MSU High Voltage Laboratory

08/21/2026

Not every test at the lab goes perfectly on the first try, and that's actually a good thing.

Our team ran an AC withstand test on this bushing to see how much voltage it could handle before flashover. The first round showed the bushing flashing earlier than expected. So the team insulated the bushing support, and the next step is insulating the base before testing again.

This is what real engineering research looks like behind the scenes: test, learn, adjust, retest. It's not always glamorous, but it's how equipment gets safer and more reliable.

📍 Paul B. Jacob High Voltage Laboratory, Mississippi State University

08/17/2026

We showed you this demo before, but this time we got up close, in the dark, so you can really see it happen.

A rod energized to 36kV. A grounded probe moving toward it. And then, the exact instant the safe approach distance is crossed: the arc forms.

This is the physical moment electricity finds a path through air itself, no contact required. It's the entire reason "approach distance" is a rule and not just a suggestion.

📍 Paul B. Jacob High Voltage Laboratory, Mississippi State University, since 1977

08/16/2026

Why "minimum approach distance" isn't just a rule. It's physics.

At the Paul B. Jacob High Voltage Laboratory (HVL) at Mississippi State University, we demonstrated exactly why approach distance matters in high voltage environments.

A rod was energized to 36kV. As a grounded probe was brought closer, the surrounding air began to ionize before any physical contact was made. You could hear and see the moment the safe approach distance was crossed.

The takeaway for anyone working around energized equipment is simple: proximity alone can be dangerous. Electricity doesn't require contact to find a path. Under the right voltage conditions, air itself can conduct.

This is the kind of applied demonstration HVL provides to students, utility partners, and manufacturers. It translates high voltage theory into the safety judgment that matters in the field.

08/11/2026

🎉 Happy 60th Birthday, Dr. Wallace! 🎂

At HVL, we work hard, and we celebrate hard too. This week, we took a moment to honor the person who leads the Paul B. Jacob High Voltage Laboratory with as much heart as expertise.

Dr. Wallace's advice to us, in his own words: "Life is too short, be sure to enjoy it, and don't worry too much. Don't be afraid to ask questions, and admit when you don't know everything."

Wisdom that shapes not just how we do research, but how we show up for each other every day.

Thank you for everything you do, Dr. Wallace —> here's to another year of curiosity, high voltage, and plenty more cake. 🎉⚡

Swipe through to celebrate with us →

08/07/2026

Before the voltage even goes on, this truck gets a wipe-down, and it's not for looks ⚡

A lineman doing bare-hand maintenance on an energized 500kV transmission line sits in the bucket at line potential. The only thing standing between that voltage and the ground crew is the fiberglass boom connecting the bucket to the truck bed, and its job is to insulate, not conduct.

Before any voltage goes on, the boom gets cleaned. Even a boom that looks spotless can have a thin film of dust or moisture on it, and that film can let current track over the surface even though the fiberglass underneath insulates perfectly well. So the crew wipes it down with denatured alcohol first, to remove anything that could interfere with the test.

Only then does testing begin. At HVL, we verify boom isolation on aerial devices like this Terex TM-125 per ANSI A92.2-2022, using our 1 megavolt test transformer as the high-voltage supply. The bucket connects to the transformer, the bed is grounded, and the boom sits between them as the only isolating path. Voltage is ramped incrementally, all the way to a 720kV overvoltage proof, with leakage current monitored the entire way continuously.

Watch the full test below 👇

08/06/2026

08/06/2026

⚡ 1.1 million volts. One scaled navy ship model. One question: will the lightning protection system do its job?

At the Paul B. Jacob High Voltage Laboratory, we recently tested lightning protection on a scaled ship model by applying a 1.1 MV lightning impulse, checking whether the ship's protection system successfully attracts the strike to itself, keeping it away from more vulnerable parts of the vessel.

This kind of testing matters for any vessel that could face a direct lightning strike at sea, where protecting sensitive equipment and structural integrity is critical.

The Paul B. Jacob HVL is the largest university-operated high voltage testing facility in North America, home to a 3,000 kV impulse generator and 1,000 kV transformer.

08/02/2026

At the Paul B. Jacob High Voltage Laboratory, our recent testing continues to examine 27kV class distribution line fuse cutouts, this time looking at behavior under overcurrent conditions.

🧪What the test shows:
⚡Current is increased steadily through the fuse link. Once it exceeds the fuse's rated current, the fuse link begins to heat up.
🔥As it heats, its resistance rises, which drives current back down. The fuse link ultimately melts, interrupting the circuit.

This kind of overcurrent characterization is core to protective device engineering, which helps verify how fuses perform under fault conditions utilities depend on for system reliability.

This follows our earlier look at flashover performance on the same class of equipment, part of ongoing work characterizing distribution protective devices at HVL.

The Paul B. Jacob HVL at Mississippi State University's Bagley College of Engineering is the largest university-operated high voltage testing facility in North America, home to a 3,000 kV impulse generator and 1,000 kV transformer.

08/01/2026

⚡Meet EeSho, the electric eel of the Paul B. Jacob High Voltage Laboratory!

What started as a simple idea for a lab mascot quickly turned into a very fun design challenge: how do you create something that feels powerful, intimidating, electric, and still memorable?

The answer was EeSho!!
The name combines “Ee” from eel and “Sho” from shock, reflecting the energy and identity of the High Voltage Laboratory at Mississippi State University. Electric eels can generate shocks of up to 860 volts, basically nature’s own high-voltage laboratory!

From the electric eel concept and lightning effects to the animation, branding, and soundtrack, EeSho is designed to represent power, motion, and the bold spirit of high-voltage engineering.

We are incredibly excited that the design received a thumbs-up from Mississippi State University, and we are even more excited to finally introduce him.

🎉🎉Welcome to the HVL family, EeSho ⚡⚡

06/06/2019

We had a blast entertaining the participants of the Powerline 2019 Conference (https://woodpoles.org/Powerline2019.aspx)