HIGH VOLTAGE TECHNIQUES

Basic Electrode Systems (3)

Assistant Professor Suna BOLAT

Eastern Mediterranean University
Department of Electric & Electronic Engineering
1
Basic electrode systems
Different configurations
Parallel plate electrodes



Concentric spheres



Co-axial cylinders

2
Cylindrical Electrode systems
U: applied voltage
r
1
, r
2
: radii of the spheres
Co-axial Cylinders
3
r
2

r
1

U
U
Electric field

Which coordinate system
we should use?

Cylindrical coordinates!!!

r, , z: polar coordinates

What does it depend on?


E (hence V) only depends
on the r-coordinate!!!


4
Cylindrical coordinate system
5
Electric field and potential equations

Electrical charges
We can use Gauss Law

Laplaces equation
In polar coordinates




6
By Laplaces equation
Laplaces equation in polar coordinates

=

2
+
1

+
1

2
+

2
= 0

(dependent variable is r)

=

2
+
1

= 0 = ()

2
nd
degree differential equation
7
0 0

+
1

= 0

=
1

= ln + = ln

8
Solution for this differential equation
General solution:




Constants A and B is determined by the data of the problem
which is called boundary conditions.
= = ln +
9
Boundary conditions
r = r
2
V = V
2
= 0 0 = ln
2
+
= ln
2


r = r
1
V = V
1
= U
= ln
1
+ = ln
1
ln
2
= ln

1

2

=

ln

1

2



=

ln

2

1

& =

ln

2

1

ln
2

10
=

ln

2

1

& =

ln

2

1

ln
2


Lets put those constants into the general solution:

= + =

ln

2

1

ln +

ln

2

1

ln
2
=

ln

2

1

ln +ln
2


11
Solution
Potential equation for the co-axial cylinders
= () =

ln

2

1

ln

2

12
Potential change by r
13
Solution
Electric Field Equation for co-axial cylinders

=

ln

2

1

1

E changes inversely
proportional to r
14
Equipotential lines
Equipotential
lines
U
15
Electric field lines
Equipotential lines
Electric field lines
U
16



Electric field lines ALWAYS perpendicular to equipotential lines
(ORTHOGONAL)

17
For r = r
1

=
1
=

r
1
ln

2

1

=

For r = r
2

=
2
=

r
2
ln

2

1

=

18
Electric field change by r
19
Similar to concentric
spheres.
Whats the difference?
When does it breakdown?

What is the difference of
breakdown condition from that
parallel plate configuration??
20
Emax Eb Discharge in
the insulation!!!
Electric field equation by electrical charges
Gausss Law:

=
For uniform symmetrical surfaces: . =
(S: surface of the electrode)
. =
=

=
Can you find electric
potential and field
equations?
Using these
21
Capacitance



Co-axial cylindrical
capacitor
22
r
2

r
1

U
U

S: area of the cross-
sectional surface
Capacitance
= .



=

=
.

=
.

ln

2

1

1

& = 2rl
=

ln

2

1

1

2rl

charge
capacitance
voltage
23
Capacitance







: Dielectric constant of the insulation =
0

r
[F/m]

r
: relative dielectric constant (no unit), relative permittivity

0
= 8.854 10
-12
F/m dielectric constant for space, permittivity
r
1
: radius of the inner electrode [m]
r
2
: radius of the outer electrode [m]
= 2
1
ln

2

1


cm
F/m
F
m

24
cm
Multilayer dielectric co-axial cylinder
25
This dielectric configuration is
connected in SERIES!
r
1

R
r
3
r
2

C
1

C
2

C
3

l
This dielectric configuration is connected in
SERIES!

=
1
=
2
=
3
= =

=
1
=
2
=
3
= =

=
1

1
=
2

2
=
3

3
= =

=
1
+
2
+
3
++

U is the voltage applied to
the entire system
U
1
, U
2
, , U
n
are voltages
across the corresponding
dielectric layers
26
Voltages across each dielectric layer:
=
1

1
=
2

2
=
3

3
= =

1
=

2
=

27
Equivalent capacitance of the system

=
1
+
2
+
3
+ +

=
1

1
+
1

2
+
1

3
+ +
1

=
1

1
+
1

2
+
1

3
+ +
1

C : equivalent capacitance of the system, total capacitance of the system
U : voltage applied to the entire system
C
i
: capacitance of the i
th
dielectric layer
U
i
: voltage across i
th
dielectric layer
28
Calculating capacitance

1
= 2
1

1
ln

2

1

,
2
= 2
2

1
ln

3

2

, ,

= 2

1
ln

=
1
2
1

1
ln

2

1

+
1
2
2

1
ln

3

2

++
1
2

1
ln

=
1
2
1

1
ln

2

1
+
1

2
ln

3

2
++
1

ln

=
1
2

ln

+1

=1


A
29
Total capacitance, equivalent capacitance


=
1

ln

+1

=1
=
1

1
ln

2

1
+
1

2
ln

3

2
++
1

ln

2
=
2

30
Potential and electric field across
1
st
dielectric layer

1
=

1
=
2

2
1

1
ln

2

1

=

1
ln

2

1

1
=

1
r
1
ln

2

1

=

1
ln

2

1
r
1
ln

2

1

=

1
r
1

1
=

1
r
2
ln

2

1

=

1
ln

2

1
r
2
ln

2

1

=

1
r
2

31
We can write the
same equations
with respect to
applied voltage
(U)
Potential and electric field across
i
th
dielectric layer

=
.

. ln

+1

. ln

+1

+1
. ln

+1

.
+1

32
Voltage across

layer
Applied Voltage
Electric field strength across any dielectric layer, E
i,max
, becomes
greater than breakdown strength of that dielectric, there will be
an electrical discharge.
E
i,max
E
bi
Discharge in that
layer of the insulation!!!
Breakdown, short circuit in i
th
dielectric layer
33
Electric field distribution
34
E
r

1

2

3

4

R

1

Uniform stress condition
35
r

1

2

3
R

If
1
=
2
= =

= =

1
=
2
= =

.
1
.
1
.
=

.
2
.
2
.
= =

1
.
1
=
2
.
2
= =

The system is uniformly stressed!

36
Remarks

What are the applications for co-axial cylinders that you can
think of?

37

What does a
cable look like?

Applications for co-axial cylinders

38
Cables
Single Phase Coaxial cable
39
Bushings
Bushing with layers of different permittivity

40
Layers are connected in series

=
1
=
2
= =

=
1

1
=
2

2
= =

1
=
2
1

1
,
2
=
2
2

=
2

=
2

+1

41
1

=
1

1
+
1

2
++
1

=
1
2

ln

+1

=1


=
2

, =
1

ln

+1

=1


42

1
=
.

1
=
2

.
2
1
.
1
ln

1
=

1
ln

=
.

. ln

+1

43
Voltage across
each layer

1
=

1
. ln

1
=

.
1
.
1
. ln

1
. ln

1
=

.
1
.
1
.
1

1
=

2
. ln

1
=

.
1
.
1
. ln

2
. ln

1
=

.
1
.
1
.
1


44
In general:

. ln

+1

+1
. ln

+1

.
+1


45
Voltage across

layer Applied Voltage

Potential and electric field across i
th
dielectric layer

=
2

ln

+1

ln

+1

ln

+1

r
+1
ln

+1

Write down voltage
equations for each layer
into field equations.
See what happens!!!

Can you draw a
graph for
field distribution
on the surface?

To make the field disribution more uniform; (uniformly stressed)

1
=
2
= =

= =

= =

47
Discharge!
Question

48

How do you think
we can find the
total capacitance
of this
configuration?
HINT: how the
capacitors are
connected?
Next topic...
Breakdown behaviour in co-axial
cylinders.


49