Distribution Transformer Field Testing: Saudi Electricity Company

Saudi Electricity Company ‫ﺍﻟﺸﺭﻜﺔ ﺍﻟﺴﻌﻭﺩﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﻜﻬﺭﺒﺎﺀ‬
DMM No. 01- 04

DISTRIBUTION MAINTENANCE MANUAL
ISSUE DATE: March 29, 2005
DMM-01-04
DISTRIBUTION TRANSFORMER
FIELD TESTING
(‫)اﺧﺘﺒﺎر ﻣﺤﻮﻻت اﻟﺘﻮزﻳﻊ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻤﻮاﻗﻊ‬
Technical Support Department

Maintenance Standard and Improvement Division
‫ﺍﻟﺸﺭﻜﺔ ﺍﻟﺴﻌﻭﺩﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﻜﻬﺭﺒﺎﺀ‬ DISTRIBUTION MAINTENANCE MANUAL
DMM No. 01- 04
Saudi Electricity Company
ISSUE DATE: REPLACES:
DISTRIBUTION TRANSFORMER FIELD TESTING March 29, 2005
Page i of i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1
2.0 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS 1
3.0 WHEN FIELD TEST ARE REQUIRED 2
4.0 PHYSICAL INSPECTION FOR TRANSFORMER 2
5.0 PRE-TEST INSPECTION FOR FAULTED TRANSFORMER 3
6.0 RECOMMENDED FIELD TEST FOR TRANSFORMER 3
6.1 Winding Continuity Test 4
6.2 Winding Insulation Resistance Test 5
6.3 Winding Conductive Resistance Measurement 8
APPENDICES
Appendix – A (Transformer Field Test Report)
Appendix – B (List of SEC Stock Numbers)
New X Addition Changes Revision

DMM No. 01- 04
DISTRIBUTION TRANSFORMER FIELD TESTING March 29,2005
Page 1 of 17
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Field testing has the primary objective of evaluating serviceability of the

distribution transformer. This is achieved by test being conducted as per
approved standards and the analysis of test results against established
criteria.
This instruction specifies the field tests recommended for distribution

transformers and defines the criteria for acceptability.
The tests recommended are applicable to in-service transformers.
1.1 References
• IEEE Std 62-1995 (Guide for Diagnostic Field Testing of

Electric Power Apparatus, Part 1)
• IEEE Std 4-2001 (Techniques for High-Voltage Testing)
• DMM-01-02 ( Insulating Oil Testing)
2.0 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
• Under-test distribution transformer must be de-energized, discharged and

disconnected from the system; absence of voltage must be confirmed with
an approved voltage detector before starting tests.
• Jobs must be undertaken by qualified and competent personnel fully
conversant with the test procedures and equipment.
• Certified electrical rubber gloves must be worn when operating the MV
equipment.
• Approved safety practice must be followed for application and removal of
ground connection to and from the MV equipment.
• Suitable warning signs and barriers must be provided in the test area.
• After completion of the test on any phase of the equipment, it must be
discharged prior to disconnecting the test leads.

DMM No. 01- 04
Page 2 of 17
3.0 WHEN FIELD TEST ARE REQUIRED
Transformer field tests are required when there is a suspected faulty unit and
it should be tested immediately after disconnection from the system for
replacement.
4.0 PHYSICAL INSPECTION FOR TRANSFORMER

Transformers should be carefully inspected for the following:
• Oil leaks/marks.
• Cracked/broken/chipped bushing insulators.
• Low oil level
• Broken or missing accessories (i.e. oil level indicator, oil thermometer,
etc.)
• Burned/melted parts.
• Tracking/ flashover marks
• Bulged/corroded metal parts
• Pressure relief device operation
• Damaged/dented body
Note: When any of the above-listed transformer defects/abnormalities are

present, further investigation, testing and repair should be undertaken
as soon as practicable. It is not advisable to keep or commission the
transformer in service beyond the duration of absolute minimum
necessity due to operational and /or logistic requirements.

DMM No. 01- 04
Page 3 of 17
5.0 PRE-TEST INSPECTION FOR FAULTED TRANSFORMER
Before carrying out any field test, the field Technician should undertake the
following checks:
• Check for any blown fuses or operation of protective devices.
• Visual inspection on the transformer and associated equipment for any
signs of oil leakages, burned/melted parts, tracking, burn marks,
flashovers, cracks, bulge, unusual odor, etc. This information may
provide clues as to what triggered the operation of protective device.
Note: When a transformer has taken itself off the line (e.g. blowing-off of
fuse), extreme care should be taken to determine the cause of outage.
Energizing the transformer without any further checking or inspection
may result in additional damage and / or complete failure.
6.0 RECOMMENDED FIELD TEST FOR TRANSFORMER
The following field electrical tests are recommended:
• Winding Continuity Test.

• Winding Insulation Resistance Test
• Winding Conductive Resistance Test
The suspected faulty transformer may require additional testing of insulating

oil as per (DMM -01-02).
6.1 Winding Continuity Test
The test is performed using the Ohmmeter Tester or Continuity Tester

or Insulation Tester using the range selection shown in table #2 (P12
of 17).

DMM No. 01- 04
Page 4 of 17
The test is conducted by confirming the continuity of the transformer

windings by cyclic connections to the transformer bushings as shown
in table #1 (P11 of 17). The MV/LV bushings designation on various
distribution transformers are shown in figure (1).

DMM No. 01- 04
Page 5 of 17
Result shall be recorded on the Transformer Field Test Report form

(Appendix-A).
Note that the winding continuity is confirmed when the continuity

tester is buzzed or the Ohmmeter shows near zero ohm resistance.
6.2 Winding Insulation Resistance Test
The test is performed using the HV Insulation Tester. The test range
for the MV winding to ground, MV to LV winding and LV winding to
ground are listed in the attached table #2 (P12 of 17) along with the
identification of the appropriate type of insulation tester for the job.
The test procedure is as follows:
1 - Ensure that the tap changer is set at the normal tap position.
2 - Neutral ground connection (if provided) on LV and / or MV must be

disconnected to isolate the neutral from the ground
3 - Ensure that the terminals (test points) are clean and dry.
4 - Carefully inspect the MV and LV bushing of the transformer to

make sure that the physical condition of the external insulation is
acceptable.
5 - The test should be performed in the following order
• MV Winding to Ground
• MV Winding to LV Winding
• LV Winding to Ground
6 - Select the suitable type and range of the Insulation Tester. Refer to
Table #2 (P12 of 17).

DMM No. 01- 04
Page 6 of 17
7 - For MV Winding to Ground, connect the Insulation Tester to the

transformer as shown in figure (2). Refer connections to table #3
(P13 of 17).
Figure (2)
8 - For MV Winding to LV Winding, connect the Insulation Tester to

the transformer as showing below in figure (3). Refer connections
to table (3).
Figure (3)
9 - For LV Winding to Ground, connect the Insulation Tester to the

Transformer as Shown in figure (4). Refer connections to table (3).
Figure (4)

DMM No. 01- 04
Page 7 of 17
Note: • The guard terminal should be used in order to bypass

unwanted leakage current around the Insulation Tester to read
true value of insulation resistance.
Results shall be recorded on the Transformer Field Test Report form

(Appendix-A).
The test values obtained on all readings are typically 100 Mega-Ohms
or greater.
Approximate minimum value of insulation resistance of a transformer

winding is given by the following empirical formula:

DMM No. 01- 04
Page 8 of 17

DMM No. 01- 04
Page 9 of 17
(Appendix-A).

DMM No. 01- 04
Page 10 of 17

DMM No. 01- 04
Page 11 of 17
Winding Test #1 Test #2 Test #3

MV ∆ A–B B–C C-A
MV Y * A–N B–N C–N
LV Y a–n b–n c–n
LV ∆ a–b b–c c–a
A–N
MV 1ø*
or A – B
a–n
LV 1ø* n–b
or a – b
* Non-Standard
Table # 1
Winding Continuity/Conductive Resistance
Test connection of Distribution Transformer

DMM No. 01- 04
Page 12 of 17

DMM No. 01- 04
Page 13 of 17

DMM No. 01- 04
Page 14 of 17
APPENDICES

DMM No. 01- 04
Page 15 of 17

DMM No. 01- 04
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DMM No. 01- 04
Page 17 of 17
APPENDIX B
LIST OF SEC STOCK NUMBERS
Test Equipment and Accessories SEC No.
1) Megger, 1000 V, Hand Cranked
2) Test Leads for 1000 V Megger
3) Carrying Case for 1000 V Megger
4) Megger, 2500 V, Motor Operated and Hand Cranked
5) Megger, 5000 V, Battery Operated
6) Megger Test Leads for 5000 V Megger
7) AVO Meter, Simpson, Model 265
8) Volt-Ohmmeter, Simpson, Model 260-7 VOM

Distribution Transformer Field Testing: Saudi Electricity Company

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Saudi Electricity Company ‫ﺍﻟﺸﺭﻜﺔ ﺍﻟﺴﻌﻭﺩﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﻜﻬﺭﺒﺎﺀ‬

DMM No. 01- 04

Technical Support Department

2.0 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS 1

3.0 WHEN FIELD TEST ARE REQUIRED 2

4.0 PHYSICAL INSPECTION FOR TRANSFORMER 2

5.0 PRE-TEST INSPECTION FOR FAULTED TRANSFORMER 3

6.0 RECOMMENDED FIELD TEST FOR TRANSFORMER 3

6.1 Winding Continuity Test 4

6.2 Winding Insulation Resistance Test 5

6.3 Winding Conductive Resistance Measurement 8

Appendix – B (List of SEC Stock Numbers)

New X Addition Changes Revision

Field testing has the primary objective of evaluating serviceability of the

This instruction specifies the field tests recommended for distribution

The tests recommended are applicable to in-service transformers.

• IEEE Std 62-1995 (Guide for Diagnostic Field Testing of

2.0 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

• Under-test distribution transformer must be de-energized, discharged and

New X Addition Changes Revision

3.0 WHEN FIELD TEST ARE REQUIRED

4.0 PHYSICAL INSPECTION FOR TRANSFORMER

Note: When any of the above-listed transformer defects/abnormalities are

New X Addition Changes Revision

5.0 PRE-TEST INSPECTION FOR FAULTED TRANSFORMER

6.0 RECOMMENDED FIELD TEST FOR TRANSFORMER

The following field electrical tests are recommended:

• Winding Continuity Test.

The suspected faulty transformer may require additional testing of insulating

6.1 Winding Continuity Test

The test is performed using the Ohmmeter Tester or Continuity Tester

New X Addition Changes Revision

The test is conducted by confirming the continuity of the transformer

New X Addition Changes Revision

Result shall be recorded on the Transformer Field Test Report form

Note that the winding continuity is confirmed when the continuity

6.2 Winding Insulation Resistance Test

The test procedure is as follows:

2 - Neutral ground connection (if provided) on LV and / or MV must be

4 - Carefully inspect the MV and LV bushing of the transformer to

5 - The test should be performed in the following order

New X Addition Changes Revision

7 - For MV Winding to Ground, connect the Insulation Tester to the

8 - For MV Winding to LV Winding, connect the Insulation Tester to

9 - For LV Winding to Ground, connect the Insulation Tester to the

New X Addition Changes Revision

Note: • The guard terminal should be used in order to bypass

Results shall be recorded on the Transformer Field Test Report form

Approximate minimum value of insulation resistance of a transformer

New X Addition Changes Revision

New X Addition Changes Revision

New X Addition Changes Revision

New X Addition Changes Revision

Winding Test #1 Test #2 Test #3

MV Y * A–N B–N C–N

LV Y a–n b–n c–n

LV ∆ a–b b–c c–a

New X Addition Changes Revision

New X Addition Changes Revision

New X Addition Changes Revision

New X Addition Changes Revision

New X Addition Changes Revision

New X Addition Changes Revision