Centre of Excellence in High Voltage Engineering
Centre of Excellence in High Voltage Engineering
Start main page content

About Us

The Centre of Excellence in High Voltage Engineering (CEHVE) at the University of the Witwatersrand is funded by the ESKOM Power Plant Engineering Institute (EPPEI) for its research and education programmes. CEHVE and EPPEI-HVAC run in parallel under the School of Electrical and Information Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment.

Our expertise spans over a wide spectrum of topics including:

  • High voltage engineering and Discharge phenomena;
  • Power Systems: Generation, transmission and distribution;
  • New transformer fluids;
  • Earthing, Bonding and shielding;
  • Lighning protection, EMI and EMC;
  • Renewable energies;
  • Energy security and energy economics; and
  • Energy storage systems.

Areas of Research
  • HVAC and HVDC Networks;
  • Medium and low Voltage equipment;
  • Substations (excluding civil);
  • Motors and Generators;
  • Direct Current and Auxiliary supplies;
  • Metering (including smart metering);
  • Protection (Tx/Dx);
  • Telecommunications;
  • Energy storage systems;
  • Solar PV and wind energy systems;
  • Telecontrol and SCADA;
  • Hydrogen economy;
  • High voltage Switchgear;
  • Hybrid energy systems;
  • Cable systems;
  • Ester oils abd TX Fluid;
  • Metal enclosed switchgear;
  • Lightning protection;
  • Instrument transformers;
  • Characterisation of lightning;
  • Power transformers and reactors;
  • Improvised grounding systems.
Our Facilities
  • Power Systems;
  • HV Facilities;
  • Johannesburg Lightning Research Lab;
  • Real-time Digital simulator.
Our Staff
Staff Research Interests 

Prof. Ian Jandrell

High voltage engineering, earthing and lightning protection, Electrical safety

Prof. Chandima Gomes

Lightning protection and Earthing; EMI/ EMC and HV Systems

Prof. David Dorrell

Energy conversion; Renewable energy; Power systems

Associate Professor John Van Coller

Lightning sciences; High Voltage Engineering; Power systems 

Associate Professor Cuthbert Nyamupangedengu 

Transformer fluids and Nanodielectrics; Material behaviour under HV Conditions; Partial discharges

Associate Professor Ken Nixon

Lightning safety; High Voltage engineering; Programming and Data Sciences

Dr Hugh Hunt 

Lightning Detection and Measurement; Lightning Protection and safety; High Voltage Engineering

Dr Carina Schumann

Lightning Physics and Characterisation; High speed imaging; Lightning Safety and Awareness

Share