Στην παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή, διερευνήθηκε η συμπεριφορά μονωτήρων πορσελάνης και μονωτήρων πορσελάνης με επικάλυψη από RTV SIR, σε πραγματικές και εργαστηριακές συνθήκες, με μετρήσεις του ρεύματος διαρροής. Στην περίπτωση των μετρήσεων σε πραγματικές συνθήκες, με την χρήση κατάλληλου εξοπλισμού, κατέστη δυνατή η συνεχής καταγραφή της συμπεριφοράς δώδεκα μονωτήρων πορσελάνης 150kV, οι οποίοι αποτελούσαν ενεργές συνιστώσες δύο υποσταθμών του Συστήματος Μεταφοράς Κρήτης. Από αυτούς σε δέκα είχαν τοποθετηθεί επικαλύψεις από RTV SIR. Παράλληλα πραγματοποιήθηκαν και μετεωρολογικές μετρήσεις, σε συγχρονισμό με αυτές του ρεύματος διαρροής, δίνοντας την δυνατότητα συσχέτισης των μετεωρολογικών παραμέτρων με την αντίστοιχη συμπεριφορά των μονωτήρων. Οι μετρήσεις του ρεύματος διαρροής ανέδειξαν δύο περιόδους δραστηριότητας. Στην περίπτωση των μονωτήρων πορσελάνης η περίοδος αιχμής καταγράφεται στο τέλος της καλοκαιρινής περιόδου, από τον μήνα Αύγουστο μέχρι και τον Οκτώβριο. Τον υπόλοιπο χρόνο καταγράφεται δραστηριότητα, ιδιαίτερα την άνοιξη, σε σημαντικά χαμηλότερα επίπεδα όμως. Η συμπεριφορά αυτή είναι σε συμφωνία με την μηνιαία κατανομή των σφαλμάτων λόγω ρύπανσης στο Σύστημα Κρήτης, την περίοδο 1969 – 2005. Αντίθετα, στην περίπτωση των μονωτήρων με επικάλυψη από RTV SIR, την περίοδο από τον Αύγουστο μέχρι και τον Οκτώβριο, κατεγράφησαν εξαιρετικά χαμηλά ως και μηδενικά επίπεδα δραστηριότητας. Για τα υλικά αυτά, η αιχμή της επιφανειακής δραστηριότητας καταγράφεται κατά την χειμερινή περίοδο. Βέβαια πρέπει να σημειωθεί ότι ακόμη και τότε, η δραστηριότητα στην επιφάνεια των επικαλύψεων από RTV SIR είναι σαφώς ασθενέστερη σε σχέση με αυτήν των μονωτήρων πορσελάνης, το αντίστοιχο χρονικό διάστημα. Η ταυτόχρονη καταγραφή των μετεωρολογικών παραμέτρων ανέδειξε ως παράμετρο κλειδί τον παρατηρούμενο μηχανισμό ύγρανσης σε κάθε περίοδο. Η καλοκαιρινή αιχμή των μονωτήρων πορσελάνης αποδίδεται στην υγροσκοπική συμπεριφορά των ρύπων και στον μηχανισμό της συμπύκνωσης. Είναι σημαντικό ότι οι δύο αυτοί μηχανισμοί δεν μπορούν να μεταβάλουν την κατάσταση της επιφάνειας, ενώ προσβάλλουν το συνολικό μήκος ερπυσμού. Έτσι απουσία βροχοπτώσεων, ο φυσικός καθαρισμός των μονωτήρων το καλοκαίρι είναι δύσκολος, επιτρέποντας την προοδευτική συγκέντρωση της κρίσιμης ποσότητας ρύπανσης. Αντίθετα στους μονωτήρες με RTV SIR, παρά την παρουσία υγρασίας, διατηρείται η υδρόφοβη συμπεριφορά της επιφάνειας, η οποία επιβάλει τελικά την καταστολή της επιφανειακής δραστηριότητας. Αντίθετα τον χειμώνα, η εμφάνιση ασθενών βροχοπτώσεων μπορεί να οδηγήσει σε μεταβολή της κατάστασης της επιφάνειας των μονωτήρων. Στην περίπτωση της πορσελάνης προκύπτει ο καθαρισμός αυτής, ενώ στις επικαλύψεις από RTV SIR, όπου ο καθαρισμός είναι δυσκολότερος, παρατηρείται απώλεια της επιφανειακής υδροφοβίας, με αποτέλεσμα την καταγεγραμμένη δραστηριότητα. Είναι πάντως σημαντικό ότι σε κάθε περίπτωση, τα επίπεδα επιφανειακής δραστηριότητας στις επικαλύψεις από RTV SIR ήταν σαφώς χαμηλότερα από αυτά των μονωτήρων πορσελάνης. Στα πλαίσια των μετρήσεων σε πραγματικές συνθήκες, κατέστη δυνατή και η καταγραφή στιγμιότυπων του ρεύματος διαρροής. Στην περίπτωση των μονωτήρων πορσελάνης, προέκυψε ότι το απαιτούμενο ρεύμα για τον σχηματισμό ξηρών ζωνών, εξαρτάται από τον μηχανισμό ύγρανσης. Στην περίπτωση μηχανισμών όπως η συμπύκνωση, ένα ρεύμα της τάξης των 2mA αρκεί. Αντίθετα στην περίπτωση των βροχοπτώσεων έχουν καταγραφεί ρεύματα της τάξης των 15mA, χωρίς σημάδια ανάπτυξης ξηρών ζωνών. Η ανάπτυξη ξηρών ζωνών υποδηλώνεται στην κυματομορφή του ρεύματος από την εμφάνιση διαστημάτων μηδενικού ρεύματος σε κάθε ημιπερίοδο, τα οποία μάλιστα μεσολαβώντας μεταξύ των διαδοχικών εκκενώσεων υποδεικνύουν την ανεξαρτησία αυτών. Τα μη γραμμικά χαρακτηριστικά του ρεύματος στην περίπτωση αυτή αντικατοπτρίζονται στην εμφάνισης μιας συνιστώσας του ρεύματος στα 150Hz. Αυτά ισχύουν για το εύρος των τιμών ρεύματος που κατεγράφησαν στην περίπτωση αυτή (14mA<ILC<140mA). Αντίστοιχα χαρακτηριστικά προκύπτουν και στην περίπτωση των μονωτήρων με επικάλυψη από RTV SIR. Επιπλέον όμως στην περίπτωση αυτή, κατεγράφησαν εκκενώσεις που δεν σχετίζονται με ξηρές ζώνες, αλλά περισσότερο με το ενδεχόμενο διατήρησης υδρόφοβης συμπεριφοράς για τμήματα της επιφάνειας του μονωτήρα. Επιπλέον η αλλοίωση της κυματομορφής του ρεύματος είναι εντονότερη στην περίπτωση αυτή, κάτι που συνεπάγεται υψηλότερα επίπεδα στην αρμονική των 150Hz. Παράλληλα με τις μετρήσεις σε πραγματικές συνθήκες, οι συνθέσεις των υλικών RTV SIR που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν, αξιολογήθηκαν και σε εργαστηριακές συνθήκες. Πραγματοποιήθηκαν δύο δοκιμές σε θάλαμο υδατονέφωσης άλατος, όπου οι συνθήκες καταπόνησης μοιάζουν με το ενδεχόμενο της βροχόπτωσης σε πραγματικές συνθήκες. Από την συμπεριφορά των υλικών στις συγκεκριμένες συνθήκες και τις μετρήσεις που έγιναν, προκύπτει ότι οι συνθέσεις με ΑΤΗ είναι περισσότερο ανθεκτικές, τόσο όσον αφορά το φαινόμενο corona (υδρόφοβη επιφάνεια), όσο και την καταπόνηση από ξηρές ζώνες, στην περίπτωση απώλειας της υδροφοβίας, σε σχέση με αυτές όπου χρησιμοποιείται silica. Η διαφορά οφείλεται στον τρόπο προστασίας που προσφέρει ο κάθε τύπος πρόσμιξης. Πάντως πρέπει να σημειωθεί ότι είναι απαραίτητη η περαιτέρω εργαστηριακή διερεύνηση της επίδρασης του τύπου της πρόσμιξης, όσον αφορά την επίδραση τόσο των εκκενώσεων corona όσο και των εκκενώσεων ξηρών ζωνών. / In the present study the performance of porcelain and RTV SIR coated porcelain insulators has been investigated in field and laboratory conditions, by leakage current measurements. In field conditions, by the use of the appropriate equipment it was possible to continuously monitor a group of twelve 150kV porcelain insulators, installed in two high voltage substations, of the Transmission System in Crete. Ten of them were coated with RTV SIR. In addition simultaneous measurements of meteorological parameters were performed, allowing the correlation of the LC measurements to the environmental conditions. The leakage current measurements performed indicated two periods of intense surface activity. In the case of porcelain, the summer period and especially the months From August to October, represent the period of intense surface activity. During the rest of the year the recorded LC levels are remarkably lower. This monthly distribution comes in agreement with the observed pollution flashovers distribution, for the period 1969-2005. The opposite activity distribution is observed for the RTV SIR coated insulators. In this case the levels of surface activity in the summer period are remarkably low and the period of intense activity for the coatings is observed during the winter. It is worth mentioning however that even in this case the levels of activity are remarkably lower than the corresponding levels in the case of porcelain, for the same time period. The opposite behavior of porcelain and coated porcelain insulators can be correlated to the environmental conditions and especially the wetting mechanism present. During the summer, insulator wetting is possible as the result of two mechanisms, the hydroscopic behavior of the pollution layer and condensation. Both mechanisms are capable of wetting the total leakage creepage distance, without cleaning the insulators surface in the same time. As a result a critical amount of pollution can be formed on the insulator surface, considering also the low levels of precipitation. So in the case of porcelain the formation of surface conductivity is possible in contradiction to the RTV SIR coated insulator, where the formed surface hydrophobicity is maintained. On the other hand during the winter, light precipitation can support the development of surface activity, since it is possible to disturb the surface condition. In the case of porcelain this will result to the cleaning of the surface. However in the case of RTV SIR coatings a loss of hydrophobicity is observed which allows the development of surface activity, considering also that cleaning is more difficult in this case. It is worth noticing however that in all cases the observed activity on the RTV SIR coated insulators is remarkably lower than the corresponding activity in the case of uncoated porcelain insulators. The leakage current waveforms for finite time periods are also included in the information provided by the field measurements performed. In the case of porcelain insulators, the analysis of the corresponding waveforms indicated that the current required for the formation of dry bands depends on the wetting mechanism present. In the case of mechanisms such as condensation, a current in the range of 1 – 2mA is capable to support the formation of dry bands. However in the case of precipitation the necessary current is higher, reaching a level of 15mA. Further the formation of dry bands is reflected to the leakage current waveform by zero current periods which are observed between the current conduction periods. This behavior indicates that the observed activity can be considered as a sequence of independent current pulses. Additionally the FFT analysis correlates the non linear current behavior to an increased 150Hz component. These characteristics have been traced in all the waveforms recorded, in the range from 14mA to 150mA. In the case of RTV SIR coated insulators the recorded waveforms are in large extent similar to the waveforms on the porcelain insulators. However additional phenomena, correlated with the existence of areas which maintain the hydrophobic behavior. In addition the non linear behavior is enhanced in this case, something that results in higher levels of a current component at 150Hz. The performance of the employed RTV SIR coatings was also investigated in laboratory conditions. Two tests were performed in a salt fog chamber, were the stress conditions are similar to the conditions observed in the case of light rain. The material performance observed and the corresponding measurements performed in both tests, indicate that the formulations tested, the endurance of the ATH filled coatings is higher than the silica filled, both in the case of corona and dry band discharge stress. The difference observed can be correlated with the action of each filler type. However the influence of the filler action needs to be further investigated.

This work investigates how HV impulses affect the behavior of partial discharge (PD) activity and the low voltage dielectric response of oil-impregnated paper insulation. It also investigates how the change in the PD activity is related to the degradation level of oil-impregnated paper insulation. In order to accomplish these objectives, the ageing were done under three different electrical stress conditions, i.e. HV impulses following an early stage 50 Hz AC PD activity, a prolonged PD activity at a 50 Hz AC stress alone, and a combination of HV impulses and a prolonged PD activity at a 50 Hz AC stress. In order to predict the level of deterioration caused by each ageing stress condition, the dielectric spectroscopy (DS) measurements in a frequency range of 1.0 mHz to 1.0 kHz were performed before and after subjecting a test object to each of the ageing stress conditions.      The investigations were mainly done on the test samples consisting of a cavity deliberately introduced between the layers of oil-impregnated paper. Additionally, the investigation about the effect of HV impulses alone on the DS results was done on aged oil-impregnated paper transformer bushing.      The PD experimental results presented in this thesis indicate that HV impulses below the impulse breakdown stress following an early stage AC PD activity will neither cause a significant change in phase resolved partial discharge (PRPD) patterns nor damage oil-impregnated paper insulation to a level that can be noticed with visual observations. On the other hand, a prolonged PD activity at a 50 Hz AC stress can cause the change in PRPD patterns by decreasing the total PD charge and the number of PD pulses, but cannot quickly damage the oil-impregnated paper insulation as it would do when it is combined with HV impulses. In addition to that, the results show that the combination of both, HV impulses and a prolonged PD activity at a 50 Hz AC stress can cause a high drop in the PD parameters (total PD charge and number of PD pulses).       The DS results show that HV impulses below the impulse breakdown stress following an early stage 50 Hz AC PD activity will not cause a significant increase in the real part of the complex capacitance and in the dissipation factor as they will do when they are combined with a prolonged PD activity at a 50 Hz AC stress. Further, the dielectric spectroscopy results obtained every three hours during the ageing of oil-impregnated paper insulation by a prolonged PD activity at an AC stress show that the dissipation factor will increase, but the PD parameters (total PD charge and the repetition rate) will decrease with time of PD application. For a case of the aged oil-impregnated paper transformer bushing, HV impulses of amplitudes up to 200 kV did not result in the change in the dissipation factor curve before removing insulating oil from the bushing. However, after removing about 2.5 liters of insulating oil from the bushing, HV impulses resulted in the change in the dissipation factor curve. The magnitudes of the dissipation factor curves appeared to be much higher in the middle frequencies region, i.e. the frequencies between 10 mHz and 100 Hz. After refilling the bushing with the same insulating oil, the loss peak shifted towards the higher frequencies.      To understand how the ageing by-products initiated by PDs in the small cavity can modify the geometry of oil-impregnated paper insulation; the model of oil-impregnated paper insulation, comprising of a small cavity, was implemented in Finite Element Method (FEM) software (COMSOL Multiphysics 4.2a). The comparison between the simulation and experimental results show that PD by-products will result in two zones, i.e. aged and unaged zones, and the aged zone will grow with time of PD application; thereby increasing the dissipation factor. On the other hand, in order to interpret  the change in the dissipation factors for the dielectrics in aged oil-impregnated paper transformer bushing after had been exposed to HV impulses, a model of a part of the condenser body (oil-paper insulation) was also implemented in the FEM software (COMSOL Multiphysics 4.2a). To model a condition of low insulating oil level in the bushing, a part of oil subdomains was replaced with the air dielectric properties. A comparison between the simulation and experimental dissipation factor curves indicate that HV impulses will produce the by-products (ions), which will increase the conductivity of air when the bushing has low insulating oil level. On refilling the bushing with the same insulating oil, the insulating oil will take these ions and the reactions between the aged insulating oil by-products (such as acids) and the ions, may produce more ions, thereby increasing further the conductivity of the insulating oil. / <p>QC 20140303</p>

The main objective of this research was to study DC conductor corona loss (CL) and audible noise (AN) in the context of local climatic conditions, through corona cage measurements, and do a comparative analysis of the measured data with results available in literature and EPRI TLW software simulation results. The ultimate aim was to assess the applicability of the software to our local conditions and hence determine, if necessary, appropriate correction factors for application in HYDC transmission line designs. For this study, short term measurements of corona AN and currents were carried out in an indoor meshed cylindrical corona cage, under DC and AC voltages. The cage was later converted into a short test line and some of the measurements repeated. The DC supply was obtained from a two stage ±500 kV Walton-Cockroft generator. The AC voltages were obtained from a 2x 100 kV, 50 Hz, AC test transformer set. The tests were performed using single solid and stranded aluminum conductors with three different diameters (1.6 cm, 2.8 cm, and 3.5 cm). All the measurements were carried out at low altitude. A CoroCAM I camera was used to determine the corona inception gradients and to observe the corona activity at different surface gradients and under different voltages and polarities. AN measurements at different conductor surface gradients were done using the Rohde&Schwarz and the Bruel&Kjaer sound level meters. To obtain the frequency spectra, a Bruel&Kjaer octave-band filter set attached to the sound level meter was used. The measured data was corrected for both height and length effects, and then compared with simulations from the EPRI-TLW software through curve fitting. A digital micro-ammeter connected to the centre of the cage through a 560 .Q measuring resistor was used to measure the corona current. Current pulses were viewed using a digital storage oscilloscope. To verify the corona current results obtained from the cage measurements, current measurements were also done for a point-plane spark gap. The corona current data was, later on, used to evaluate the total corona power loss for DC. The results obtained from test line measurements were used to compare the CL and AN for different configurations. The effect of the space charge under DC voltages was assessed through current measurements. The measurements were done with the cage covered with an aluminum foil to trap the charge and then repeated with the cage uncovered. On the test line, the space charge effect was investigated using a high power fan blowing along the conductor, to simulate the wind factor. The results of this study have shown the characteristics of corona discharges under different system voltages. The results also give an understanding of how factors such as conductor surface conditions and size, polarity and system voltage affect CL and AN. Both CL and AN were found to increase with conductor size for the same conductor surface gradient and to be higher for stranded conductors. Positive polarity DC and AC noise levels were higher than the negative polarity levels. CL under positive polarity DC was lower than the negative polarity loss. The effects of space of space charge were noted to some extend. The comparison of test line results and cage results showed that CL depends more on the gap size and the shorter the gap the higher the loss. Hence CL results were not compared with the software simulations. The comparison between the corrected AN results and the software simulations showed a very good agreement. The comparison was done for the 3.5 cm and the 2.8 cm diameter conductors under both positive and negative polarities. The trends compared through curve fitting were quite similar and the trend line equations were of the same order of magnitude. The magnitudes of the corrected noise levels were higher than the CRIEPI and BPA predictions but closer to the EPRl prediction. Generally there is a very good and encouraging agreement between the available literature, simulation results and the results obtained from the laboratory measurements. It is proposed, as part of further studies, to extend this work to high altitude regions and use bundled conductors as well. Consideration of different and larger test configurations will provide an understanding of the effects of geometry on corona discharges. Space charge analysis will also assist in determining the effect of space charge on different configurations. / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2007.

The performance of the High voltage dc systems is dependent on the stiffness of the ac bus, it is connected to. With the traditional synchronous reference frame-phase locked loops (SRF-PLL), voltage source converters (VSC) systems with large PLL gains, connected to weak ac networks are shown to be prone to instabilities, when subject to disturbances. In this thesis a new Adaptive PLL is designed with a pre-filter topology which extracts the fundamental positive sequence component of the input voltage, to be fed into the SRF-PLL for tracking of its phase angle. Compared with other traditional PLL topologies, this Adaptive PLL shows superior immunity to voltage distortions, and also has a faster dynamic performance. The thesis presents a comparative analysis of the performance of the traditional SRF-PLL with the Adaptive PLL in a VSC control system, and its impact on stability for VSCs connected to weak ac systems (up to SCR=1.3).

In order to improve efficiency and reliability of the world's power grids, sensors are being deployed for constant status monitoring. Placing inexpensive wireless sensors on high-voltage power lines presents a new challenge to the RF engineer. Large electric field intensities can exist around a wireless sensor antenna on a high-voltage power line, leading to the formation of a corona plasma. A corona plasma is a partially ionized volume of air formed through energetic electron-molecule collisions mediated by a strong electric field. This corona can contain large densities of free electrons which act as a conducting medium, absorbing RF energy and detuning the sensor's antenna. Through the use of low-profile antennas and rounded geometries, the possibility for corona formation on the antenna surface is greatly reduced, as compared with wire antennas. This study looks at the effects of a corona plasma on a patch antenna, which could be used in a power line sensor. The corona's behavior in the presence of an electromagnetic plane wave is analyzed mathematically to understand the dependence of attenuation on frequency and electron density. A Drude model is used to convert plasma parameters such as electron density and collision frequency to a complex permittivity that can be incorporated in antenna simulations. Using CST Microwave Studio, a 5.8 GHz patch antenna is simulated with a plasma material on its surface, of varying densities and thicknesses. Power absorption by the plasma dominates the power loss, as opposed to detuning. A wideband patch is simulated to show that the detuning effects by the plasma can be further reduced. Power absorption by the plasma is significant for electron densities greater than 10¹⁸ m⁻³. However, small point corona are found to have little effect on antenna radiation.

The climb of dissociated dislocations in FCC materials is known to be complex: Observations of climb under HVEM irradiation in CuAl suggest that it, proceeds via the nucleation of interstitial loops directly onto individual partials. In silver, however, dissociated dislocations appear to constrict at an early stage in the irradiation, and dense vacancy cluster damage is seen to form in their vicinity. This thesis presents results and analysis of a study aimed at the determination of the interaction of HVEM generated interstitials and vacancies with pre-existing dislocations in a range of Fe-17Cr-Ni ternary alloys (with the nickel content varying between 15 and 40%). Two quaternary alloys (Fe-15%Ni-17%Cr-l%Si and Fe-15%Ni-17%Cr-2%Mo) arc also studied. As with earlier studies in CuAl and Ag, pre-existing dislocations in a (111) orientated foil were first characterized at subthreshold voltages employing the weak-becim technique, then irradiated with IMeV electrons at temperatures in the range 400-430°C and finally returned to the low voltage microscope for postirradiation characterization of the observed damage. Analysis of the post-irradiation microstructures indicates that interstitial climb only occurs at particularly favourable sites, such as pre-existing jogs: For the ternary alloys, constrictions are removed along edge and mixed dislocations, whilst zig-zagging of screw and near-screw dislocations may also be attributable to jog climb. After the annihilation of constrictions evidence of climb is not seen and pipe diffusion is thought to be occurring. The precipitation of small clusters, many of which are identifiable as vacancy SFT, is reminiscent of observations in silver. The addition of silicon to the matrix apparently leads to the creation of favourable sites for interstitial climb, as evidenced by the formation of high densities of new jogs after irradiation. Loops are seen to precipitate close to dislocations in the Mo-doped material. The origin of these loops is unclear at this stage. The relevance of the results to the phenomenon of void swelling is discussed.

Nanofibres have been the subject of recent intensive research due to their unique properties, especially their large surface-area-to-volume ratio, which is about one thousand times higher than that of a human hair. They also have several other remarkable characteristics, such as flexibility in surface functionality, superior mechanical properties such as stiffness and tensile strength, their capacity to be formed into a variety of shapes, and the fact that they can be produced from a wide range of organic and inorganic polymers. These outstanding properties make polymer nanofibres the optimal candidates for providing significant improvement in current technology and for opening the door to novel applications in many research areas. Electrospinning is a straightforward and inexpensive process that produces continuous nanofibres from submicron diameters down to nanometre diameters. Many researchers have successfully electrospun a variety of polymer solutions into nanofibres. However, electrospinning any polymer solution directly is not straightforward or simple because of the number of parameters that influence the electrospinning process. The characteristics of the electrospun jet and the morphology of the resultant fibres are highly dependent on the properties of the polymer solution. In addition, what are favourable processing conditions for one polymer solution may not be suitable for another solution. A literature review revealed that there is no clear understanding of the behaviour of the electrospun jet and the way in which fibre morphology varies with variations in influential parameters. In addition, reported results contain significant inconsistencies and very little research has examined the effects of electrical parameters such as the electric field, the polarity of the electrode, and the conductivity and permittivity of the solution. Furthermore, no research has been conducted with respect to optimizing the electrospinning process. In this thesis, a comprehensive study was carried out by giving a special attention to the effects of electric field that have not been thoroughly investigated in the past. The electric field between the needle tip and the collector plate was altered by varying the applied voltage, distance between the needle tip and the collector plate, the inner diameter of the needle, and polarity of the voltage. Based on the experimental work, it was found that the behavior of Taylor cone, the length of the straight jet portion, and whipping jet region is highly influenced by the distribution of the electric field between the needle tip and the collector plate. Based on the stability of the Taylor cone, it was concluded that the stable operating region of the electrospun jet is a very narrow region and it is between 0.9 – 1.1kV/mm for the range of experiments that were carried out in this study. The length of the straight jet portion of the electrospun jet shows a linear relationship to the applied electric field at the tip of the fluid droplet and the whipping jet region is influenced by both the electric field at the tip of the fluid droplet and the distance between the needle and the collector plate. A confirmation were made that there must be enough distance between the needle tip and the collector plate (>200mm) to operate over the complete range of voltages without affecting drying of nanofibres. It was also concluded that the morphology and diameter of the collected nanofibres depend significantly on both the length of the straight jet portion and size of the whipping region. The effects of polarity of the applied voltage on the electrospinning process and nanofibre morphology were investigated using the positive, negative, and AC voltages. However, it was found that the electrospinning can not be achieved with the application of 60Hz AC voltage. It was observed that the behavior of Taylor cone, the straight jet portion, and the whipping jet region depend on the polarity of the applied voltage. During the study, it was accomplished that the reason for this different behavior is the disparity of ionization in the polymer solution with the application of positive and negative high voltages. In this thesis, the effects of multi-needle arrangements on the electrospinning process and fibre morphology were also explained. Finite element method (FEM) simulation results revealed that the local electric field strength around each needle tip weakens significantly in the case of multi-needle schemes due to the mutual influence of other needles in the arrangement compared to the single-needle system. The spacing between the needles was varied, and the effects of the needle spacing were examined. The experimental and simulation results were concealed the correlation between the degree of field distortion and the variation in the measured vertical angle of the straight jet portion for different needle spacing. It was concluded that the local field deterioration at the needle tips in multi-needle schemes degrades the electrospinning process significantly and produces considerable variation in the fibre morphology even though the influence of needle spacing on the average jet current and the fibre diameter are not very significant. In this work, the effects of conductivity and ionic carriers on the process of electrospinning and hence on the morphology of nanofibres were studied using polyethylene oxide (PEO) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) aqueous solutions. Different salts including lithium chloride (LiCl), sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium fluoride (NaF), sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), potassium chloride (KCl), and cesium chloride (CsCl) were added in different concentrations to the polymer solutions for introducing different ionic carriers into the solution. The results showed that the average fiber diameter decreases with increase in the conductivity of the solution. In addition, it was discovered that the formation of Taylor cone highly depends on the conductivity in the polymer solution. Formation of multi-jets at the fluid droplet when the conductivity of the polymer solution is increased during the electrospinning was also observed. These behaviors were completely explained using the distribution of the surface charge around the electrospun jet and the variation in the tangential electric field along the surface of the fluid droplet. The stretching of the polymer jet can be related to the amount of ionic carries and the size and mobility of positive and negative ions. The increasing amount of ionic carriers and smaller size positive ions enhance the stretching of the electrospun jet. In contrast, the lesser diameter negative ions decrease the stretching of the electrospun jet. The morphology of electrospun nanofibres can also be varied by altering the type of ionic carriers. A charge modifier, which is a container that is used to hold a solvent surrounding the needle tip during the electrospinning, was introduced to facilitate the electrospinning of insulating and high conductivity polymer solutions. The co-axial flow of the filled solvent on the outer surface of the polymer solution helps to induce enough surface charges during electrospinning and it also keeps the electric field tangential to the fluid surface during the process. Therefore, the introduction of charge modifier greatly enhanced the electrospinning behavior of highly insulating and conductive polymer solutions and liquids. The developed charge modifier method was verified by using sodium alginate which is a biopolymer that cannot electrospin alone due to its high electrical conductivity and silicone rubber which is an insulating liquid polymer at room temperature. One of the most commonly used theoretical model of the electrospinning process was modified to incorporate the non-uniform characteristics of the electric field at the tip of the needle. The non-uniform electric field between the needle tip (spinneret) and the collector plate was calculated based on the charge simulation technique (CST). It gives a better representation of the true electrospinning environment compared to the uniform field calculation in the existing model. In addition, a localized approximation was used to calculate the bending electric force acting on the electrospinning jet segments. It was also introduced a constant velocity to initiate the electrospinning jet during simulation. The incorporated modifications gave better results that closely match with the real electrospinning jet. The modified electrospinning model was used to understand the effects of parameters on the electrospinning process and fibre morphology.

Pulsed electric field (PEF) processing has been demonstrated to be an effective non-thermal pasteurization method for food-treatment applications. With this method, high voltage, short-duration pulses are applied to a chamber through which liquid food is passed. If the voltage applied and the corresponding electric field develops a potential higher than a critical trans-membrane potential, the pores expand, and the membrane of the living cell is ruptured. Due to the lower amount of energy consumed during a PEF process, the temperature of the liquid is kept much lower than as opposed to conventional pasteurization. The PEF method thus kills bacteria and other microorganisms while preserving the nutrition and taste of the liquid foods. Although the parameter responsible for inactivation is the voltage applied, for any given voltage, the conductivity of the liquid defines a current through the liquid that causes the temperature to rise. Therefore, preventing excessive heating of the liquid requires the application of an efficient waveform. According to the literature, the most efficient waveform is a square wave since the entire energy applied would be used for the inactivation process. Although some power supplies are capable of generating such a waveform, the generation of an efficient waveform that satisfies all the requirements for producing a viable product for PEF applications is still a challenging problem. In this research, a cascadable pulse generator, based on a Marx generator design, was designed and implemented in order to generate a pulsed waveform for the treatment of liquid food. IGBT switches were used to charge capacitors in parallel and to discharge them in series as a means of generating a high voltage at the output. The design was implemented and tested for two stages, generating up to 6 kV and 1.6 kA square pulses with a controllable pulse width from 1 µs to 10 µs. Up to 3 switches were connected in parallel to enhance the current capability of the system. Also investigated are ways to improve the transient time by enhancing the IGBT driver circuit. The effect of design parameters such as pulse width, voltage, and current on the temperature rise in the liquid was also studied. A variety of liquid foods with different conductivities were tested in order to confirm the functionality of the system.

Η μόνωση αποτελεί ακρογωνιαίο λίθο για κάθε σύστημα και εξοπλισμό Υψηλής Τάσης που χρησιμοποιείται σε τεχνικές κατασκευές και βιομηχανικές εφαρμογές, αφού με την αντοχή της εξασφαλίζεται η εύρυθμη λειτουργία τους. Στο σύγχρονο εξοπλισμό Υ.Τ. επιβάλλεται αύξηση της αποτελεσματικότητας της μόνωσης και ταυτόχρονη μείωση στις διαστάσεις του εξοπλισμού, λαμβάνοντας υπόψη τις αυξημένες περιβαλλοντικές απαιτήσεις της εποχής μας. Οι ιδιότητες των διαθέσιμων ηλεκτρομονωτικών υλικών προδιαγράφουν τα όρια των εφαρμογών και τις δυνατότητες για την περαιτέρω πρόοδο της τεχνολογίας. Σκοπός αυτής της διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι η εξομοίωση και γραφική αναπαράσταση των ηλεκτροστατικών πεδίων μέσα σε διάφορα ηλεκτρομονωτικά στερεά και υγρά υλικά, που χρησιμοποιούνται στον εξοπλισμό Υ.Τ. Επίσης επιδιώκεται ο προσδιορισμός της μέγιστης εφαρμοζόμενης τάσης (DC) για την οποία δεν έχουμε έναυση φαινομένου διάσπασης. Οι εξομοιώσεις πραγματοποιούνται για μη ομογενές και ομογενές πεδίο, και γι αυτό σχεδιάσαμε και χρησιμοποιήσαμε 2 είδη διατάξεων, ακίδας – πλάκας και ηλεκτροδίων Rogowski αντίστοιχα. Για τις εξομοιώσεις έγινε χρήση του προγράμματος Vector Fields Opera 13.0 της Cobham. Στο 1ο κεφάλαιο, ερχόμαστε σε επαφή με τις βασικές ιδιότητες των ηλεκτρομονωτικών υλικών και τις συσχέτισή τους με τα χαρακτηριστικά των ηλεκτρικών πεδίων. Οι ιδιότητές τους μας δίνουν τη δυνατότητα να κρίνουμε την ποιότητα των μονωτικών και τους παράγοντες που την επηρεάζουν. Επίσης, παρουσιάζονται τα θεωρητικά μοντέλα των διατάξεων που χρησιμοποιήσαμε στις εξομοιώσεις. Στο 2ο κεφάλαιο, γίνεται μια σύντομη αναφορά στις μεθόδους υπολογισμού ηλεκτροστατικών πεδίων, με χρήση Η/Υ και μη, ενώ παρουσιάζεται αναλυτικά η μέθοδος των πεπερασμένων στοιχείων, καθώς σε αυτή βασίζεται το πρόγραμμα Opera, που χρησιμοποιήσαμε για τις εξομοιώσεις. Στο 3ο κεφάλαιο, γίνεται μια γενική προσέγγιση στα μονωτικά υλικά και τα κριτήρια που λαμβάνονται υπόψη για την επιλογή τους. Στο 4ο κεφάλαιο, στην ενότητα Α, περιγράφονται εκτενώς τα στερεά μονωτικά σε θεωρητική βάση, παρουσιάζονται οι διάφοροι μηχανισμοί διάσπασης τους και αναφέρονται οι παράγοντες που επηρεάζουν τη διηλεκτρική αντοχή τους, ενώ γίνονται και κάποια σχόλια πάνω στο συνδυασμό τους με τα υγρά μονωτικά. Επιπλέον, γίνεται μια σύντομη αναφορά στα πολυμερή υλικά και τη χρήση τους στον εξοπλισμό Υ.Τ. Στην ενότητα Β, δίνεται μια σύντομη περιγραφή των υλικών που χρησιμοποιήσαμε (PE, BA, PVC, PMMA) και παραθέτονται οι γραφικές αναπαραστάσεις των ηλεκτροστατικών πεδίων που εξομοιώσαμε, καθώς και τα αποτελέσματα των μετρήσεων και παρατηρήσεων μας. Στο 5ο κεφάλαιο, στην ενότητα Α, γίνεται εκτενής περιγραφή των υγρών μονωτικών υλικών και των μηχανισμών διάσπασής τους. Επίσης, αναλύεται η επίδραση διαφόρων παραγόντων στη διηλεκτρική αντοχή των υγρών μονωτικών, ενώ γίνεται αναφορά στα έλαια μετασχηματιστή και τα συνθετικά έλαια. Στην ενότητα Β, δίνονται εν τάχει κάποια χαρακτηριστικά του μονωτικού ελαίου που χρησιμοποιήσαμε στην εξομοίωση. Έπειτα, παραθέτονται αναλυτικά οι γραφικές αναπαραστάσεις των ηλεκτροστατικών πεδίων που εξομοιώσαμε, και για τις διάφορες τιμές εφαρμοζόμενης τάσης παρατηρήσαμε αν συμβαίνει έναυση διάσπασης, ενώ εξάγαμε αποτελέσματα και για άλλες παραμέτρους. Στο 6ο κεφάλαιο, δίδονται κάποια γενικά σχόλια και παρατηρήσεις πάνω στις εξομοιώσεις που πραγματοποιήσαμε. Τέλος, στο Παράρτημα παραθέτονται αναλυτικά οι πιο εύστοχες εξομοιώσεις που πραγματοποιήθηκαν και οδήγησαν στην εξαγωγή των αποτελεσμάτων. / Insulation is the cornerstone of every system and High Voltage equipment used in technical constructions and industrial applications, since its resistance ensures the proper operation of the equipment. In modern High Voltage equipment, improvement of the efficiency of the insulation is imposed, along with the reduction of the equipment’s volume, considering the high environmental demands of our times. The properties of the available nonconductive materials prescribe the limitations of applications and the possibilities for further technological progress. The purpose of this thesis is to simulates and graphically represent electrostatic fields in various nonconductive solid and liquid materials used in High Voltage equipment. We also made an effort to define the maximum applied voltage (DC) for which a breakdown phenomena does not occur. Simulations are realized for non homogenous and homogenous fields, therefore we designed and used two types of structures, point – to – plane and Rogowski electrodes, respectively. The simulations are done using the Cobham Vector Fields Opera 13.0 modeling software. In chapter 1, we have a first contact with the principle characteristics of nonconductive materials and their relation with the properties of electric fields. These characteristics provide the ability to measure the quality of the insulators and the factors that affect them. In addition, the theoretical models used for the simulation are presented. In chapter 2, there is a short reference to the methods used for the calculation of electrostatic fields (PC based and not), while the finite element method is thoroughly described, since it is used by the Opera simulation program. In chapter 3, there is a general approach on nonconductive materials and the criteria considered for their selection. In chapter 4, section A, solid nonconductive materials are extensively described on a theoretical basis, different breakdown mechanisms are presented and factors that affect their dielectric strength are referred, while some comments on their combination with liquid materials are made. Furthermore, polymers and their use in High Voltage equipment are discussed in a few words. In section B, the materials we used (PE, BA, PVC, PMMA) are shortly described and the graphic representations of the field simulated are shown, along with the results of measurement and observations. In chapter 5, section A, liquid nonconductive materials and their breakdown mechanisms are extensively described. The effect of several factors on the dielectric strength of liquid nonconductive materials is also presented, while a reference on transformer and synthetic oils is made. In section B, the characteristics of the nonconductive oil used for the simulation are referred. Then, the graphic representations of the electrostatic fields simulated are shown and for the different levels of applied voltage, we observed if any breakdown phenomena occurred, while results for other parameters are extracted. In chapter 6, some general commentaries, notes and conclusions are made for the simulations realized. Finally, in the Index chapter, are listed the most accurate simulations, that led us to the extraction of the results.

Στην παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία μελετάται η ικανότητα συμπεριφοράς γραμμών μεταφοράς υψηλής τάσης έναντι κεραυνών. Αρχικά γίνεται μια ιστορική αναδρομή για τον κεραυνό. Στη συνέχεια, εξετάζονται οι κεραυνοί και παρατίθενται μια ενδελεχής παρουσίαση των ειδών των κεραυνικών αλλά και των ατμοσφαιρικών εκκενώσεων, προχωρώντας μετά στην αναφορά των κύριων χαρακτηριστικών των κεραυνών, των αποτελεσμάτων τα οποία προκαλούν, αλλά και των παραμέτρων από τις οποίες εξαρτώνται και χαρακτηρίζονται. Έπειτα, γίνεται μια αναλυτική περιγραφή των γραμμών μεταφοράς, παρουσιάζοντας τις κατηγοριοποιήσεις στις οποίες υπόκεινται, με κύρια κριτήρια αυτών να είναι η ονομαστική τάση υπό την οποία είναι φορτισμένες, το μήκος αλλά και την ικανότητα τους στην μεταφορά ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας. Επίσης, γίνεται αναφορά στις καταπονήσεις τις οποίες δέχονται οι γραμμές αλλά και στην μόνωση, όπως και στα χαρακτηριστικά τους. Παρακάτω, βλέπουμε ποια είναι τα κύρια είδη σφαλμάτων στις εναέριες γραμμές μεταφοράς και από ποιες αιτίες αυτά προκαλούνται. Το επόμενο κεφάλαιο πραγματεύεται τη μόνωση των γραμμών αλλά και τα κεραυνικά πλήγματα, ενώ εξετάζονται οι μηχανισμοί που προκαλούν την παραγωγή υπερτάσεων στις γραμμές. Έπειτα, για το καθορισμό της θέσης του αγωγού προστασίας της γραμμής παρουσιάζονται οι μέθοδοι της μέγιστης γωνίας και η ηλεκτρογεωμετρική μέθοδος. Στο προτελευταίο κεφάλαιο , υπάρχει μια εκτενής αναφορά στο πρόγραμμα ATP-EMTP και τα στοιχεία του. Τέλος, παρουσιάζεται μια εξομοίωση μιας γραμμής μεταφοράς υψηλής τάσης με τη χρήση του συγκεκριμένου προγράμματος και κυρίως του γραφικού προεπεξεργαστή του , που είναι το πρόγραμμα ATPDraw. Η εξομοίωση αυτή έγινε για διαφορετικών εντάσεων κεραυνικά ρεύματα τα οποία πλήττουν τον αγωγό προστασίας της γραμμής, και μελετά τις παραγόμενες υπερτάσεις σε τέσσερα διαφορετικά σημεία αυτής και το βαθμό επικινδυνότητάς τους. / In this diploma thesis is studied the ability to conduct high voltage transmission lines against lightning. Initially, there is a little historical background to the lightning. Afterwards there is a study about lightning and it is provided a thorough presentation of the types of lightning and atmospheric discharges, moving afterwards to the reference of the main lightning features, the results that they rise, as well as the parameters that they depend on and described from. Next, a more detailed description of the transmission lines, showing the classifications in which they are subject to, with main criteria, the nominal voltage in which they are charged, the length, but also their ability of electricity transmission. Moreover, there is a reference to the stresses, in which the lines are subjected to, as well as their insulation level and their characteristics. Below, we can see what the main types of outages in air transmission lines are and which are the causes that generate them. The next chapter deals with the isolation of lines, as well as with lightning strokes and described the mechanisms which cause the overvoltages on transmission lines. Then, in order to determine the position of the line protection conductor , the maximum angle method as well as the electrogeometrical method are presented. The fifth chapter contains an extended reference to the ATP-EMTP program and its components. Finally, a simulation of a high voltage transmission line is represented, with the use of this program and mainly its graphic preprocessor, which is the program ATPDraw. This simulation has been done for different intensities of lightning currents, which strike at the protection conductor of the line,and it is also studying overvoltages at four different points and the risk rate.