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4 IRVING PLACE
NEW YORK, NY 10003
SPECIFICATION EO – 4019
REVISION 34
DECEMBER 2015
EFFECTIVE DATE
DECEMBER 28, 2015
TESTING OF AC FEEDERS
OPERATING AT
4kV TO 33kV
PARAGRAPH DESCRIPTION
1.0 SCOPE
2.0 APPLICATION
3.0 GENERAL
4.0 DEFINITIONS
9.0 REFERENCES
ATTACHMENTS
OPERATING AT 4 kV TO 33 kV
1.0 SCOPE
This document specifies the electrical tests performed on 4, 13, 27, and 33 kV AC
feeders to verify the restoration of adequate electrical insulation levels and the
absence of short-circuit conditions following an outage. These tests are described
as a High Potential Test (Hipot) and an Ammeter Clear Test.
2.0 APPLICATION
3.0 GENERAL
3.2 A VLF Hipot Test is the preferred High Potential Test and should be used
whenever a test set is available.
3.3 Hipot Tests on 4kV feeders are not required by Distribution Engineering.
4.1 VLF Hipot Test – A High-Potential withstand test using a very low
frequency (VLF) power source. The typical VLF frequency is 0.1 hertz. A
VLF Hipot test is the preferred method of High-Potential testing and
should be used whenever a VLF test set is available.
4.4 Feeder Crossing – The portion of a feeder that runs along a bridge or
under a waterway.
4.6 Forced Outage – Any outage where the feeder was automatically
removed from service or unable to be restored to service due to a fault.
This includes Open-Auto (AUTO), Fail-on-Test (FOT), and Cut-In-Open-
Auto (CIOA) due to a fault.
4.7 Planned Outage – Any outage where the feeder was deliberately taken
out of service. This includes Scheduled (SCHD), When Ready (WR),
Isolated (ISO), Rapid Availability (RAP), or Off-On-Emergency (OOE1
or OOE2) outages.
5.1 Subject feeders to a Table I Hipot Test for five (5) minutes following:
5.1.2 Any outage where station work was performed that disturbed
feeder clearances.
5.1.4 Any outage where a total of four (4) or more sections of feeder
cable are installed or replaced.
NOTE: The duration of the Hipot Test will be increased to thirty (30)
minutes if any condition in the following section (5.2) is met. This
increase in duration does not apply during the summer period, June 1
through August 31, or when dictated by system conditions.
5.2 Subject a feeder to a Table I Hipot Test for thirty (30) minutes following
a non-summer outage if the feeder meets the criteria in Appendix A.
These feeders have not received a 30 minute Hipot test during the previous
three (3) years and operate in networks with a NRI greater than 0.2.
5.3.2 Subject feeders to a Table III Raised Voltage Hipot Test for thirty
(30) minutes when a “condition” is not able to be established after:
8.1 Prior to the application of any Hipot Test, test facilities leakage
measurements shall be made at Hipot Test voltage for five minutes.
8.2 Upon the completion of any Hipot Test, test facilities leakage
measurements shall be made at Hipot Test voltage for five minutes.
8.3 At stations with ammeter test sets, the condition of the test set shall be
checked for ground continuity before and after each test.
Maximum Limits
33 0.3
27 0.4
13 0.1
Interpretation of Reading
APPROXIMATE AMMETER
CONDITION OF FEEDER __ READING [AMPERES]__
3. If any of the following types of transformers are connected to the feeder when the
Ammeter Clear Test is made, an abnormally high reading will be obtained:
b. Wye-delta transformer banks with the neutral grounded, where the wye
winding is connected to the portion of the feeder on which the Ammeter Clear
Test is being made.
FMS Online will now provide a real time list of feeders that meet the Appendix A criteria. These
are feeders that have not received a 30 minute Hipot test during the previous three (3)
years and operate in networks with a NRI greater than 0.2. For a list of these feeders:
• Open FMS Online.
• Select ‘Reports.’ A drop-down list will appear.
• Select ‘Appendix A Feeders.’ A current list of all the feeders that meet the Appendix A
criteria will appear.
Note 2 The Control Center Shift Manager may waive a Hipot Test on any
feeder on this list if it can be verified that a 30 minute Hipot was carried
out during the previous three (3) calendar years, this is a non-network
feeder, or the feeder has a grounding transformer.
Note 3 For feeders with crossings, a Hipot Test following a Planned Outage
may be waived even if that feeder appears on Appendix A.
Note A The VLF Hipot Test is preferred and should be used whenever the
test set is available.
The rate of rise of the applied voltage should not exceed 1kV per
second with a pause of two or three seconds (not to exceed 5
seconds) after every 5kV step.
Note B Hipot Tests are satisfactory only if the leakage current is constant or
decreases without fluctuations or surges after the full test potential
has been applied and is below the specified values at the end of the
test. Current readings in excess of those specified may be accepted
if they are consistent with the results of previous tests on the feeder.
For the rate of rise of applied voltage, refer to Note A.
Note C Upon the completion of tests on each phase and with the test set still
connected to the cable, the supply voltage to the test set shall be
reduced to zero and the cable grounded.
Note E All Hipot Tests are to be made with all conductors connected
together and ground.
On 33kV cable, Hipot Tests on 3-conductor cable or where 3
single conductor cables are in 1 duct, test between all 3
conductors connected together and ground. On single
conductor cable in separate ducts, test between phase and
ground with the other phases grounded.