EE8301 HIGH VOLTAGE ENGINEERING

LABORATARY 03

NAME : BANDARA N. A. N. K. Y.
REG No : EG/2015/2600
GROUP No : EE 01
DATE : 07/02/2020
DATE : 30/ 01 / 2020
EXPERIMENT : BREAKDOWN OF MATERIALS
PRE-LAB
These impurities which lead to the breakdown of commercial liquids below their intrinsic strength, can
be divided into the following 3 categories.
• Impurities which have a breakdown strength lower than that of the liquid itself (ex: bubbles of
gas). Breakdown of the impurities may trigger off the total breakdown of the liquid.
Gas or vapor bubbles may exist in impure liquid dielectrics, either formed from dissolved gasses,
temperature and pressure variations, or other causes.
The electric field E b in a gas bubble which is immersed in a liquid of permittivity 𝜀1is given by,
3 𝜀1
𝐸𝑏 = 𝐸
2 𝜀1 + 1 0
Where E0 is the field in the liquid in the absence of the bubble.

The electrostatic forces on the bubble cause it to get elongated in the direction of the electric
field. The elongation continues, when sufficient electric field is applied, and at a critical length
the gas inside the bubble (which has a lower breakdown strength) breaks down. This discharge
causes decomposition of the liquid molecules and leads to total breakdown.

• Impurities which are unstable in the electric field (ex: globules of water). Instability of the
impurity can result in a low resistance bridge across the electrodes and in total breakdown.
If an insulating liquid contains a globule of another liquid, then breakdown can result from
instability of the globule in the electric field.
Consider a spherical globule of liquid of permittivity Ɛ2 immersed in a liquid dielectric of
permittivity Ɛ1. When it is subjected to an electric field between parallel electrodes, the field
inside the globule would be given by

3 𝜀1
𝐸𝑏 = 𝐸
2 𝜀1 + 𝜀2 0

Where E0 is the field in the liquid in the absence of the globule.

The electrostatic forces cause the globule to elongate and take the shape of a prolate spheroid
(i.e. an elongated spheroid).

• Impurities which result in local enhancement of electric field in a liquid (ex: conducting
particles). The enhanced field may cause local breakdown and therefore initiate complete
breakdown.
 In commercial liquids, solid impurities cannot be avoided and will be present as fibers or as
dispersed solid particles. These impurity particles will experience a force so that the force would
move and will line up in the direction of the field. A stable chain of particles would be produced,
which at a critical length, may cause breakdown.

OBSERVATION :

PART 01 : BREAKDOWN TEST OF INSULATING OIL

TABLE 03: BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER OIL

Trial Breakdown Voltage(kV)

1 22.51
2 27.85
3 34.02

PART 02 :AC FLASHOVER ON AN INSULATOR

The peak voltage at which the flashover occurs = 106 kV

PART 03 :BREAKDOWN TEST OF GASEOUS INSULATING MATERIAL

TABLE 04: BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE VALUES FOR DIFFERENT PRESSURE VALUES

Pressure(kgcm-2) Breakdown Voltage (kV)

1.0 57.12

2.0 78.03
3.0 94.44
3.5 100.01
4.0 106.20
CALCULATIONS :
PART 01 : BREAKDOWN TEST OF INSULATING OIL

Mean value of breakdown voltage = (22.51 + 27.85 + 34.02)/3

= 28.13 kV

PART 03 : BREAKDOWN TEST OF GASEOUS INSULATING MATERIAL

V = Apd + B√(pd)

Where,

V-the breakdown voltage in kV p-pressure in atmospheres

d-the gap distance in meters A, B-Constants (A=24.36kV/cm, B=6.72kV/cm1/2)

By using 2nd data set of the Table No: 04,

1kgcm-2 = 0.968atm

2.0kgcm-2 =0.968atm ×2.0

= 1.936 atm

d =10mm = 1 cm

The breakdown voltage in kV,

V = Apd + B√(pd)

V = 24.36 × 1.936× 1 + 6.72√(1.936 × 1)

V=56.11 kV

TABULATIONS :
PART 03 : BREAKDOWN TEST OF GASEOUS INSULATING MATERIAL

TABLE 05 : THEORETICAL BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE VALUES FOR DIFFERENT

PRESSURE VALUES

Pressure(atm) Gap distance (cm) Breakdown Voltage(kV)

0.968 1 30.192

1.936 1 56.511

2.904 1 82.193

3.388 1 94.900
3.872 1 107.545
MATLAB CODE FOR DRAW THE GRAPH:
P1=[0.968,1.936,2.904,3.388,3.872];
V1=[30.192,56.511,82.193,94.95,107.545];
V2=[57.12, 78.03, 94.44, 100.01, 106.20];
loglog(P1,V1);
hold on;
loglog(P1,V2);
axis([0 5 0 150]);
title('Breakdown Voltage vs Pressure*Gap Distance')
xlabel('Pressure*Gap Distance');
ylabel('Breakdown Voltage');
grid on;

FIGURE 05: GRAPH OF BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE Vs PRESSURE INTO SPHERE GAP

DISTANCES