A New Electrical Research Laboratory

The outstanding features of this laboratory are the power and surge testing facilities. Power laboratory energy for testing is supplied at 138 kv from a high-capacity utility system. A main transformer designed for short-circuit testing duty provides test voltages ranging from 1.5 kv for 18 kv and currents up to 25,000 amperes rms. Use of additional transformers widens this range. Test initiation can be timed accurately for any desired point on the 60-cycle voltage wave. The power test bus is so arranged that connections can be extended to energize and test full-scale line construction on the unimproved acreage of the laboratory site. The surge laboratory is equipped with five surge generators capable of producing high-voltage surges up to 3,000,000 volts and high-current surges of over 100,000 amperes. The surge generators can be used individually or together for multiple surge phenomena. For combined power and surge testing of lightning protective equipment, surges of predetermined characteristics are applied to equipment energized from the power laboratory test bus. The mechanical laboratory includes universal testing machines equipped with load-deflection graphic recorders, and facilities for full-scale testing of line hardware and structures. Created for the development of electrical and mechanical products for both electric power utility and wire communication systems, the laboratory is an integrated operation, with research, development, building of prototypes, and testing, all at one location.