ELEC4611

Power System Equipment

Tutorial 1 Solutions

Q1.
V V
(i) E r    Emax 
r ln  b a  a ln  b a 
 V 
b  a  exp  
 aEmax 

  V  
b  a  a  exp    1
  aEmax  
  132  2 3  
 22  exp    1  24.86 mm
  22  0.3  21.6  

(ii) Emax  0.3  21.6  6.48 kV/mm

132  2 3
Eave   4.34 kV/mm
24.86
E 4.34
u f  ave   0.67  not very efficient use of insulation
Emax 6.48

Q2.

Electric field stress at a radial distance x:

V
E  x 
x ln  R r 
It is highest at the inner conductor surface:
V
Emax  E  r  
r ln  R r 
dE  r  R
0  ropt 
dr e
Also:
d 2E r 
0 when r  ropt
dr 2

Thus the highest field strength is at minimum when r  ropt and it is:

Eopt  E  ropt  
V eV

ropt ln  R ropt  R

Deviations from the optimal conductor size:

ELEC4611 : Tutorial 1 solutions

 V
r1  1.1ropt  E1   1.005 Eopt
1.1ropt ln  R 1.1ropt 
V
r2  0.9ropt  E2   1.005 Eopt
0.9ropt ln  R 0.9ropt 

It can be seen that although the highest stress has gone up, deviation from optimal field
strength is very little (<1%).

Q3.
Assign voltages V1 , V2 , V3 , V4  and capacitances  C1 , C2 , C3 , C4  to the layers.

For a layer n with inner radius an and outer radius bn, peak electric field is:
Vn
En (max) 
an ln  bn an 

Thus for the same peak E in each layer:

V1 V2 V3 V4
   (1)
3ln  4 3 4 ln  5 4  5ln  6 5  6 ln  7 6 

Capacitance of layer n with an axial length ln:

2 ln ln
Cn   const  (2)
ln  bn an  ln  bn an 
But:
Q  C1V1  C2V2  C3V3  C4V4 (3)

From (2) and (3):

0.4V1 lV lV lV
 2 2  3 3  4 4 (4)
ln  4 3 ln  5 4  ln  6 5  ln  7 6 

Note that the full axial length of the innermost insulation layer is 50cm but the foil between
this layer and the next is l1  40cm . Thus in (4) above, we used 0.4m. In this way, the foil is
completely sandwiched between the 2 insulation layers. It is also OK if the foil extends the
full length but it is poor engineering (potential breakup of the foil section at the edge).

(a) From (4):

l2  0.3 m ; l3  0.24 m ; l4  0.2 m

(b) Then from (2):

C1  0.27 nF ; C2  0.261 nF ; C3  0.256 nF ; C4  0.252 nF
 1 
Total capacitance: CT  1     65 pF
 Cn 
Capacitive leakage current: I   2 f  CT V  1.55 mA

ELEC4611 : Tutorial 1 solutions

 X1
(c) V1  V
XT
V1
Emax   Emax  21.25 kV/cm (RMS) = 30.06 kV/cm (peak)
3ln  4 3

(d) If no grading used:

76.2
Emax   29.98 kV/cm (RMS) = 42.39 kV/cm (peak)
3ln  7 3

The field will be the same irrespective of the insulation (if insulation is homogeneous). Thus
it will be 42.39kV/cm (peak) in both cases. Corona onset in air is 30kV/cm. Hence
breakdown would occur for the case where insulation is air.

ELEC4611 : Tutorial 1 solutions

Q4.

(a)

r2
r1

E1 E2

a1 a2 a3
Let  r1  5 ;  r 2  3 ; Emax = 15 kV/mm, V = 191 kV and a1 = 20mm.

a1 = conductor radius.
a2 = inner tape outer radius.
a3 = outer tape outer radius.

Assume length of taped joint = 1m.

Q = C1V1 = C2V2
2 o r1 2 o r 2
Q  V1   V2
ln  a2 a1  ln  a3 a2 
V1 V2
Emax  
a1 ln  a2 a1  a2 ln  a3 a2 
Hemce:
Q 2 o r1V1 V1
  2 o r1a1
Emax ln  a2 a1  a1 ln  a2 a1 
2 o r 2V2 V2
  2 o r 2 a2
ln  a3 a2  a2 ln  a3 a2 

a2
and so:  r1a1   r 2 a2   r1   r 2   r 2 (because a2  a1 )
a1

i.e. the tape with higher permittivity (  r  5 ) should be used close to the conductor.

(b)

Outer radius of the inner tape:

ELEC4611 : Tutorial 1 solutions

  r1 5
a2  a1   20  33.3 mm
r2 3
a2 33.33
V1  Emax a1 ln  15  20  ln  153.25 kV(peak)
a1 20
153.25
=  108.36 kV(rms)
2
and:
V2  V  V1  191  108.36  82.64 kV(rms) or 116.87 kV(peak)

Outer radius of the outer tape, a3:

V2  V2 
Emax   a 3  a2 exp  
a2 ln  a3 a2   Emax a2 

 116.87 
a 3  33.33  exp    42.11 mm
 15  33.33 

(c) Minimum field strengths in each taped section:

V1 153.25
Emin1    9 kV/mm
a2 ln  a2 a1  33.33  ln  33.33 20 
V2 116.87
Emin 2    11.87 kV/mm
a3 ln  a3 a2  42.11 ln  42.11 33.33

(d) The radial distance to middle of outer section:

a3  a2 42.11  33.33
r  a2   33.33   37.72mm
2 2

 r  void  Evoid  r    r  tape  Etape  r 

 r  tape  r  tape V2
Evoid  r   Etape  r  
 r  void   r  void  r ln  a3 a2 
3 116.87
   39.76 kV/mm
1 37.72  ln  42.11 33.33

The breakdown field strength in air at normal pressure is 3 kV/mm. Thus breakdown
will certainly occur in the void.

(e) If only one type of insulation tape is used

V
Emax 
a1 ln  a2 a1 

ELEC4611 : Tutorial 1 solutions

  V   191 2 
 a2  a1 exp    20  exp    49.21 mm
 Emax a1   15  20 

Hence, the required insulation thickness = 49.21-20 = 29.21 mm.

In the above analysis, the permittivity values were not used and so the insulation
thickness is not affected by the type of tape used.

For comparison, note that for the case above with two different types of tapes the total
insulation thickness is 42.11-20 = 21.11 mm.

ELEC4611 : Tutorial 1 solutions

Q5.

Use V1 and I1 of the insulator unit at the earth end as reference:

I1'  0.2 I1  I 2  I1  I1'  1.2 I1  V2  1.2V1 & V1  V2  2.2V1

I 2'  0.2   2.2 I1   0.44 I1  I 3  I 2  I 2'  1.64 I1

 V3  1.64V1 & V1  V2  V3  3.84V1

I 3'  0.2   3.84 I1   0.768 I1  I 4  I 3  I 3'  2.41I1

 V4  2.41V1

Vtotal  V1  V2  V3  V4  6.25V1  38.1 kV

 V1  6.08 kV ; V2  7.30 kV ; V3  9.97 kV ; V4  14.65 kV

38.1
String efficiency  100%  65%
4  14.65

Alternatively, solve the problem by using formula for the voltage of the n-th unit (w.r.t.
ground) in a string of no units:
sinh  n 
Vn  V0
sinh  n0 
where   Co C and Vo is the total voltage on the string.
Here:
V0  38.1 ;   0.2  0.447 ; n0  4

ELEC4611 : Tutorial 1 solutions