Week 1

Chapter 1
Introduction to High Voltage Technology

Definition of high voltage

Classifications of voltage levels
Major power system components
Industrial applications of high voltage
High Voltage?
 High Voltage?
 High voltage (IEC, IET, IEEE)
 > 1000 V AC
 > 1500 V DC

 Low voltage:
 50-1000 V AC
 120-1500 V DC

 Extra low voltage:

 < 50 V AC
 < 120 V DC

 LV, MHV, HV, EHV, UHV

 Voltage Classification
(Energy Commission, Malaysia)

Voltage class Voltage range

Low voltage (LV) V  1 kV

Medium voltage (MV) 1 kV < V  50 kV

High voltage (HV) 50 kV < V  230 kV

Extra high voltage (EHV) 230 kV < V

Ultra high voltage (UHV)* 800 kV < V

*Note: Yet to be available in Malaysia

Classifications of Voltage Level
Voltage class Europe USA
Low Voltage, LV (V) 230 120
400 208
650 600
1000
Medium Voltage, MV (kV) 2.4
5 6.9
11 12.47
22 23
33 34.5
66 69
Classifications of Voltage Level
Voltage class Europe USA
High Voltage, HV (kV) 110 115
132 138
156 161
220 230

Extra High Voltage, EHV (kV) 275 287

380 345
400 500
800 765

Ultra High Voltage, UHV (kV) 1000

Tenaga Nasional Berhad’s Electricity System

Transmission 500 kV
(Extra High Voltage and 275 kV
High Voltage) 132 kV

Distribution 33 kV
(Medium Voltage and 11 kV
Low Voltage) 400 V
230 V

Distribution 22 kV
(certain parts of Johor) 6.6 kV
(Medium Voltage)
Tenaga Nasional Berhad’s Supply Voltage Options

Low Voltage Single-phase, two-wire, 230 V,

up to 12 kVA maximum demand
Three-phase, four-wire, 400 V,
up to 72 kVA (100 A) maximum
demand
Three-phase, four-wire, C.T.
metered, 400/230 V, up to 1000
kVA maximum demand
Medium Voltage and Three-phase, three-wire, C.T.
High Voltage metered

Supply frequency = 50 Hz  1%
Voltage Systems According to IEC 60038: 2002

Remarks
The nominal voltage of existing 220/380V and 240/415V systems
shall evolve towards the recommended value of 230/400 V.

For countries having 220/380 V should bring the voltage within

the range 230/400 V , +6% and -10%.

For countries having 240/415V systems should bring the

voltage within the range 230/400 +10%, -6%.
 Tenaga Nasional Berhad’s Earthing Systems
Low Voltage 3 phase 4 wire system
Solidly earthed
Overhead lines and underground cable are used
extensively for low voltage distribution

Medium Voltage 3 phase configuration

Impedance-earthed (NER)
Overhead lines and underground cable are used
extensively for medium voltage distribution

High Voltage and 3 phase configuration

Extra High Voltage
Solidly earthed
Overhead lines and underground cable are used
extensively for high and extra high voltage distribution
 Electricity Revolution?
 In 1750, Benjamin Franklin discovered that
lightning is electricity.

 In 1800, an Italian-born physicist Alessandro

Volta constructed the voltaic pile, later known
as the electric battery
 the first device to produce a steady electric
current. Franklin

 Volta also created the first transmission of

electricity by linking positively-charged and
negatively-charged connectors and driving an
electrical charge, or voltage, through them.

Volt (V)
 Electricity Revolution?
 It wasn't until 1831 that electricity became
viable for use in technology.

 English scientist Michael Faraday created the

electric dynamo, a crude precursor of modern
power generators.

 This invention opened the door to the new

era of electricity.

 A few decades later, in 1879, Thomas Edison

invented the light bulb.
Thomas Edison
 In 1882, generation was with DC, which
could not easily be increased in voltage for
long-distance transmission.
 Electricity Revolution?
 A very first operative AC line was put into
service in 1885 in via dei Cerchi, Rome, Italy,
for public lighting.
 Powered by 2 Siemens & Halske alternators rated
22 kW, 2000 V at 120 Hz
 Used 19 km of cables and 200 parallel-connected
2000V/20 V step-down transformers. William Stanley

 William Stanley developed the first practical

series AC transformer in 1885.

 Meanwhile, in 1887, Nikola Tesla invented

the induction motor.

Nikola Tesla
 Electricity Revolution?
 New York City streets in 1890.
Besides telegraph lines, multiple
electric lines were required for
each class of device requiring
different voltages.
 Electrical Power Systems in Malaysia
Generation

Power Plant
275 kV Transmission Extra-High-Voltage Substation
(275/132 kV)

Commercial/ 132 kV
Industrial Transmission Transmission
Customer
System

Distribution Substation
Urban (33/11 kV) 33 kV Sub-transmission
Customers Distribution
System
(11kV)
High-Voltage Substation
Distribution Line (132/33 kV)
Overhead
Distribution
Underground Cable Transformer

To Other
415V
230V High-Voltage
Residential Residential
Underground Substations
Customer Customer
Distribution Transfomer
 Main Components of Power Systems
Generation

Power Plant:
Generator, turbine, reactor

Power Plant
275 kV Transmission Extra-High-Voltage Substation
(275/132 kV)

Commercial/ 132 kV
Industrial Transmission Transmission
Customer
System
Transmission tower,
Distribution Substation
Urban (33/11 kV)
conductor/cable,
33 kV Sub-transmission insulator
Customers Distribution
System
Substations:
(11kV)
High-Voltage Substation
Transformer, circuit breaker,
Distribution Line (132/33 kV)
Overhead
disconnected switch, current Distribution
transformer
Underground Cable (CT), voltage Transformer

transformer (VT), surge

To Other
415V
arrester, component 230V
insulator High-Voltage
Residential Residential
Underground Substations
Customer Customer
Distribution Transfomer
Typical Substations
 Switchgears
 Fuses, relays, CTs and circuit breakers are the main part of
a switchgear.
 Protect and isolate electrical equipment.
 Circuit Breakers

Vacuum circuit breaker,

inside a switchgear
Air circuit breaker

SF6 circuit breaker

Oil circuit
breaker in
HV distribution
fuses circuit
How Circuit Breakers Work?

When the switch is on, electricity can

flow from the bottom terminal, up to the
upper terminal.

Increasing current boosts the

electromagnet's magnetic force, pull
down a metal lever connected to the
switch linkage.

The entire linkage shifts, tilting the

moving contact away from the
stationary contact to break the circuit.
The electricity shuts off.
Power Transformers
Instrument Transformers (Current/Potential Transformer)

Bus bar

Current CT
Disconnect Circuit Disconnect
breaker
Instrument Transformers (Current/Potential Transformer)
Connection of Instrument Transformers
for Measuring Voltage and Current
 Lightning Arresters

 Protect
the insulation and
conductors of the
system from the
damaging effects
of lightning
Surge Arresters
Surge Arresters
 High Voltage Applications

Electrostatic
precipitators
– maintaining
clean
environment
High Voltage Applications
Electrostatic precipitators – maintaining clean environment
 High Voltage Applications

High Voltage
ozone
generator –
odor treatment,
water treatment
High Voltage Applications
High Voltage ozone generator – odor treatment, water treatment
 High Voltage Applications

X-Rays tubes

X-Ray tubes are used for various applications in Science

(analysis of materials), Industry (thickness measurement)
and Medicine (diagnostics).

High voltage power supplies with different specifications

according to the application are needed for the generation
of X-Rays.
 High Voltage Applications

Photomultiplier
Tube (PMT)

Detection of weak doses of light in

various different applications such as
Particle Detectors, medical technologies,
optical spectroscopy, electron
microscopy
High Voltage Applications
Photomultiplier Tube (PMT)
 High Voltage Applications
Plasma creation

For generation and maintenance of electron plasma for

usage in Science and Industry, High Voltage Power Supplies
with high output power are often used. Usually for Ignition
high voltages and for maintenance high current is necessary.
High Voltage Applications
Plasma creation
 High Voltage Applications

Capacitor
charging

Capacitor charging often has high requirements regarding

repeatability and constant charging current.