TRANSMISSION

ENGINEERING & PROJECTS

COMMISSIONING SERVICE DEPARTMENT
COMMISSIONING SERVICE FIELD WESTERN DIVISION

Pre-Commissioning Test
Procedure
for
Power cable

Prepared By:
Eng. Hatim Gandayh

5/22/2007
 Commissioning Service Department
1 of 17

Power Cable Tests:

SN Type of Test Page

1 Phase identification (Continuity) 2
2 Insulation Resistance 3
3 DC Sheath test on non-metallic outer sheath 4
4 DC Resistance of Conductor 5
5 DC Contact Resistance for Link Box 7
6 SVL Insulation Test 8
7 High Voltage Test 9
8 Conductor Capacitance 12
9 Zero Sequence & +ve Sequence Impedance 13
10 Ground Resistance at Link Boxes 15
11 Cross Bonding Test 16

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1) Phase identification (Continuity):

Scope: The cables are to be identified with respect to their phases RYB
and are to be reaffirmed whether they are marked correctly or not.

Test Procedure:

a) The phase undergoing the test is earthed while the other two phases
are unearthed.
b) The main conductor or screen of the cable under test is to be
connected to the negative pole of the Megger.
c) The positive pole of the Megger is to be grounded.
d) Apply test voltage 1000VDC.
e) The phase identification is ok if the resistance becomes zero while
the resistance of other two phases must be very high.
f) Similarly repeat the test for other phases and verify the correctness
of the color-coding.

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2) Insulation Resistance "IR":

Scope: The insulation resistance shall be measured between conductor

and metallic screen.

Test Procedure:

a) Cable should be free from all system connections.

b) Connect the wires of Megger between conductor and metallic
screen for one phase.
c) Apply test voltage of 5000VDC for 1min.
d) Measure the resistance IR (The result must be in MΩ and more).
e) Similarly repeat the test for other phases.
f) The test has to be carries before and after High Voltage Test.

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3) DC Sheath test on non-metallic outer sheath:

Scope: The purpose is to check the integrity of covering. The test is

applied only for cables covered with conductive layer over sheath.

Test Procedure:

a) Connect DC HV Tester to metallic screen and other terminal of the

instrument must be connected to earth.
b) Apply 10kv DC for 1min step by step according to IEC 229.
c) The test is passed if the cable sheath withstands the required
voltage during 1min without breakdown.
d) Similarly repeat the test for other phases.
e) Record the leakage current for each phase.
f) During test all link boxes must be isolated from earthling system.

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4) DC Resistance of Conductor:

Scope: The purpose of test is to check conductivity of the cable

conductor at 20oC.

Test Procedure:

a) The conductor are shorted at the far end (R-Y & R-B).
b) The other ends of the cables are connected to Bridge according to
equipment instruction.
c) Measure the ambient temperature.
d) Substitute the resistance measured on bridge in the following
formula for temperature correction:-

- For copper
R
R20 = Ω / km
L [1 + 0.00393 × (Τ − 20)]

R20 : Conductor resistance at 20oC (Ω/km).

R : Measured resistance of one phase (Ω).
L : Length of cable (km).
0.00393 : Temperature coefficient at 20oC for copper.
T : Ambient temperature in oC.

e) Connect between Y-B and Y-R and repeat from (b) to (d).
f) Connect between B-R and B-Y and repeat from (b) to (d).
g) DC Resistance of copper conductor depends on cable CSA,
conductor material and length of cable.

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ρl
RDC =
A
o
ρ : Material conductivity at 20 C.
l : Length of the cable.
A : Cross Sectional Area.

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5) DC Contact Resistance for Link Box:

Test Procedure:

a) The Micro-ohmmeter (DC injection machine) shall be applied

between earthing copper bar and disconnectable copper bars.
b) Inject 100A DC current between link and ground.
c) The measurement will be given automatically by the test
instrument.
d) Tests shall be repeated for every phase.
e) The result must be less than 20µΩ.

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6) SVL (Sheath/ Surge voltage limiter) Insulation Test:

There are two methods for SVL Test.

I) First Method

Test Procedure:

a) The SVL leads must be disconnected from the bonding links.

b) Inject slowly 1000v DC on the SVL terminal leads.
c) Measure the current taken from the instrument milliampere meter.
d) Repeat (a-c) for other SVL.

II) Second Method

Test Procedure:

a) The SVL leads must be disconnected from the bonding links.

b) Inject 1000v DC by using Megger for 1min.
c) The reading of the insulation resistance is taken directly from
Megger.
d) Value of IR (Insulation Resistance) shall be more than 10MΩ.
e) Repeat the test for others SVL in the link Box.

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7) High Voltage Test (Hipot):

Scope: AC HV test has be done to make sure from insulation of power

cable that can be capable HV after erection or not.

I) Resonance test system:

- Resonance frequency is the worst case in the power system network for
that power cable shall be test under this condition (at XL = XC).

Test Procedure:

a) The high voltage test equipment has been connecting to power

cable as diagram.
b) Measure the insulation resistance for the cable under test.
U
c) Set the test voltage 2U0 ( U0 = phase voltage)in the computer
3
and duration time of the test 1 hour.
d) 3φ Supply (Diesel generator) has be connected to exciter
transformer. HV reactor provides the resonance frequency. The
measurement during test will be taken from voltage divider. The
blocking impedance protects HV test equipments through
discharging.

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e) Apply test voltage between cable conductor and metallic screen for
test duration.
f) The results will be automatically recorded on lab top computer and
they are printed out.
g) Test pass if no breakdown occurs within test time.
h) Measure again insulation resistance after HV test.

Notes:

1) Circuit breaker should be open.

2) Make sure from all involved CT's are shorted and all involved VT's
are open within HV test.
3) At GIS termination the cable chamber must be disconnected from
bus bar and filled with SF6 gas up to 4 bar.
4) Make sure that cable sheath is grounded at both cable ends and
through link boxes.
5) Make sure SVL (if available) in link box is shorted.
6) If there are connection between new and old cables the test will be
at rating voltage (operation voltage) for 24 hours under tension.
7) AC HV test would be carried out on 3φ together being the length of
the cables short (approx. 100m) and individual for more than
100m.
8) Sometimes every phase consists of more than one cable to carrying
high current so in this case all cables for one phase can be shorted
from both sides for testing together as single cable.
9) Resonance frequency can be calculated from this formula:
1
fR =
2π LC

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II) Very low frequency test (VLF):

- VLF test is approximated to DC test that is effected on cable insulation

more than AC.

Test Procedure:

a) Connect VLF HV test equipment as the previous diagram.

U
b) Apply 3U0 ( U0 = phase voltage) for 1 hour at 0.1 Hz.
3
c) Test pass if no breakdown occurs within test time.
d) Insulation resistance shall be taken after HV test and before it.

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8) Conductor Capacitance:

Scope: The capacitance shall be measured between conductor and

metallic screen; the measured value shall not exceed the nominal value
specified by the manufacture by more than 8%.

Test Procedure:

a) Connect the instrument between conductor and metallic screen of

the cable.
b) Measure the capacitance and calculate it in µF/km.
c) Repeat that for all phases.

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9) Zero Sequence & +ve Sequence Impedance:

Scope: +ve and –ve sequence impedance for the cables are of the same
value.
Zero sequence impedance of the cable is not a fixed parameter and
depends of kind of transmission and the electrical conductivity of the soil
(environment).

I) Measurement of +ve/-ve Sequence Impedance:

Test Procedure:

a) The measurement is done between two phases (R-Y), (R-B) and

(Y-B) respectively.
b) Turn up the power with the variable transformer and usually 100A
injected current is sufficient to get a good result but depending on
the length of the cable to be tested.
c) Measure voltage, current, power and power factor by using power
meter.
d) Impedance (R+ jX) can be calculated from parameters result in (c).

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II) Measurement of zero Sequence Impedance:

Test Procedure:

a) The measurement is done by connecting 3φ of the circuit in

parallel.
b) Turn up the power with 1φ variable transformer and usually 100A
injected current is sufficient to get a good result but depending on
the length of the cable to be tested..
c) Measure voltage, current, power and power factor by using power
meter.
d) Impedance (R+ jX) can be calculated from parameters result in (c).

Notes:

1) Usually zero sequence impedance can be assumed as 3 times of

+ve sequence impedance value.
2) Since the ambient conditions i.e. temperature ..etc. are not defined
in the total cable route, no guarantee that actual measured values
will be similar to theoretical calculated values.

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 Commissioning Service Department
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10) Ground Resistance at Link Boxes:

Scope: The measurement of ground resistance is required for the purpose
of grounding the links at bonding of the cable sheath.

Test Procedure:

a) Install and connect reference electrodes and test equipment as

shown in the figure.
b) The electrode under test (Ground pad of link box) shall be
connected to E.
c) The yellow cable shall be connected to P and black to C.
d) The distance between electrodes is about 5-10 m apart.
e) The value of ground resistance shall be less than 10Ω.

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 Commissioning Service Department
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11) Cross Bonding Test:

Scope: To be check the right connection of the bonding cables for all link
boxes as per design.

- Bonding normally has been made for the sheath of the cable at all joints.
- When correctly bonding, no current may flow in the sheath of the cables
in case of ideal situation (This is only when all cable sections have the
same length and the spacing between the cables is constant along the
cable route). Actually, some induction current always flows in the sheath
due to actual cable section lengths that may differ from section to other.
- Induction current should not be more than 3% - 5% of the injection
current.
- Link box cable (Ground Cable) has inner sheath
(main conductor) and outer sheath (cable screen).

For example:
Inner of Red Outer of Yellow
Inner of Yellow Outer of Blue
Inner of Blue Outer of Red

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Test Procedure:

a) 3φ current 100A is injected from 3φ variable transformer in all 3φ

cables.
b) Measure the induced voltage and current on the cable sheath at
each link box location.
c) The sheath currents will be flow in the link box cables according to
the cross bonding design e.g. (R-Y, Y-B, B-R, ……….etc) until
reaching to remote end.

Prepared by:
Eng. Hatim Gandayh Commissioning Engineer