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Impulse current testing

Michael Gamlin
Haefely Test AG, Basle, Switzerland

Abstract: IEC time parameter definitions for impulse


currents are explained and an overview of the IEC
standards 60060-1, 60099-4, 61643-1 and 61312-1 in
regards to impulse current testing is given. The different impulse currents such as exponential current impulses (ECI), lightning current impulses (LCI) and
rectangular current impulses (RCI) are analytically
described by their simplified circuit diagrams. The
generation of the lightning current impulses (LCI) is
more detailed explained and the impulse current system of the Shanghai Metrology Institute delivered by
the Haefely AG is introduced especially in regards of
lightning current impulse testing.

2.2. Rectangular current impulse (RCI)

Figure 2. Time parameter RCI

Td :
Tt :

1. Introduction
The IEC standards 60060-1, 60099-4, 61643-1 and
61312-1 specify parameter tolerances for the different
exponential current impulses (ECI), rectangular current impulses (RCI) and lightning current impulses.
IEC 61312-1 standard gives a guideline how a lightning current impulse (LCI) for test purposes can be
achieved.

Duration of peak of a rectangular impulse


Total duration of a rectangular impulse current

2.3. Current rise

2. Time parameter definitions for impulse


currents according to IEC standards
2.1. Exponential current impulse (ECI)

Figure 3.

i:
t:

Parameter current rise


I90% - I10%
t90% - t10%

3. Overview of impulse current definitions


according to IEC standards
Figure 1. Time parameter ECI

T1 :
T2 :
O1:

3.1. IEC 60060-1: High Voltage Test Techniques;


Part 1: General definitions and test requirements

Front time
Time to half value
Virtual origin

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IEC 60060-1 defines several exponential current impulses as well as several rectangular current impulses
by time parameters, peak values, polarity reversal and
the permitted tolerances (see Figure 4.).

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3.2. IEC 60099-4: High Voltage Test Techniques;


Surge arrestors; Part 4: Metal-oxide surge arrestors without gaps for a.c. systems
IEC 60099-4 defines several exponential and rectangular current impulses by time parameters, peak values, polarity reversal, needed energy and the permitted

Figure 4. IEC 60060-1 impulse current definitions

Figure 5. IEC 60099-4 impulse current definitions

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tolerances (see Figure 5.). Compared with IEC


60060-1 the tolerances for the time parameter for
ECI varies. Furthermore the RCI is defined by
time parameters and an energy demand for the
test object. To simulate service conditions of an
arrestor 4/10, 8/20, 30/80 and long duration current impulses are combined with the rated

arrestor AC voltage (operating duty test ODT).

3.2.2. IEC 61312-1 (Annex C): Fast rise time portion

3.2. IEC 61312-1 (Annex C): Protection against


lightning electromagnetic impulse, Simulation of
the lightning current for test purposes, First lightning stroke
Simulation parameters:
Peak current:
Charge:

Ipeak

The simulation conducted in accordance with this


method covers the rate of rise of the current of short
duration strokes i / t. The tail of the current is of no
consequence for this kind of simulation.
(see figure 7.)

4. Simplified analytical description of different


impulse currents

Q s = i ( t ) dt

4.1. Simplified principle circuit diagram for exponential current impulses (ECI)

Specific energy: W / R = i 2 ( t ) dt
0

Current rise:

i= I90% - I10%, t= t90% - t10%

IEC standard 61312-1 (Annex C) splits up the first


lightning stroke current into a high energy portion and
a fast rise time portion. Both portions can be applied
independently or in combination
3.2.1. IEC 61312-1 (Annex C): High energy portion
The parameters
ance4s are to be
can be achieved
decaying current
(see figure 6.)

Ipeak, Qs, and W/R with their tolerobtained in the same impulse. This
by an approximately exponentially
with T2 in the range of 350 s.

Figure 6. IEC 61312-14 (Annex C) High energy portion

Figure 7. IEC 61312-14 (Annex C) Fast rise time portion

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Figure 8. Simplified circuit diagram ECI

4.1.1. Aperiodic damped circuit (1/<20 wave shape)


1.00

R
1
, 2 >
damping criterion ,
=
2L
LC
U0
1
i(t) = 2
),
e t sinh( t 2
LC
L
R 4
C
t peak =

i(t) / Imax

0.80

ln( L C 1 + L C )
2

0.60
0.40
0.20
0.00
-0.20 0

1
LC

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

t in s

1.0
Figure 11. normalized periodic damped ECI

i(t) / I max

0.8

4.2. Simplified principle circuit diagram for rectangular current impulses (RCI)

0.6
0.4
0.2

An RCI impulse generator consists of 8 to 12 distributed constant impulse generators.

0.0
0

10 20 30

40 50 60 70 80 90 100
t in s

Figure 9. normalized aperiodic damped ECI

Above formulas show that the higher the damping


(R ?) the shorter is the rise time (T1 ?) but the lower is
the current peak (Ipeak ?) and the longer is the time to
half value (T2 ?).

3.00

L
1
; 2 =
C
L C
L = 1 H, C = 9 F
R0 = 2

t peak in s

2.50
2.00

Figure 12. Distributed constant impulse generators for RCI

The formula below describes the relation between the


used lattice network and the duration of the peak T90%
(or Td).
n
n 1.1 T90%
= L tot C tot ; L tot = L i , C tot = n C, n = 8 ..12
2 (n 1)
i =1

t peak = 1.7 s => T1 1 s

1.50
1.00

700 A

0.50
0.00

RCI
Ipk
Td
Tt

600 A

10

R / R0

: 623.919 A
: 3.500 ms
: 4.318 ms

500 A

400 A

Figure 10. Rise time versus damping for aperiodic damped ECI
300 A

4.1.2. Periodic damped circuit (4/10, 8/20, 30/80,


switching current)
R
1
, 2 <
damping criterion ,
2L
LC
U
i( t ) = 0 e t sin( t ),
L

=
t peak

100 A

1 ms

1
2,
LC
1

= arctan( )

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200 A

2 ms

3 ms

4 ms

5 ms

6 ms

Figure 13. Rectangular current impulse RCI, class 5 arrestor,


Urated= 12 kV, 60 kJ

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7 ms

5. Lightning current impulse generation (LCI,


10/350)
5.1. Detailed LCI circuit diagram

Figure 13. Impulse current system SSGA 100-150 (100 kV, 150 kJ)
for arrestor testing according to IEC 60099-4 with ECI, RCI and
operating duty testing

4.3. Simplified principle circuit diagram for lightning current impulses (LCI)

Figure 15. Detailed circuit diagram LCI

5.2. Function principle LCI circuit


By the ignition of the main spark gap the energy
stored in the charging capacitors capacitance C1 is
transferred to the external inductance L2. Shortly before the impulse current reaches its peak value the
crow bar spark gap 1-2 is triggered by the impulse
voltage generator. To achieve a fast rise time of about
a few hundred ns for the impulse voltage generator
current an extremely low inductive peaking circuit has
to be integrated. The voltage drop of this fast discharge current across the main circuit inductance L1
finally ignites the crowbar spark gap 2-3 and the
crowbar switch is closed. A crowbar switch is a specific spark gap arrangement being able to be triggered
under
virtually
no
voltage
condition.
To fulfil the fast rise time portion the external inductance value L2 has to be chosen quite low (some H)
whereas for the high energy portion the external inductance value L2 has to be in the range of some ten
H.
As soon as the crow bar switch is closed the time to
half value T2 is determined by the time constant
(L2+Lcrowbar)/(R2+Rcrowbar+RDUT). All component in this
external circuit (crowbar, external inductance) must
have a low resistive design and the current is measured by a Rogowski coil and not by a shunt.
Due to the inherent crowbar inductance Lcrowbar together with the charging capacitors capacitance C1 an
oscillation closely after the current peak occurs as to
be seen in figure 16 and 17.
To insure reproducible LCI impulse the controls of the
main impulse current circuit and the impulse voltage
generator must work together in a master/slave mode.
The benefit of the master/slave mode is that a delay
time can be adjusted and a triggering is only possible
when both circuits are charged up.

Figure 14. Simplified circuit diagram LCI

i( t ) = U 0
=

C
sin ( t ), 0 t
(L1 + L 2 )
2

1
, t1 =
C (L1 + L 2 )
2

( t
).

U0
e 2 L 2 , t
i( t ) =
(L1 + L 2 )
2

i(t) / I max

0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0

500

1000

1500

2000

t in s

Figure 15. normalized simplified LCI

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140 kA

No. 20
LCI
Ipk
di
dt
di/dt
T1
T2
Qs
W/R

120 kA

100 kA

: 116.885 kA
: 93.508 kA
: 9.876 us
: 9.468 kA/us
: 12.346 us
: 357.878 us
: 50.635 As
: 3.135 MJ/Ohm

80 kA

60 kA

40 kA

20 kA

1 ms

CH2 : Shunt:5.000 mOhm Level:100% Sampling:7.500 Ms/s Range:800.0 Vpp Trigger:Level 10%

Figure 16. Fast rise time portion LCI


1

140 kA

No. 1
LCI
Ipk
di
dt
di/dt
T1
T2
Qs
W/R

120 kA

100 kA

Figure 19. Motorized crowbar electrodes with tungsten copper


insertion to ensure a reliable performance
: 107.243 kA
: 85.794 kA
: 9.887 us
: 8.677 kA/us
: 12.359 us
: 363.876 us
: 46.187 As
: 2.647 MJ/Ohm

80 kA

60 kA

40 kA

20 kA

1 ms

CH2 : Shunt:5.000 mOhm Level:100% Sampling:7.500 Ms/s Range:800.0 Vpp Trigger:Level 10%

Figure 17. Energy portion LCI

5.3. LCI circuit components


Figure 20. Control unit GC 223 for the impulse current circuit
(bottom) and crowbar control CBC 220 (top) for adjusting and
displaying the crowbar electrode distances

Figure 18. Impulse current system SSG 200-180 (200 kV, 180 kJ)
for SPD testing with ECI and LCI

Figure 21. Low resistive, reliable resin cast coil design

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Figure 24. SPD exploded during LCI testing

6. Technical data impulse current system


SSGA 200-180 and future extension possibilities

Figure 22. Motorized, low inductive crowbar design with peaking


circuit

Wave shape

max. current
Ipeak

max. charging
voltage

max.
load

8/20

200 kA

100 kV

100 m

10/350

100 kA

200 kV

50 m

Extension possibility by integrating


additional damping resistors and external inductances
(metal oxide arrestor testing according to IEC 60099-4)
30 kA

200 kV

Ur=
12 kV

4/10

150 kA

200 kV

Ur=
12 kV

30/80

60 kA

100 kV

Ur=
12 kV

Switching
current

3 kA

100 kV

Ur=
12 kV

Author address: Michael Gamlin


Manager Engineering HVT
Haefely Test AG, Lehenmattstr. 353
CH-4052 Basle, Switzerland
Email: gamlin.michael@haefely.com

Figure 23. Test chamber with connected SPD ready for testing

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