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The standard measuring equipment, developed in this project, was successfully qualified for calibration purposes by the consortium in a measurement campaign in summer 2022

New high voltage AC or DC grids are being introduced which transmit electricity more efficiently. The reliability of high voltage electricity grids depends on the adequate testing of grid components. EMPIR project Support for standardisation of high voltage testing with composite and combined wave shapes  (19NRM07, HV-com²) aims to carry out pre-normative research to realise the necessary metrology required for the standardisation of high voltage testing with composite and combined wave shapes. Prior to the work of this project there was inadequate traceability for these wave shapes, which may result in incorrect test results.

This research will provide input to IEC Technical Committee 42 ‘High-voltage and high-current test techniques’ which revises relevant standards, in particular the IEC 60060 series.

The project consortium has taken part in a range of dissemination activities publicising the work of the project, including:

• PTB, Germany’s National Measurement Institute (NMI), presented a paper Support for standardisation of high voltage testing with composite and combined wave shapes during the VDE Hochspannungstechnik  conference in Germany
• INRIM, the NMI of Italy, carried out a master’s thesis Sistema di mesura per prove di tensione composite e combinate (Measuring system for composite and combined voltage tests)
• LNE, the French NMI, published an article Soutien à la normalisation des essais d’équipements en haute tension avec des signaux composites et combinés (JRP HV-com2) in the trade journal Réseau national de la métrologie francaise

• INRIM published an article in open access journal Electrical Engineering called Towards a traceable divider for composite voltage waveforms below 1 kV
• At the 27th Nordic Insulation Symposium NORD-IS three papers were published and presented. FFII presented the paper Universal Measuring Unit for High Voltage Measurements, VTT presented the paper Design and Verification of a Calculable Composite Voltage Calibrator and LNE presented the paper The Usage of High Voltage Amplifiers to Setup Reference Calibrators for Combined and Impulse Voltages up to 1 kV
• Two papers were published at the 22nd International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering from LNE and TUG called Reference Calibrator for Combined and Composite High Voltage Impulse Tests and Prequalification of Capacitors for High-Precision Voltage Dividers.
• Furthermore, LNE gave a presentation entitled Development of standardized definitions and traceable Low Voltage measuring instruments for Combined and Composite High Voltage Tests, which was recorded and was provided as a workshop for a mixed audience at the 20th International Congress of Metrology.
• Additionally the project partners are strongly involved in the technical committee IEC TC 42 High-voltage and high-current test techniques  as active members and could disseminate the projects results in numerous standardisation meetings and sub-committees. 

Project Coordinator, Johann Meisner from PTB said

‘Both in the consortium and in the technical committee IEC TC42, the progress regarding tests and calibrations with superimposed high-voltage waveforms has increased rapidly during the lifetime of the project. In the meantime, the participating NMIs have high-voltage dividers, measuring instruments, evaluation software and calibrators, which are to be used as standard measuring devices for calibrations. The first comparison measurement of the standard measuring devices in summer 2022 was a success. In the coming months, commercial measuring devices will be investigated by the project partners. At the same time, the reviews of the two relevant standards of the IEC-60060 series will be carried out.

The new standards will give a clear traceability for the testing institutes of grid components, which will finally lead to a more reliable electricity grid.  The developed standard measuring equipment will enable metrological traceability for this purpose.’

This EMPIR project is co-funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and the EMPIR Participating States

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