High Voltage Behaviour of Large Size Air Insulated

Coaxial Transmission Line

Bhavin Raval, Vikrant Gupta, Dishang Upadhya, Niranjan Goswami, Kush Mehta, ,N.P.Singh, Rasesh Dave, Sandip Gajjar, Amit patel,
Hitesh dhola, Aruna Thakar, Ujjwal Baruah
ITER- India, Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat Village, Gandhinagar – 382428, India
email:bhavin.raval@iter-india.org

Abstract— Mega watt particle accelerators like Neutral between inner and outer conduit to keep the electric stress
Beam Injectors draw electrical power for Plasma formation, within permissible limit of <1kV/mm [1]. Component weight
Ion Extraction at elevated potential of ~100kV, infact the water of the inner conduit is transferred to outer structure using
cooling lines, gas feed lines are also floating at 100kV. Usually epoxy post insulators (33kV class), 2 radial support for
power supplies, hydraulic/gas feed station of typical Injector horizontal section and 4 radial supports for vertical section.
are placed in a separate building/location. In such a scenario,
large coaxial transmission lines are used to support power
transport, hydraulic & gas feed lines, providing electrical
isolation of 100kV. This paper presents electrostatic analysis Inner conduit
for the complex configuration of large transmission line.
Specially designed profiles to provide electrical isolation within
permissible limits of electric stress. Further HVDC test results
showing behaviour of Transmission line over longer exposure
of 3600s are also presented.

Keywords—coaxial transmission line, electrostatic analysis,

HVDC, particle accelerators

I. INTRODUCTION
(a) Vertical section
In a typical MW particle accelerators/Injector system, Support
plasma formation and extraction of charged particles is done profiles
at elevated potential of ~100kV. Power supplies for plasma
formation and extraction of charged particles, hydraulic/gas
feed station for Injector are hosted in an elevated enclosure
called high voltage deck (HVD), placed in adjacent hall.
HVD is supported on Post Insulators and receives input
power from Isolation transformer to provide electrical
isolation of ~100kV. Power transport along with
hydraulic/gas feed lines from HVD to Injector is done by a
large coaxial line maintaining electrical isolation (~100kV)
throughout the traverse of 25m. Connection between
Outer conduit
transmission line and injector is performed through specially
designed HV bushing which is beyond the scope of (b) Horizontal section
discussion here. However connection between Transmission
line and HV bushing is performed by flexible bus bars,
flexible RF lines, and flexible bellows for hydraulic/gas feed
line.
Transmission line consist of inner & outer circular
conduit forming coaxial configuration. This paper presents
the electrostatic analysis for transmission line configuration
and special long duration HVDC test to verify the electrical
insulation property of 25m long transmission line, in-situ at
ITER-India lab.

II. DESCRIPTION OF TRANSMISSION LINESE

Transmission line is designed with coaxial circular
conduits with air as dielectric medium; inner conduit at
100kV and outer conduit at ground potential. Overall (c) Isometric view
diameter of transmission line is governed by 1. Size of inner
conduit - layout of internal components, their sizes and Fig. 1. Transmission line detail
minimum space needed for installation; 2. Radial gap needed

978-1-5386-7576-2/19/$31.00 ©2019 IEEE

 TABLE I. DIMENSION DETAIL
Diameter of inner conduit
Diameter of outer conduit
Length of Transmission line
III. ELECTROSTATIC ANALYSIS
A two dimensional (2D) finite element electrostatic
analysis has been carried out using ANSYS [2] to evaluate
the electric stresses in transmission line. Boundary
conditions were specified with inner conduit at -130kV and
outer conduit at ground potential. Radial support is realised
with 33kV class epoxy post insulator having height of
230mm & creepage distance of 600mm.
IV. HVDC TEST ON TRANSMISSION LINE
630mm Transmission line was manufactured in four segment
1230mm
including bends, each segment was tested for HVDC
25 meter
withstand before erection, and then connected together on-
site to make complete 25m long transmission line. Final
length of the Transmission line was tested as presented in
subsequent sections
A. Test configuration
To conduct the HVDC test, inner conduit and its all
internal components were shorted together to create
equipotential surface [4]. Jumper cables were used to prepare
short-links among different lines and conduit. Continuity
among different lines and segments are verified using
continuity tester. Outer conduit is connected to ground. Fig.
4 below show the shorting arrangement on inner conduit to
conduct HVDC test.

Post
insulator
with special
block

Outer
conduit

Inner
conduit

(1)Post insulator (2) FRP Block (3) pad

Cable from HV
Generator
Fig.2. Detail of post insulator and special profiled block
Fig. 4. Actual transmission line image

Specially shaped profiles of G-10 solid blocks [3] were

used to match the surface profile of post insulator with outer
surface of inner conduit and inner surface of outer conduit.
Profile for the solid block has been finalized through electric
stress optimization process. Simulation results shows that
maximum localized electric stress is in range of 0.7kV/mm
to 0.8kV/mm on surface of support profiles and maximum
stress in free air is 0.5kV/mm.
B. HVDC Test Results
HVDC injection was made on inner conduit while outer
conduit is connected to ground under laboratory dry and
control environment. Test voltages applied through the
Spellman HV generator rated for 150kV DC, 8mA. The test
voltage was gradually increased to reach final test value of -
130kV DC to simulate the actual operation duty.

Max stress in air on

inner conduit
0.5kV/mm

Localized Max stress in

air is in range of 0.7 to
0.8kV/mm
Fig. 3. Electrostatic analysis results Fig. 5. Test result
 Test voltage is then held at same level for 3600 seconds.
Leakage current was recorded at regular intervals.
No breakdown or voltage collapse occurred during test
voltage application, ambient temperature of 28 C and RH
40% was recorded. Leakage current behaviour during test is
shown in Fig. 5 .
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Authors are thankful to M/s. Shell-N-Tube, Pune-India
for manufacturing, installation commissioning and erection
activities for transmission line.
REFERENCES

V. CONCLUSION [1] Bhavin Raval, “Component Specification For HVD-1 and TL-II”,
ITER-India, May – 2011, doi WZ9N0BA-v1_1
The transmission line is unique component in terms of
electrical insulation requirement at -130kV DC on large scale [2] ANSYS multiphysics solver, v12.0
coaxial conduit with air as dielectric medium. Transmission [3] NEMA Standards publication no LI-1; Industrial laminating
thermosetting products
line insulation structures has been modelled and evaluated
[4] IEC 60060, High Voltage Test Techniques
for electric stresses, further G10 block with special profiles
has been identified through electric stress optimization
process to minimized electrical stress. Also test
configuration for non-standard HVDC test has been
described in this paper. Finally,-130kV HVDC test has been
successfully carried out on 25 meter long transmission line
for 3600 seconds.