An Introduction to High Voltage Engineering

This concise textbook is intended for undergraduate students of electrical engineering offering a course in high voltage engineering. Written in an easy-to-understand style, the text, now in its second edition, acquaints students with the physical phenomena and technical problems associated with high voltages in power systems. A complete quantitative description of the topics in high voltage engineering is difficult because of the statistical nature of the electrical breakdown phenomena in insulators. With this in mind, this book has been written to provide a basic treatment of high voltage engineering qualitatively and wherever necessary, quantitatively. Special emphasis has been laid on breakdown mechanisms in gaseous dielectrics as it helps students gain a sound conceptual base for appreciating high voltage problems. The origin and nature of lightning and switching overvoltages occurring in power systems have been explained and illustrated with practical observations. The protection of high voltage insulation against such overvoltages has also been discussed lucidly. The concept of modern digital methods of high voltage testing of insulators, transformers and cables has been explained. In the second edition, a new chapter on electrostatic field estimation and an appendix on partial discharges have been added to update the contents. Solved problems help students develop a critical appreciation of the concepts discussed. End-of-chapter questions enable students to obtain a more in-depth understanding of the key concepts.