High Voltage Engineering

Generation of High Voltages

Lectures
Generation of High Voltages
Measurement of High Voltages
Electrostatic Field and Field Stress Control
Electrical Breakdowns and Discharges
Non-destructive Insulation Tests
Overvoltage
Insulation Coordination
Overvoltage protections
Transient behavior of transformer windings
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References
Kuffel E., Zaengl W.S., Kuffel J.: High Voltage
Engineering Fundamentals, Second edition,
2000
Wadhwa C.L.: High Voltage Engineering, New
Age International Publishers, New Delhi, 2007
Naidu M.S.: High Voltage Engineering,
McGraw-Hill, 1995
Denno K.: High Voltage Engineering in Power
Systems, CRC Press, 1992

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High Voltage Sources
Three main types of generators
DC
AC
Impulse
Very small currents
Less then an ampere (AC, DC)
Few amperes in case of impulse or transient voltages
Special tests needs a generator with hundeds of
amperes high-current generators


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DC High Voltage Generation
Mainly used for pure scientific research work and for
testing equipment related to HVDC transmission
systems or electrostatic precipitation
High d.c. voltages are even more extensively used in:
applied physics (accelerators, electron microscopy, etc.),
electromedical equipment (X-rays)
industrial applications (precipitation and filtering of
exhaust gases in thermal power stations and the cement
industry; electrostatic painting and powder coating, etc.)
communications electronics (TV, broadcasting stations)

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Simple rectifier circuits
The single-phase half-wave rectifier with
voltage smoothing

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Bi-phase half wave rectifier circuit
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Output of Full Wave Rectifier
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Cascade circuits
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Electrostatic Generator
Electrostatic generators convert mechanical
energy directly into electrical energy
Electrical charges are moved in this generator
against the force of electrical fields -> gaining
higher potential energies and consuming
mechanical energy
Van de Graaff - electrostatic belt-driven
generators today use in nuclear physics
research laboratories

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Van de Graaff Generator
Charge is sprayed onto an insulating moving
belt by means of corona discharge points
The charge is conveyed to the upper end
where it is removed from the belt by
discharging points
The largest generator operates with 25 MV,
and was tested up to internal flashovers with
about 31MV

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Generation of High AC Voltages
Electric power transmission with high a.c.
voltages predominates in our transmission
and distribution systems
Range from about 10 kV r.m.s. only up to
more than 1.5MV r.m.s. today
The testing voltages are usually single-phase
voltages to ground with pure sinusoidal shape
The ratio of peak-to-r.m.s. values equals 2
within 5 %

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Testing Transformers

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Cascaded Transformers
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Series Resonant Circuit
Usually for testing of objects which represent
a high capacitive load and which have low and
stable losses (hv cables)
Conventional test systems with compensating
reactor are larger and expensive
High short circuit impedance of the voltage
source (in case of breakdown the channel is
not excessively damaged)

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Series resonant system
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Series Resonant Circuit with Variable
Frequency
Usually for field testing of cables, rotating
machines or GIS
Further reduction of weight and size

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Impulse Voltage Generator
Two more frequently causes of disturbances in
power systems:
Lightning overvoltages (x MV, up to 100 kA)
Switching phenomena (amplitudes are derived
from operating voltage)
Actual shape of both overvoltages varies it is
necessary to simulate these transients by
simple way for testing purposes

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Full Impulse Waveform
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Chopped Impulse Waveform
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Single-Stage Impulse Generator
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Initial conditions:
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Solution for output voltage u
2
:
Influence of Parameters
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0.00005 0.00010 0.00015 0.00020
t
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
u
hR
1
0.00005 0.00010 0.00015 0.00020
t
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
u
iR
2
iC
1
0.00005 0.00010 0.00015 0.00020
t
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
u
iC
1
0.00005 0.00010 0.00015 0.00020
t
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
u
hC
2
Multi-Stage Impulse Generator
(Marx Connection)
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Impulse Voltage Generators
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