F E A T U R E A R T
Turbine Generator Rotor and Stator
Winding Hipot Testing
Key words: insulation testing, rotor winding, stator winding, turbine generator, hipot test
Introduction
An important component of synchronous machines is the
electrical insulation that is used in both the stator and the rotor
windings to insulate the copper conductors from ground. The
stator winding insulation is exposed to continuous high ac volt-
ages of many kilovolts in service, whereas the rotor windings
(sometimes called field windings) in synchronous machines
operate under dc voltage, at voltages that are usually around
a few hundred volts. If the stator winding ground insulation is
punctured, the machine is automatically removed from service
by protective relaying. If the ground insulation fails in a rotor
winding, most commonly the machine is tripped, although it is
possible under some circumstances for the machine to continue
to operate with a ground fault, but at great risk of catastrophic
damage if a second fault were to develop. Thus, machine opera-
tors need assurance that the rotor and stator winding insulation
will not fail in service.
One of the most common tests to ensure insulation reliabil-
ity is the insulation resistance test, where a relatively low dc
voltage is applied to the insulation [1]. The insulation resistance
test ensures there are no shorts in the insulation, but it can miss
significant flaws that have not yet completely bridged the insula-
tion. For more than 100 years, the method used to detect incipi-
ent faults and weaknesses has been to temporarily apply a higher
than operating voltage to stator and rotor windings. The purpose
is to assure motor and generator operators that the main ground
insulation in those windings can be placed in service with lit-
tle risk of a failure. This most fundamental of insulation tests
goes by various names, including high-potential testing (often
colloquially referred to as hipot testing), overvoltage testing,
withstand testing, or proof testing. The principle is that if the
insulation can withstand a temporarily applied voltage higher
than occurs in service, then an in-service failure during the fore-
seeable future is unlikely. The hipot test is often performed after
critical winding manufacturing steps, just before the winding is
first placed into operation, and sometimes during periodic shut-
downs of the motor or generator. Hipot testing is done using
power frequency (50/60 Hz), dc or 0.1 Hz (very low frequency)
voltage.
March/April — Vol. 28, No. 2 0883-7554/12/$31/©2012/IEEE
I C L E
Relu Ilie
Israel Electric Corporation, Israel
G. C. Stone
Qualitrol-Iris Power, Canada
This article reviews the literature
and international and national stan-
dards concerned with factory and
maintenance hipot testing of turbine
generators, although much of the ar-
ticle is also applicable to hydrogen-
erators and synchronous motors.
There is a considerable amount of literature available on hipot
testing machines, including how to do the test, the test voltage,
risks associated with hipot testing, as well as surveys of machine
manufacturers and machine owners about test levels and under
what circumstances they perform hipot testing [2]–[52]. In ad-
dition, as discussed below, international and national standards
organizations have published many test guides and standards
concerned with hipot testing. Most of this literature has focused
on hipot testing of stator winding insulation. Often rotor wind-
ing hipot testing receives minor or even no attention. The result
is that operators of machines have inconsistent or little guidance
on hipot testing of the rotor windings that have been in service.
In this article, we review the literature and standards con-
cerned with rotating machine hipot testing. First hipot testing
after machine manufacture (factory hipot testing) is discussed.
Then we review the situations for testing once the machine has
29
 seen service, usually called maintenance hipot testing, and af-
ter a winding repair. Although the focus is on rotor windings,
for completeness this review contrasts the situation with stator
winding hipot testing. Because the rotor winding is often sup-
plied from a dc “exciter,” the following also makes reference to
the hipot voltages performed on exciter windings. Most of the
following discussion is concerned with high-speed turbine (tur-
bo) generators larger than 10 MVA, with stator voltages of 6 kV
or higher, and rotors rated above 100 V. However, the discussion
is also relevant to hydrogenerators and synchronous motors.
Factory Proof Hipot
Origin and Purpose
This is a factory acceptance test, unanimously required by
all standards for any new machine windings, and is intended
to prove manufacturing quality control. The final hipot test is
normally preceded by higher voltage hipot tests, performed dur-
ing the manufacturing process, and for which no standards are
available. These are not discussed here, but a survey of what
manufacturers use is presented in [36].
Current Standards
The traditional high-potential tests as specified by standards
are performed with ac voltages (50/60 Hz) for 1 minute, on both
stator and rotor, even though the rotor winding is operated under
dc voltage.
Stator. According to standards IEC 60034-1 [2] and IEEE/ANSI
C50.13 [3], the stator hipot ac voltage UsT shall be
UsT = 2 UsN + 1 kVac, (1)
where UsN is the stator rated line-to-line ac voltage (in kV rms)
using IEC terminology. In the IEEE standards, UsN is referred
to as E. By these standards, for windings rated 6 kV or above
(“when ac equipment is not available” [2]), an alternative dc
hipot may be agreed instead, at 1.7 times the ac value in equa-
tion (1).
Rotor. By the same standards IEC 60034-1 [2] and IEEE C50.13
[3], the rotor hipot ac voltage UrT shall be
“[generator] field windings are subjected to higher mechanical
and thermal stresses.” The NEMA standard [4] is also
inconsequent, indicating this lower test value for brushless
exciters of synchronous motors.
History and Practices
From a review of the literature, it seems the hipot test volt-
age levels have been established empirically and set by a trial-
and-error process according to manufacturing and maintenance
experience.
Stator. In the United States, the one-minute ac insulation test on
finished machines was standardized 110 years ago. Initially, the
stator was tested at twice the rated voltage; later on, other values
were tried [6], [7]. Similarly, the 2 UsN test voltage was initially
used in Europe based on old German and British standards [8].
Beginning in 1914, the American standards all stipulated the test
level given by equation (1) [7]. The seventh edition (1969) of
IEC 34-1 mentioned UsT = 2 UsN + 3 kV. From 1983 (eighth
edition), the same level as equation (1) was adopted by IEC.
Figure 1 shows the historical changes in stator hipot levels.
Standard ANSI C50.10 has allowed a dc hipot as an alternate
test since 1965, whereas IEC 60034-1 permitted dc beginning in
its edition 10.2 (1999).
Rotor. According to old American standards, the rotor was tested
at 1,500 Vac if UrN ≤ 400 V and at 2,000 Vac if rated higher [6].
In 1913, [8] mentioned testing at 3 times the rated voltage in
the UK and Germany, with a minimum of 1,000 to 1,500 Vac.
In 1914, the USA testing level was changed to 10 UrN but not
less than 1,500 Vac nor more than 3,500 Vac [7]. Standard ANSI
C50.10 (1965) stipulated the 10 UrN value without any upper
limit. The seventh edition of IEC 34-1 and earlier required the
10 UrN factor but a 3,500 Vac maximum level. From 1977 [9],

ì10 U rN , at least 1,500 Vac if U rN £ 500 Vdc

ï
U rT = ï
í (2)
ï
ï
î 2 U rN + 4, 000 Vac if U rN > 500 Vdc,

where UrN is the field rated dc voltage (in V, at rated load). Inter-
estingly enough, in spite of the rotor winding operating under dc
voltage, these standards do not allow an alternative dc hipot test
for rotor windings.
Exciter. The IEC standard [2] recognizes that exciters connected
to the rotor winding shall be tested at the same voltage as the
rotor described in equation (2); NEMA MG 1 [4] has identical
requirements for generator brushless exciters (MG 1 does not
cover generators above 5 MVA, being cited here regarding
exciters only). Contrarily, by IEEE 421.3 [5], the exciter test
level is 2 UrN + 2,800 V if UrN > 350 V, because “experience Figure 1. Historical evolution of factory hipot level for stator
indicates that higher test voltages are not necessary” and windings.

30 IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine

equation (2) was adopted by ANSI C50.10 and from 1983 by
IEC too. Figure 2 shows the historical changes in rotor hipot
levels. Some utilities are specifying that new rotors be hipot
tested both standing and running [10]; this complicates the test
procedure, especially for brushless exciters [9].
Initial Site Hipot
Origin and Purpose
Today, most turbine generators are completely assembled and
tested in the factory. Subsequent to the factory tests, the machine
is packed, shipped, and installed in the power plant; during this
process, hidden damages may occasionally occur. Thus, it is
necessary to perform an additional high-potential test at the gen-
erating station on turbine generators before the initial startup.
Often this hipot is called a field acceptance test or initial site
hipot. Most believe that a hipot test has no effect on insulation
life as long as the insulation passed [36]. However, because the
generator may have been subjected to moisture or other con-
taminants, many believe that initial hipot at the generating sta-
tion should be somewhat less severe than that in the factory.
Note that because hydrogenerators are normally assembled for
the first time at the generating station, the factory hipot and the
initial site hipot are the same.
Current Standards
The initial site hipot test on the stator and rotor windings is
recommended by IEEE [3] at the ac voltage
0.85 UsT or 0.85 UrT. (3)
The IEC standard [2] mentions the initial site test on a stator
or rotor as an optional purchaser request, done at
Figure 2. Historical evolution of factory hipot level for rotor
windings.
March/April — Vol. 28, No. 2
0.8 UsT or 0.8 UrT. (4)
According to [5], the exciter initial test is done at only 75%
of the factory hipot level, and the same value is mentioned by
NEMA MG 1 [4].
History and Practices
About 80 years ago, British standards mentioned an initial
site acceptance test at 75% of the factory test voltage, whereas
[11] recommended the 85% value. Up to the publication of [3]
in 2006, a hipot test was specified in the United States (ANSI
C50.13, ANSI C50.15) for each generator not completely as-
sembled in the factory, but apparently it was a factory-level test
performed in the field. Standard ANSI C50.10-1990 indicated
that if a test is made after installation in the generating station,
its level should be 85% of equations (1) or (2). All of the above
ANSI standards have been withdrawn. An EPRI publication in
1987 suggested hipot tests after installation be made at 75 or
85% of the factory value, depending on the type, output, and
voltage rating of the generator [12].
Repaired Winding Hipot
Origin and Purpose
This hipot test is intended to check the quality of a stator or ro-
tor winding repair to some part of the insulation system or where
the insulation may have been at risk due to some other interven-
tion (for example by a retaining ring replacement). Sometimes
it is also prudent to perform a hipot before a significant repair is
started. The purpose is to determine whether the insulation to be
repaired is weak in other areas. This enables the repair contrac-
tor and the machine owner to ensure that the “good parts” of
the winding are truly in good enough condition to pass a hipot
after the repair. If such a before-repair hipot is not done and a
failure occurs after repair, then the owner is not sure whether the
contractor initiated other problems or the original winding had
other problems. For example, a retaining ring replacement may
include a hipot before the old retaining rings are removed, in ad-
dition to the final one after the new rings are mounted.
Current Standards
By IEC [2], completely rewound rotor and stator windings
(including all new insulation components) shall be tested at the
full ac test voltage as new machines, i.e., at
1.0 UsT or 1.0 UrT. (5)
When the contractor and user have agreed, [2] recommends
testing partially rewound windings at
0.75 UsT or 0.75 UrT. (6)
The standard IEC 60034-23 deals with refurbishing rotating
machines (including rewinding), whereas for the hipot test, it re-
fers to other standards such as [2]. In contrast, IEEE 1665-2009,
which deals with synchronous generator rewind, is more specif-
ic by particularly emphasizing complete rewinds and citing test
levels (as per new machines) from other standards, such as [3].
31
 The recommended practice for rotating apparatus repair devel-
oped by the Electrical Apparatus Service Association (EASA)
AR100 [13] mentions for reconditioned windings a hipot test at
65% of new winding test value; for machines with windings that
are not reconditioned, only insulation resistance measurement
should be done. This standard does not clearly define the term
“recondition.”
History and Practices
Testing at full voltages per equation (5) is a common practice
for complete rewinds with all new insulation materials. How-
ever, in cases of partial rewinds or if old insulation parts are
reused, the final test should be done at values from equation (6)
or as agreed between contractor and user according to the exact
work extent; these levels are normally in the range of 60 to 85%
of the test voltages in equations (1) or (2) for new machines. One
practical example for related repairs requiring winding hipot is
testing at 1.3 to 1.5 UsN before stator rewedging, and following
repairs with a test value of 0.l UsN lower [14].
Table 1 exemplifies test sequences performed during stator
rewinds [15]. Table 2 presents examples of hipot tests related
to full or partial rotor rewind, based on manufacturers’ recom-
mendations.
Periodic Maintenance Hipot
Origin and Purpose
This hipot test is used periodically during the life of the ma-
chine to verify its suitability for further operation. The test repro-
duces, in a controlled way, for one minute, the overvoltages to
ground that may occur in service. It searches out incipient flaws
during a planned outage at a convenient time, risking less col-
lateral damage than would occur by an in-service failure caused
by a similar transient. If the winding survives the hipot test, it is
unlikely to fail in operation (at least for a few more years). The
maintenance hipot is also useful if visual inspection indicates a
machine is in questionable condition or if it has been subjected
to severe electrical, mechanical, or thermal stress (e.g., system
short circuit, bad synchronization, asynchronous operation, pro-
longed field ceiling, and so on).
Table 1. Hipot Test Examples for Stator Rewinding.
Partial rewinding
Replacement
bars: Repaired Replacement Replacement
Item or reused bars: New bars: New
Spare bars in the
factory
— 1.3 UsT 1.3 UsT
Spare bars after storage — 1.2 UsT 1.2 UsT
Bars installed in slots (1.4–1.65) UsN 1.1 UsT 1.1 UsT
Final: Complete winding
(1.25–1.5) UsN (1.25–1.5) UsN 1.0 UsT
installed
32
Table 2. Hipot Test Examples for Rotor Rewinding.1
Partial
Full rewinding
rewinding
SI: Old and new SI: New SI: New
C/CI: Old and C/CI: Old
C/CI: New
Item new and new
Before retaining ring
removal
0.7 UrT — —
Individual new coils in slot 1.3 UrT 1.3 UrT 1.3 UrT
After coil assembly and
0.65 UrT (0.9–1.0) UrT (1.1–1.2) UrT
clamp
Final: After retaining ring
installation
0.6 UrT 0.8 UrT 1.0 UrT
1
SI = slot insulation; C/CI = collector/connections insulation.
Stator. Power frequency overvoltages may appear as a result
of ground faults in the power system. On high-impedance
grounded systems typical of utility generators, the neutral
displacement may reach the phase voltage, and in the healthy
phases, the voltage to ground may rise to 1.0 UsN. If a weakness
is present, the first ground may initiate a second ground fault
(in the stator winding or elsewhere in the connected equipment,
e.g., a voltage transformer). This will create a phase-to-phase
fault and high damaging currents that flow as long as enough
field current still exists (typically 5 seconds to decay to 30%
of initial field current [16] or even a longer time in the case of
brushless excitation systems).
Apart from ground faults, other operation contingencies may
lead to ac overvoltages commensurable with the hipot level:
load rejection (may cause self-excitation if the reactive power
generated by unloaded lines exceeds generator reactive absorp-
tion capability), ferro-resonance (e.g., paralleling of generator
capacitance and voltage transformer if the neutral resistor is dis-
connected), faulty voltage regulator or voltage transformer, or
high to low voltage windings faults in the step-up transformer.
Additional stresses may occur from the generator breakers, if
one phase fails to open or close in synchronism with the other
two phases [17], [18].
The stator hipot does check the phase-to-phase insulation at
Full a slightly higher voltage than the rated one, because the hipot
rewinding is performed on each phase with the others grounded. Surge ar-
resters or capacitors on the machine terminals will not protect
against power frequency overvoltages.
Rotor. The rotor winding is usually floating with respect to
the rotor body. Thus in a healthy ungrounded rotor winding,
the voltages to ground are balanced and equal to half the field
voltage. When a ground fault occurs to the rotor body, in the
most onerous condition (e.g., if the ground fault protection is
connected to one slip ring), full field voltage may appear at the
other winding end. This increases the probability of a second
ground fault, in the rotor winding or in other field circuit
elements (such as the “D leads” in the shaft bore of a turbine
IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine
generator rotor, collector rings, exciter windings, rectifiers, and Current Standards
so on). The second ground may unbalance the air-gap flux and
Stator. In general, according to the IEEE 62.2 [27], a stator
produce disastrous vibrations and substantial currents in the
winding maintenance ac hipot test is made in the range of
winding and rotor body.
Other causes of rotor winding overvoltages are also pos-
1.25 to 1.5 UsN (7)
sible. Although the rotor is normally operating on dc volt-
age, many overvoltage contingencies have ac superimposed
(this approximately equals 60 to 75% UsT). However, test levels
components, which tends to justify the rotor ac hipot testing.
only slightly above UsN, as low as
During field breaker opening of the high rotor inductance,
overvoltages appear, which are supposed to be limited by the
1.1 UsN, (8)
protective discharge resistance (higher in large machines on
ceiling excitation) [10], [19]. Abnormal voltages may also be
can be used to validate insulation with a known weakness, if a
caused by field forcing used to improve the system stability
rewinding is expected in the near future [27]. Standard IEEE
during short circuits. These may reach 50% of the factory hi-
115-2009 [28] points at a 1987 EPRI report that mentions that
pot level for high rated voltages and high ceiling rates [10]. In
“some machine standards refer to maintenance hipot levels as
static excitation systems, the spiky rotor voltage contains large
0.65 or 0.7 times the factory test level [12]. Manufacturers rec-
ac components. According to [10], the thyristor’s commutation
ommend 1.25–1.5 UsN for suitability to continued service tests.
may lead to maximum rotor voltages of up to 5 UrN (on high
Certain utilities may use 1.1–1.2 UsN for older, more mature
field forcing), while the voltage to ground at ceiling excita-
generators; their reasoning is that it is unnecessary to stress the
tion may reach 50% of the factory test level (and even more if
whole winding at 1.25–1.5 UsN when the coils near the neutral
reflections occur when long cables are used [20]). Moreover,
will never be subjected to such high voltage even for a phase-
in a shunt excitation system, overvoltages can result from a
to-ground fault.”
defective excitation transformer or may be transferred from its
Standard IEC 60034-1 [2] recommends that, if the user and
high voltage side.
contractor have agreed, an overhauled machine is subjected to
If a pole-slipping event takes place, an ac voltage at slip fre-
a test at
quency is induced on top of the rotor normal dc voltage. Pole-
slipping can also occur in the event of a field breaker opening,
1.5 UsN, (9)
leaving the generator in asynchronous operation. Large ac com-
ponents tend to reverse the excitation current on each negative
but without a clear definition of the term “overhaul.” The as-
peak, and these negative currents actually can flow in the case of
sumption is that overhaul work includes cleaning and drying
dc generator exciters. However, for excitation fed through recti-
with minimal disassembly.
fiers, these negative currents are blocked, thus a high voltage
appears across the rotor winding [10]. Some tests have measured Rotor. Although periodic hipot tests are well documented
slip voltages up to 3 to 4 UrN [21]. According to [22], conven- for stator windings, the literature is ambiguous about rotors.
tional equivalent machine models exaggerate the overvoltages. According to the recommendations of IEC 60034-1, if user and
Using a different model, it was found that calculated field volt- contractor have agreed, an overhauled machine is subjected to
ages are 4 to 5 UrN for asynchronous events. a test of
During a short circuit at the generator terminals, the rotor cur-
rent comprises the initial field current and superimposed dc and 1.5 UrN, at least 1,000 V. (10)
ac decaying components. According to tests, the field voltages
can attain 4 to 5 UrN [23]. During system short circuits, the rotor As mentioned before, “overhaul” is not totally clear, but the
current may become negative; worst cases are line-to-line short 1,000 Vac value may be used as a minimum periodic hipot level,
circuits (include a double frequency ac component), especially when no better references are available. The IEEE 62.2 deals
those occurring at leading power factor and cleared at unfavor- in detail with site hipot testing of armature only [27]. The ro-
able times [24], [25], when the rotor overvoltages may reach 4 tor maintenance hipot is not mentioned in IEEE 56-1997, but
to 5 UrN [22]. the IEEE 432-1992 (for smaller machines) indicates that such
If a unit is synchronized beyond standard reactive power vec- tests are made also on ground insulation of the rotor winding,
tor limits, a large current surge will flow in the stator windings, yet specifying test values for armature only. The two last-named
which is then reflected in the rotor. Reference [26] calculated standards have been withdrawn, and a merged revision is being
during negative field currents peak voltages of 9 to 14 UrN for developed.
mismatches of 12° in phase displacement and 12% in voltage. According to [22] and [25], salient-pole machines (especially
By [24] and [25], a phase opposition (180°) faulty synchroniza- motors or hydrogenerators in pump mode) may be subjected in
tion may lead to overvoltages as high as 4 to 5 UrN. service to larger rotor overvoltages than turbo-generators. How-
In general, larger rotor overvoltages may occur in smaller ever, the standards do not recognize such differences for factory
turbo-generators or those without suitable damper (amortisseur) nor for periodic hipot tests.
windings. Methods intended to protect the rotor against overvol- Exciter. According to IEEE 421.3 [5], the exciter’s hipot level
tages are discharge resistors or electronic devices. shall not exceed 65% of the factory test voltage.

March/April — Vol. 28, No. 2 33

 History and Practices
Stator. In the beginning of the 20th century, German standards
mentioned hipot tests at 130% of the rated voltage for 5 minutes
[8]. A few years later, [11] proposed to include in the American
standard a test to ground at 1.25 UsN and also a test between
phases at 1.75 UsN. By [29], no really reliable nondestructive
test was available for predicting the remaining life of rotating
machines in service, and consequently, if a failure in service
were to be avoided, it was necessary to use hipot testing.
After an extensive survey, in 1945 a utility started a periodic
testing program at 1.5 UsN, which they claimed proved
effective for eliminating winding failures in service with no ill
effects on good insulation [29]. One hipot test voltage survey
performed in the 1960s indicated testing between 1.0 and 1.5
UsN [30]. Manufacturers’ surveys from the 1970s indicated that
maintenance hipot testing has proven necessary and useful to
detect weak spots, particularly with aged insulation. If a bar fails
a hipot test, the invariable reason is insulation damage. Based
on much experience, no service failure occurred within the two-
year period following a hipot test [31], [32].
CIGRÉ surveys [33], [34] from the 1980s concluded that “the
most representative and most generally accepted method for as-
sessing the good condition of insulation is application of a hipot
proof test. From the different methods, the 1 minute ac test at 1.5
UsN is the most widely recognized.” CIGRÉ checked this issue
again in 1996 and deduced that routine hipot testing is a com-
mon method to ultimately check the dielectric strength of wind-
ings (in 12 out of 17 countries); 9 countries perform ac tests at
1.5 UsN, and others perform ac tests at slightly lower voltages or
dc tests [35]. By [36], in 2000 most utilities used a hipot level of
1.2 to 1.6 UsN, depending on machine history and criticality. One
book [37] mentions that nowadays the maintenance ac hipot is
more widespread in Asia and Europe than in North America.
The newest and most comprehensive survey is the EPRI re-
port 1014908 from 2008 [38], which updated the previous work
[36]. It seems that fewer utilities used hipot maintenance tests in
2008 than in 2001; most respondents perform periodic hipots at
60 to 80% of factory UsT [39]. By [38], the electrical withstand
of a stator winding should be at least 1.2 to 1.3 UsN based on
a ground fault event, plus a 10% voltage fluctuation and some
(10–20%) safety margin. Even a 1.0 UsN test will give some
protection against service failure, although the margin may be
small in the event of a system disturbance; a test level of at least
1.2 UsN is preferable [16], and using lower hipot levels does not
ensure long-term serviceability of the winding insulation [38].
Rotor. Much less information has been published for rotor
maintenance tests than for stator windings. One example of
utility practice is testing rotors rated 125 V at 1,000 V and those
rated 250 V at 1,500 V (no value is mentioned for UrN ≥500 V)
[40]. According to the EPRI handbook [41], “test voltages of
about 1,000 V are sometimes used for turbine generator rotor
insulation which has seen service.” CIGRÉ surveys [33], [34]
found that in only a few countries are hipot tests systematically
performed on rotors and that substantially more attention is paid
to the stator winding. A newer CIGRÉ survey (1996) [42] does
not mention hipots on rotor windings except for the insulation
34
resistance test. Also according to one book [37], stator windings
are much more likely to be subjected to maintenance hipots than
are rotors.
Reference [16] clarifies that “rotor windings operate at rela-
tively low voltages, less than 750 V dc, and are generally de-
signed with creepage paths subjected to contamination.” As a
result, a good test can be performed with megohmmeter, and
routine hipot is generally not recommended.
One large manufacturer recognizes in its instructions (pub-
lished from 1979 through 2009) that the practice in most utili-
ties is to do much less hipot testing on the rotor than on stator,
although the rotor insulation is also an important cause of forced
outages. It appreciates that this practice should be reevaluated,
applying more efforts in rotor and associated excitation test pro-
grams [43]. On the other hand, manufacturers normally do not
explicitly recommend hipot tests as standard maintenance prac-
tice on rotors. Power plant engineers are normally worried when
asked to perform rotor hipots, even at a minimum of 1,000 Vac.
Hipot Test Risk
When deciding to perform a hipot test, the two conflicting
alternatives are
• do the test when the machine is stopped for planned
maintenance and risk a controlled insulation failure or
• do not perform a hipot test, but then accept the risk of a
forced outage during operation with the associated lost
revenue and the possibility of much greater damage to
the machine.
In the final analysis, this is a risk management decision that
has to take into consideration many aspects including, among
others, type and condition of insulation, equipment age, its his-
tory and importance to the power system, machine operating
regime, desired service reliability, and system generation needs
[36], [37].
The hipot test should be applied only when the machine is
expected to be in good condition and its insulation resistance
and polarization index are deemed suitable as per IEEE 43 [1].
During any off-line test, even when the winding is tested at nor-
mal service voltage, all coils/bars in the winding are at high po-
tential. Thus, coils close to the neutral in a stator winding will
see much higher voltage than in service. Similarly, more voltage
stress will occur across some of the groundwall insulation than
would be experienced in service. Many feel that after any hipot
test, the insulation resistance test should be repeated.
Before any maintenance hipot testing, it is recommended to
check the ready availability of strategic spare components. For
instance, keeping in stock spare stator bars in suitable quantities
and types [15] will permit relatively rapid stator winding repairs
(except in case of global VPI machines). Ideally, a complete
spare rotor would enable the most comprehensive solution for
rotor winding hipot failures. Major spares such as a complete
rotor are usually only justifiable if the spare can be used in a
number of generators that the utility operates.
High-potential tests are performed at lethal voltages and pose
high safety dangers. Both test equipment operators and plant
IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine
personnel must be fully trained and certified before performing
these tests. No leads should be left unconnected or ungrounded
during the test. The stator hipot test on generators is performed
on each phase separately (if possible), with the other two phases
grounded; all voltage transformers, lightning arrestors, capaci-
tors, and so on should be disconnected. During the rotor hipot
test, the diodes of an assembled brushless excitation system
should be short-circuited (not grounded). Excitation system
components such as line-to-ground capacitors, shaft current sup-
pressors, voltage attenuators, and so on should be insulated from
ground during the test.
Maintenance Hipot Test Periodicity
Only about 50% of utilities perform maintenance hipot tests
[36], [39]. For utilities that do maintenance hipot testing, the
periodic maintenance hipot tests are usually performed as part
of a scheduled major overhaul and inspection activities [27]. Ac-
cording to IEEE 67, the time between inspections is usually de-
termined by the manufacturer’s recommendations and the user’s
experience [44]. Consideration should be given to the opera-
tion hours, number of starts, severe short circuits or other high
transients experienced, outages for turbine repairs, conditions
found in previous inspections, type of station (nuclear or fossil),
unit size and duty, generator age, system demand, and insurance
company implications.
Until about 1980, American, Japanese, and European manu-
facturers normally recommended inspection and hipot after the
first year of operation and subsequently at intervals of about 3 to
5 years [32], [45]. At that time, utilities normally fulfilled these
recommendations, as shown in an old survey of utilities [30]. A
1987 CIGRÉ report found that stator hipots were done for diag-
nostic purposes every 4 to 6 years, and rotor hipots much less
frequently (10 to 12 years or never) [46]. A 1996 CIGRÉ survey
mentioned that major overhauls with extensive dielectric testing
were performed in intervals of 6 to 9 years [35]. An IEEE report
in 2001 found that the most frequent major outage intervals were
8 to 10 years [47].
The current general tendency is to have less frequent outages,
which consequently means the interval between maintenance hi-
pot tests is getting longer. This is presumably being driven by
the need to minimize outages and maximize revenue from the
generators. This trend has been accentuated by restructuring
of the power industry (deregulation, privatization). One large
manufacturer still recommends stator hipots for every minor (30
months) and major (60 months) outage, whereas rotor hipots are
mentioned as optional. It is interesting that the major outage def-
inition has become wider to include either rotor-out or limited
access robotic inspections [48].
Conclusions
Maintaining the integrity of the insulation system is essential
for generator reliability. The insulation may continue to perform
quite satisfactorily at service voltage but fail under overvoltages
occurring in operation. According to a wide survey of standards,
organizations, manufacturers, and user opinion, the maintenance
hipot test is the most reliable test to verify the suitability of the
insulation to perform its function and to prove that a margin ex-
March/April — Vol. 28, No. 2
ists for continued safe operation. This test also provides an easy-
to-interpret result that is either “go” or “no go” [38]. The hipot
test does not damage or introduce any significant harm to the
insulation [36], [38], [43], [45], [49]–[51]. The authors believe
that the hipot test should be specified and implemented as rec-
ommended by standards on manufacturing, at the initial site, and
after repair and maintenance tests. To mitigate the managers’
and engineers’ reluctance on using this risky tool, the hipot test
policy should be regulated by the utility’s internal procedures, as
an integral component of the generator availability plan.
It is the authors’ opinion that stator winding maintenance hi-
pot tests will help utilities avoid in-service failures. In the au-
thors’ experience, any stator winding that failed a maintenance-
level hipot had such extensive deterioration that the winding
would have failed in any case after the winding was returned
to service. The stator winding hipot test should be done at least
during major outages, or if deterioration is suspected following
diagnostic tests or visual inspections, or as a decision aid for
future rewinds [14].
It seems it is common practice not to perform periodic main-
tenance hipot tests on rotor windings. Instead, the rotor ground
insulation is usually just given a low-voltage (perhaps 500 Vdc)
insulation resistance test. Even the polarization index may not
be applicable for nonencapsulated designs, according to IEEE
43 clause 12.2.1 [1]. Service problems relating to rotor insula-
tion failure are common, especially in turbine generators, due to
contamination, fracture, migration and cut-through, as a result
of creepage surface design and high mechanical duties in opera-
tion [9], [16], [37], [52]. These stresses are the main impetus for
high factory hipot levels. But these stresses seem to be almost
neglected for rotor winding maintenance, in contrast with the
stator. In factory testing the hipot test level is relatively much
higher for rotors than for the stator. In contrast, the test level for
maintenance hipots is inverted, with the rotor tested only with an
insulation resistance test at or near operating voltage.
Many circumstances were presented above to show that tem-
porary high-voltage stress can be applied to the rotor winding
ground insulation during operation. To mitigate the risk of rotor
winding insulation failure by these transients, the authors sug-
gest a maintenance rotor ac hipot of
0.5 UrT, at least 1,000 Vac (11)
would be justifiable. This hipot level does not include a safety
margin, contrary to the 0.6 to 0.75 UsT ac hipot level used on
stators (equation 7). Nevertheless, this rotor maintenance hipot
level seems much more appropriate than the present practice and
may be used as a proposal toward further discussions. This ro-
tor winding maintenance hipot should only be performed if the
insulation is clean and dry, that is, it has a high insulation resis-
tance level.
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IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine
 Relu Ilie received the MS degree in elec-
trical engineering from the Technical Uni-
versity of Iaşi, Romania. He is in charge of
power plant electrical systems and equip-
ment for the Israel Electric Corporation.
Relu Ilie has 29 years of experience in the
generation and transmission field, mostly
dedicated to electrical machines issues: de-
sign and failure analysis, maintenance and
inspections, monitoring and testing, technical specifications, life
extension, condition assessment, and so on (e-mail: reluilie@
iec.co.il).
Greg Stone was a dielectrics engineer
with Ontario Hydro’s Research Division
from 1975 to 1990. Since 1990, Dr. Stone
has been employed at Iris Power in Toron-
to, Canada, a rotating machine diagnostic
instrument manufacturing company he
helped to form. He is a past-president of
the IEEE Dielectrics and Electrical Insu-
lation Society and continues to be active
on many IEEE and IEC standards working groups. He has pub-
lished two books and many papers concerned with rotating ma-
chine insulation. Greg Stone has a PhD in electrical engineering
from the University of Waterloo (Canada), is a Fellow of the
IEEE, a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada, and is a
registered professional engineer in Ontario, Canada.

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