Saudi NEOM Construction: How High-Voltage Cable Systems Conduct Steep-Wave Impulse Tests via Steepening Devices

As a world-leading smart city initiative, Saudi NEOM’s underground utility tunnels utilize extensive high-voltage Cross-Linked Polyethylene (XLPE) cables. Due to the complex grid structure, equipment must withstand not only standard lightning impulses but also overvoltage challenges with extreme wavefront steepness.

In this context, standard lightning wave tests are no longer sufficient. The SXCY Series Impulse Voltage Generator, integrated with a specialized Steepening Device, generates steep waves with ultra-short rise times. This setup is specifically designed to evaluate the endurance of cable terminals and insulator strings under sudden electric field surges, ensuring the intrinsic safety of NEOM’s energy internet.

Steep-wave testing imposes rigorous demands on the generator's physical circuit parameters. The SXCY series excels through its superior specifications:

• Ultra-Low Circuit Inductance: To achieve rapid rise times, the SXCY optimizes its internal discharge path, keeping peak oscillation ≤ 5%. Low inductance is a prerequisite for steep-wave generation, ensuring waveform purity.
• High Energy Efficiency: Featuring ≥ 90% lightning wave efficiency, the system minimizes internal losses during the high-frequency discharge required for steep waves, concentrating energy precisely at the wavefront.
• Wide-Range Ignition Precision: With an ignition range of 10%~100% Un and a synchronous discharge error rate < 2%, the system ensures instantaneous response when triggering steepening devices, preventing waveform distortion.

At mega-construction sites like NEOM, the SXCY series provides more than just simulation—it offers a mature engineering solution:

• Chopped & Steep Wave Compatibility: The system achieves precise chopping within 2~5μS and allows rapid switching to steep-wave mode, catering to diverse insulator string testing needs.
• Environmental Resilience: Addressing Saudi Arabia’s dusty and fluctuating barometric conditions, its ±1% charging voltage instability ensures constant voltage amplitude for each impulse during long-distance, high-capacity cable testing.

For stakeholders in NEOM's development, the SXCY generator demonstrates its value in high-voltage cabling through verified parameters like 2% synchronization error and 90% efficiency. In a modern city aiming for "zero downtime," stable impulse test data remains the ultimate safeguard for reliable power system operation.