Measurement of high voltage in IISc High

voltage laboratory :

Report by Kiran Kumar Challa (Sr.No: 14013)

Measurement of high voltage in IISc High voltage laboratory is done in three steps
1.generation of medium voltage (2.3kV) using synchronous generator

2. generation of high voltage using cascaded transformer

3. measurement of produced high voltage using sphere gap

4. validation of measured voltages with capacitive potential divider method.

Generation of medium voltage:

IISc high voltage laboratory is having a synchrous generator with the following rating and it is used for
generation of 2300V voltage and this voltage is applied as input for the cascaded transformer to produce
high voltage

kVA rating 1000

RPM 1000
Voltage rating 2300
Excitation voltage 125
Field current(A) 47
Frequency 50cycles
PF 0
Generation of High Voltage using Cascaded Transformer:
Cascaded transformer is IISc HV lab is consisting of 3 identical transformers, each transformer has LV, HV
and territory/excitation windings. First transformer T1 is always at ground potential. Territory/excitation
winding of T1 is connected to LV winding of T2. Rating of excitation/territory winding (for previous
transformer) and LV winding (of next transformer) are always same. HV of T1 connected to T2 and lower
secondary of T2. Tank potential of T2 is V and the same for T3 is 2V, so they are kept on insulators of
corresponding potential levels.

Cascaded ratio varies with input admittance at T1 and that ratio ranges from 3.05 to 3.29.
practically output voltage at the cascaded transformer is takes as 3.3 times the voltage measured on
secondary of T1.

Output voltage of a cascaded transformer can be varied by varying excitation of an alternator

supplying T1 as shown in figure.
Measurement of produced high voltage using sphere gap:
The breakdown strength of air/gas depends on the ionization of the air/gas molecules, and on the
density of the gas. The breakdown voltage varies with the air gap; so that the sphere gap is very useful
as a measuring device.

By proper experiments which are already conducted, the breakdown voltage variation with gap spacing,
for different diameters and distances, have been calculated and represented in charts.

In the experimental setup, two metal spheres are used, separated by air-gap. The potential difference
between the spheres is raised until a spark passes between them using the excitation control of
synchronous generator.

The breakdown strength of a gas depends on the size of the spheres, their distance apart and The
density of the gas (generally air). The breakdown voltage of the sphere gap considered is almost
independent of humidity of the atmosphere.

The density of the air (generally air) affects the spark-over voltage for a given gap setting. Thus the
correction for any air density change must be made.

2
High voltage generated =
1 2

Where
Vm= Measured Voltage RMS value
R = Cascaded ration of transformer
K1 = Air density correction factor =0.8768
K2 = Humidity correction factor = 1
Validation of measured voltages with capacitive potential divider method
In this method two capacitances C1 and C2 are connected in series and the resultant combination is
connected across the high voltage to be measured. Since voltage is divided between the capacitors, low
capacitance will experience high voltage and high capacitance will experience low voltage.

In the laboratory experimental setup, C1 is 1200pF and C2 is 1.328nF. So low potential across the C2 is
measured using peak volt meter and this voltage is used to estimate the total high voltage applied
across the total arm.

Total voltage applied across the arm is = (C1+C2)/C1 * Potential across C2

(C1+C2)/C1 = 1107;

Experimental Setup:
Experimental setup for measurement of high voltage using sphere gap and potential divider is as shown
in the figure bellow. An alternator with excitation control is used to create various levels of high
voltages. And that voltage produced by generator is further increased by using a cascaded transformer.

High voltage generated from cascaded transformer is applied to sphere gap though protective resistor
of 1M in order to avoid excessive pitting of spheres.

When high voltage applied to sphere causes air gap break down then the same voltage is applied across
capacitive potential divider where direct peak voltage measurement is possible with the available
facility.
C1
=
12
00
V
pF
C1
=
1.
32
8n
F

Sp
he
re
Ga
p

Ins
ul
at
io
n
Ca
sc
ad
ed
Tr
an
sfo
r
m
er

Ge
ne
ra
to
r

Excit
ation
contr
ol
Observations:
S.N Gap Voltmeter readings Peak voltmeter readings Nominal Nomina
o Dista (Control panel) Peak l rms
nce Value value
(cm) (Standar (Standa
d) rd)
1 2 3 4 5 Avg 1 2 3 4 5 Avg

1 5 23 22 24 22 24 23 105 105 107 - - 105.6 138 97.58

7
2 7 34 34 34 34 34 34 166 166 - - - 166 190 134.35
3 9 43 45 45 44 44 44.2 209 211 211 210 210 210.2 241 170.41
4 11 54 54 54 55 54 54.2 254 254 254 255 255 254.2 292 206.47
5 15 68 68 70 69 68 68.4 333 333 335 334 337 334.4 390 275.77

S.NO Gap Voltmeter Reading and Measurement Peak voltmeter readings

Distance And Measurement
Avg reading HV reading % Avg reading HV % Error
Error reading
1 5 23 122.42 11.28 105.67 109.67 20.81
2 7 34 180.97 4.75 166 172.27 9.33
3 9 44.2 235.26 2.38 210.2 218.14 10.6
4 11 54.2 288.48 1.20 254.2 263.8 9.65
5 15 68.4 364.06 6.66 334.4 347.03 11.01

Error in High Voltage Measurement using Sphere Gap and Potentail Devider
25
Error using sphere gap
Error using potentail devider
20

15
% Error

10

0
5 6 7 8 9Sphere Gap
10 11 12 13 14 15

Fig: Variation of % error in high voltage measurement using sphere gap and potential devider

Conclusions:
From the experimental results it can be clearly observed that high voltage can be effectively measured
using sphere gap with less than 10% error in the measurements. Efficiency of the measurement is
increasing with increase in the measured voltages.

When the same high voltages are measured using capacitive potential divider are of order 9.33 to
20.81% is observed. % error in measurement is very less at higher voltages is observed for both the
methods.