Using BPA CAFE corona noise results in a 3-D noise model

Although corona noise from electric transmission lines is usually low compared to other noise sources associated with the power industry, it is a frequent source of comments and concern for the public. The Bonneville Power Administration's (BPA) Corona and Field Effects (CAFE) model is a publicly available tool that can be used to estimate audible corona noise levels at specific offsets and heights relative to a transmission line of customizable configuration. However, it may be desirable to show transmission line noise in the context of other noise sources on a project, or to incorporate the effects of terrain and ground cover, in which case a three-dimensional noise modeling tool such as CadnaA may be more appropriate. This paper investigates the accuracy with which results from the BPA CAFE model for some common transmission line configurations may be applied to a simple line source, and in a three-dimensional noise model.