High Voltage Measurement

Introduction to High voltage measurement:

Classification of high voltage consider two things, firstly, spark caused in air and
secondly, electric shock danger by contact.  Either voltage between a conductor and
ground or between two conductors is referred by the definition. Any voltage over 35000
volts is considered as high voltage in electric power transmission engineering.

Measurement of High Voltage

Measurement of high voltage can be done in variety of ways. Up to about 200kV direct
measurement of high voltage is possible using several types of voltmeters connected
across the test circuit. By using transformer for stepping down the voltage and potential
dividers, high voltage can also be measured. Sphere gaps and other gap’s spark over
are also used. Few methods of high voltage measurement are given below with short
description.

Image on ways of measurement of High Voltage

Few Ways of Measurement of High Voltage

1) Direct Measurement

Electrostatic Voltmeter:

By the means of electrostatic voltmeters, high voltage can measured directly. For
voltage more than 10kV, electrostatic voltmeter having attracted disc type is used.
Attracted disc type electrostatic voltmeters can measure up to about 200kV and are
connected directly across the circuit without any other reduction method or potential
divide is used.

Sphere Gaps:
For measuring high voltages, it is the most reliable method and for calibration purposes
is the standard one. Ionization of the gas molecules and the gas density are the two
things on which strength of breakdown of gas depends. The gap spacing and
breakdown voltage varies simultaneously and high consistency could be obtained by
uniform spacing. This makes sphere gap a very useful high voltage measurement
device.

2) Transformer and potential divider methods of measurement

Transformer ratio method:

A fairly rough method for the measurement of high voltage is by the use of primary
voltage to estimate secondary voltage. However, for most ac test it is satisfactory
enough. At high-tension transformer’s low voltage side, the voltage is measured.

Resistive potential divider method:

By connecting a high resistance potential divider across the high voltage winding and by
the means of low voltage voltmeter, the definite fraction of total high voltage is
measured.

Capacitive Potential divider method:

As an alternate, we could use capacitive potential divider in place of resistive potential

divider.  In this C1and C2 are the two capacitors used in series and the across the lower
capacitor electrostatic voltmeter is connected for high voltage measurement.

3) Measurement of Surges

Klydonograph:

Among most of the high voltage phenomena, lightning is the most spectacular one is
probably the most spectacular of the high voltage phenomena. The surges produced on
the transmission line could be used to study the phenomena of lightening to a certain
extent. The frequency by which surge voltage occurs and the produced magnitude of
surge on the transmission lines can be studied using Lichtenberg patterns which are
obtained by using a Klydonograph.