Evaluation of novel impulse voltage generator for qualification test of IEC60034-18-42

International Standard IEC60034-18-41IS was issued in 2014 to qualify Type I insulation systems of inverter-fed-electrical rotating machines. In the next stage, Technical Specification IEC60034-18-42 for Type II insulation systems is currently under discussion. To perform the qualification test, it is desirable to have a repetitive impulse voltage generator that can simulate given waveform parameters presented by the system integrator. The ideal generator is the one which can control waveform parameters such as the maximum jump voltage, the rise time, the repetitive frequency. In addition, such a voltage source should be sufficient to test real-size coils forming capacitive load with several nanofarads. From the viewpoint, we have developed a repetitive impulse voltage generator using a power semiconductor to contribute to the establishment of International Standard. This paper introduces details and the performance of the developed repetitive impulse voltage generator by showing examples of generated repetitive impulse voltage waveforms.