Testing of High Potential Voltage Cable Discharge Arc Using a Cylindrical Vacuum Chamber

Testing of High Potential Voltage Cable Discharge Arc Using a Cylindrical Vacuum Chamber 01
Testing of High Potential Voltage Cable Discharge Arc Using a Cylindrical Vacuum Chamber 01
This cylindrical vacuum chamber is utilized for testing high potential voltage cables for potential discharging at higher altitudes. Since air is acting as an insulator at sea level, no electric discharge is present at lower altitudes. However, once the pressure is decreased as a result of higher altitudes, less air is present to act as an insulator. This creates a problem because if an electric discharge happens, it can result in catastrophic failure of electrical components, especially if these components are critical. It is therefore very important to test these cables for discharge by using a vacuum chamber to simulate an air pressure at higher altitudes. The vacuum requirements for this test where only to go to 35,000 feet pressure equivalent which is about 165 Torr.

Our client provided us with a the test cable, which is a high voltage cable. The requirements were to test only one section of the cable. The challenge here is due to the fact that the test cable has various diameters and therefore a sealing plate must be designed to accommodate the proper thickness at which the cable is to be tested.

What you see here is a cylindrical vacuum chamber about 60 inch long and about 10 inch Inside Diameter. The rear of the chamber has the door clamped against the rear wall. We provided our client with the rear door for easier access to the chamber from the back. The front on the other hand, has a sealing plate that is specifically designed to have a double sealing O-Ring which seals again the sealing plate and against the inside of the Hi-Pot Cable. As soon as the Cable and the O-Ring are in place, the vacuum can be pulled and a pressure of 165 Torr is achieved within minutes. Now the cable can be tested for discharge and a safe airplane component can be successfully tested and made. You can see a video going a little bit more into detail about how this vacuum sealing mechanism works and how a part of the cable is used for testing purposes.

Video of the Setup

Similar Items

We make Robustly Designed and Quality Engineered Systems. You should check out some of our other items we carry; click on the links below.

Altitude Simulation Systems
Altitude simulation systems are devices that simulate a certain altitude equivalent by controlling the vacuum inside a vacuum chamber. Altitude is a function of absolute pressure, therefore if a certain pressure is accomplished inside a vacuum chamber, a specific altitude can be simulated from the set pressure. Altitude simulation systems can be configured to not only hold a certain pressure, a complete pressure vs time profile can be programmed to be run. Furthermore, pressure vs time recipes can be loaded and run based on test requirements.
Rotary Vane Vacuum Pumps
Rotary Vane Vacuum Pumps are the most widely used vacuum pump in the industry. When it comes to performance at a reasonable price, rotary vane vacuum pumps are the way to go. Many Rotary Vane Pumps can achieve 2 to 5 milliTorr vacuum rating at a good volumetric flowrate (2 to 20 CFM) at a very reasonable price (hundreds to a few thousand dollars)
Our Work: Vacuum Storage of Pharmaceutical Products and Medical Supplies
A pharmaceutical manufacturer contacted us to build them a large vacuum storage system for their pharmaceutical products. They were looking for as much footprint as possible which is why they got a two-chamber system from us. They needed a total of 6 shelves per chamber including trays. Finally, they were looking to have both chambers to be placed on a table frame assembly with lockable swivel casters. What you are seeing is a two chamber system, each chamber is our 20 inch cube acrylic vacuum chamber, front load hinged door. Each chamber can be accesses independently while the other is under vacuum. The trays can be easily loaded and unloaded. This whole system can also be moved to anywhere in their facility.
Related Articles: Piston Vacuum Pump: The Ultimate Guide to WOB-L and ROC-R Vacuum Pumps
This article is intended to be the Definitive Resource when it comes to Piston Vacuum Pumps. We know a thing or two about vacuum pumps because we work with them every day. In this article we will specifically talk about Piston Vacuum Pumps – the WOB-L and the ROC-R to be exact.