June 20, 2013
As part of a celebration including an interesting day of political and specialist presentations and discussions, Brugg Cables inaugurated its new high-voltage laboratory for voltages of up to 550 kV on June 19th.
550 kV is one of the highest voltages currently available on the high-voltage cable system market, with Brugg Cables one of the few manufacturers who are able to deliver turnkey systems in this area. The functionality and quality of the insulation is of critical importance on systems of this type. In order to ensure the high quality and long service life of the end product, the performance must be examined in detail from the development phase onwards. Brugg Cables has made yet another significant step towards meeting these ambitious and challenging demands – a huge Faraday cage with a volume of approximately 19,000 m³ has been manufactured, primarily to house a surge voltage generator with voltages of up to 3,000 kV and an AC voltage source of up to 1,200 kV. The new laboratory is equipped with AC voltage sources for generating voltages of up to 1.2 MV, a surge generator for lightning pulses and switching pulses, plus heating transformers. It will play a decisive role in expanding the electrical testing possibilities in the research and development phase, not only in terms of the cables and corresponding accessories but also in connection with other systems where tests under extreme conditions are appropriate.
In addition to the inauguration celebration, Dr. Walter Steinmann (Swiss Federal Office of Energy), Dr. Volker Wendt (Europacables), Wolfgang Hechler (Swissgrid) and Andreas Brack (commission for high-voltage power lines in Riniken) took part in a podium discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of overhead wires and underground cables. In addition, Dr. Steinmann also presented the Swiss “Energy Strategy 2050” and Dr. Wendt highlighted new solutions on the expansion of the high-voltage power grid. The day was rounded off by technical lectures on the material and process requirements, plus the latest trends in high-voltage testing. Around 120 customers, partners and officials were guests at the inauguration ceremony, and also enjoyed an exciting show in the laboratory itself.