High Voltage Test Systems For Electricity Network Research

英国需要减少用于取暖/运输的化石燃料，以减少我们排放到大气中的二氧化碳。只有通过使用更多低碳来源(核能、风能、太阳能和海洋)产生的电力，才有可能取代化石燃料。估计表明，电力传输系统可能需要承载的峰值功率比目前的高出四倍。流经输电系统的电力也将变得更加间歇性，因为风能和太阳能依赖于多变的天气条件。因此，我们需要开发新一代设备，用于将电力从发电机输送到客户。这种设备需要具有成本效益，并且对环境的影响最小(无论是从视觉影响、噪音、寿命结束时的回收能力还是一系列其他因素来衡量)。材料科学等学科的进步意味着有许多令人兴奋的机会来研究制造和操作将用于电力传输系统的变压器、架空线路、电缆和断路器的新方法。我们需要有能够将支撑科学转化为全尺寸传输系统设备规模的设施。我们需要确保我们可以测试长度为几米的物体，最大重量为数千公斤。我们需要对这台设备持续施加超过40万伏的电压，有时高达160万伏以模拟闪电的影响。我们只能使用一个专门的设施来做到这一点，该设施包括一个很大的空间，我们可以在其中放置设备和高压测试仪。当我们以一种代表降雨的方式向表面喷水时，测试用品必须能够测试设备。它必须安静地运行，并允许我们测量与绝缘系统故障相关的极小电磁信号。交付这一测试设施将确保我们能够帮助英国能源系统实现脱碳。该设施将使英国学术界在正在开发新的绝缘系统和下一代传输系统设备的全球研究社区中发挥主导作用。与国家电网正在开发的新的全尺寸变电站合作，以长期测试设备，我们将吸引业界来到英国，并将支持较小公司将其想法转化为现实的努力。通过该设施，我们将培训下一代工程师，他们将支持开发可靠的低碳电力系统的努力，并在未来多年为客户提供低成本能源。

The UK needs to reduce the amount of fossil fuels it uses for heating / transport to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we emit into the atmosphere. Replacing fossil fuels will only be possible through the use of more electricity generated from low carbon sources (nuclear, wind, solar and marine). Estimates suggest the electricity transmission system may need to carry a peak power four times higher than is carried today. The power that flows through the transmission system will also become more intermittent as wind and solar power is dependent on variable weather conditions. We therefore need to develop a new generation of equipment that can be used to carry electricity from generator to customer. This equipment needs to be cost-effective and have a minimal impact on the environment (whether this be measured in terms of visual impact, noise, ability to recycle at end of life or a whole range of other factors). The advances in disciplines such as material science mean there are many exciting opportunities to examine new ways to manufacture and operate transformers, overhead lines, cables and circuit breakers that will be used on the electrical transmission system. We need to have facilities that are capable of translating underpinning science at the scale of full size transmission system equipment. We need to ensure we can test objects measuring some metres in length with a maximum weight of thousands of kilograms. We need to apply over 400,000 volts continuously to this equipment and at times up to 1.6 million volts to simulate the impact of lightning. We can only do that using a specialist facility that includes a large space into which we can place equipment and the high voltage test sets. The test supplies must be capable of testing equipment when we spray water onto surfaces in a way that represents rainfall. It must operate 'quietly' and allow us to measure extremely small electromagnetic signals associated with failures in insulation systems.Delivering this test facility will ensure we can help the efforts to decarbonise the UK energy system. The facility will allow the UK academic community to play a leading role in the global research community that is developing new insulation systems and the next generation of transmission system equipment. Working with the new full-size substation being developed by National Grid to test equipment for prolonged periods, we will attract industry to the UK and will support the efforts of smaller companies to convert their ideas into reality. Through the facility we will train the next generation of engineers who will support the efforts to develop a low carbon electricity system that is reliable and provides low cost energy to customers for many years to come.