1. Manufacturing and Testing of Power Equipment
This is the most traditional and primary application area of lightning impulse generators. All high-voltage power equipment must undergo strict impulse voltage tests before leaving the factory, after installation, and after major repairs to ensure safe operation under lightning overvoltage.
Power transformer: This is the most important test object. The impact test is used to verify whether the main insulation and longitudinal insulation (inter turn, inter layer, and inter cake insulation) of the transformer can withstand lightning overvoltage. The experiment includes full wave shock (simulating distant lightning strikes) and truncated wave shock (simulating nearby lightning strikes or lightning arrester actions).
High voltage switchgear: such as circuit breakers, isolating switches, GIS (gas insulated switchgear), etc. It is necessary to test the insulation strength between the fracture surfaces and to ground.
Power cables and accessories: especially high voltage and ultra-high voltage cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) cables, the insulation performance of their joints and terminals needs to be verified through impact testing.
Transformers: Current transformers (CT) and voltage transformers (PT) also require impulse withstand voltage testing.
Insulators and bushings: Test the impact insulation performance of these external insulation components under harsh conditions such as humidity and pollution.
Reactors and capacitors: such as parallel capacitor banks, series reactors, etc.
2. Scientific research and teaching
High voltage laboratory: In universities and research institutions (such as China's Electric Power Research Institute, Wuhan Institute of Technology, IEEE abroad, etc.), impact generators are the core equipment for conducting basic research on high voltage insulation. The research content includes:
Gas discharge physics: Study the breakdown mechanism and characteristics of long air gaps, SF6 gas, etc. under impulse voltage.
Research on insulation performance of new materials: Testing the performance of new solid and liquid insulation materials under transient high voltage.
Lightning physics research: simulating lightning strikes, studying lightning discharge mechanisms, lightning characteristic parameters, etc.
Teaching demonstration: Used for experimental teaching of electrical engineering students, visually demonstrating high-voltage discharge phenomena and insulation testing methods.
3. Operation and testing of power systems
Fault analysis: When running equipment (such as transmission lines and substation equipment) is struck by lightning and malfunctions, a simulation test can be conducted on the same model of equipment in the laboratory using an impact generator to reproduce the fault process and analyze the cause of the fault.
Equipment status assessment: Conduct impact withstand voltage tests on old equipment that has been in operation for many years, evaluate its remaining insulation strength, and provide a basis for equipment renewal and renovation.