‫جامعة الملك سعود‬ king Saud university

‫كلية الهندسة‬ college of engineering

‫قسم الهندسة الكهربائية‬ Electrical engineering department

EE455. Section Number:

Experiment Number Experiment # 2 in HV lab

Experiment Title EXPERIMENT ON DIELECTRIC AND

STRENGTH AND BREAKDOWN OF GASES
Date of Experiment 14/2/2021
2/7/1442
Date of final report 21/2/2021
9/7/1442

Student’s Name ABDULRAHMAN SAMI BAZARAA

ID Number 437106384

Instructor’s Name ABDULRAHMAN ALI ALARAINI

Grade
OBJECTIVES:

1) To find the dielectric strength of different insulating materials.

2) To investigate the effect of electrode geometry on the breakdown voltage.
3) To determine the effect of gas pressure on the breakdown voltage of the
gas.

Questions (P-102/103):

P= 945 mbar T= 23.4c h=21%

1) Dielectric strength is obtained by finding the slope of breakdown voltage

versus gap length curve for sphere-sphere electrodes in small gap length
𝐷
region (d <= ) find the dielectric strengths of air at the prevailing
21
atmospheric conditions (DS)?

Fig (1): gap length VS breakdown voltage of sphere-sphere

𝐷 V 148.35−106.161
(DS) = slope at (d <= )= = = 21.0935 KV/cm
21 d 6−4

2) Calculate (DS)s i.e. the dielectric strength of air at standard pressure (101-
3 mbar) and temperature (20'C) from measured values of DS and RAD.
(𝐷𝑆)
Note that (𝐷𝑆)𝑠 = .
𝑅𝐴𝐷

p To 945 273 + 20
RAD = ∗ = ∗ = 0.922
po T 1013 273 + 23.4
(DS) 21.0935
(DS)s = = =22.878 KV/cm
RAD 0.922
 3) ln one figure plot the peak breakdown voltage (Vp) of air as a function of
gap distance for sphere-sphere and point-plane electrode systems. Which
electrodes give higher breakdown voltage and why is it so? Can we use
point-plane electrodes results to find the dielectric strength of air? Give
reasons for your answer.

Figure (2): Vp of air as function of gap distance.

The sphere-sphere has higher breakdown voltage duo to its uniform electrical
field between the two spheres.
No, we can't use point-plane electrodes result to find the dielectric of air duo to
its non-uniform electrical field also, point to plane doesn’t have fixed slope.

4) Tabulate the breakdown voltage with the absolute pressure of FS6. Find
the approximate value of dielectric strength of FS6 at a pressure of (i) 1 bar
and (ii) 3 bars. What is the effect of gas pressure on the dielectric strength
of SF6?

Table (1): Breakdown voltages for different absolute values of pressure

Pressure 𝑉𝑃 /√2 (KV) 𝑉𝑃 (KV)
1 43.7 61.801
2 73.2 103.52
3 90.3 127.703
d=1cm.

VP 61.801
(DS)1 = = = 61.801 KV/cm
d 1
VP 127.703
(DS)1 = = = 127.703 KV/cm
d 1
 5) How does dielectric strength of air change with air pressure at the
ambient temperature?

When we increase the air pressure, the dielectric of the air increase.

6) Why SF6 gas is used in GIS. What are advantages of using high-pressure
SF6 gas in such equipment?

GIS is stand for (Gas Insulated Switchgear), and we use SF6 because of its high
quality of insulation, excellent dielectric properties, and non-flammable gas
Experiment #3: Dielectric Strength of Gases and Gas Mixtures:

Objectives:

1) To compare and discuss the dielectric strength of gases.

Questions (P-109):

1) what is the interest to use SF6 gas instated of other gasses?

Because of its outstanding electrical, physical and chemical properties,

moreover SF6 is a non-flammable, non-toxic, and has high quality of insulation
gas.

1) why the pressure of SF6 is limited to 0.4-.05 MPa (4-5 bars) in the most
of the practical HV apparatus?

Because at 4 bars, SF6 liquefies near - 40 C, but before reaching this temperature,
the dielectric properties of SF6 can be degraded due to decrease of temperature
through a decrease of the critical value of (E/p) caused by an increase of the
ionization coefficient.

2) how can one design HV apparatus if the gas pressure is limited and also
the use of SF6 is limited?

The designer can design HV apparatus using many gases such as N2, CO2 or
gases mixtures or by decreasing temperature.
Comments:

1) there are three types of materials insulators, conductors, and semi-

conductors.
2) there are two types of electrical field distribution in a gap uniform and
non-uniform.
3) We should take the air pressure in consideration while doing the
experiment.

Conclusion:

1) Sphere -sphere gave a higher breakdown voltage because they are

considered to be a uniform field electrode,
2) point-plane has less breakdown voltage due to non-uniform electric field.
3) When we increase the pressure of SF6, the breakdown voltage and
dielectric strength will increase