB Simulink and Python, simulations were conducted under varying environmental conditions-including temperature, humidity, and pressure-as well as electrical parameters such as voltage and conductor design, using observed data to ensure practical relevance. Comparable data sources may be used in other national or regional contexts. Key statistical techniques, including linear and multiple regression, analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-tests, and Monte Carlo simulations, were applied to determine the most influential factors affecting corona discharge losses. Results confirmed that higher voltage levels and unfavorable environmental conditions significantly increase corona loss, while increased conductor spacing and the use of corona rings emerged as the most effective mitigation strategies. An economic analysis based on probabilistic modelling estimated potential annual savings of up to 455 million Egyptian pounds (EGP) for the Egyptian grid, serving as a representative case study. The analytical framework is general and can be applied to other national transmission systems with appropriate data. The findings offer data-driven insights for improving transmission efficiency, minimizing power losses, and enhancing the overall reliability and cost-effectiveness of high-voltage power systems.