Istanbul Technical University (ITU) High Voltage Laboratory is one of the largest university-based high voltage laboratories in the world and the largest in Turkey. Also according to the voltage level, it is greater than all the high-voltage laboratories in the industry, located in Turkey, and is one of the leading laboratories in the world.

ITU High Voltage Laboratory is designed 

• To provide education facilities such as lectures, courses, seminars, conferences related to high voltage technique,

• To focus on high voltage research,

• To contribute to the research and development studies of the high voltage industries, and

• To meet the standard test needs of the industry.

ITU High Voltage Laboratories consist of two separate laboratories. The first is the ITU Fuat Külünk High Voltage Laboratory, which is the main laboratory, located in the ITU Gümüşsuyu Campus. This laboratory is equipped with the state of art test equipment to test high voltage devices up to 420 kV. The other High Voltage Laboratory is located in the Electrical and Electronics Faculty Building of ITU Maslak Campus and has test equipment for testing medium voltage devices.

ITU Fuat Kulunk High Voltage Laboratory

 

A picture from the construction of ITU Fuat Külünk High Voltage Laboratory-1963 (From the left to the right: Tek. Nurettin Haktan, Tek. Şevket Akyılmaz, Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Özkan, Prof. İzzet Gönenç, Prof. Dr. Nurdan Güzelbeyoğlu )

The name of this laboratory is dedicated to Prof.Fuat Külünk, who was the founding professor of the department and took the first steps to establish this laboratory. In the establishment of the laboratory, Prof. İzzet Gönenç made great efforts. This laboratory, established on an area of 4000 m2, consists of three blocks called A, B, and C:

In block A, there are medium voltage test laboratories and offices, and in block B, equipment capable of performing high voltage tests for 420 kV facilities. In block C, there are power supply systems and panels of the high voltage test equipment.

 

BLOCK A

 

Block A is a 3-story building covering an area of 42 x 15 m2. This block, whose construction started in 1961 and was completed in 1963, came into operation in 1964. In this block, there are the following laboratories and test equipment:

 

1000 kV Impulse Voltage Test Laboratory

 

Dimension: 10 m x 16 m x 6.5 m (height).

Equipment:

- Impulse Voltage Generator (1000 kV, 10 kJ, 6 stages),

- Control desk,

- Oscilloscope for measuring impulse voltage,

- Impulse peak voltmeter,

- Sphere gap (Sphere diameter: 50 cm).

This laboratory has a 2 x 3.5 m door opening to the C block terrace and a 1.5-ton chain block system that can be disassembled and installed on the terrace of the C block. The laboratory floor was built to withstand 4 tons/m2, and the terrace floor, 7 tons/m2. With this feature, it is easier to transport medium voltage devices to the laboratory.

200 kV AC Test Laboratory

 

Dimensions: 10 m x 13 m x 6.5 m (height).

Equipment:

- HV Test Transformer (200 kV, 50 Hz, 50 kVA)

- Capacitive voltage divider (300 kV),

- Electrostatic voltmeter (100 kV),

- Sphere gap (Diameter: 50 cm),

- HV Schering bridge device,

- Standard high voltage capacitor for tan delta measurement (100 kV, 100,47 pF, gas-insulated )

- Tower model

 

100 kV Shielded Test Room

 

This laboratory is designed for partial discharge and corona experiments. For this reason, the floor, ceiling, and walls of the room are covered with 0.5 mm thick copper plates and screened against electromagnetic fields, and the electricity supply of the room passes through a filter.

Dimension: 6 m x 6 m x 3 m (height).

Equipment:

- 100 kV, 50 Hz, 20 kVA single-phase PD-free test transformer (PD level at 100 kV < 1 mV)

- Capacitive voltage divider (100 kV),

- Coupling capacitor (100 kV, 2.5 nF),

- Advanced partial discharge (PD) measurement and analysis system

- 90 kV oil dielectric test system,

- Viscosity meter to investigate the physical properties of oils,

- Oil aging device,

- 150oC vacuum oven,

- 10-4 mmHg vacuum pump.

Block A Basement Floor Laboratory

   

A room of 10 x 16 m2 (height 4 m) in the basement of Block A is designed for student experiments and scientific researches. There are Messwandler Bau brand high voltage test sets that allow the generation and measurement of high AC, DC, and impulse voltages.

Equipment:

- AC generator (transformer) (100 kV, 5 kVA),

- DC generator (140 kV, 20 mA (single-stage) or 280 kV, 15 mA (double-stage)),

- Impulse voltage generator (140 kV, 90 Ws (single-stage) or 280 kV, 180 Ws (double-stage)).

- Portable sphere gaps (Diameters: 10 cm and 25 cm)

BLOCK B (Copper building)
 

It is a large laboratory whose dimensions are 26 m x 35 m x 20 m (height), and an area of approximately 1200 m2 with control and study rooms. The laboratory has a 4 m wide and 6 m high external door that allows test objects to enter the laboratory. The laboratory has copperplate shielding and very low grounding resistance. The laboratory is equipped with devices capable of performing high voltage tests for devices with a rate of up to 420 kV.

1200 kV, 50 Hz, 1000 kVA Cascade High Voltage Test Transformer

 

1.2 MV, 1000 kVA, 3 units;

Other equipment:

- 4 kohm high voltage pre-resistor,

- Capacitive voltage divider (100 pF),

- Standard high voltage capacitor for tan delta measurement (800 kV, 68 pF, gas-insulated),

- Coupling capacitor (2.5 pF, 750 kV).

3600 kV, 180 kWs 18-stages Impulse Voltage Generator

Other equipment

- Capacitive- resistive voltage divider (3600 kV, 4-stages),

- Resistive voltage divider,

- 150 MHz and 300 MHz dual-channel oscilloscopes

- Sphere gap (Dimension: 150 cm).

1000 kV, 10 mA 6-stages DC Generator

Portable 400 kV Tesla Transformer (300 Hz, 400-500 kV)

Artificial rain system

C Blok

This block contains power supplies for high voltage AC, DC, and impulse generators in Block B. 

- 10 kV supply voltage,

- 10 / 0.5 kV, 800 kVA transformer,

- 500 kW, 1500 rpm DC motor,

- 3-phase 950 kVA synchronous generator for 50-60 Hz,

- Single-phase 250 kVA synchronous generator for 150 kHz.

 

ITU- Maslak High Voltage Laboratory

 

This laboratory, founded in 1995, is located in the ITU Electrical and Electronics Faculty building. The laboratory consists of two separate test rooms, one of which is 10 m x 18 m x 9 m (height) and the other is 7 m x 18 m x 9 m (height).

 

In the laboratory, there are Messwandler Bau brand high voltage test sets that allow the generation and measurement of high alternative current, direct current, and impulse voltages. 

- High voltage AC generator

- 100 kV, 5 kVA (single-stage)

- 200 kV, 5 kVA (double-stage)

- High voltage DC generator

- 140 kV, 20 mA (single-stage)

- 280 kV, 15 mA (double-stage)

- High voltage impulse voltage genearator

- 140 kV, 90 Ws (single-stage)

- 280 kV, 190 Ws (double-stage)

The other equipment:

- Sphere gap (Diameter: 10 cm),

- Sphere gap (Diameter: 25 cm),

- 30 kV electrostatic voltmeter,

- 100 kV electrostatic voltmeter,

- Digital 300 kV impulse peak voltmeter,

- 100 MHz, dual-channel digital oscilloscope,

- 90 kV oil dielectric test system,

- 100 kV oil dielectric test system,

- 150oC vacuum oven,

- 10-3 mmHg vacuum pump,

- Schering bridge test device (1.10-4 < tan delta ± %2 < 10),

- 120 kV, 37 pF SF6-insulated standard capacitor,

- Electric tank test system for  analyzing static electric field,

- Electromagnetic Field Meter,

- Various electrode systems.

Academic Staff

Prof. Dr. Emel ÖNAL (Ph.D. ITU),
Tel: 0212 285 60 17
E-mail: eonal@itu.edu.tr

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suat İLHAN (Ph.D. ITU),
Tel: 0212 285 67 80
E-mail: ilhansu@itu.edu.tr

Res. Assist.İdris Özdemir
E-mail: ozdemiridr20@itu.edu.tr

We would like to thank Prof. Dr. Özcan Kalenderli, who contributed to the preparation of this text.