HIGH VOLTAGE

TESTING OF
ELECTRICAL
1. Introduction
2. Classification of High Voltage Tests
APPARATUS
3. Test Voltages
4. High Voltage Testing of Electrical
Apparatus
1.
INTRODUCTION
⚫ Purpose of the testing: To ensure that the electrical
equipments are capable of withstanding the
overvoltages that are met with in service.
⚫ Covers basic requirements procedures for testing on several
electrical apparatus. Normally, high voltage (HV) testing is
to investigate the insulation performance.
⚫ International/national specifications for testing are outlined
(details of test, specific equipment, procedure and
acceptable limits) to meet the users’ and manufacturers’
requirements.
2. CLASSIFICATION OF HIGH
VOLTAGE TESTS
⚫Destructive Test
⚫Normally the equipment underwent
destructive test cannot be used in the
service.
⚫Test voltage is higher than its normal
working voltage.
⚫Breakdown test.
Con’
t⚫Non-Destructive Test
⚫Mainly done to assess the electrical
properties, eg. Resistivity, dielectric constant
and loss factor.
⚫The apparatus is not destroyed during the
test and can be used again.
2.2 TYPES OF
TESTS
1. Routine Tests
⚫ Made by the manufacturer on every finished piece of
product.
⚫ To fulfills the specifications.
2.Type Tests
⚫ Performed on each type of equipment before their supply on
a general commercial scale – demonstrate performance
characteristics.
⚫ No need to repeat the test unless changes are made in
the design of the product.
Con’
t3. Maintenance Tests
⚫Usually carried out after maintenance/repair
of the equipment.
⚫Conducted according to schedule provided.
⚫Purpose of the test : To ensure the
equipment lifetime is achieved.
Types of tests
The range of
high voltage
tests depends
on the nature
of the
equipment
being tested
3.0 TEST
VOLTAGES
Direct
power- voltage
frequency s (DC)
alternating
voltages
(AC)

impulse
voltages.

TEST
Con’
t⚫Test with Direct Voltage (DC).
⚫Mainly to test equipment used in
HVDC transmission systems.
⚫Insulation testing, fundamental investigations
in discharge physics and dielectric behavior.
⚫Rate of voltage rise above 75% of its
estimated final value should be about 2%
per second.
Con’
t⚫Test with Alternating Voltage (AC).
⚫Frequency range : 40-60 Hz, sinusoidal
shape.
⚫Dry withstand test : Most common routine
test for all types of electrical equipment
especially insulators, bushing, rod gaps etc.
⚫Applied voltage between two to three
times of the normal working voltage.
Con’
t Test with Alternating Voltage (AC) – cont.
⚫
⚫ Wet withstand test :To simulate the effect of natural rain
on
external insulation.
⚫ Recommended for tests on apparatus which are designed for
outdoor used.
⚫ Use artificial rain.
⚫ Applied for 30-60 seconds.
 Con’
t with Impulse Voltage.
⚫ Test
⚫ Is designed to investigate the
insulation performance due to
the lightning stroke or
Lightning impulse chopped on
the front switching operation.
⚫ 3 types of impulse voltages, ie;
⚫ 1) Full wave
⚫ 2) Chopped wave
⚫ 3) Switching wave
⚫ BS 923: Part 2: 1980
 Con’
t BS 923: Part 2:
⚫
1980

Lightning impulse
chopped on the tail

Full switching
impulse
Con’
t Rated impulse withstand test
⚫
⚫ For test on non-self-restoring insulation, 3 impulses are
applied.
⚫ For withstand tests on self-restoring insulation, 2
procedures are used:
⚫ 1) 15 impulses (rated withstand voltage) with the specified shape
and
polarity are applied
⚫ 2) Test procedure for determining 50% disruptive discharge voltage
is applied
⚫ The method used for determining the levels of applied
voltage is up-and-down methods.
Atmospheric Correction Factors
⚫ The electrical characteristics of the insulators and other
apparatus are normally referred to the reference atmospheric
conditions.
⚫ According to the British Standard Specifications, they are:

Temperature : 20oC
Pressure : 1013 millibars (or 760
torr) Absolute humidity : 11
gm/m3
⚫ Since it is not always possible to do tests under these
reference
conditions, correction factors have to be applied.
Atmospheric Correction Factors

V0 = voltage under actual test conditions,

Vs = voltage under reference atmospheric
conditions, h = humidity correction factor,
and
d = air density correction factor.

The air density correction factor is given by,

where, b = atmospheric pressure in millibars,

and T= atmospheric temperature, oC.
⚫ Humidity correction factor h is obtained from the temperatures
of a wet and dry bulb thermometer, by obtaining the absolute
humidity and then computing h from the absolute
humidity.
Example 1
⚫ Sarzaminor conducted an AC flashover test at power
frequency on a cap and pin insulator for his FYP project.
From the test, it was found that flashover occurred at
80 kV. If the dry and wet temperatures during the test
were 25˚C and 22˚C respectively, and atmospheric
pressure was at 1 atm, determine the flashover voltage
under the reference atmospheric condition.
Example 1
Dry Temp. =
25˚C
Wet Temp. =
22˚C

Absolute humidity 18
= 18g/m3
Example 1
Dry Temp. = 25˚C
Wet Temp. = 22˚C
1 atm = 1013.25
milibar
h=0.92

0.9
2
4.0 HIGH VOLTAGE
TESTING OF ELECTRICAL
APP ARATUS
⚫Transformer
⚫Circuit
breaker
⚫Insulator
⚫Cable
Impulse testing on transformer
• According to BS 171: Part 3.
Carried out at room
temperature with the
transformer not energized.
• Used standard impulse
waveshapes. Full and
chopped
wave Temperatur
Impulse
s. e Rise
Test Test

Failure
detection Short
• A change in the (Insulatio Circuit
waveshape of the voltage n failure) test
and current both before
and after the chopped
waves have been applied.
• The existing of acoustic
noise.
• Visual signs of flashover
Testing of Circuit Breaker
(BS 5227: Part 2, IEC
56)
• Consist of
overvoltage • The most important
withstand tests Temperature rise test on circuit
of power and mechanical breaker since these
frequency, tests assess the
lightning and tests primary
switching • Type performance of these
impulse test devices, i.e. their
voltages. ability to safely
• Circuit breaker interrupt the fault
in both the open currents
and closed
positions Short Circuit
Dielectric tests Tests
or overvoltage
tests,
Short Circuit Test
⚫ Methods of conducting short circuit tests are

(I) Direct Tests

(a) using a short circuit generator as the source
(b) using the power utility system or network as the source.

(II) Synthetic Tests

⚫Consists of two separate sources : one power source acting as a
current source supplying the required short-circuit current at a
(relative) low- voltage level and a second source working as a
voltage source supplying the required voltage.
⚫Based on the fact that for certain (short circuit) tests the test object
is
stressed by a high current and by a high voltage at different time
periods.
 Tests on Insulator
Dry and increased at a uniform rate of about 2 % per
Wet second of 75% of the estimated test
flashover voltage
Power test
Frequency
Test Voltage applied under dry or wet conditions for a
Dry and Wet period of 1 minute with an insulator mounted as
Withstand in service conditions.The test piece should
test withstand the specified voltage.

Impulse Both positive and negative polarities

Withstand Insulator passed the test if five consecutive waves
Test on Voltage
Test do
Insulator Impulse Tests
not cause flashover or
puncture
Impulse
Flashover
Test
Pollution causes
Due to outdoor electrical insulation and corrosion, non-
consequent problems of the maintenance uniform gradients,
Pollution of electrical power systems. Eg. Dust, deterioration of
Testing industrial pollution (smoke & petroleum the material,
vapor), desert pollution, snow partial discharges
and radio
interference.
Routine and Type test on cables
⚫ According to BS 923: Part 2, IEC 60-2, IEC 55-1, IEC 230 and
BS6480.
⚫ Different
I. tests on
mechanical cables
tests like may be classified
bending intoand drainage test, and
test, dripping
fire
II. resistance and corrosion tests,
III. dielectric power factor tests,
IV. power frequency withstand voltage tests, (a.c. voltage of 2.5 limes
the rated value for 10 min.)
V. Dc withstand voltage tests, (1.8 times the rated d.c. voltage of
negative polarity for 30 min)
VI. Impulse withstand voltage tests, (withstand five impulse of
VII. prescribed
magnitude without any damage
partial discharge tests,