HIGH VOLTAGE TESTING OF

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS
1. Introduction
2. Classification of High Voltage Tests
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’t
3. 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- voltages
frequency (DC)
alternating
voltages (AC)

impulse
voltages.

TEST VOLTAGES
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
 Test with Impulse Voltage.
 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

0.92
4.0 HIGH VOLTAGE TESTING OF
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS
 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
waves. Temperature
Impulse Test
Rise Test

Failure
detection Short
• A change in the waveshape of (Insulation Circuit test
the voltage and current both failure)
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 of Temperature rise test on circuit breaker
power frequency, and mechanical tests since these tests assess
lightning and the primary
switching impulse performance of these
voltages. • Type test devices, i.e. their
• Circuit breaker in ability to safely
both the open and interrupt the fault
closed positions currents

Dielectric tests or Short Circuit Tests

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 Wet increased at a uniform rate of about 2 % per
flashover test second of 75% of the estimated test voltage
Power
Frequency Test
Voltage applied under dry or wet conditions for a
Dry and Wet period of 1 minute with an insulator mounted as in
Withstand test service conditions. The test piece should withstand the
specified voltage.

Impulse Both positive and negative polarities

Withstand Insulator passed the test if five consecutive waves do
Test on Insulator Voltage Test not cause flashover or puncture
Impulse Tests

Impulse Flashover
Test

Pollution causes
Due to outdoor electrical insulation and corrosion, non-
consequent problems of the maintenance of uniform gradients,
Pollution Testing electrical power systems. Eg. Dust, industrial deterioration of the
pollution (smoke & petroleum vapor), desert material, partial
pollution, snow 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 tests on cables may be classified into
I. mechanical tests like bending test, dripping and drainage test, and 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 prescribed
magnitude without any damage
VII. partial discharge tests,