UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA

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FINAL EXAMINATION

SEMESTER II 2009/2010


SUBJECT CODE : MEP1553

SUBJECT : HIGH VOLTAGE INSULATION &
COORDINATION

COURSE : MEP

LECTURER : P.M. DR. ZULKURNAIN ABD. MALEK



DURATION : 2 HOURS

DATE :


INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:


Answer FOUR (4) questions only

Cheating (in their various forms) in examinations is a serious
violation of University examination regulations and candidates
found to commit such violations can be suspended.




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MEP 1553


Q1
(a) The potential at a point plays an important role in obtaining any information
regarding the electrostatic field. Justify the statement.
(4 marks)

(b) From basic principles (Laplace equation in two dimension and Taylor series),
derive an expression for voltage at a point in terms of four of its neighbouring
voltages according to the Finite Difference technique of electric field
determination.
(6 marks)

(c) Fig. Q1 shows the high voltage electrode at point 2 surrounded by a grounded
structure (2 dimensional view). If the electrode is energized at 500 kV, determine
the potential at all nodes after two iterations.
If Ad is given as 50 cm, determine electric field vectors E
1
and E
2
.
(10 marks)








Fig. Q1

(d) A solid dielectric of 1 cm thickness and c
r
= 3.8 has an internal void of 1 mm
thickness. If the void is filled with air which breaks down at 21 kV/cm,
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12
E
1

E
2

Ad
Ad
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MEP 1553


(i) State the electric field inside the void when it breaks down and the
corresponding voltage across the void;
(ii) Hence, determine the corresponding electric field in the dielectric slab
(using an approximate relationship relating the void and the slab electric
fields). Determine also the corresponding voltage across the 0.9 cm slab
section;
(iii) Hence, determine the total voltage required to produce both electric fields.

(5 marks)

Q2
(a) State the Townsend criterion for a non-attaching gas breakdown. Briefly describe
how you would relate the Townsend criterion with the Paschen law and the
breakdown voltage for a given non-attaching gas.
(3 marks)

(b) Briefly describe the phenomenon of corona discharge in atmospheric air.
(4 marks)
(c) For a certain gas, over the very restricted range of E in question, o is given as
o = 0.0015E 8.38
where o is in ion-pairs/cm and E is the field in V/cm.
It is known that when the secondary ionisation coefficient () is halved due to a
change of cathode material, the percentage change in V
s
(breakdown voltage) is
2%.
(i) Calculate the breakdown voltage of a uniform-field spark gap of length 3
cm (d) in a gas at a pressure (p) of 200 torr after the cathode change.

(ii) Determine also the values of o and before and after the cathode change.
(10 marks)

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MEP 1553


(d) A 2.28cm uniform field gap in air at pressure of 200mm Hg breaks down at a
static voltage of 19.15kV.
The characteristics of o is given as:
at E/p = 42 V/cm.mm-Hg, o/p = 0.0222 ion pairs/cm.mm Hg, and
at E/p = 41 V/cm.mm-Hg, o/p = 0.0196.
Assume o/p versus E/p curve is linear for the given range.
If is now doubled, find the percentage reduction in the breakdown voltage.
(8 marks)

Q3
(a) One of the required dielectric testing is that using high voltage impulses. Fig. Q3
shows an equivalent circuit of a double exponential impulse generating circuit
during the discharging of an initially fully-charged source-capacitor, C
1
. The
output voltage v
o
(t) can be expressed as
v
o
(t) = A(e
-ot
e
-|t
)
where o and | are constants based on the circuit elements.











Fig. Q3

Using Laplace transform, or any other suitable method, determine A, o| and o+|
in terms of circuit components and parameters.
(13 marks)
C
2
C
1

R
3

R
2

v
out
V
in
(initial)

R
1

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MEP 1553


(b) Draw a high voltage Schering bridge circuit diagram. Derive the equation for the
capacitance of the unknown test object and the equation for its tan delta in terms
of bridge components.
(7 marks)

(c) A 20 kV, 50 Hz Schering bridge has a standard capacitance of 106 uF. In a test
on a bakelite sheet, balance was obtained with a capacitance of 0.35 uF in parallel
with a non-inductive resistance of 318 O. The non-inductive resistance in the
remaining arm of the bridge is 130 O. Determine the equivalent series resistance
and capacitance and the power factor of the specimen.
(5 marks)

Q4
(a) Figure Q4 shows two different ways in which the measuring impedance Z
m
can
be connected in the circuit for partial discharge measurements. Discuss the
advantages of each of the circuit.
(4 marks)


Fig. Q4

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MEP 1553


(b) Using a suitably labeled diagram and from basic principles, derive an expression
relating the void charge (q
v
) and the apparent charge (q
a
) in an insulator
specimen.
(8 marks)

(c) While doing studies on partial discharges in cavities of cylindrical disc of 1.0 cm
diameter and 1cm thickness, a cylindrical cavity of 1 mm diameter and 1 mm
thickness is made at its centre. The discharge voltage measured across the
specimen is 0.15 V with sensitivity of 1 pC/volt. What is the magnitude of charge
transferred from the cavity? Take c
r
of the disc = 3.8.
(6 marks)

(d) Briefly describe various categories of solid insulating materials used in high
voltage applications.
(7 marks)

Q5
(a) Briefly describe key differences between insulation coordination using a
conventional method and using a statistical method.
(5 marks)

(b) Fig. Q5(a) shows a substation transformer without surge arrester protection. The
transformer has an impulse insulation level of 1050 kV and is to be operated with
an insulation margin of 15% under lightning impulse conditions. A lightning
surge of the form u(t) = 1000e
-0.04t
kV (where t is expressed in s) can be
expected to be generated due to a direct strike on the transmission line. At the
same time, waves can be distorted due to the corona distortion in the line and this
is represented by the expression
s/m
V
V
1
B
1

x
t
o

=
A

where At and x are the duration and distance travelled respectively, and V the
resultant peak of the distorted wave. The constants are given as B = 110 m/s and
V
o
= 200 kV. Due to this, a short length of overhead earth wire is to be used for
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MEP 1553


shielding the line near the transformer from direct strikes. Beyond the shielded
length, direct strokes on the phase conductor can still give rise to voltage waves.
Determine the minimum length of shielding wire necessary in order that the
transformer insulation will not fail due to lightning surges.
(8 marks)









Fig. Q5(a)

(c) Fig. Q5(b) shows a 500 kV steep fronted wave (rate of rise 1000 kV/s) reaches a
transformer of surge impedance 1500 O through a line of surge impedance 500 O
and protected by a lightning arrestor with a protective spark-over level of 750 kV.
The arrestor is located at a distance d from the transformer. Sketch the voltage
waveforms at the arrestor location and at the transformer location if d = 60m.
Sketch also the waveforms if the separation is reduced to d = 30 m. Comment on
the effect of the distance between the arrester and the transformer.
(12 marks)













Fig. Q5(b)
1000e
-0.04t

Zo = 500 O
ZT = 1500 O
x
500 kV peak
Zo = 500 O
ZT = 1500O
d

arrester