A Laboratory Manual for

High Voltage Engineering

(3170917)

B. E. Semester 7 (Electrical)

Directorate of Technical Education, Gandhinagar

Gujarat
 DGGEC, Surat
Certificate
This is to certify that Mr./Ms.
Enrollment No. of B.E. Semester
Electrical Engineering of this Institute (GTU Code: ) has satisfactorily
completed the Practical / Tutorial work for the subject High Voltage
Engineering (3170917) for the academic year 2022-23.

Place:
Date:

Name and Sign of Faculty member

Head of the Department

High Voltage Engineering

Preface

Main motto of any laboratory/practical/field work is for enhancing required skills as well as
creating ability amongst students to solve real time problem by developing relevant competencies
in psychomotor domain. By keeping in view, GTU has designed competency focused outcome -
based curriculum for engineering degree programs where sufficient weightage is given to
practical work. It shows importance of enhancement of skills amongst the students and it pays
attention to utilize every second of time allotted for practical amongst students, instructors and
faculty members to achieve relevant outcomes by performing the experiments rather than having
merely study type experiments. It is must for effective implementation of competency focused
outcome-based curriculum that every practical is keenly designed to serve as a tool to develop
and enhance relevant competency required by the various industry among every student. These
psychomotor skills are very difficult to develop through traditional chalk and board content
delivery method in the classroom. Accordingly, this lab manual is designed to focus on the
industry defined relevant outcomes, rather than old practice of conducting practical to prove
concept and theory.

By using this lab manual students can go through the relevant theory and procedure in advance
before the actual performance which creates an interest and students can have basic idea prior to
performance. This in turn enhances pre-determined outcomes amongst students. Each experiment
in this manual begins with competency, industry relevant skills, course outcomes as well as
practical outcomes (objectives). The students will also achieve safety and necessary precautions
to be taken while performing practical.

This manual also provides guidelines to faculty members to facilitate student-centric lab activities
through each experiment by arranging and managing necessary resources in order that the
students follow the procedures with required safety and necessary precautions to achieve the
outcomes. It also gives an idea that how students will be assessed by providing rubrics.

Electrical power transmission is trending towards higher and higher voltages. Under such scenario,
the conceptual understanding related to insulation, testing the HV devices is must for every
electrical engineer. The laboratory deals with HV test generating devices, measurement devices,
over voltages including lightning and non-destructive testing as well.

Utmost car has been taken while preparing this lab manual but there is chance of improvement
therefore, we welcome constructive suggestions for improvement and removal of errors if a ny
High Voltage Engineering

Practical – Course Outcome matrix

Course Outcomes (COs):
CO-1: Apply numerical methods for engineering problem.
CO-2: Recall breakdown mechanism for dielectric materials in solid, liquid and gaseous state.
CO-3: Classify insulation test techniques.
CO-4: Examine methods for generation of test high voltage and as well for its measurement
CO-5: Conclude about correctness of design and manufacturing of high voltage insulations after performing
test.

Sr.
Objective(s) of Experiment CO1 CO2 CO3 CO4 CO5
No.

1. To study design, planning and layout of the high √

voltage laboratory
To measure the dielectric strength of oil by BDV test
2. √ √
kit

3. Generation of High AC/DC voltages and measurement √

through sphere gaps
To perform impulse generation by impulse generator
4. √
test kit

5. To study horn gap type lightning arrester √ √

To measure the dielectric strength of solid insulating

6. √ √
material
To measure the breakdown characteristics of air by
7. √
different shape of electrodes.
To obtain electric field distribution by using
8. √
electrolytic tank method
To study the effect of movement of impurities in liquid
9. √ √
dielectric

10. To understand Partial Discharge measurement √ √

High Voltage Engineering

India has gone for 765 KV AC transmission and ±800 KV DC transmissions with other
intermediate voltage levels of 400 KV, 220 KV, 132 KV and 66KV, 33 KV and 11 KV at the
distribution level. All the electrical equipments operating at all voltage levels must conform to
the IEEE/ISI standards of insulation level. This requires the testing procedure to be carried out
at the industry or the institutions to test the designed levels of the insulation. Therefore, there is
essential requirement of HV labs for the testing purposes. High voltage labs have lot of
applications such as:

❖ Testing of insulation at all levels of voltages

❖ Testing of CBs, cables, insulators

❖ Testing of transformers and generators

❖ Testing of CTs, PTS, isolators

❖ Partial discharge measurements

❖ Oil testing, gas testing, and dissolved gas analysis

❖ Measurement of capacitance and tan delta of insulators.

LABORATORY DISCIPLINE AND SAFETY REGULATION

● No student is allowed to work in the Laboratory in the absence of either the Professors or
the Technician. Minimum two persons must be present in the same room

● Before entering a High Voltage setup one must convince himself by personal observation
that all the conductors which can assume high potential & lie in the contact zone are earthed.
And that all the main leads are interrupted.

● Switch off the power of the Generator and visually check the earthing before entering the
test area.

● No student should be allowed to change the connection of the generator without the
supervision of the Professor or the technician.

● Sufficient clearance from the surrounding should be provided for the test object (at least 2
meters/500 kV).

● Do not close the door of the test area when there is anyone inside. Lock the door immediately
after you leave the test area.

● Make very sure that no one is inside the test area before the power to the GENERATOR is
turned on.

● Press the "HIGH VOLTAGE" red button on control panel in case of any abnormalities or
danger.

● Switch off all the supplies before you leave the laboratory.
High Voltage Engineering
SAFETY MEASURES

1. Equipment Protection: Protection against insulation failure is provided by some means of

disconnecting the test set from the supply such as (i) fuses, (ii) overload contactor and (iii)
earth leakage protection devices.
2. Safety Earthing: The Safety earthing must be provided in such a way that the Impulse
Generator is fully earthed. The earth resistance must be less than 0.5 ohm.
3. Safety Inspection: The lecturer-in-charge should be responsible that periodic safety
checks are carried out. A suggested checklist is as follows:

▪ Earth Resistance < 0.5 ohm;

▪ Operation of Overload Contactors.

▪ Fire Extinguisher

▪ Insulating Mat.

▪ Insulating Strength of the Earthing Stick.

▪ Insulation against Possible Shocks. (Example: Cable Insulation, etc.)

▪ First-Aid Box.

LAB ETHICS
Do’s
● Enter the lab on time and leave at proper time.
● Keep the bags outside in the racks.

● Utilize lab hours in the corresponding experiment.

● Make the Supply off the Kits/Equipments after completion of Experiments.

● Maintain the decorum of the lab.

Don’ts
● Don’t bring any external material in the lab.

● Don’t make noise in the lab.

● Don’t enter in Faculty room without permission.
● Don’t litter in the lab.
● Don’t carry any lab equipments outside the lab
 High Voltage Engineering

Index
(Progressive Assessment Sheet)
Sign. of
Page Date of Date of Assessment Teacher
Sr. No. Objective(s) of Experiment Remarks
No. performance submission Marks with
date

1 To study design, planning and layout of

the high voltage laboratory
To measure the dielectric strength of oil
2
by BDV test kit.
3 Generation of High AC/DC voltages and
measurement through sphere gaps
To perform impulse generation by
4
impulse generator test kit

5 To study horn gap type lightning arrester

To measure the dielectric strength of

6
solid insulating material.
To measure the breakdown
7 characteristics of air by different shape
of electrodes..

8 To obtain electric field distribution by

using electrolytic tank method
To study the effect of movement of
9
impurities in liquid dielectric
To understand Partial Discharge
10
measurement
Total
High Voltage Engineering

Experiment 0
Vision of DTE
1. To provide globally competitive technical education;
2. Remove geographical imbalances and inconsistencies;
3. Develop student friendly resources with a special focus on girls’ education and support to
weaker sections;
4. Develop programs relevant to industry and create a vibrant pool of technical professionals.

Vision & Mission of Institute

Vision

To be a leading institution ensuring Academic Excellence, Research, Nurturing Innovation and

Entrepreneurial Attitude to produce competent technocrats for service to Nation.

Mission
1. To be a student centric institute imbibing experiential, innovative and lifelong learning
skills, addressing societal problems.
2. To create a conducive ecosystem for Research, innovation & extension services.
3. To inculcate entrepreneurial attitude and values amongst Learners.
4. To Collaborate with Industries and other institutions to strengthen symbiotic relations.
5. To mentor aspiring Institutions to unleash their potential, towards nation building.
Core Values

Our core values are quality, equality, morality, environmental sustainability, energy saving and
strong commitment to the cause of technical education and services. We believe and put efforts
towards:

● Equitable and harmonious growth of students, staff, society, industry.

● Quality services and education to train students enlightened with vision to be committed
citizen with strong civic sense and high moral standards having concern for local and global
values.

Vision & Mission of Department

Vision

To thrive for excellence in the field of Electrical Engineering by imparting quality education that
produces skilled, innovative and ethical engineers to meet the needs of academia, industry and
society.
Mission

● To provide an effective Teaching -Learning environment to acquire skills and knowledge

in the field of Electrical Engineering.

● Strengthen industry institute interaction to enable the students to work on innovative and
real time problems.
High Voltage Engineering

● To foster a culture of entrepreneurship amongst the students.

● To instill values in students for lifelong learning and service to the society.

Program Outcomes as defined by NBA (PO)

Engineering Graduates will be able to:

1. Engineering knowledge: Apply the knowledge of mathematics, science, engineering
fundamentals, and an engineering specialization to the solution of complex engineering
problems.
2. Problem analysis: Identify, formulate, review research literature, and analyze complex
engineering problems reaching substantiated conclusions using first principles of
mathematics, natural sciences, and engineering sciences.
3. Design/development of solutions: Design solutions for complex engineering problems and
design system components or processes that meet the specified needs with appropriate
consideration for the public health and safety, and the cultural, societal, and environmental
considerations.
4. Conduct investigations of complex problems: Use research-based knowledge and
research methods including design of experiments, analysis and interpretation of data, and
synthesis of the information to provide valid conclusions.
5. Modern tool usage: Create, select, and apply appropriate techniques, resources, and
modern engineering and IT tools including prediction and modeling to complex engineering
activities with an understanding of the limitations.
6. The engineer and society: Apply reasoning informed by the contextual knowledge to assess
societal, health, safety, legal and cultural issues and the consequent responsibilities relevant
to the professional engineering practice.
7. Environment and sustainability: Understand the impact of the professional engineering
solutions in societal and environmental contexts, and demonstrate the knowledge of, and
need for sustainable development.
8. Ethics: Apply ethical principles and commit to professional ethics and responsibilities and
norms of the engineering practice.
9. Individual and team work: Function effectively as an individual, and as a member or
leader in diverse teams, and in multidisciplinary settings.
10. Communication: Communicate effectively on complex engineering activities with the
engineering community and with society at large, such as, being able to comprehend and
write effective reports and design documentation, make effective presentations, and give
and receive clear instructions.
11. Project management and finance: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the
engineering and management principles and apply these to one’s own work, as a member
and leader in a team, to manage projects and in multidisciplinary environments.
12. Life-long learning: Recognize the need for, and have the preparation and ability to engage
in independent and life-long learning in the broadest context of technological change.
High Voltage Engineering

Program Educational Objectives (PEOs)

The Graduates will be able to
1. Design, model, analyze and provide appropriate solutions to the industry based problems.
2. Demonstrate entrepreneurial skills and lifelong learning during the career.
3. Adapt themselves with the new technological challenges.
4. Exhibit professional leadership skills imbibing ethical practices.
5. Contribute idea with effective communication and work in a team to develop projects and
plans.
Program Specific Outcomes (PSO)
PSO 1: Utilize the domain knowledge cultivated from courses of Electrical Engineering
encompassing Analysis, Control, Protection, Design of Electrical Machines and Power Systems.
PSO 2: Evaluate the existing system and provide technical solutions to meet the societal needs.
High Voltage Engineering

Experiment No: 1
DESIGN, PLANNING AND LAYOUT OF THE HIGH VOLTAGE
LABORATORY
Date:

Competency and Practical Skills: Basic knowledge about design of High Voltage laboratory
Relevant CO: CO1- Apply numerical methods for engineering problem.

Objectives: To study Design, Planning and Layout of the High Voltage Laboratory

Theory:
High voltage laboratories are an essential requirement for making acceptance tests for the
equipment that go into operation in the extra high voltage transmission systems. In addition, they
are also used in the development work on equipment for conducting research, and for planning to
ensure economical and reliable extra high voltage transmission systems. Here a brief review of the
planning and layout of testing laboratories and some problems and limitations of the test techniques
are presented.
High voltage laboratories, in addition to conducting tests on equipment, are used for research and
development works on the equipment. This includes determination of the safety factor for
dielectrics and reliability studies under different atmospheric conditions such as rain, fog, industrial
pollution, etc., at voltage higher than the test voltage required. Sometimes, it is required to study
problems associated with test lines and other equipment under natural atmospheric or pollution
conditions, which cannot be done indoors. Research activities usually include the following:

❖ Breakdown phenomenon in insulating media such as gases, liquids, solids, or composite

systems

❖ Withstand voltage on long gaps, surface flashover studies on equipment with special
reference to the equipment and materials used in power systems

❖ Electrical interference studies due to discharges from equipment operating at high voltages

❖ Studies on insulation co-ordination on High Voltage Power Systems

❖ High current phenomenon such as electric arcs and plasma physics. Usually, high voltage
laboratories involve tremendous cost. Hence, planning and Layout have to be carefully done
so that with the testing equipment chosen, the Investment is not high and the maximum
utility of the laboratory is made.

Layout of High Voltage Laboratories:

Each laboratory has to be designed individually considering:
❖ Type of equipment to be tested
❖ Available space, other accessories needed for tests, storage space required
❖ Earthing, control gear and safety precautions require most careful consideration
❖ The control room should be located as to include good overall view of the laboratory
High Voltage Engineering

❖ The main access door to test area must accommodate the test equipment and objects have
adequate interlocking arrangements and warning system to ensure to the personnel

Classification of High Voltage Laboratories:

Depending on the purpose and resources (finances) available labs can be classified into three types:
1. Small Laboratories
2. Medium Size Laboratories
3. Large General Laboratories
1. Small Laboratories:

● A small laboratory is one that contains DC or power frequency test equipment of less than
10KW/10KVA rating.
● Impulse equipment of energy rating of about 10KJ or less.
● Voltage rating can be about 300KV for AC, single unit or 500 to 600KV A.C. for cascade
units, ±200 to 400 KV DC and less than 100KV impulse voltage.
● Normally equipment is meant for housing in a room or hall of size 15m x 10m x 8m.
● Small laboratories are meant for Engineering Colleges and Industries.

2. Medium Size Laboratories (An industrial Laboratory):

Such a laboratory may initially contain:
● Power frequency testing facility: 200 to 600KV, but its KVA rating will be much higher
100 to 1000KVA.
● The impulse voltage generator could be of 20 to 100KJ or more

3. Large General Laboratories:

These laboratories are meant to carry out testing and undertake research work. The basic facilities
available will be:
● One or more HV test halls
● Corona and pollution test chambers
● Outdoor test area for test on large sized equipment, transmission line and towers
● Controlled atmospheric test room/chambers
● The size/rating of the test equipment will be quite large (up to few KVA or MVA)
Note: The approximate working clearances recommended are as follows:
● A.C. power frequency voltages : 200 KV (rms)/m
● D.C. voltages : 275 KV/m
● Impulse voltages : 500 KV/m
● For switching surges, the clearance is worked out from the following approximate formula
𝑑 = (2𝑉)2
Where 𝑑 is in meter and 𝑉 is in MV.
High Voltage Engineering

Test can be carried out in HV Lab:

● Withstand Test
● Flashover Test
● Pollution Test
● Partial Discharge Test
● Tan Measurement
● Power Frequency Test
● Impulse Test
● Switching Test
● Lightning Test
● DC Voltage Test
● Radio Interference Voltage (RIV) measurement
● High Current Test
Equipment in HV Lab:
● HV Generator (Transformer)
● Oil Testing Kit
● Impulse Generator
● Testing facilities for RIV Testing and Partial Discharge
● Sphere Gap for Voltage Measurement
● Corona Cage
Grounding in HV Lab:
● Ideal Ground
● Equipotential plane approximated by copper or galvanized iron sheet
● Very expensive
● Single Point Grounding
● Ear thing grid is grounded at a single point.
● Bus Grounding
● Grounding is done at several points in a lab
● Least satisfactory
Design and Specification of Grounding System:
● Metal sheet is embedded in a concrete floor.
● Generally copper conductors are used.
High Voltage Engineering

● Grounding grid is a mesh of 1m x 1m and is connected to metal grids of RCC construction

of lab.
● Chicken mesh of 1cm x 1cm is used to reduce the electromagnetic interference.

Conclusion:

Quiz:

1. What are the main facilities should be available in High Voltage Laboratory?

2. Give classification of High Voltage Laboratory.

3. What is different grounding systems used for Impulse Testing Laboratory?

4. Why Fencing, Earth equipments and Shielding are necessary in High Voltage Laboratory?

5. Enlist types of HV Laboratory based on their rating.

High Voltage Engineering

6. Define various types of test carried out in HV Laboratory

Rubric wise marks obtained:

Rubrics 1 2 3 4 5 Total
Marks
High Voltage Engineering

Experiment No: 2
DIELECTRIC STRENGTH OF OIL

Date :
Competency and Practical Skills: Basic Knowledge about to check dielectric strength
of oil
Relevant CO: CO-2 & CO-3- Recall breakdown mechanism for dielectric materials in solid,
liquidand gaseous state.
Classify insulation test techniques.

Objectives: To measure the dielectric strength of oil by BDV test kit.

Equipment/Instruments: Transformer oil test kit, Transformer oil

Theory:
The oil is poured in a container known as test-cell which has internal dimensions of 55 mm × 90
mm × 100 mm high. The electrodes are polished spheres of 12.7 to 13 mm diameter, preferably of
brass, arranged horizontally with their axis not less than 40 mm above the bottom of the cell. For
the test, the distance between the spheres shall be 4 + 0.02 mm. A suitable gauge is used to adjust
the gap. While preparing the oil sample, the test-cell should be thoroughly cleaned and the moisture
and suspended particles should be avoided. Figure shows an experimental set-up for finding out the
dielectric strength of the given sample of oil. The voltmeter is connected on to the primary side of
the high voltage transformer but calibrated on the high voltage side.

The gap between the spheres is adjusted to 4 mm with the help of a gauge and the spheres are
immersed in oil to a depth as mentioned earlier. The voltage is increased gradually and continuously
till a flash over of the gap is seen or the MCB operates. Note down this voltage. This voltage is
known as rapidly-applied voltage. The breakdown of the gap has taken place mainly due to field
effect. The thermal effect is minimal as the time of application is short.
Next bring the voltage back to zero and start with 40% of the rapidly applied voltage and wait for
one minute. See if the gap has broken. If not, increase the voltage every time by 2.1/2% of the
rapidly applied voltage and wait for one minute till the flash over is seen or the MCB trips. Note
down this voltage.
Start again with zero voltage and increase the voltage to a value just obtained in the previous step
and wait for a minute. It is expected that the breakdown will take place. A few trials around this
point will give us the breakdown value of the dielectric strength. The acceptable value is 30 kV for
4 mm applied for one minute. In fact these days transformer oils with 65 kV for 4 mm 1 minute
value are available. If it is less than 30 kV, the oil should be sent for reconditioning.
High Voltage Engineering

It is to be noted that if the electrodes are immersed vertically in the oil, the dielectric strength
measured may turn out to be lower than what we obtained by placing the electrodes in horizontal
position which is the normal configuration. It is due to the fact that when oil decomposes carbon
particles being lighter rise up and if the electrodes are in vertical configuration, these will bridge
the gap and the breakdown will take place at a lower value.

Procedure:

● Adjust the gap between the electrodes to 2.5 mm by the gauge provide with punch mark for
‘GO’.

● Fill the test vessel/ cup with the dielectric oil sample to be tested and place it on H.T.
electrodes. Close the hood properly, to operate the interlock micro switch, which acts as a
safety precaution for the operator.

● Switch ‘ON’ the supply from mains, the corresponding lamp will glow.

● Press ‘HT ON’ push button the contactor will operate and H.T. ‘ON’ lamp will glow. If the
contactor does not operate, it means that the Variac brush arm is not at zero position or the
hood interlock is not closed. The zero interlocking of the Variac is another safety feature
against switching on the unit directly at a higher voltage. This will be indicated by voltmeter
reading

● Keep increasing/ lower switch in lower position to bring the brush arm to zero position and
then again push the H.T. ‘ON’ push button.

● Raise the voltage by putting the control switch on raise position. The voltage will increase
gradually in steps till breakdown of oil on the gap occurs i.e. oil sample test fails, the unit
will trip and the kV meter which has been provided with a pointer arresting mechanism will
read the breakdown voltage in kV. To lower down the voltage, put the control switch on
lower position before start of subsequent test.

● Note down the readings for breakdown voltage, which is available on the digital meter.

● Take 6 readings and discard the first one. Take average of remaining 5 readings as
breakdown voltage of oil

● Calculate the breakdown strength in kV/mm.

Precaution:

● Transformer oil should be free from moisture content.

● Gap should be premises.

● Nobody should go near the H.T. bushing when the test being conducted.

● Ignore the first one or two readings, as the air between the electrodes may not ionize.

● The equipment must be grounded firmly.

High Voltage Engineering

● The electrodes must be cleaned properly before and after the use.

● Do not touch the equipment without grounding it with the grounding rod.

● Before starting the experiment, make sure the electrodes are properly aligned and zero
reading is adjusted.

Observation Table:
Sr. no. Breakdown Voltage (kV) Gap distance (mm)
1.
2.
3.
4.

Breakdown Strength of Oil (KV/mm) = Breakdown Voltage (kV) / Gap distance (mm)
Conclusion:

Quiz:

1. How does liquid breakdown differ from gaseous breakdown?

2. What are the factors that influence conduction in pure liquid dielectrics and in commercial
liquid dielectrics?
High Voltage Engineering

3. What are different impurities in liquid dielectrics? How will you remove these impurities from
transformer oil?

4. What must be the value of BDV of transformer oil after purification of oil?

5. How will you increase the voltage while testing BDV of transformer oil?

6. What are the essential electrical properties for determining the dielectric strength of liquids?

7. What are the commercial liquid dielectrics?

High Voltage Engineering

Rubric wise marks obtained:

Rubrics 1 2 3 4 5 Total
Marks
High Voltage Engineering

Experiment No: 3
GENERATION OF HIGH AC/DC VOLTAGES AND MEASUREMENT
THROUGH SPHERE GAPS
Date:

Competency and Practical Skills: Basic knowledge about generation of high AC/DC voltages and
its measurement

Relevant CO: CO-4- Examine methods for generation of test high voltage and as well for its measurement
Objectives: Generation of High AC/DC voltages and measurement through sphere gaps

Equipment/Instruments: Auto Transformer 1-Phase 230V, 5 Amp, 50Hz AC, Step Up Transformer:
230V to 50kV (Centre tapped earth) AC, Control Panel, 150mm diameter Sphere gap

Theory:
The sphere gap method of measuring high voltage is the most reliable and is used as the standard
for calibration purposes. The breakdown strength of a gas depends on the ionization of the gas
molecules, and on the density of the gas. As such, the breakdown voltage varies with the gap
spacing; and for a uniform field gap, a high consistency could be obtained, so that the sphere gap is
very useful as a measuring device.
In the measuring device, two metal spheres are used, separated by a gas-gap. The potential
difference between the spheres is raised until a spark passes between them. The breakdown strength
of a gas depends on the size of the spheres, their distance apart and a number of other factors. A
spark gap may be used for the determination of the peak value of a voltage wave, and for the
checking and calibrating of voltmeters and other voltage measuring devices. The density of the gas
(generally air) affects the sparkover voltage for a given gap setting. Thus the correction for any air
density change must be made.
The air density correction factor is:

𝜌 273 + 𝑡0
𝛿 = ( )× ( )
𝜌0 273 + 𝑡

The spark over voltage for a given gap setting under the standard conditions (760 torr pressure and
at 20°C) must be multiplied by the correction factor to obtain the actual sparkover voltage. The
breakdown voltage of the sphere gap is almost independent of humidity of the atmosphere, but the
presence of dew on the surface lowers the breakdown voltage and hence invalidates the calibrations.
The limits of accuracy are dependent on the ratio of the spacing d to the sphere diameter D, as
distance=radius of sphere.
Procedure:

● Make arrangements of Sphere gap assembly.

● Adjust the scale at zero and make gap between sphere as zero.
● Apply the voltage by adjusting gap between spheres till breakdown occurs
● Compare the meter reading with the standard one.
High Voltage Engineering

Observation Table:

Sphere Gap Distance (mm) Breakdown Voltage (kV)

Conclusion:

Quiz:
1. Give the name of different method for generation of high voltage AC?

2. Give the name of different method for generation of high voltage DC?

3. Give the name of different method for measurement of high voltage AC?

4. Give the name of different method for measurement of high voltage DC?
High Voltage Engineering

5. Explain advantages and disadvantages of sphere gap for high voltage measurement.

Rubric wise marks obtained:

Rubrics 1 2 3 4 5 Total
Marks
High Voltage Engineering

Experiment No: 4
IMPULSE GENERATION
Date:

Competency and Practical Skills: Basic Knowledge of impulse generation

Relevant CO: CO-4- Examine methods for generation of test high voltage and as well for its measurement
Objectives: To perform impulse generation by impulse generator test kit

Equipment/Instruments: Impulse generator test kit

Theory:
Standard Impulse Wave Shapes
Transient over voltages due to lighting and switching surges cause step build up of voltage on

transmission lines and other electrical apparatus. These waves have a rise time of 0.5 to 10 μs and

delay time for 50% of peak value of 30-200μs. The wave shapes are arbitrary but mostly
unidirectional. It is shown that lighting over voltage wave can be represented as double exponential
waves defined by equation
V = V0 (e- αt - e-βt )

Where α&β are constants of micro sec values.

Standard Impulse Waveform

This equation represents a unidirectional wave, which usually has a rapid rise to the peak value and
slowly falls to zero value. e.g. 1.2/50μs ; 100 kV wave represents an impulse wave with front time
of 1.2μs, time to 50% peak value of 50μs and peak value of 100 kV. When impulse wave shapes
are recorded initial position may not be clearly defined. Due to disturbance it may contain
superimposed oscillations in rising portion. Peak amplitude A is fixed = 100% value. Points
corresponding to 10% & 90% are located. Correspondingly time t 1& t2 are found then 1.25 times
ot1-ot2 gives front time. The time corresponding to 50% peak values ot 4 gives fall time. Tolerance
that can be allowed in front and tail times are + 30% and + 20% respectively.
High Voltage Engineering

A double exponential waveform may be produced in laboratory with a combination of series

RLC circuit under over damped conditions or by the combination of two RC circuits.

Multistage Impulse Generator

In a single stage impulse generator, capacitor is first charged and discharged into wave
shaping circuits. A single capacitor may be used for voltage up to 200 kV. Beyond this voltage a
single capacitor and its charging unit may be too costly and size of the impulse generator increase
at the rate of square or cube of the voltage rating. Hence for producing very high voltage bank of
capacitors are charged in series. The arrangement for charging capacitors in parallel and then
connecting them in series for discharging was originally proposed by Marx. Charging resistance Rs
is chosen to limit the charging current. Gap spacing is chosen such that break down voltage of gap
‘g’ is greater than charging voltage. When impulse generator is to be discharged the gaps are made
to spark over simultaneously by some external means. All capacitors get disconnected in series and
discharge into load capacitance or test object. Discharge time constant will be very small compared
to charging time constant. Hence no discharge takes place through charging resistor.

Modified Marx Circuit

In modified Marx circuit R1 and R2 resistances are incorporated in the circuit. R1 is divided
into n parts equal to R1/n and put in series with gap. R 2 is also divided into n parts and arranged
across the gap. This arrangement saves space and reduces cost. Additional advantage gained by
distributing R1 and R2 inside the unit are that the control resistances are smaller in size and
efficiency is very high.
Impulse generator is rated by total voltage (nominal), the number of stages and gross stored
energy.
Components of Multistage Impulse Generator
A multistage impulse generator requires several component parts for flexibility & for productions
of required wave shape.
(1) D.C. Charging Set
The charging unit should be capable of giving variable D.C. voltage of either polarity to charge
the generator capacitance to required values.
(2) Charging resistors

These will be non-inductive high value resistors of about 10-100 kΩ each. Resistor will be
designed to have maximum Voltage between 50 to 100 kV.
(3) Generator capacitors and spark gaps
These are arranged vertically one over another with all spark gaps aligned. The capacitors are
designed for several charging and discharging operation. One dead short circuit capacitors will
be capable of giving 10 kA of current. Spark gaps are usually spheres or hemispheres of 10.25
cm diameter.
(4) Wave shaping resistors & capacitors
Resistors are non-inductive wound type and should be capable of discharging impulse currents
of 1000 A or more. Each resistor will be designed for a maximum voltage of 50 to 100 kV. In
High Voltage Engineering

some cases they are wound on thin cylindrical former and are completely enclosed. The load
capacitor may be of compressed gas or oil filled with a capacitance of 1 to 10 μF.

Modern impulse generation have their wave shaping resistors included internally with a
flexibility to add additional resistors outside when the generator capacitance is charged. Such
generators optimize the set of resistors. A commercial impulse voltage generator uses 6 sets of
reactors ranging from 1 to 160 Ω with different combinations

(5) Voltage Divider

Voltage divider of either damped capacitor or resistor type and an oscilloscope with recording
arrangement are provided for measurement of voltage across the test object.
(6) Triggering and Control of I.G.
In large I.G. the spark gaps are generally sphere gaps or gaps formed by hemispherical
electrodes. The gaps are arranged such that the sparking of one gap results in automatic sparking
of other gaps as over voltage is impressed on other. To trip the generator at a predetermined
time spark gaps may be mounted on a movable frame, the gap distance is reduced by moving
the movable electrodes closer.
Another simple method consists of making the first gap a three-electrode gap and firing it from
a controlled source. The first stage is fitted with a three electrode gap and control electrode is
maintained at a potential in between that of top and bottom electrode. Tripping is initiated by
applying a pulse to thyratron. The capacitor produces an exponentially decaying pulse of
positive polarity. The thyratron conducts in receiving the pulse and produce negative pulse at
central electrode. Hence the voltage between top and central electrode goes above sparking
voltage and gap conducts.
The three-electrode gap needs large space and electrode construction hence trigation gap used
which needs smaller voltage for operation compared to three-electrode gap. It has high voltage
spherical rod on earthed main electrode. Tripping of I.G. is effected by a trip pulse that produces
spark between trigger electrode and earthed
Observation Table:
Sr. Peak Voltage kV
Wave Front Time (μ S) Wave Tail Time (μS)
No.
1
2

Conclusion:
High Voltage Engineering

Quiz:
1. Define Impulse Wave.

2. Requirement of Impulse Testing.

3. Define: Wave Front Time and Wave Tail Time.

4. Define Impulse flashover voltage.

High Voltage Engineering

5. Differentiate Switching Surge and Lightning Wave.

Rubric wise marks obtained:

Rubrics 1 2 3 4 5 Total
Marks
High Voltage Engineering

Date:
Experiment No: 05
HORN GAP TYPE LIGHTNING ARRESTER
Competency and Practical Skills: Basic knowledge of Horn gap type lighting arrester
Relevant CO: CO-2 & CO-5- Recall breakdown mechanism for dielectric materials in solid, liquid
and gaseous state.
Conclude about correctness of design and manufacturing of high voltage insulations after performingtest.

Objectives: To study horn gap type lightning arrester

Theory:
It is often required to provide some protection to equipment against high voltages. Such protective
equipments can be categorized as
Surge Arrestor
These are connected between line terminal and earth at substation terminal and always act in parallel
with the equipment to be protected. They simply divert the surface to the earth. Surge arrestors used
in practice as follows

● Horn gap Arrestor

● Multiple Gap Arrestor

● Lightning Arrestor

● Electrolytic Arrestor

● Valve Arrestor
Surge Modifier
Surge modifiers are connected in series with the line at substation terminal. They absorb the surge
energy and flatten the wave front of incoming wave.

● Surge absorbers

● Arcing ground suppressors

● Earthing coil (Peterson’s coil)

● Water jet earthing resistance

Construction of Horn Gap Arrestor

The equipment is known as horn gap because two high voltage electrode are of the apace of horn.
There is specially designed high voltage transformer with center tap grounded. The horns are connected to the
high voltage outputs of the transformer. For the safety of the operator the horns,
which are at high voltage are covered with transparent cover.
High Voltage Engineering

A suitable push button is provided in the front panel of the equipment. The equipment starts operating
as soon as we press the button.The input supply is 230 V AC.

Structure and Working of Horn Gap Arrester

The horn gap arresters are the oldest type among all the arrester and still they are used in low voltage
lines because they are cheap and simple to construct. It consists of two horn shaped pieces of metal
separated by a small air gap and mounted on a vertical plane. They are connected in parallel with
the transmission lines between two conductors and earth. The gap between the metallic wires is
such that under normal condition, it does not allow any flow of current but under over voltage
condition the gap breaks down and diverts the surge voltage from the earth. An arc is produced at
the bottom of the horn gap during high voltage surge. The arc is pushed out towards the top of the
horns due to heat of the arc, the gap length towards the horn top is more than that at the base. The
overvoltage cannot maintain such a long arc and arc get extinguished. The time taken for the
completion operation is about 3 to 5 sec.

Advantages:
(a) The arc is self - clearing. Therefore this type of arrester does not cause short-circuiting of the
system after the surge is over as in the case of rod gap.
(b) Series resistance helps in limiting the follow current to a small value.

Limitations:
(a) The bridging of gap by some external agency e.g. birds can render device useless.
(b) The setting of horn gap is likely to change due to corrosion or pitting. this adversely affects the
performance of the arrester.
(c) The time of operation is comparatively long say about 3 seconds. In view of the very short
operating time of modern protective gear for feeders, this time is far long.
(d) Due to above limitations, this type of arrester is not reliable and can only be used as a second
line of defense like the rod gap arrester.

Procedure:

● Arrange the horns on table. Keep the suitable gap about 2 cm between electrodes.

● Now make the proper connection of earth electrode and high voltage electrodes.

● Increase the test voltage through H.V. transformer at 2kV/second.

● First ionization of air will take place at certain voltage and hence arc is observed between two
electrodes. As arc moves upward resistance will increase and it will extinguish itself.
High Voltage Engineering

Conclusion:

Quiz:
1. Give the importance of R and L in horn gap type Lightning Arrester ?

2. Give the system voltage up to which horn gap type Lightning Arrester can be used?

3. Briefly give the working of horn gap type Lightning Arrester ?

4. What are the advantages and limitations of the horn gap type Lightning Arrester?
High Voltage Engineering

5. Why the arc is moving upwards in horn gap type Lightning Arrester?

Rubric wise marks obtained:

Rubrics 1 2 3 4 5 Total
Marks
High Voltage Engineering

Experiment No: 6
DIELECTRIC STRENGTH OF SOLID INSULATING MATERIAL
Date:

Competency and Practical Skills: Basic knowledge of measure the dielectric strength of
solid insulating material
Relevant CO: CO-2 & CO-3- Recall breakdown mechanism for dielectric materials in solid, liquid
and gaseous state.
Classify insulation test techniques.

Objectives: To measure the dielectric strength of solid insulating material

Equipment/Instruments:

Theory:
Solid insulator are insulators forming barriers to the flow if charge between various parts of
apparatus when high voltage is applied across them.
Requirement of Good Dielectric are:

● They should have high resistivity to reduce leakage current. They must withstand high
voltage without breakdown. They must have high dielectrics strength.

● Their density must be low as they are used on volume basis and not on weight basis.

● High thermal conductivity is essential.

● Low co-efficient of thermal expansion to avoid stresses and structural damages.

● They must be chemically inactive.

There is a wide range of synthetically produced as well as natural. Insulator choice depends upon
thermal, mechanical chemical and electrical properties. Classification of Solid insulating materials
is made as follows:

● Naturally occurring: Carbon, Varnish, Rubber, Marble, Mica, Asbestos etc.

● Fibrous Nature: Wood, Paper, Cardboard, Cloth etc.

● Synthetic Materials: Plastic, Polythene, Polystyrene, Ceramic etc.

● Solid Dielectrics: Bituminous, Waxes, Resins, Thermoplastics, Thermostats etc.

Breakdown of Solid Dielectrics:
In practice, breakdown of solid insulating material occurs due to prolonged processes. This can be
due to

● Partial discharge

● Tracking on the surface

High Voltage Engineering

● Chemical and Electrochemical deterioration

● Oxidation

● Hydrolysis in the presence of moisture

● Chemical action in the presence of oxygen moisture, ozone etc., resulting into degradation
of the insulation.

● Severe chemical action may results in damage of Insulation and converts the whole process
in mechanical damages.
Intrinsic Breakdown
When high voltages are applied only for a short duration of the order of sec, the dielectric strength
of solid dielectric increases very rapidly to an upper limit called an intrinsic electric strength. Two
types of intrinsic breakdowns have been proposed viz

● Electronic breakdown

● Avalanche or Streamer breakdown

Electromechanical Breakdown
When high electric field is applied to a solid dielectric, failure occurs due to electrostatic
compressive forces which can exceed the electrostatic compressive strength.
Thermal Breakdown
When high voltage is applied to a dielectric, conduction current, however small it may be, flows
through the material. If the heat generated exceeds the heat dissipated, breakdown occurs. Thermal
breakdown sets up an upper limit for increasing the breakdown voltage when the thickness of the
insulation is increased.
Procedure:
Different Solid dielectrics in the form of thin sheets can be tested in the laboratory for their
breakdown strength and results are tabulated in the observation table.
Observation Table:
Sr. Solid material Thickness of Dielectric
No. used material (mm) Strength (kV/mm)
1
2
3
4

Conclusion:
High Voltage Engineering

Quiz:

1. Enlist various types of Solid Insulating Materials.

2. Short Note: Tan Delta Measurement.

3. Explain Insulation Coordination.

4. Short Note: Testing of Surge Diverters.

5. Explain PD Detection Technique in detail.

High Voltage Engineering

6. Significance of PD Detection.

Rubric wise marks obtained:

Rubrics 1 2 3 4 5 Total
Marks
High Voltage Engineering

Experiment No: 7
BREAKDOWN CHARACTERISTICS OF AIR BY DIFFERENT SHAPE OF
ELECTRODES
Date:

Competency and Practical Skills: Basic knowledge of breakdown characteristics of air

Relevant CO: CO-2 Recall breakdown mechanism for dielectric materials in solid, liquid and gaseous
state.
Objectives: To measure the breakdown characteristics of air by different shape of electrodes.

Equipment/Instruments: High voltage testing transformer (100 KV), Different shapes of

electrodes (sphere gap, rod gap, cylinder gap, point gap), earthing rod etc.

Theory:
A uniform field spark gap will always have a sparkover voltage within a known tolerance under
constant atmospheric conditions. A sparkover voltage of 30 KV(peak) at 1 cm spacing in air at 20ºC
and 760 torr pressure occurs for a sphere gap or any uniform field gap. But experience shows that
these measurements are reliable only for certain gap configuration.
If field applied to the electrode is uniform and, if voltage across the electrode gap increases
gradually, then it produces breakdown of the air gap between the electrodes in the form of spark
without any preliminary discharge. On the other hand, if the field is non uniform, if voltage
increases, first it will cause a discharge in the gap to appear at points with highest electric field
intensity at sharp points or where the electrodes are curved, this form of discharge is known as
corona discharge and which can be observed as a bluish luminescence, which is always
accompanied by a hissing noise and air surrounding the corona region converted into ozone.
Breakdown voltage of air gap mainly depends on the spacing between electrodes, for less spacing
breakdown voltage is less and for more spacing breakdown voltage is more.
Breakdown voltage also depends upon shape of electrode. Electrode like sphere gap has higher
breakdown voltage due to non-uniform field, on other hand cylinder gap has less breakdown voltage
for same spacing, which is due to uniform field, which increase the intensity of electric field across
the spacing. The breakdown voltage under standard temperature and pressure is given by,
Vb = Va * h/ρ

Where h is humidity correction factor, Va is actual breakdown voltage and ρ is air density
factor and it is given by,

ρ = (0.392 * b) / (273 + t)

Where b is atmospheric pressure (in torr) and t is ambient temp (°C).

Precautions:
1. Usual separation of the two sphere should not exceed 0.5 times the diameter of the sphere.
2. No measurement should be taken with spacing less than 5% of diameter of sphere.
3. Surface of sphere should be dust free, shining and scratch free.
4. The spark interval should be such that the overheating of surface does not take place.
5. All earth equipment in the surroundings should be sufficiently away from gap.
6. To prevent oscillations “non inductive” (water tube) resistance should be provided between the
line and gap.
7. After each observation, electrodes and terminals of h. v. transformer must be discharged to
ground.
High Voltage Engineering

Procedure:
1. Make connections as shown in fig. and adjust appropriate gap between electrodes.
2. After closing interlocks, start control panel and increase the voltage across electrodes.
3. Note down the readings of different meter on control panel at the instant of sparkover (Break
down).
4. Switch off the control panel and discharge residual charge from electrodes using earthing
electrode.
5. Repeat above procedure for different gap spacing as well as different electrode configuration.
6. Plot graph of BDV under standard condition and BDV under actual conditions for different
electrode configurations.

Observation:
Atmospheric pressure _____ ______________ torr
Humidity correction factor h = ____________
Room temperature t = _____ _____________ 30°C.

Observation Tables:
1. Sphere-Sphere Electrode Arrangement
Breakdown Breakdown voltage
Sr. Distance between Actual breakdown
voltage on on
No. two electrode (cm) voltage in airgap Vb
L. V. Side (volt) H. V. Side (kV)
1
2
3
4
5

2. Cylinder- Cylinder Electrode Arrangement

Breakdown Breakdown voltage
Sr. Distance between Actual breakdown
voltage on on
No. two electrode (cm) voltage in airgap Vb
L. V. Side (volt) H. V. Side (kV)
1
2
3
4
5

3. Point-Cylinder Electrode Arrangement

Breakdown Breakdown voltage
Sr. Distance between Actual breakdown
voltage on on
No. two electrode (cm) voltage in airgap Vb
L. V. Side (volt) H. V. Side (kV)
1
2
3
High Voltage Engineering

4
5

4. Rod-Rod Electrode Arrangement

Breakdown Breakdown voltage
Sr. Distance between Actual breakdown
voltage on on
No. two electrode (cm) voltage in airgap Vb
L. V. Side (volt) H. V. Side (kV)
1
2
3
4
5

Conclusion:

QUIZ:
1. What are the parameters and factors that influence electrode gap measurements?

2. Why a series resistance is connected between the source and spark gap?

3. What precautions will you take before charging sphere gap assembly?
High Voltage Engineering

4. Compare the use of uniform field electrode spark gap and sphere gap for measuring peak values
of voltages.

5. What are the requirements of a sphere gap for measurement of high voltages? Discuss the
disadvantages of sphere gap for measurements?

6. Discuss the effect of (1) Nearby earth objects, (2) Humidity and (3) Dust particles on the
measurement using sphere gap.

7. How will you apply correction for atmospheric conditions in sphere gap measurements?

Rubric wise marks obtained:

Rubrics 1 2 3 4 5 Total
Marks
High Voltage Engineering

Experiment No: 8
ELECTRIC FIELD DISTRIBUTION BY USING ELECTROLYTIC TANK METHOD

Date:

Competency and Practical Skills: Basic knowledge of Electric Field Distribution

Relevant CO: CO-2- Recall breakdown mechanism for dielectric materials in solid, liquid and gaseous
state.
Objectives: To obtain Electric Field Distribution by using Electrolytic Tank method

Equipment/Instruments: Electrolytic tank, pantagraph, base, 0-10kV transformer

Theory:
Electrolytic tank is useful tool to draw equipotential lines. Equipotential line is the path along which
the voltage remains the same. This experiment plays very important role for the analysis of electric
field or electric stresses of a die-electric. Geometrically simple models can be taken and
equipotential lines can be drawn.
The basic tank is made of high quality mild steel and it is epoxy powder coated to protect form
corrosion. On the top of the tank a transparent glass is fixed with the help of frame. The drawing
sheet, on which equipotential lines have to be plotted, is kept and fixed on the glass sheet. The tank
has the provision to drain the water after the experiment is over.
Pantograph is the most important part of the electrolytic tank. Pantograph is specially design to have
two parallel moving arms one over another. These arms can be moved in X or Y direction. Lower
arm has the provision to hold the probe which can move between the electrodes, kept in the tank to
locate the equipotential points. Upper arm has a pencil holder. This is spring loaded and by pressing
the top know of the holder point can be located on the drawing sheet. The base of the equipment is
made out of square tube. Provision is made to level the tank with the help of the leveling screw, and
hence, water in the tank.
The electrodes are placed in the tank and water is poured in the tank such that the electrodes dip at
least little more than the half in the water. Some Voltage (say 10V) is applied to one electrode and
other electrode is grounded. A drawing sheet is fixed on the glass sheet. Now equipotential lines at
10%, 20%……90% can be drawn by moving the probe to certain points, where, the high impedance
meter reads the voltage. First set of points is achieved at 10% i.e. 1V, second set at 20% i.e.2V and
so on. Finally, join the equipotential points to get the equipotential lines. Different type of electrode
can be used to draw the equipotential lines such as spheres, flat parallel and curved plates of both
type i.e. concave and convex.
Procedure
Parallel Plate Model

● The Parallel Plate Capacitor model is placed inside the Electrolytic Tank.

● Clean water is poured (added) into the Electrolytic Tank up to the tips of the parallel plates.

● Now drawing sheet is fixed on the glass plate of the Electrolytic Tank.
High Voltage Engineering

● Connections are made as per the circuit diagram and keep multimeter knob in the AC mode.

● Switch ON the main supply.

● Keep the pantograph needle on any one of the electrodes, then applying a small voltage of
10 Volts by using auto transformer with the help of multimeter.

● First trace both the plates by using pantograph then trace equipotential lines corresponding
to voltage of 2 volts, 4 volts, 6volts and 8 volts respectively.
With different configuration of electrodes, the measurement can be repeated.

Precautions:
1. High impedance voltmeter should be used to read the equipotential points.
2. Drain out the water after the experiment
3. Do not apply more voltage from the safety point of view.

Conclusion:

Quiz:
1. Why an electrolyte is used in this method of plotting the equipotential curves?

2. Why AC is preferred to DC in this method of plotting equipotential curves?

3. How would the equipotential curves for two infinitely long plate electrodes look?
High Voltage Engineering

4. How do above plotted curves differ from those for infinitely long plate electrodes?

5. In the above case what change do you expect in the shapes of equipotential curves when more
electrodes (which are connected to higher potential) are introduced in the electrolytic tank
outside the larger cylinder?

6. What other liquids could be used instead of tap water? Give examples

Rubric wise marks obtained:

Rubrics 1 2 3 4 5 Total
Marks
High Voltage Engineering

Experiment No: 9
TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF MOVEMENT OF IMPURITIES IN LIQUID
DIELECTRIC
Date:

Competency and Practical Skills: Basic knowledge of movement of impurities in liquid dielectric

Relevant CO: CO-2 & CO-5- Recall breakdown mechanism for dielectric materials in solid, liquid
and gaseous state.
Conclude about correctness of design and manufacturing of high voltage insulations after performing
test.
Objectives: To study the effect of movement of impurities in liquid dielectric

Equipment/Instruments: Special arrangement made up of glass chamber, high voltage

transformer, Induction regulator, string as solid impurity, bubbling arrangement for gaseous
impurity

Theory:
Conduction and breakdown in commercial liquids
Commercially insulating liquids are not chemically pure and have impurities like gas bubbles,
suspended particles etc. These impurities reduce the breakdown strength of liquids considerably.
The breakdown mechanisms are also influenced by presence of these impurities. In addition when
breakdown occur in liquid, additional gas bubbles are evolved and solid decomposition products
are formed.
At certain time typical sounds are heard due to generation of impulsive pressure through the liquid.
The breakdown mechanism in liquid dielectric is dependent on several factors e.g. nature and
condition of electrodes, physical properties of liquid, impurities and gases present in the l iquid.
Various theories presented for liquid breakdown are given below:
1. Suspended solid particle mechanism
2. Cavitation and bubble mechanism
3. Stressed oil volume mechanism

SUSPENDED SOLID PARTICLE THEORY:

In commercial liquid the presence of solid impurities can't be avoided. These particles will be

present as fibrous or as dispersed solid particles. The permittivity of these particles ∈2 will be

different from permittivity of liquid ∈1 . If we consider these particles to be spherical impurities of

radius r, the applied field as E then particles experiences a force F.

F = 1/ (2r3 ) * [(∈2 - ∈1 ) / ( 2∈1 + ∈2 )] dE/dx

This force is directed towards the area of maximum stress if, ∈2>∈1 e.g. in case of solid particle like

paper in oil. On the other hand if gas bubbles are present in liquid (∈2<∈1 ), the force will be in
direction of areas of lower stress.
High Voltage Engineering

If voltage is continuously applied and duration of voltage is also long then the force drives the
particle towards area of maximum stress. If numbers of particles are large, they become aligned
due to these factors i.e. forces and thus form a stable chain bridging the electrode gap causing a
breakdown between the electrodes.
If there is only single conducting particle between the electrodes, it will give rise to local field
enhancement depending on its shape. If these fields exceed the breakdown strength of liquids
containing solid impurities were found much less than value for pure liquids. The impurity particle
reduces the breakdown strength and it is observed that larger the size of particles lower is the
breakdown strength.

Procedure:
To study the effect of movement of impurities in liquid dielectric two modes are used.

1. ∈2>∈1 i.e. the permittivity of impurity(solid) is more than liquid dielectric. There are two
electrodes. One is grounded and other is given HV terminal. A thread(impurity) is tied as shown
and whole assembly is kept in a glass chamber containing liquid. As high voltage is applied the
string starts moving up i.e. towards the area of maximum stress.

2. ∈2<∈1 i.e. permittivity of impurity (air bubble) is less than that of liquid. There is top terminal
at which high voltage is given and air is pumped in by external means at the bottom terminal.
As the voltage is applied the air bubble move away from maximum stress area.

Observations:
1. For sold impurity: Thread (solid impurity) moves towards the area of maximum stress. i.e.
towards high voltage terminal.
2. For gaseous impurity: The air bubbles are moving towards the area of low stress. i.e. away from high
voltage terminal.

Conclusion:

Quiz:
1. What are the different impurities in liquid dielectrics?

2. Give the mechanism for liquid breakdown.

High Voltage Engineering

3. Why the thread moves upwards in liquid dielectrics while applying high voltage?

4. Why the air bubbles goes away from high voltage terminals?

5. How the cavities and bubbles present in liquid dielectrics deteriorates the BDV of liquid?

Rubric wise marks obtained:

Rubrics 1 2 3 4 5 Total
Marks
High Voltage Engineering

Experiment No: 10
PARTIAL DISCHARGE MEASUREMENT
Date:

Competency and Practical Skills: Basic knowledge about partial discharge measurement

Relevant CO: CO-3 & CO-5- Classify insulation test techniques.

Conclude about correctness of design and manufacturing of high voltage insulations after performing
test.

Objectives:

Equipment/Instruments: To understand partial discharge measurement

Theory:
In insulation systems with strongly inhomogeneous field configurations or inhomogeneous
dielectrics, the breakdown field strength can be locally exceeded without complete breakdown
occurring within short time. Under these conditions of incomplete breakdown the insulation
between the electrodes is only partially bridged by discharges. These partial discharges (PD) have
considerable significance, particularly for the cases of stress by alternating voltages. In case of a
partial breakdown the conditions for a stationary discharge are often not fulfilled as a consequence
of insufficient energy input, and so only a short discharge pulses results. If the dielectric possesses
self-healing properties in the overstressed region, and if the electric field builds up again, pulse
shaped partial discharge occur. The Pulse shaped partial discharge is shown below.

V (t)

P D P ulse

Partial discharge can be mainly classified as External and internal Partial discharges. Although
details of these are not covered here, experimental determination of partial discharge is discussed.

Experimental Determination Technique

An equivalent circuit valid for external and internal discharges is incorporated in the partial

discharge test circuit as shown. A generator supplies a current pulse with impressed charge
ΔQ for the short time Δt → 0; this acts initially only on the test object capacitance C because of the
High Voltage Engineering

impedances in the connecting leads. With the source current iQ we have:

𝛥𝑄 = ∫ 𝑖𝑄𝑑𝑡 = 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡

T
R iC iQ
A
N
S Ck
F C
O Q
R

~ M
E R
R

Due to this the voltage across the test object suddenly changes by an amount:
𝛥𝑄
𝛥𝑈 =
𝐶
This represents a very rapid process inside the test object, since the presented model contains no
elements which could delay recharging.
For the subsequent transient processes in the test circuit only the capacitor C k of the high-voltage
circuit and the measuring resistor R of significance. Referring to the figure, one may now consider
which of the partial discharge quantities can be measured at R. For the transient processes the nodal
equation is:
iPD= iC + iQ
And the loop equation is:
1 1 𝑡
𝑖𝑃𝐷𝑅 + ∫ 𝑖𝑃𝐷𝑑𝑡 + ∫ 𝑖𝐶𝑑𝑡 = 0
𝐶𝑘 𝐶 0
By eliminating iC it follows for the current pulse with impressed charge supplied by the generator:
𝐶 𝑡
𝛥𝑄 = (1 + ) ∫ 𝑖𝑃𝐷𝑑𝑡 + 𝑖𝑃𝐷𝑅𝐶
𝐶𝐾 0

The condition ΔQ = Constant must be satisfied at all times t; this requirement is fulfilled by the

Dirac pulse assumed for iQ. For t → 0 it follows from the above equation that iPD jumps to a finite
value at the instant of the pulse. Since there is no contribution from the integral at this instant, the
initial value of iPD is obtained from: 𝛥𝑄 = 𝑖𝑃𝐷𝑅𝐶 = 𝛥𝑉𝑃𝐷𝐶.

A voltage jump ΔVPD thus appears at the measuring resistor R. For t →∞, i.e. for times after decay
of the transient process, the product iPDRC vanishes and we have :
𝑡→∞
𝐶 𝐶
𝛥𝑄 = (1 + ) ∫ 𝑖𝑃𝐷𝑑𝑡 = (1 + ) 𝛥𝑄𝑃𝐷
𝐶𝑘 0 𝐶𝑘
Here ΔQPD represents the pulse shaped charge flowing through R. Most of the measuring methods
evaluate quantities which can be determined at the measuring resistor R. When pulse-shaped partial
discharge appears when C is known ΔQ may be determined from the ΔVPD; with the additional

knowledge of Ck, ΔQ may also be determined from ΔQPD. The expression (1 + C/C k) corresponds
to a transformer ration of significance to the measuring sensitivity.
High Voltage Engineering

When partial discharge measurements are performed, a special coupling capacitor may be taken for
Ck and the measuring resistor R can then be connected in the earth lead of C . However, the high
voltage side capacitances of the system, especially the winding capacitances of the transformer, are
usually of sufficient magnitude, so that one can do without a special coupling capacitor.

For an adequate value of the coupling capacitance (Ck≥ C ) the measured charge ΔQPD becomes

equal to the charge ΔQ which is fed to that part of the insulation containing the partial discharge
site. The transformer ratio may be experimentally determined in the setup with the aid of a pulse
generator supplying the impressed charge pulse.

Conclusion:

Quiz:

1. Draw and explain various types of internal and external partial discharges in terms of electrode
arrangements, equivalent circuit etc.

2. Explain : Gliding discharge.

High Voltage Engineering

3. Explain the need of the coupling capacitor.

4. With proper justification, explain the requirement of condition Ck≥ C ?

Rubric wise marks obtained:

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High Voltage Engineering

3170917

Lab Manual prepared by

Dr. H. M. Karkar
Assistant Professor
Electrical Engineering Department
Government Engineering College, Rajkot

Branch Coordinator
Dr. J. R. Iyer
Professor,
Electrical Engineering, L. D. College of Engineering
Ahmedabad

Committee Chairman
Dr. N. M. Bhatt
Professor of Mechanical Engineering

L. E. College, Morbi