University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

Faculty of Engineering
Department of Electrical Engineering
B. Sc. Engineering Honours Degree Course
Semester 5 Examination
EE3012 – HIGH VOLTAGE ENGINEERING I

Time Allowed: 2 Hours September 2014

Additional Material
Graph Paper will be provided if required.

Instructions to Candidates
This paper contains 4 questions in 4 pages.
This examination accounts for 70% of the module assessment.
Total marks for the paper is 70 marks.
The maximum marks attainable is indicated in square brackets.
Answer All Questions.
This is a closed book examination and only authorised Calculators will be permitted.

Technical Information for candidates

-7
Permeability of free space  = 4 10 H/m
-12
Permittivity of free space o = 8.854 10 F/m
8
Velocity of light in free space = 2.998 10 m/s
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EE3012 High Voltage Engineering I – September 2014 University of Moratuwa Page 2 of 4

Question 1
(a) Describe briefly with the aid of suitable diagrams the avalanche process in the breakdown
of gaseous dielectrics [2 marks]
(b) Derive the Townsend’s criteria for spark breakdown in a gaseous dielectric [5 marks]
(c) If the following measurements were made in a Townsend type discharge, determine the
values of the Townsend’s first and second ionization coefficients. [5 marks]

d (mm) 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 12 14 16
I (pA) 22 24 30 37 46 51 92 120 175 290 495

(d) Describe briefly with the aid of suitable diagrams the determination of the time lag
characteristic of spark breakdown in gaseous dielectrics. [2 marks]
(e) Determine, deriving necessary equations, the corona inception voltage for a 3 phase,
50Hz, 66 kV transmission line with 18 mm dia. conductors spaced 2m apart in
equilateral formation, if the ambient temperature is 32oC. [4 marks]

Question 2

(a) Describe briefly with the aid of suitable diagrams the breakdown of liquids due to the
presence of liquid impurities [3 marks]
(b) Describe briefly with the aid of suitable diagrams the breakdown of solids having voids
due to internal discharges in the presence of the applied voltage. [3 marks]
Explain why the addition of solid insulating materials as barriers within liquid dielectrics
may sometimes actually lead to lowering of overall dielectric strength. [1 mark]
(c) A transformer oil having a dielectric constant of 2.2 and a dielectric strength of 25
kV/mm, is used as an insulation in a spacing of 8 mm. A barrier of thickness 3 mm of
transformer-board with a dielectric strength of 50 kV/mm (dielectric constant 4.4) is used
in this space in an attempt to increase the strength. Using a safety factor of 2, determine
the maximum voltage that may be applied across the composite dielectric. [4 marks]
(d) Describe very briefly with the aid of suitable diagrams how the keraunic level may be
determined at a particular location, and how the lightning incidence on a transmission
line in that location may be determined. [3 marks]
(e) Describe the theory of shielding of an overhead transmission line and explain why a taller
tower would require a smaller protection angle from an overhead earth wire. [3 marks]

EE3012 High Voltage Engineering I – September 2014 University of Moratuwa Page 3 of 4

Question 3
(a) Derive an expression for the insulation resistance and for the capacitance of a single core
cable per unit length. [4 marks]
Determine these quantities for a 2 km length of cable, if the resistivity of the cable
insulation is 41012 m, relative permittivity of the dielectric is 4.0, the core diameter is
18 mm and the sheath inner diameter is 50 mm. [2 marks]
(b) Derive an expression for the thermal resistance of a dielectric of thermal resistivity k,
between two concentric radii r1 and r2 of a single core cable. [3 marks]
A single phase cable has a conductor radius of 8 mm, an intersheath radius of 16mm and
a sheath radius of 24mm. If the thermal resistivities of the inner and outer layers are
4.2oC-m/W and 5.4oC-m/W determine the thermal resistance of the composite cable.[3 marks]
(c) A single phase cable for a 3-phase, 132 kV system, is to be designed using one
intersheath with an insulating material having a peak critical breakdown stress of 150
kV/cm and relative permittivity of 4.4. If the conductor radius is 10 mm, determine the
radius of the intersheath to be maintained at a voltage of 38kV, and the inner radius of
the Sheath. Take a safety factor as 2 in the design. [6 marks]

Question 4
(a) Show that the deflecting torque of an electrostatic voltmeter is proportional to the product
of the square of the applied voltage and the rate of change of capacitance. [2 marks]
(b) Describe briefly, with the aid of suitable diagrams the dielectric loss measurement using
the oscilloscope. [3 marks]
(c) The measurement of the relative permittivity and loss tangent of a dielectric is made
using a parallel resonance circuit, with fixed inductance and variable capacitance. Sketch
the circuit and the test cell used in the measurement. [2 marks]
Write down expressions for the relative permittivity and the loss tangent of the liquid in
terms of the variable capacitance, stating what the symbols used means. [2 marks]
If the following readings of variable capacitor were obtained,
i. at resonance without the inner electrode in the test cell 140 nF
ii. at resonance without the dielectric in the circuit 100 nF
iii. at half power points without the dielectric in the circuit 99.5 nF and 100.5 nF
iv. at resonance with the dielectric included in the circuit 40 nF
v. at half power points with the dielectric in the circuit 38.6 nF and 41.4 nF
(d) Determine the values of the unknown relative permittivity and its loss tangent. [2 marks]

(e) Figure Q5 shows a circuit diagram of a unknown

100 
high voltage Schering Bridge, with the
values at the balance condition. If the
dielectric has a cross-section area of
D
0.01 m2 and the spacing of 2 cm,
determine the relative permittivity and 100 
the resistivity of the material. [6 marks] 20 pF
tan  = 0.001
[END OF QUESTION PAPER] 200 nF
Supply
200 kV,50 Hz
Figure Q5
EE3012 High Voltage Engineering I – September 2014 University of Moratuwa Page 4 of 4