EE8701 HIGH VOLTAGE ENGINEERING 

UNIT I OVER VOLTAGES IN ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEMS 

Causes of over voltages and its effects on power system – Lightning, switching surges and temporary
over voltages, Corona and its effects – Bewley lattice diagram- Protection against over voltages.
UNIT II DIELECTRIC BREAKDOWN 
Properties of Dielectric materials – Gaseous breakdown in uniform and non-uniform fields – Corona
discharges – Vacuum breakdown – Conduction and breakdown in pure and commercial liquids,
Maintenance of oil Quality – Breakdown mechanisms in solid and
composite dielectrics- Applications of insulating materials in electrical equipments.
UNIT III GENERATION OF HIGH VOLTAGES AND HIGH CURRENTS 
Generation of High DC voltage: Rectifiers, voltage multipliers, vande graaf generator: generation of
high impulse voltage: single and multistage Marx circuits – generation of high AC voltages: cascaded
transformers, resonant transformer and tesla coil- generation of
switching surges – generation of impulse currents – Triggering and control of impulse generators.
UNIT IV MEASUREMENT OF HIGH VOLTAGES AND HIGH CURRENTS 
High Resistance with series ammeter – Dividers, Resistance, Capacitance and Mixed dividers – Peak
Voltmeter, Generating Voltmeters – Capacitance Voltage Transformers, Electrostatic Voltmeters –
Sphere Gaps – High current shunts- Digital techniques in high
voltage measurement.
UNIT V HIGH VOLTAGE TESTING & INSULATION COORDINATION 
High voltage testing of electrical power apparatus as per International and Indian standards – Power
frequency, impulse voltage and DC testing of Insulators, circuit breakers, bushing, isolators and
transformers- Insulation Coordination & testing of cabiltys.
INTRODUCTION ABOUT OVER VOLTAGES
 ---Contd
Voltage Surge: A sudden raise in voltage for a very short time duration on the
power system is known is Voltage surge or transient surge.
----Contd
----Contd
----Contd
 CAUSES OF OVER-VOLTAGE SURGES
PHENOMENA CAUSES EFFECT
1. Lightning Coulds get charged Line insulators
during thunderstorms, flashover or puncture.
the high potential Travelling waves
gradient causes carries its effects to
breakdown of sub-stations and
insulation of air Power Station.
producing a lightning Insulation of the
stroke, which hits the system is stressed.
earth, and is attracted
by overhead lines.
PHENOMENA CAUSES EFFECT

2. Switching (a) Breaking Inductive (a) CB voltage

stressed
(b) Restrike possible
(c) Wave travels to
Circuits: energy both sides of CB.
stored in
(d) Voltage
inductances gives
Oscillation in
rise to a potential
sub-circuit.
rise across
capacitors. (a) Transmission line
insulation
stressed.
(b) Switching-on
(b) Terminal
capacitive line:
apparatus
charging currents
insulation
gives rise to a
stressed by
travelling wave.
travelling waves.
(c) Other switching
operations.
 PHENOMENA CAUSES EFFECT

3. Arcing Grounds Line to ground (a) Temporary fault

capacitive charge gets grows into
discharged through permanent fault.
earth fault. (b) Voltage rises to 3
Repeated charging or 4 times of
and discharging gives normal values.
rise to intermittent (c) Voltage of healthy
arcs. lines increase.
Voltage Oscillations,
4 Sudden Changes Energy in inductances Travelling waves.
In System transferred to
Condition capacitances.
 PHENOMENA CAUSES EFFECT

5. Resonance The fault causing Rapid increase in

resonance between over-voltages,
inductance and insulation failure likely
capacitance in a part to occur.
of circuit.
6. Travelling Waves
High voltage waves Reflected wave gets
get reflected on superimposed on
reaching a junction or initial waves;
end. Voltage rises to
several times normal
values,
Insulation failure likely
to occur.
 PHENOMENA CAUSES EFFECT

5. Resonance The fault causing Rapid increase in

resonance between over-voltages,
inductance and insulation failure likely
capacitance in a part to occur.
of circuit.
6. Travelling Waves
High voltage waves Reflected wave gets
get reflected on superimposed on
reaching a junction or initial waves;
end. Voltage rises to
several times normal
values,
Insulation failure likely
to occur.
---Contd
 Lightning
• Static Electricity
– Separation and storage of electrical charge
– A spark is an extremely small lightning discharge

• Ultra-High Voltage Generation

– Surface of earth is normally negatively charged
– Top of storm clouds are positively charged
• Forces nearby earth to become positively charged
– Develops a multimillion-volt potential

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 The Discharge
• Clouds send negative charged leaders down

• Earth sends positive leaders up

– From grounded sharp metal objects

• Conducting path when leaders meet

– Unidirectional (DC) current flow
– Voltage potential 100 to 1,000 million volts
– Current range 10,000 to 200,000 amperes
– Duration from 1 microsecond to 1 second
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 Anatomy of a Lightning Stroke

Current begins
Electrons begin the return stroke,
zigzagging an intense wave
downward in a of positive
forked pattern. As the leader and
charge traveling
This is the streamer come together,
As the stepped leader upward about
“stepped leader.” a powerful electrical
nears the ground, it 60,000 miles per
current begins flowing.
draws a streamer of second.
positive charge upward.

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Lightning