Hans Edin

Electrical energy is transferred from electricity generators to electricity consumers via the power grid. This is a complex electrotechnical system that in Sweden involves voltages from the consumption level's 240 Volts up to 400,000 Volts in the high-voltage network. The electricity system's ability to virtually always deliver electricity to consumers is based on a multitude of factors. One of the most important is that the protective insulation, the electrical insulation, in all constituent components is not defective. Any electrical failure of the electrical insulation can lead to extensive damage and power outages. 

Hans Edin's research primarily concerns creating new methods and new techniques for diagnosis of the electrical insulation systems in the power grid's high-voltage equipment. The methods are often based on being able to measure deviations in the characteristics of the constituent insulation materials when they are exposed to various types of electrical stresses. Edin's research group investigates how to benefit from various types of voltage surges, e.g. due to lightning strikes, in order to discover whether an insulation system is worn down or defective. The research results can be used for the early discovery of damage and symptoms in high-voltage equipment, in order to prevent unexpected failures from occurring.