Exercise 2

1.) The figure shows the 50% breakdown voltage dependency on gas pressure of a coaxial
SF6 insulator. The structure was originally designed for 6 bar. However, it became
apparent that it wasn’t economically efficient to design the system for such high
pressures. For this reason, pressure was decreased to 4 bar. Design the structure again
so that the 50% breakdown voltage and the ratio D/d remains the same. What are the
new D and d parameters? Assume the breakdown field strength remains constant with
constant pressure.

450

400

350

300
d=20 mm
U50 [kV]

250

D=54 mm 200

150

100
d 50

0
D 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
p [bar]

2.) Calculate the onset of partial discharge for the resin test object when the breakdown
voltage in the cavity obeys Paschen’s law. Pressure in the cavity is 1013 mbar and its
dimensions are 1 mm x 5 mm (h x w). Both cavity and the test object are cylindrical.
Calculate the apparent charge and consumed energy of the discharge.

100

10
U50 [kV]

  30mm

r  4 3mm

0,1
0,001 0,01 0,1 1 10
pd [bar mm]

3.) The system from 2.) has 50 Hz alternating voltage of 6 kVRMS. Pressure in the cavity is
1013 mbar. Breakdown voltage in the cavity obeys Paschen’s law and the extinction
voltage is 0.5 kV. Draw the voltage waveform and calculate the steady state partial
discharge frequency.
4.) The figure is of a bushing (feed-through insulator). Cylinder 1 is the bushing conductor.
Insulation cylinders 2, 3, and 4 have thin metal sheets between them to improve
dielectric strength. Design lengths l2 and l3 so that maximum field strength in both
sheets is of the same magnitude. What is this maximum field strength value?

1
2

3 D1=20 mm D2=34 mm
D3=48 mm D4=62 mm
4
l4=140 mm U14= 30kV

l4 l3 l2

D1

D2

D3

D4
ANSWERS:

1.)

From the figure we can get the original 50% breakdown voltage at 6 bar:
U l ,6bar  370kV

For 4 bar:
U l , 4bar  280kV .

For a coaxial structure:

d D
U l  El ln( )
2 d
2U l
 El 
D
d ln( )
d

Critical field strength (breakdown field strength) when p = 4 bar:

2U l , 4bar 2  280  103 V kV
El , 4bar    28,190 (1)
D 54 mm mm
d ln( ) 20 ln( )
d 20

Assume critical field strength remains constant. Let’s denote d  ˆ new inner conductor
diameter:
d D
U l ,6bar  El ,4bar ln( )
2 d
2U l ,6bar 2  370 103
 d   mm  26, 42mm  26mm
D 54
El ,4bar ln( ) 28,190 10  ln( )
3

d 20

New outer diameter D :

D D

d d
d D 26, 42  54
 D   mm  71,33mm  71mm
d 20
 2.)

C'b
Cb u
Ca Ca Cc A hc ha
Cc uc

C'b

Voltage is distributed inversely proportional in relation to capacitance:

1
Cc u 1 Cb
uc  u 
1 Cb  Ccb C  u
uc 
u1
 = cu Cb  Cc
CCc  C
bCc b Cc CCc c Cb
bC
CCb cCbCc

Cc 
o A
=
8.854 10   0.0025  =1.738 10
-12 2
-13
F
hc 0.001
 r o A 4  8.854 10-12   0.00252 
Cb    3.477 10-13 F
ha  hc 0.003  0.001
ha  3mm
hc  1mm
A   r2
 0  8.854 1012 F / m
Cb  Cc h h
u uc  (1  a c )uc  u  1.5uc
Cb  r hc

Paschen’s Law: u d  f ( pd )
From the figure p =1013 mbar, d =1 mm  uci = 4.5 kV

Inception voltage of discharge:

C  Cc
 ui  b uci  1.5uci  6, 75kV  6,8kV
Cb
Apparent charge:

During discharge, from the point of view of Cc representing the void capacitor, the rapid
change in voltage is distributed between the series connection of Cb and Ca which are now in
parallel with Cc (external circuit is too slow to react to fast discharge  remove external
circuit)

C´a
Cc
Cb

1
Ca Cb
ua  uc  uc
1 Ca  Cb
Ca Cb
Ca  Cb

q  Ca ua
Cb
 q  Ca uc
Ca  Cb

Assuming Ca  Cb

 q  Cb uc [pg. 78, potential difference is mostly across capacitance Cb.]

uc  uci  0  4.5kV [the discharge ends when voltage is 0. Extinction voltage uce = 0]

Hence, the apparent charge is

 q  Cb uc  1562 1012 C  1,6nC

Energy:
1 1
WC  Cu 2  qu
2 2
where q = 1.6 nC and u = ui = 6.8 kV

 Wc  5.4J
3.)
u (t )  2U sin(t )
U  6kV
Without discharge uc (t )
Cb
uc (t )   u (t )
Cc  Cb
 r 0 A
Cb 
ha  hc
0 A
Cc 
hc
r
ha  hc 2
uc (t )   u (t )   u (t )  5, 66kV  sin(t )
1 r 3

hc ha  hc
uci  4,5kV
uce  0,5kV

-2
ontelon yli vaikuttava
-4 jännite ilman purkauksia
ontelon yli vaikuttava
-6 jännite

-8

Discharge frequency = number of discharges per period · 50 Hz = 4 · 50 Hz = 200 Hz

4.

r
U
l

Electric field strength for a cylinder:

D Q Q
E   Emax 
 2lx 2lr

Applying the above equation:

1
2

3 D1=20 mm D2=34 mm
D3=48 mm D4=62 mm
4
l4=140 mm U14= 30kV

l4 l3 l2

D1

D2

D3

D4

Q Q Q
Emax   
D3 D D1
2 l4 2 l3 2 2 l2
2 2 2
 l4 D3  l3 D2  l2 D1

l4 and D1…4 are given, hence:

 D3
l2  l4  336mm
 D1

l  D3
l4  198mm
 3 D2
Voltage:
2 R
Q Q R R
U12   Edx  U   dx  ln  Emax  r  ln
1 r
2lx 2l r r

Hence,
D1 D2 D D D D
U14  U12  U 23  U 34  Emax ln  Emax 2 ln 3  Emax 3 ln 4
2 D1 2 D2 2 D3
2U14
 Emax   1, 73kV / mm
D D D
D1 ln 2  D2 ln 3  D3 ln 4
D1 D2 D3