Course syllabus

Course-PM

MTT040 High voltage technology lp4 VT20 (7.5 hp)

Course is offered by the department of Electrical Engineering

Contact details

Examiner:  Yuriy Serdyuk, yuriy.serdyuk@chalmers.se

Teachers and supervisors:

Yuriy Serdyuk (lecturer, supervisor of course project)

Xiangdong Xu (lecturer), xiangdong.xu@chalmers.se

Thomas Hammarström (lecturer), thomas.hammarstrom@chalmers.se

Jian Zhao (supervisor for Lab 1), zjian@chalmers.se

Sarath Kumara (supervisor for Lab 1), sarath.kumara@chalmers.se

Espen Doedens (lecturer, supervisor for Lab 2), doedens@chalmers.se

Mohammad Kharezy (supervisor for Lab 2), kharezy@chalmers.se

Tord Bengtsson (guest lecturer), ABB Corporate Research, Västerås

Course purpose

The course builds up the knowledge gained during the course on “High Voltage Engineering” (MTT 035) and it aims at preparing students to carry out engineering tasks involving design, laboratory testing as well as maintenance of high voltage components in power systems and in other technological applications through understanding of the physical phenomena involved. Focus is set on selection of adequate processes and materials that yield desired electric properties (breakdown and flashover strength, ionisation, conduction and polarisation). Based on this understanding the knowledge on design criteria for insulation dimensioning and on principles for insulation diagnostics is built, including elucidation of basic differences in insulation systems for ac and dc applications. After successful completion of the two courses in high voltage engineering and high voltage technology, belonging to the master program on electric power engineering, the student is well prepared to carry engineering tasks involving apparatus design, laboratory testing as well as maintenance of high voltage components in power systems and in other technological applications. In addition, the two courses together constitute a solid base for post-graduate studies within electrical power engineering. 

Schedule

https://cloud.timeedit.net/chalmers/web/public/ri1Q5008.html

Course literature

The main course book is Andreas Küchler, “High Voltage Engineering. Fundamentals, technology, applications”, Springer Verlag, Germany, 2018, ISBN 978-3-642-11992-7 (electronic version is available via Chalmers library). The chapters recommended for reading before lectures are indicated in the schedule below. Additional handouts of the lecture materials will be available on the course website.

Course design

The teaching is pursued in form of lectures (36h), tutorials (10h), project work (16h), demonstration (4h), laboratory exercises (8h) and study visit (ca 7h in total). A project reporting session (4h) and exam consultation (2h) are also included. Participation in the lectures and tutorials are voluntary, but highly recommended. The laboratory exercises, demonstration, project work and study visit are compulsory. The course materials, including handouts and labs descriptions, are available for the course participants on the course website in Canvas.

Laboratory experiments (compulsory)

Two laboratory experiments (each of 4h) are included in the course. The exercises aim at providing insight on (i) development of electrical discharges in air, and (ii) classical diagnostic methods for quality assessment of insulation systems. Before participating in the experiments in the high voltage laboratory, each student must study safety instructions, certify their understanding and thereafter follow the rules exactly. The instruction manual contains two parts. The first part, entitled General Safety Instructions for the Electric Power Engineering and High Voltage Engineering Laboratories and Workshops, is completed by the second one, entitled Addition to General Safety Concerning Operations and Testing in High-Voltage Laboratories and at Outdoor Test Plants. The instructions can also be found on the course website.

The laboratory exercises will take place during weeks 16-18 (Lab 1: discharges and breakdown in air) and weeks 19-21 (Lab 2: insulation diagnostics). Time booking for the laboratory exercises is to be made through the course web page. The exercises are to be held in the High Voltage Laboratory (room 2506).

NOTE! Students will not be allowed to proceed with the exercises without being adequately prepared. The same applies to late arrivals. Short lab reports should be prepared after each of the exercises for final approval.

Lecture and tutorial plan is provided in the attached pdf-file.

Learning objectives and syllabus

Learning objectives:

• Recognize various types of apparatuses and insulators in high voltage substations and networks and explain phenomena leading to their failure; understand criteria for insulator selection.
• Identify insulating materials and systems most frequently used in high voltage technology and characterize their advantageous and disadvantageous properties.
• Calculate or estimate electric field strength and its distribution in real insulation systems exposed to ac and dc high voltages; analyze the importance of geometrical design for optimizing electric field distributions.
• Apply computer based tools for solving complex field distribution problems in various high voltage components; demonstrate the outcomes of your simulations and communicate them to other students.
• Possess knowledge on allowable working electric stresses in different insulation systems.
• Be acquainted with different methods for controlling electric field distribution in high voltage devices.
• Explain physical mechanisms responsible for various types of electric discharges in gases with special emphasis to streamer, barrier (partial), surface and arc discharges.
• Describe the influence of different parameters, like electrode geometry, temperature, humidity and pressure, on the electric strength in different insulating materials.
• Evaluate risk for appearance of partial discharges in insulation systems containing defects.
• Define and describe the mechanisms of electric conduction, polarisation and breakdown in gaseous, liquid and solid insulating materials (dielectrics).
• Identify the dielectric response in insulating materials an systems; explain how measurements of dielectric response can be used for diagnostics of high voltage devices.
• Recognize environmental risks imposed by different materials used in high voltage technology.

Link to the syllabus on Studieportalen: https://www.student.chalmers.se/sp/course?course_id=29584

Examination form

For receiving a final grade, approved written examination, approved laboratory exercises
and approved project work are the three parts to be completed. The written examination will
take place on Tuesday, 02 June 2020, Johanneberg campus.