Module 2 Continued
Module 2 Continued
MODULE-2
✓ The discharge time constant CR1/n (for n stages) will be very very small (microseconds),
compared to the charging time constant CRs which will be few seconds. Hence, no
discharge takes place through the charging resistors Rs.
✓ In the Marx circuit is of Fig. 2.17a the impulse wave-shaping circuit is connected
externally to the capacitor unit.
✓ In Fig. 2.17b, the modified Marx circuit is shown, wherein the resistances R 1 and R2 are
incorporated inside the unit.
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✓ R1 is divided into n parts equal to R1/n and put in series with the gap G.
✓ R2 is also divided into n parts and arranged across each capacitor unit after the gap G.
✓ This arrangement saves space, and also the cost is reduced.
✓ But, in case the wave shape is to be varied widely, the variation becomes difficult.
✓ The additional advantages gained by distributing R1 and R2 inside the unit are that the
control resistors are smaller in size and the efficiency (V0ZnV) is high.
Fig. 2.17a Schematic diagram of Marx circuit arrangement for multistage impulse
generator
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Fig. 2.17b Multistage impulse generator incorporating the series and wave tail
resistances within the generator
✓ Impulse generators are nominally rated by the total voltage (nominal), the number of
stages, and the gross energy stored.
✓ The nominal output voltage is the number of stages multiplied by the charging voltage.
✓ The nominal energy stored is given by C1V2. where C1 = C/n (the discharge capacitance)
and V is the nominal maximum voltage (n times charging voltage).
✓ A 16-stage impulse generator having a stage capacitance of 0.280μF and a maximum
charging voltage of 300 KV will have an energy rating of 192 KWs.
✓ The height of the generator will be about 15 m and will occupy a floor area of about
3.25 × 3.00 m.
✓ The waveform of either polarity can be obtained by suitably changing the charging unit
polarity (Plate 3).
A multistage impulse generator requires several components parts for flexibility and for the
production of the required wave shape. These may be grouped as follows:
(i) DC Charging Set
The charging unit should be capable of giving a variable dc voltage of either polarity to
charge the generator capacitors to the required value.
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Fig. 2.18 Circuits for producing switching surge voltages. Also, shown are the output
wave shapes across the load Cx.
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✓ In many small laboratories like in the teaching institutions, small industries and utility
organizations, the requirements of high voltages may be less than about 200 kV, 50 Hz, ac,
400 kV dc and 400 kV standard lightning and switching impulse voltages.
✓ The power requirements will be around 5 KΩ or KVA and the energy requirement will be
less than 1.5 kJ.
✓ For such applications, flexible and universally interchangeable modular systems of the
above voltage and energy ratings are available under different trade names.
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(i) AC Testing Transformers With continuous power ratings of 3 to 5 KVA with a short time
rating about 150%. The unit can be one single transformer of up to 100 kV (rms), or 2 to 3
units connected in cascade with voltage ratings up to 300 kV (rms).
(ii) DC Units Ac transformer with the addition of a rectifier unit and a filter capacitor, with
ripple factor at rated current less than 5% and a voltage drop or regulation less than 10%, for
a single stage output of about 100 kV (half-wave rectifier) constitute a dc set. dc sets are
available as multi-stage voltage doubler units with one pulse output, or as a quadruple unit of
up to 400 kV rating with the same specifications. In either case, the power ratings will be about
3 to 5 KΩ continuous. The rectifier stacks used are the selenium diode type.
(iii) Impulse Voltage Units Marx circuit of 2 to 4 stages can be assumed using the transformer
and dc rectifier unit described earlier for an output voltage of about 400 kV (peak) using a one
stage rectifier unit. The necessary wave front and wave tail resistors and load capacitances
are normally provided. The units are assembled with modular components mounted on
suitable insulating columns. The units normally have voltage efficiency of about 90%.
All the basic units are clearly and compactly arranged. By having increased number of units
the system can be expanded to obtain higher and desired type of voltage. Control
cubicles/boxes are provided for the control and measurement of voltages. The units can be
mounted on wheels or located permanently in a test hall of size 4 m × 3 m × 3 m. Multi-test
sets are currently being manufactured and assembled in India by some leading manufacturers
of high-voltage test equipments.
✓ Lightning discharges involve both high voltage impulses and high current impulses on
transmission lines.
✓ Protective gear like surge diverters have to discharge the lightning currents without
damage.
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✓ The wave shapes used in testing surge diverters are 4/10 and 8/20 μs, the figures
respectively representing the nominal wave-front and wave-tail times (see Fig. 2.14).
✓ The tolerances allowed on these are ±10% only.
✓ Apart from the standard impulse current waves, rectangular waves of long duration are
also used for testing.
✓ The wave shape should be nominally rectangular in shape.
✓ The rectangular waves generally have durations of the order of 0.5 to 5 μs, with rise and
fall times of the waves being less than ±10% of their total duration.
✓ The tolerance allowed on the peak value is +20% and -0% (the peak value may be more
than the specified value but not less).
✓ The duration of the wave is defined as the total time of the wave during which the
current is at least 10% of its peak value.
✓ For producing impulse currents of large value, a bank of capacitors connected in parallel
are charged to a specified voltage and are discharged through a series R-L circuit as shown
in Fig. 2.20.
✓ C represents a bank of capacitors connected in parallel which are charged from a dc
source to a voltage up to 200 kV.
✓ R represents the dynamic resistance of the test object and the resistance of the circuit and
the shunt. L is an air cored high current inductor, usually a spiral.
✓ If the capacitor is charged to a voltage V and discharged when the spark gap is triggered,
the current im will be given by the equation
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Hence im is given by
The time taken for the current im to rise from zero to the first peak value is
The duration for one half cycle of the damped oscillatory wave t2 is
✓ It can be shown that the maximum value of im is normally independent of the value of V
and C for a given energy W= (1/2) CV2, and the effective inductance L.
✓ It is also clear from Eq. (2.25) that a low inductance is needed in order to get high
current magnitudes for a given charging voltage V.
✓ The present practice as per IEC standards is to adopt waveform II shown in Fig.2.20,
and to define the waveform and wave tail times similar to the definition given for
impulsevoltage waves.
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with this definition, time to front t1 = tf = 1/β tanh−1 (β/α) and the time to tail t2 is a
complex function of both β and α.
For a 8/20 μS wave, the values of t1, t2 and peak value of Im are deduced as
Values of R, L and C are expressed in ohms, Hernies and Farads and V, I are expressed in KV
and KA.
✓ For producing large values of impulse currents, a number of capacitors are charged in
parallel and discharged in parallel into the circuit.
✓ The arrangement of capacitors is shown in Fig. 2.20c.
✓ In order to minimize the effective inductance, the capacitors are subdivided into smaller
units.
✓ If there are n1 groups of capacitors, each consisting of n2 units and if L0 is the inductance
of the common discharge path,L1 is that of each group andL2 is that of each unit, then the
effective inductance L is given by
𝑳𝟏 𝑳𝟏
𝑳 = 𝑳𝟎 + +
𝒏𝟏 𝒏𝟏 𝒏𝟐
Also, the arrangement of capacitors into a horse-shoe shaped layout minimizes the effective
load inductance (Plate 4).
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✓ Generation of rectangular current pulses of high magnitudes (few hundred amperes and
duration up to 5 ms) can be done by discharging a pulse network or cable previously
charged.
✓ The basic circuit for producing rectangular pulses is given in Fig. 2.21. The length of a
cable or an equivalent pulse forming network is charged to a specified dc voltage.
✓ When the spark gap is short-circuited, the cable or pulse network discharges through the
test object.
✓ To produce a rectangular pulse, a coaxial cable of surge impedance (where L 0 is the
inductance and C0 is the capacitance per unit length) is used.
✓ If the cable is charged to a voltage V and discharged through the test object of resistance
R, the current pulse I is given by I = V/(Z0 + R).
✓ A pulse voltage RV/(R + Z0) is developed across the test object R, and the pulse current
is sustained by a voltage wave (V-IR).
✓ For R = Z0, the reflected wave from the open end of the cable terminates the pulse current
into the test object, and the pulse voltage becomes equal to V/2.
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Fig. 2.21 Basic circuit and schematic set-up for producing rectangular current pulses
✓ In practice, it is difficult to get a coaxial cable of sufficient capacitance and length. Often
artificial transmission lines with lumped L and C as shown in Fig. 2.21b are used.
✓ Usually, 6 to 9 L-C sections will be sufficient to give good rectangular waves.
✓ The duration of the pulse time in seconds (t) is given by
𝒕 = 𝟐(𝒏 − 𝟏)√𝑳𝑪
where n is the number of sections used, C is the capacitance per stage or section, and L is
the inductance per stage or section.
✓ The current waveforms produced by an artificial line or pulse network and a coaxial
cable are shown in Figs 2.22a and b.
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✓ In large impulse generators, the spark gaps are generally sphere gaps or gaps formed by
hemispherical electrodes.
✓ The gaps are arranged such that sparking of one gap results in automatic sparking of other
gaps as overvoltage is impressed on the other.
✓ In order to have consistency in sparking, irradiation from an ultra-violet lamp is provided
from the bottom to all the gaps.
✓ To trip the generator at a predetermined time, the spark gaps may be mounted on a
movable frame, and the gap distance is reduced by moving the movable electrodes closer.
✓ This method is difficult and does not assure consistent and controlled tripping.
✓ A simple method of controlled tripping consists of making the first gap a three electrode
gap and firing it from a controlled source.
✓ Figure 6.23 gives the schematic arrangement of a three-electrode gap.
✓ The first stage of the impulse generator is fitted with a three-electrode gap, and the central
electrode is maintained at a potential in between that of the top and the bottom electrodes
with the resistors R1 and R1.
✓ The tripping is initiated by applying a pulse to the thyratron G by closing the switch S.
✓ The capacitor C produces an exponentially decaying pulse of positive polarity.
✓ The pulse goes and initiates the oscilloscope time base.
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✓ The thyratron conducts on receiving the pulse from the switch S and produces a
negative pulse through the capacitance C1 at the central electrode of the three electrode
gap.
✓ Hence, the voltage between the central electrode and the top electrode of the three
electrode gap goes above its sparking potential and thus the gap conducts.
✓ The time lag required for the thyratron firing and breakdown of the three electrode gap
ensures that the sweep circuit of the oscilloscope begins before the start of the impulse
generator voltage.
✓ The resistance R2 ensures decoupling of voltage oscillations produced at the spark gap
entering the oscilloscope through the common trip circuit.
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PROBLEMS:
1. A Cockcroft-Walton type voltage multiplier has eight stages with capacities, all equal to
0.05 μF. The supply transformer secondary voltage is 125 KV at a frequency of 150 Hz. If
the load current to be supplied is 5 mA, find i) the percentage ripple ii) the regulation
iii) the optimum number of stages for minimum regulation or voltage drop.
Solution:
Since n > 5,
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2. A 100 KVA, 400 V/250 KV testing transformer has 8% leakage reactance and 2% resistance
on 100 KVA base. A cable has to be tested at 500 KV using the above transformer as a
resonant transformer at 50 Hz. If the charging current of the cable at 500 KV is 0.4 A, calculate
the series inductance required. Assume 2% resistance for the inductor to be used and the
connecting leads. Neglect dielectric loss of the cable. What will be the input voltage to the
transformer?
Solution:
%𝑋 𝑉 8 250 × 103
𝑋𝐿 = 𝐿𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 × = × = 50𝐾𝛺
100 𝐼 100 0.4
𝐴𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑋𝐶 = 𝑋𝐿
Hence, additional reactance needed = 1250 − 50 = 1200 KΩ
Inductance of additional reactance (at 50 Hz frequency)
1200 × 103
= 3820𝐻
2𝜋 × 50
R = Total resistance in the circuit on 100 KVA base is 2% + 2% = 4%. Hence, the ohmic
value of the
Resistance
4 250 × 103
= × = 25𝐾𝛺
100 0.4
10 × 103 × 400
= = 16𝑉
250 × 103
16
𝐼𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝐾𝑊 = × 100 = 4.0𝐾𝑊
400
The magnetizing current and the core losses of the transformer are neglected.
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3. A 12 stage impulse generator has 0.126 µF capacitors. The wave front and the wave tail
resistances connected are 800 ohms and 5000 ohms respectively. If the load capacitor is
1000 pF, Calculate the front and tail times of the impulse wave produced.
Solution:
0.126
The generator capacitance, 𝐶1 = = 0.0105 µF
12
∴ 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑙, 𝑡2 = 0.7(𝑅1 + 𝑅2)(𝐶1 + 𝐶2) = 0.7 × (800 + 5000) × (0.0105 + 0.001) × 10−6
= 46.7µ𝑠
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