HIGH VOLTAGE ENGINEERING

MEK 10303
GROUP PRESENTATION

TITLE : GENERATION OF IMPULSE CURRENTS

GROUP MEMBERS:
1. DAHIR KHEYRE DIBLAWE
2 . MOHAMED OSMAN MOHAMED
3. OMAR ABDI MOHAMED
4. MOHAMED AMIRUL BIN MOHAMED
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5. MOHD. NASRI BIN ABD.SAMAT

 INTRODUCTION
Lightening discharges involve both high voltage impulses and high current impulses
on transmission lines. Protective gear like surge diverters have to discharge the
lightning currents without damage. Therefore, generation of impulse current waveforms
of high magnitude («100 kA peak) find application in testing work as well
as in basic research on non-linear resistors, electric arc studies, and studies relating to
electric plasmas in high current discharges.

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 DEFINITION OF IMPULSE CURRENT WAVEFORMS

• The impulse current wave is specified on the similar lines as an impulse voltage wave, a typical impulse
current wave is shown in figure (a). High current impulse generators usually consist of a large number of
capacitors connected in parallel to the common discharge path. The equivalent circuit of the generator is
shown in figure (b). and approximates to that of a capacitance C charged to a voltage Vo which can be
considered to discharge through an inductance l and a resistance r. In practice both l and r are the effective
inductance and resistance of the leads, capacitors and the test objects.

Figure(a):A typical impulse current wave Figure(b):Basic circuit of an impulse current generator
 USAGE

• High impulse currents are needed not only for tests on equipment such as lightning arresters and fuses but
also for many other technical applications such as lasers, thermonuclear fusion, and plasma devices.
• MARX GENERATOR: This consists of multiple capacitors that are first charged in parallel through
charging resistors by a high-voltage, direct-current source and then connected in series and discharged
through a test object by a simultaneous spark-over of the spark gaps. The impulse current generator
comprises many capacitors that are also charged in parallel by a high-voltage, low-current, direct-current
source, but it is discharged in parallel through resistances, inductances, and a test object by a spark gap.

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 EXAMPLE 1

• An impulse current generator has total capacitance of 15 ΜF, the charging voltage 125KV, the circuit
inductance 2 MH and the dynamic resistance 1 OHM. determine the peak current and wave shape of
the wave.
SOLUTION
The maximum value of current is given as
Where

Thus

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 CONTINUE…….

EXAMPLE 2

An impulse current generator has a total capacitance of 8 pF. The charging voltage is 25 kV.
If the generator has to give an output current of 1OkA with 8/20 us waveform, calculate (a)
the circuit inductance and (b) the dynamic resistance
in the circuit.

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 SOLUTION

For an 8/20us impulse wave

And, the product to LC = 65. given C = 8 uf (L in uH, C in uF, and r in ohms)
therefore, the circuit inductance is

Thus, charging voltage needed is,

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 REFERENCES

1.high voltage engineering book, second edition, M.S naidu.

2. high voltage engineering book, second edition,C.L.wadhwa

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