High Voltage Engineering

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Analyse transient overvoltages and design protection
• Understand breakdown mechanisms in solids, liquids and gases
• Apply diagnostic tests to examine the quality of insulation

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Understanding of high voltage technology and insulation design in general

Disciplinary Specific Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Apply systematic approach to electrical system design

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Apply statistic approach to analyse testing data

Introduction to high voltage engineering

• High voltage transmission/distribution systems
• Overvoltage types and insulation types
• Withstand levels, S curves; insulation coordination.

Breakdown mechanisms in solids, liquids, gases and vacuum

• High voltage transmission/distribution systems
• Overvoltage types and insulation types

Testing and Weibull statistics

• Non-destructive testing of apparatus; insulation resistance, tan δ, partial discharge
• Measurements
• Destructive testing: short term breakdown test, life testing, accelerated life testing.
• Weibull statistics.

System overvoltages

• Occurrence and characteristics, power frequency and harmonics, switching
• Lightning overvoltages; transient calculations, Bewley lattice diagrams, wave tables
• Attenuation and distortion of surges; overvoltage protection devices, rod and expulsion gaps; surge diverters

Circuit breakers

• Types
• General principles of operation.

High voltage generators

• Impulse generators
• Cascaded transformers and series resonant circuits
• Rectifier circuit and Cockcroft-Walton cascade circuits

High voltage measurements

• Electrostatic meters
• Impedance dividers: resistive dividers and capacitive dividers
• Digital techniques

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.