Chalmers University of Technology

Materials in high voltage

technology
insulating materials
conducting materials
magnetic materials
contacts and resistive materials

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Requirements
Selection of materials is usually based on a compromise
between diverse requirements and required properties

technical function (electrical,

mechanical and thermal properties)

technological properties (workability,

homogeneity, dimensional stability,etc.)

economical aspects

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Conducting materials

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Conducting materials
T = 0 [1 + 0 (T T0 )]
the product is a characteristic
temperature independent constant for
each metallic conductor

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Conducting materials
Copper

Lines

Aluminium

Cables

Steel

Busbars

Other metals and alloys

Machines and apparatus

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Copper

the effect of small additions of various elements on the room

temperature resistivity of copper

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Copper

variation of resistivity with work hardening

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Line conductors

Ferrolines
Aldrey lines

6n wires in nth layer

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Insulating materials
Gaseous

Organic solids

Liquid

- natural
- synthetic

Solid

Inorganic solids

Combined

- natural
- minerals

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Vacuum, Air and SF6

self-restoring
relatively high
breakdown strength

open constructions with air

low permittivity

closed constructions

low losses
non-flammable

(outdoors and indoors)

vacuum and compresses gas insulated
systems

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Liquids
Insulating oils - natural and synthetic
often used as cooling medium
Liquefied gases (nitrogen, helium)

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Solids
porcelain

synthetic resins

glass

polyethylene

mica

synthetic rubbers

paper

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Polymers - properties
depend on .
Polymer
constituents

Additives

Properties
Processing

Design

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Insolation system
An insulation
system is
composed of
different materials
with different
properties. For
optimising such a
system, numerous
factors must be
considered...

electrode geometry
interfaces/boundaries
voltage form
inhomogeneities
electric strength
creepages
thermal properties
processability
r,

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Cable insulation
1 - conductor
2 - conductor screen
3 - main insulation
4 - core screen
5 - return conductor
HV cable - a simple product but
requiring perfect and sophisticated
production techniques

6 - external protection

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Polymer cable design

Metallic shield

Jacket

Conducting
layer

Insulation Conductor
screen
screen

Filler Insulation Conduct or

Conductor: Al, Cu, solid or

stranded
Insulation: EPR, PE, XLPE
Semiconducting screens:
1st taped conductor and insulation
screen
2nd extruded conductor screen
and tape/graphite insulation
screen
3rd extruded conductor and
insulation screen
Fillers
Shield
Jacket: PVC, PE

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Paper-oil cable
50%

25%

Paper - thickness, registration, density, porosity

Oil - viscosity

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Semicon screen
il
i
V
Ed =
=
=
l
Sl S
Vs iR i
Es =
= =
l
l
S
Es = 0.01 [kV mm]

For Es=0.1 kV/mm

required resistivity

Es
=
10 [m]
0.01

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Field grading
electrode grading
permittivity grading
capacitive grading
resistive grading

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Cable stress cone

tangential field Et arises at
the interface of main cable
insulation, which is a weak
spot of the construction - it
should be kept as low as
possible

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Cable stress cone

C1

C2

Calculation steps
potential at point P on the interface
between 2 concentric capacitances C1
and C2
assuming field Et to be constant
deriving y=f(x)

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Cable joint
Et x x
=

E
s y
U
E=
x ln( R r )
U
dx
1
dy =

Et ln( R r ) x
x
y

U ln( x r )
y=
Et ln( R r )

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Field control - Epsilon control

Electric field in an insulation system

combined of different dielectric
materials distributes itself iverseproportionally to the permittivety r
(low r yields high field). This
phenomenon can be used for field
control, for example in a cable with
concentric layers having different r.

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Field control - Geometric control

By making use of the refraction

phenomenon one can influence
the field distribution through
changes in the angle at which
field lines approach the
interface between media. A
good example is a cable
termination (stress cone).

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Field control - Capacitive control

Electric field distribution can be
influenced by introducing metallic
electrodes with floating potentials
into the insulation system. The
electrodes force the field to be
distributed accordingly to the
capacitance between them. Larger
bushings are constructed with
metallic cylinders placed axiconcentric in the insulation.

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Field control - Capacitive control

An optimal field distribution is
obtained if the capacitances between
metallic cylinders are made equal voltage drop over each capacitance is
then equal.

2 0 r l
C=
d
where d is the distance between two
cylinders.

If C is to be constant and r
and d are usually constant,
the optimal field grading is
obtained at

rl = const

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Field control - Resistive control

Distribution of electric field can be

changed by introducing resistive
materials into the insulation system.
This technique is used for example in
cable terminations where a resistive
layer is placed in contact with the
semiconducting screen.