High Voltage Impulse Generator

OBSERVATION SHEET

1. Name plate data of the capacitor
Type SE
Rated voltage 50 kV
Test Voltage 70 kV
Rated capacity 0.25 F 0.25 F

2. Name plate data of the transformer
AC Input DC output
Single phase 50 kV
50 Hz 10 mA
200 V

3.
Impulse generator gap setting
(mm)
Output Voltage (kV)
Average Output Voltage
(kV)
10 90 90 90 90
15 120 120 120 120
20 140 140 150 143.33
25 140 140 150 143.33
30 160 170 180 170
35 190 190 200 193.33
40 210 210 200 206.67














CALCULATIONS
Circuit to produce double exponential waveform

According to the given Impulse Generator Circuit in practical,
C
0
(Shunt Capacitor) = 3 nF
C
s
(Surge Capacitor) = 0.25 F
R
c
(Charging Resistor) = 20 k
R
out
(Wave tail resistor) = 2 k

Considering the above diagram
C
1
=
C
s
6
= 0.042 pF
C
2
= 3 nF
R
1
= 20 k
R
2
= 2 k

I. Wave front time , wave tail time, efficiency and stored energy at maximum voltage
Eicicncy ( p) =
C
1
C
1
+ C
2
= 0.933

Defining the wave front from 10% to 90%
wo:cront timc (t
]
) = 2.75 p R
2
C
2
= 15.39 ps

Defining the wave tail time as the time to decay to 50% of peak
wo:ctoil timc ( t
t
) =
0.693 R
1
C
1
p
= 623.92 ps


Stored energy at maximum voltage
The maximum voltage available at the output,
E
mux
= I
C
1
C
1
+ C
2
= 280kI

StorcJ Encrgy =
1
2
C
1
I
mux
2
+
1
2
C
2
E
mux
2
= 2007.6 [

II. Variation of voltage at which intended triggering occurs with impulse generator sphere gap setting



0
50
100
150
200
250
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
V
o
l
t
a
g
e

(
k
V
)
Sphere Gap (mm)
Volt age vs Sphere Gap
DISCUSSION
High voltage impulse generators are employed widely for testing of HV apparatus, as such tests are
organised in a range of standards. As a result, insulation properties under impulse waveforms are of
interest in the design of HV apparatus.
a) The charging and discharging process of the impulse generator
Impulse generator apparatus consists of shunt capacitor, surge capacitors, internal damping resistors,
charging resistors, external damping resistor, wave tail resistor and a charging unit. Charging unit has a
high Voltage Transformer, selenium rectifiers, protective resistors and an arrestor. In the charging process
surge capacitors are charged in parallel through the charging resistors. Here a sphere gap is used as the
switch, and when the charges build up on the capacitor, increases the voltage builds up across the sphere
gap.
In the uncontrolled operation, the break down voltage of the sphere gap is less than the peak value of the
supply, so that it effectively closes when the voltage across the gap builds up above its breakdown value.
The capacitors then discharge in series through the sphere gaps producing an impulse waveform.
In the controlled operation, capacitors are allowed to reach the full charging voltage without the sphere
gap breaking down. The spark over voltage is set at slightly higher than the charging voltage. In this
case,to start the discharging process, triggering signal is supplied and that results the voltage across the
sphere gap to exceed the breakdown voltage. After that uncontrollable operation continues by discharging
the capacitors in series.
b) Diagram of the charging unit
















c) The layout of the control panel of the Impulse generating equipment
Control panel is used to increase the input voltage to the impulse generator up to the point of starting
the breakdown. It has a voltmeter and an ammeter to measure input current and input voltage to the
impulse generator.
d) The important features of oscilloscope used for the study of fast transient phenomenon in the work
on high voltage and on spark breakdown in small gaps
It is necessary to use high voltage oscilloscopes for the study of fast transient phenomena. These have a
high sweep speed. Because of the high speed, the intensity is lowered and higher intensity is required to
appear the beam. Thus the beam is appeared just before the transient comes on, by being triggered by the
transient. For this to happen there is a delay cable.
Here there should have a high anode to cathode voltage (50 100 kV) for high writing speed and the
sweep generator should provide a single sweep, as transients are not repetitive and triggered by the signal.
e) Various potential dividers
Potential dividers are important when we are using oscilloscope to monitor the high voltage transients to
reduce the impulse voltage.
Resistive potential divider method

This has a high resistance potential divider connected across the high voltage winding, and a definite
fraction of the total voltage can be measured by means of a low voltage voltmeter. The ratio of the divider
is determined by the sensitivity of the C.R.O and the voltage.




Capacitive voltage divider method

Here there are two capacitances C1 and C2 in series and the electrostatic voltmeter is connected across
the lower capacitor.This is bulkier than the resistive divider but has several advantages. It can be used as
part of the wavefront forming circuit.