High Voltage Lab

Students studying the Bachelor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering use this lab, along with final-year project students. Higher degree by research students undertaking their masters or PhD, as well as academic staff, use the lab for research projects.

Students, researchers and industry can utilise a number of Tesla transformers within the lab to test electrical-related experiments. Examples of tests that are possible include: measuring of breakdown voltage of materials, testing the effect of pollution and contaminants on resistors (dust, dirt, salt), and examining the design of insulators used in high-voltage areas.

The Terco high-voltage equipment is based on a system of high-precision components that offer flexibility in its range of uses. The system gives values with high accuracy and can even be used for calibration purposes.

Deakin invested over $1 million dollars in setting up the High Voltage Lab, making it one of the few large labs of its kind in the Australasian region.

The lab includes:

• Terco High Voltage DC Rig – capable of generating direct current (DC) voltages up to 480kV at a sustained current of 8mA. This is used for voltage withstand tests and observation of corona effects.
• Terco High Voltage AC Rig – capable of generating alternating current (AC) voltages up to 120kV with a continuous current of 25mA. This can also be configured to perform impulse voltage tests up to 50kV DC with a 1.5/50uS wave shape.
• Pressure/Vacuum test chamber – used to observe effects of pressure variations on electrical discharges. It can also be used to investigate the electrical characteristics of gasses such as SF6 at high voltages.
• Two 1mV DRSSTC Tesla Coils – used to generate lightning-like displays shows for guests, tour group and outreach activities. It provides a unique opportunity to safely make observations up close.

The facility has the added benefit of being completely shielded from electromagnetic forces, making it a useful area to test radio frequency devices.

Our partners become valued members of the wider Deakin engineering family, not just our school. Opportunities to partner with us include work-integrated learning and industry-based learning and placements, student projects, and commercial research projects and services.

Find out more about industry partnerships

Deakin offers the following study and research options:

• Undergraduate students can study the Bachelor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (Honours).
• Postgraduate students can study through either our Master of Engineering or Master of Engineering (Professional), specialising in electrical and renewable energy engineering.
• Research studies can be undertaken through our Master of Engineering and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) higher degree by research degrees.