Investigation of leakage current in wooden pole using ladder network model

Wooden pole is the most popular choice as the physical support structure for electrical distribution line in Australia. This paper studies the current flow and the effect of metal insertion in wooden structure using an electrical ladder network model based on MATLAB. The leakage current on the radial, heartwood and sapwood section of the wood pole are compared. From the simulation results, it shows that the leakage current along the longitudinal of the pole is not evenly distributed and the metal insertion along the radial of the wood increases the magnitude of the leakage current. The model takes into consideration the pole dimension, rain parameter, moisture content and preservative effect on the wooden pole.