High voltage and vacuum technology

High voltage technology uses different voltage forms for testing insulating materials. For example, for alternating voltage in cryogenic nitrogen gas, the electrical strength at high gas densities is considered. The motivation for this is to support the design of the insulation system of superconductor applications, which can consist of liquid and/or gaseous nitrogen depending on the operating mode and condition. Furthermore, it also goes into the reverse density range, into the high vacuum. There, investigations are performed with lightning impulse voltages in the vacuum vessel. In order to characterize the electrical strength especially in vacuum switches, a test setup with transient return voltage has been realized.

In the field of vacuum technology, especially circuit breakers are considered. The energy turnaround changes the switching tasks in the distribution networks of the medium and high voltage level. Decentralized generators, capacitive and inductive reactive power supply, storage and loads must be automatically switched on and off in the future. The increase in required switching capacity, automation and thus switching frequency require an increased use of circuit breakers. The vacuum switching principle is ideally suited for these new tasks. The development goals are therefore focused on improving the switching performance with a long service life and compact design, also against the background of the replacement efforts of SF6 switches in the high voltage level due to the high greenhouse gas potential of SF6. Thus, the switching behavior in vacuum for higher voltages and thus for larger switching distances becomes the current object of investigation.