Electrical systems are facing unprecedented challenges today, and high-voltage engineering plays a central role in ensuring the reliability, safety and efficiency of power grids. The new book by INESC TEC researcher Filipe Azevedo, High Voltage Engineering: Theory, Systems, and Practice, gathers theoretical foundations and practical applications in an area that is critical to the energy transition.
The publication takes an integrated approach to the main concepts and applications of high-voltage engineering, combining theoretical foundations with practical examples and placing them within the broader context of power systems. According to the author, who also teaches at the Porto School of Engineering, it’s an essential guide for lecturers, researchers and electrical engineering professionals, addressing a shortage of reference works that bring together, in a single volume, the physical foundations, design criteria and practical applications of high voltage within today’s power systems.
“I sought to bring together, in a single work, the essential foundations of high-voltage engineering, linking them to design criteria and to real-world problems in power systems, in a way that is useful for students, lecturers and industry professionals,” he added.
Topics covered include electric fields, dielectric materials, electrical breakdown mechanisms, overhead lines, insulation coordination, and asset management and safety, among others. One of the book’s distinguishing features is the connection to the real-world context of power systems, including references to the Portuguese power grid and compliance with international standards such as IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) and IEEE.
At a time when the electrification of the economy, the integration of renewable energy and the modernisation of power grids are becoming increasingly important, the author believes that high-voltage engineering remains a critical area for the future of the energy sector.
“In a context of growing electrification, renewable energy integration and increasing demands on grid reliability, high-voltage engineering remains decisive in ensuring the safety, resilience and performance of the electrical system,” said Filipe Azevedo.
The book reflects the experience the researcher has built up over several years of scientific and academic activity in the fields of power systems, smart grids, AI, electricity markets, renewable energy integration and decision-support methods.
High Voltage Engineering: Theory, Systems, and Practice, which features a foreword by António Machado e Moura, retired full professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, is already available in both print and digital formats on various platforms, including Booki, Bertrand and Quântica Editora.
News, current topics, curiosities and so much more about INESC TEC and its community!
