HIGH POT TEST (40&50 KV):-

Introduction
High Pot test is a contraction for high potential HV testing. High pot Test is short
name of high potential (high voltage) Test and it is also known as Dielectric
Withstand Test. A high pot test checks for “good isolation”. High pot test makes
surety of no current will flow from one point to another point. High pot test is the
opposite of a continuity test.

Continuity Test checks surety of current flows easily from one point to another
point while High pot Test checks surety of current would not flow from one point
to another point (and turn up the voltage really high just to make sure no current
will flow).

AC High pot testing is the effective and direct way to test insulation strength for
electric equipments, apparatus or machines. It checks dangerous flaws which
assure electric equipment continuous working. Typical applications include testing
of transformers, switchgear, cables, capacitors, aerial motors platforms, hot sticks
bucket bricks, vacuum bottles and other related equipment like vacuum
interrupters, blankets, ropes, gloves, hydraulics hose, instruments transformers
generators.

DC and AC High pot test voltages

The high potential voltage lever may differ from one equipment and application to
the other as well as the stage in a product’s development cycle. The voltage may be
DC, AC or an impulse.

Test method for HIPOT Test

Hipot testers usually connect one side of the supply to safety ground (Earth
ground). The other side of the supply is connected to the conductor being tested.
With the supply connected like this there are two places a given conductor can be
connected: high voltage or ground.
When you have more than two contacts to be hipot tested you connect one contact
to high voltage and connect all other contacts to ground. Testing a contact in this
fashion makes sure it is isolated from all other contacts.

If the insulation between the two is adequate, then the application of a large
voltage difference between the two conductors separated by the insulator would
result in the flow of a very small current. Although this small current is acceptable,
no breakdown of either the air insulation or the solid insulation should take place.
Therefore, the current of interest is the current that is the result of a partial
discharge or breakdown, rather than the current due to capacitive coupling.

Steps for HIGH POT Testing

 Only electrically qualified workers may perform this testing.

 Open circuit breakers or switches to isolate the circuit or Cable that will be
hi-pot tested.
 Confirm that all equipment or Cable that is not to be tested is isolated from
the circuit under test.
 The limited approach boundary for this hi-pot procedure at 1000 volts is 5 ft.
(1.53m) so place barriers around the terminations of cables and equipment
under test to prevent unqualified persons from crossing this boundary.
 Connect the ground lead of the HIPOT Tester to a suitable building ground
or grounding electrode conductor. Attach the high voltage lead to one of the
isolated circuit phase conductors.
 Switch on the HIPOT Tester. Set the meter to 1000 Volts or pre decide DC
Voltage. Push the “Test” button on the meter and after one minute observe
the resistance reading. Record the reading for reference.
 At the end of the one minute test, switch the HIPOT Tester from the high
potential test mode to the voltage measuring mode to confirm that the circuit
phase conductor and voltage of HIPOT Tester are now reading zero volts.
 Repeat this test procedure for all circuit phase conductors testing each phase
to ground and each phase to each phase.
 When testing is completed disconnect the HIPOT Tester from the circuits
under test and confirm that the circuits are clear to be re-connected and re-
energized.
  To PASS the unit or Cable under Test must be exposed to a minimum Stress
of pre decide Voltage for 1 minute without any Indication of Breakdown.
For Equipments with total area less than 0.1 m2, the insulation resistance
shall not be less than 400 MΩ. For Equipment with total area larger than 0.1
m2 the measured insulation resistance times the area of the module shall not
be less than 40 MΩ⋅m2.

Safety precautions during HIGH POT Test

During a HIGH POT Test, there may be at some risk so to minimize risk of injury
from electrical shock make sure HIPOT equipment follows these guidelines:

 The total charge you can receive in a shock should not exceed 45 uC.
 The total hipot energy should not exceed 350 mJ.
 The total current should not exceed 5 mA peak (3.5 mA rms)
 The fault current should not stay on longer than 10 mS.
 If the tester doesn’t meet these requirements then make sure it has a safety
interlock system that guarantees you cannot contact the cable while it is
being hipot tested.