Design of an environmental chamber for high voltage testing in simulated dust and sand storms

Abstract

This paper describes the design and the construction of an environmental chamber which enables the breakdown voltage of practically used electrodes to be determined during sand/dust storm conditions. The dust particles used were ≤ 150 μm in dia. and ranged from a few mg m-3 to a few g m-3 in concentration. Studies were done using switching as well as lightning impulse voltages of up to 1 MV in addition to the high a.c. voltages of up to 200 kV. Using this facility, it was found that the presence of sand/dust particles can greatly affect the breakdown voltages of air gaps. This effect is dependent on the electrode shape, the gap length, and the type of applied voltage. Typical results are shown in this paper.