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The Most Important Tests For Medium Voltage Metal-Enclosed Switchgear You
MUST Perform
Moisture combined with dirt is the greatest deteriorating factor for insulation
systems because of leakage and tracking, which will result in eventual failure.
Therefore, it is important to maintain the switchgear insulation and to chart the
condition of the primary insulation system by routine testing.
The Megger S1-5010 is shown in Figure 1 that may be used to perform this
test.
Figure 1 –
Megger S1-5010 for making insulation resistance tests. (a) Megger S1-5010; (b) Megger S1-
5010 being used in the feld.
The insulation resistance test consists of applying voltage (600–10,000 V
DC) to the apparatus to determine the megohm value of resistance. This
test does not indicate the quality of primary insulation.
Several factors should be remembered when performing this test:
The first is that this test can indicate low values of insulation resistance because
of many parallel paths.
The other is that an insulation system having low dielectric strength may
indicate high resistance values. In view of this, the test results should only be
interpreted for comparative purposes. This does not indicate the quality of the
primary insulation system from the point of view of dielectric withstandability.
The connection diagram for making this test on a power circuit breaker is
shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2
– Typical connection for insulation resistance test of circuit breaker in open position
Insulation resistance tests are made with the circuit breaker in open and closed
position, whereas the insulation test for the switchgear bus is made with one
phase to ground at a time, with the other two phases grounded.
The hi-pot testing of switchgear involves testing of the circuit breakers and
switchgear buses separately. This is a major test and determines the condition
of the insulation of the switchgear assembly.
The DC hi-pot test is not preferred for testing AC switchgear because the
application of DC voltage does not produce similar stress in the insulation
system as is produced under operating conditions. Moreover, the DC hi-pot test
produces corona and tracking owing to concentration of stress at sharp edges
or end points of buses.
The corona and tracking are more pronounced in older equipment, and it is
therefore recommended that DC hi-pot testing be avoided on such
equipment. The test procedures for DC hi-pot testing are similar to those of AC
hi-pot testing.
AC Hi-Pot Test
This test should be conducted separately for circuit breakers and
switchgear buses (stationary gear). It should be made only after the DC
insulation resistance measurement test has been passed
satisfactorily and all cleanup has been finished.
The AC test will stress the switchgear insulation similarly to the stresses found
during operating conditions. The maintenance test voltages should be 75% of
final factory test voltage.
Hi-pot tests are made with the circuit breaker in both open and closed
positions. The hi-pot test should be the last test conducted after all repairs
have been made, cleanup is finished, and the insulation resistance test has
been successfully passed.
Figure 3 – Typical connection for hi-pot test for circuit breaker in closed position
Procedures for the hi-pot test of the circuit breaker are as follows:
However, comparative analysis of values from year to year may very well show
insulation deterioration. Therefore, when a power factor test is made, it should
be made under the same conditions of temperature and humidity. If
differences exist in the temperature and humidity from year to year, this
should be taken into consideration when evaluating the test data.
As a general rule, a power factor below 1% indicates good insulation. Any value above 1%
warrants investigation.
One such instrument is the Megger DLRO 200. It can generate test
currents from 10 to 200 A and can measure resistances ranging from 0.1µΩ to
1 Ω.
Figure 4
– The Megger DLRO 200-115 High Current Digital Low Resistance Ohmmeter, 200 Amp is
designed to check and measure contact resistance in high voltage circuit breakers, disconnecting
switches (isolators), busbar joints, or for any low resistance measurement
Today, the electronic time-travel analyzers are replacing the old mechanical
time–travel analyzers. With either analyzer information on the breaker operating
mechanism is provided in form of charts or graphs which can be used to
assess the mechanical and electrical condition of the breaker.
There are eight tests that are usually conducted on the breaker with the circuit
breaker analyzer. These tests are:
This information will indicate whether the breaker contacts open and close
together or how far apart the three-phase contacts are relative to each other
during the close and open cycle as shown in the example below.
The normal maximum time difference between all three phases should not be
more than 2 ms for most breakers.
Parameters Value Unit
010 Diff time A – B – C 1.6 ms
Further, all breakers have specified closing speed which is defined as the average speed
calculated between two defined points on the motion curve as indicated below.
For example, they will define the first point to be set to a distance above the
open position and a distance below the upper point where the contact motion
stops as indicated below.
The graph for a trip is similar to the one for a close operation, except the motion
of the mechanism is going in the opposite direction, i.e., from closed contacts to
fully open position as seen in Figure 7
Figure 7 – Graph showing speed of the contacts opening for trip (or open) operation of a breaker
6. Trip-free operation
This operation simulates the condition when an open breaker is closed into a
fault and then it is tripped free by a protective relay.
8. Trip-reclose operation
In this test, the reclose operation of the breaker is checked to assure that the
breaker closing time is within specified limits after a trip operation. The
reclose time is measured either in milliseconds or cycles.
This test should be performed during acceptance tests and then during
maintenance tests about every 3 years.