An electric fence
energiser is a high-voltage pulsed power supply capable of generating output
pulses with voltages reaching 10 kV and currents reaching a few hundred
Amperes. However, the duration of the output pulse generated by an energiser is
limited to about a fraction of a mili-second thus limiting the energy in the
pulse to between a few joules to about 100 J depending on the product. Electric
fence energisers employ a capacitor bank, as an energy compression element to
store energy that will be released to the fence in form of a high-energy pulse.
The capacitor bank is usually charged to about 900 V from mains or a battery source
using a power supply typically termed the Isolated Power Coupler (IPC). The IPC
employs a special transformer to provide 25 kV isolation between the capacitor
bank and the charging source as required by safety standards. The output pulses
are produced by discharging the capacitor bank through a step-up pulse
transformer and a pulse-shaping network thus generating a 10 kV output.
The isolation transformer of the IPC, the pulse
transformer and the inductors used in the pulse shaping network are critical to
making a good energiser. This project, therefore, involves analysing and
modelling of these magnetic components used in electric fence energisers to
better understand causes of losses, leakage fields and EMI. The first part of
the research project involves analysing, modelling and understanding the
behaviour of these components normal operating conditions. The students will be
using Ansys Maxwell software package to model these components to investigate
the field patterns, leakage and losses in these components. The second part of
the project involves designing an isolation transformer and a pulse transformer
that is optimised for the use in a 30 J energizer and experimental validation.
Undergraduate
EE734 and preferably EE735
Lab allocations have not been finalised