AIR UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

EXPERIMENT NO 10

Lab Title: Generation of impulse voltage - I

Student Name : Muhammad Mushhood Ishaq Reg. No: 190504
Objective: To study the lightning Impulse Voltages and Demonstration

LAB ASSESSMENT:

Excellent Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory

Attributes (5) (4) (3) (2) (1)
Ability to Conduct
Experiment
Ability to assimilate the
results
Effective use of lab
equipment and follows the
lab safety rules

Total Marks: Obtained Marks:

LAB REPORT ASSESSMENT:

Excellent Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory

Attributes
(5) (4) (3) (2) (1)

Data presentation

Experimental results

Conclusion

Total Marks: Obtained Marks:

Date: Mark Signature:

Experiment 10

Generation of impulse voltage - I

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS!!!

It is important and essential that all participants familiarize themselves and strictly
follow all safety precautions.

Objectives:

High-voltage equipment must withstand internal as well as external over voltages arising in practice.
To check this requirement, the insulating systems are tested with impulse voltages. The topics covered
in this experiment are:

● Lightning impulse voltages,

● Single stage impulse voltage circuits
● Impulse test on sphere-gaps.

Equipment to be used:

Component description Part no. Quantity

Control desk HV.1.0 1
H.V test transformer HV.1.1 1
Smoothing Capacitor HV.1.8 1
AC/DC Peak Voltmeter H.V.2.4 1
Earthing rod HV.1.3 1
Floor pedestal HV.1.6 6
Connecting rod HV.1.4 2
Connecting cup HV.1.5 7
Rectifier HV.1.7 2
Measuring Resistor HV.1.9 1
Measuring Sphere-gap HV.3.3 1
Spacer Bar HV.1.11 4
Electrode HV.1.19 1
Earthing Switch HV.1.10 1
Load Resistor 10 MOhm HV.3.2 1
Load Capacitor HV.1.12 1
Charging Resistor HV.1.13 1
Wavehead Resistor HV.1.14 1
Wavetail Resistor HV.1.15 1
Insulating Rod HV.1.16 2
oscilloscope HV.2.7 1
Sphere gap HV.3.3 1

Test setup:
 Figure 1

Introduction:

Setting up HV experimental setup in the Experimental Area

High Voltage AC is generated in the Laboratory using 220V/100KV Test Transformer (HV.1.1) which
is fed and controlled from Control Desk positioned safely inside the Control Room. The high-voltage
experimental setups can be set up in HV experiment area enclosed with metal barriers. Control desk
with power supply installations, safety circuits and the measuring instruments constitute the standard
equipment for voltage measurement, one meter for measuring the primary voltage of the transformer
and one Ac peak voltmeter (HV 2.4) are provided at each desk. Participants should study the circuit of
the Control Desk (HV.1.0) and familiarize themselves with the operation of the control desk before
commencing the experiment.

Checking the experimental setup:

The complete circuit diagram of the control desk and the current paths of the safety circuits should be
discussed and wherever possible, the actual wiring of the experimental setup traced. A series of
measures which guarantee protection against electrical accidents can be identified in the circuit. The
surfaces of the spheres should be polished before beginning with the measurements and several
breakdowns initiated to remove any dust particles.

Generation of Impulse Voltages:

Studies of transient disturbances on a transmission system have shown that lightning strokes and
switching operations are followed by a traveling wave of a steep wave front. When a voltage wave of
this type reaches a power transformer it causes an unequal stress distribution along its windings and
may lead to breakdown of the insulation system. Therefore, it become necessary to study the
insulation behaviour under impulse voltages.
Impulse voltage:

An impulse voltage is a unidirectional voltage which rises rapidly to a maximum value and then
decays slowly to zero. The wave shape is generally defined in terms of the times t1 and t2 in
microseconds, where t1 is the time taken by the voltage wave to reach its peak value and t2 is the total
time from the start of wave to the instant when it has declined to one-half of the peak value. The wave
is then referred to as a t1 /t2 wave. The exact method of defining an impulse voltage, however, is
specified by various International Standards. The British Standard specification defines the impulse
voltage in terms of nominal wave front and wave tail durations.

Figure 2. General shape of impulse voltage.

Figure 2 shows the shape of an impulse wave where:

● OT1 = time for the voltage wave to reach 10% of the peak voltage.
● OT2 = time for the voltage wave to reach 90% of the peak voltage.
● The point O1 where the line CD cuts the time axis is defined as the nominal starting point of
the wave.
● The nominal wave tail t2 is the time between peak value and the point on the wave tail where
the voltage is one-half the peak value.

t1 and t2 can be calculated as:

𝐶1𝐶2
𝑡1 = 3𝑅1× 𝐶1+𝐶2
………………1.2µs………………………….. (1)

𝑡2 = 0. 7(𝑅1 + 𝑅2)(𝐶1 + 𝐶2)………50µs……………………... (2)

Where, R1, R2 are wavefront and tail resistors respectively. C1, C2 are smoothing capacitor and load
capacitor respectively.

Efficiency of the impulse generator can be obtained as:

ŋ=
𝐶1
𝐶1+𝐶2 ( 𝑅2
𝑅1+𝑅2 )……0.024…… (3)
The wave is then referred to as a t1 / t2 wave which is 1.2/ 50 µs and it is the one most chosen for
impulse testing purposes.
Experimental procedure:

1. Set up the components to make single stage impulse generator as represented in figure 1 and
set the scale of oscilloscope to 20 V/division and 50 µs.
2. Note down the value of components to calculate wave front and tail time through equation1
and 2 respectively.

Components Values

R1 350Ω

R2 1200 Ω

C1 50,000pF

C2 12,00pF

3. After completing the setup, provide main power supply from the control panel.
4. At first, increase gap distance of the electrodes to avoid breakdown in spark gap, so that
standard impulse could be analysed.
5. There are three methods to generate impulse from the connected setup.
1. By adjusting input voltage to the certain level and decreasing the distance of sphere gap
until capacitor starts discharging through the gap.
2. By adjusting a certain gap of spheres and increasing voltage until capacitor starts
discharging through the gap.
3. By using trigger spheres. These spheres are triggered by providing signal from control
panel through optical fibre. This signal will force the capacitor to discharge through
sphere gap without decreasing gap distance.
6. After selecting any one method, perform the experiment and detect impulse wave on
oscilloscope.
7. Investigate the wave front and wave tail time of the obtained wave and save it o oscilloscope.
8. After obtaining the time, connect the test object by decreasing the distance of spark gap to
perform impulse test.
9. Observe the wave form obtained after breakdown of test object (air in spark gap) and compare
it with standard impulse wave which we saved earlier.
10. Down the voltage level and then turn off the main supply and control panel.
11. Discharge the equipment by controlling discharge switch through control panel.

Waveforms and Test Setup :

Conclusion:
During the lab, the experimental setup involving [mention equipment] functioned.
Meticulously followed, the procedure involved precise measurements. However, a minor
challenge was encountered during [specific step]. The collected data revealed [key findings],
aligning with the anticipated outcomes outlined in the theoretical framework. The
instrumentation, demonstrating reliable performance, contributed to the overall success of the
experiment. Enhancing accuracy and broadening insights could result from further analysis
and potential adjustments based on this experiment.
Learning and Outcomes:
This lab effectively simulated transient overvoltage conditions such as lightning strikes and
switching events. Specialized equipment was employed to produce controlled impulses for
testing high-voltage devices. Measurements confirmed the reliability of the equipment under
simulated stress, emphasizing the significance of impulse testing in evaluating high-voltage
equipment. This process provides valuable insights for design and safety assessment.
Ongoing efforts to refine testing methodologies and adhere to international standards will
contribute to the continuous improvement of high-voltage systems