The Parsons Memorial Lecture: High-voltage research at the national physical laboratory

An account is given of methods of producing and measuring high power-frequency, d.c. and surge voltages. Two problems, towards the solution of which high-voltage research has made a contribution, are considered. The first is concerned with the insulation of high-voltage transmission lines, and the arranging of such insulation to ensure that inevitable breakdowns are confined to the more easily renewed parts of the system. The second is a war-time problem concerned with the protection of balloons and crews from hazards due to lightning.