Common

Questions
on Partial

image licensed by graphic stock

Discharge
Testing
IEEE In dustry A p plication s M ag az in e • JAN |F E B 2016 • www.ieee.or g/ia s

A review of recent developments in

IEEE and IEC standards for offline and online
testing of motor and generator stator windings

BY G.C. Stone, Meredith K.W. Stranges, & Donald G. Dunn

P
artial discharges (PDs) are baseline performance evaluations of new groundwall
small electrical sparks that occur in voids insulation in stator windings rated 6 kV and above.
within electrical insulation or on the sur- Many petrochemical plants and refineries perform online
face of motor and generator stator wind- PD tests to periodically assess the condition of the sta-
ing coils. Offline and online PD testing have become torwinding insulation on machines during operation.
widely used tools for in-factory quality acceptance and The IEEE and the International Electrotechnical Com-
mission (IEC) have created standards that are called rec-
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MIAS.2015.2458337
14 Date of publication: 29 October 2015 ommended practices or technical specifications (TSs) to address

1077-2618/16©2016IEEE

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offline and online PD measurement using electrical diag- version published in the 1960s. It later became the
nostic equipment and optical measurement of surface foundation of IEC 60270 [3]. Both of these documents
PDs. The standards explain testing objectives and princi- are intended for testing equipment that behaves like a
ples, discuss commonly used methods for measuring capacitive load. They cover only low-frequency (LF)
PDs, and provide guidance for data interpretation. acquisition at <3 MHz. High-voltage capacitive cou-
The users of these standards should identify the PD test plers or an impedance in the ground circuit are used to
method and acceptance criteria, as the standards describe measure the current pulse (in milliamperes) associated
several suitable test procedures but provide no acceptance with each discharge. The PD current is reported as a
criteria. This article provides an overview and comparison voltage (in millivolts) across an impedance. The docu-
of the standards and addresses some common questions ments do not offer acceptance criteria of PD magnitude
about offline and online PD tests. or PD extinction voltage (PDEV). Equipment-specific
PD standards do address these criteria for test objects
The Benefits and History of PD Testing other than stator windings.
PD can occur in any high-voltage insulation system, The magnitude of the detected PD pulse depends on
indicating that small voids are present somewhere the capacitance of the test object. The higher the capaci-
between the high-voltage conductor and ground. Most tance C a, the more the PD current pulse gets shorted out
electrical equipment is designed to have no PD during within the test object, and the lower the current will be
normal operation because the purely organic insulation that can flow in the external circuit C k where the apparent
systems used in power cables, switchgear, and transform- PD current is detected across an impedance Z m (Figure 1).
ers deteriorate rapidly when attacked by PDs. Motor and With a capacitive test object ^ C a h, it is common to trans-
generator stator windings rated 6 kV and higher usually form the PD current or voltage into picocoulombs, i.e.,
exhibit PD in operation, but materials such as mica and electrical charge. The rationale for using picocoulombs is
glass fiber are PD-resistant and are applied to mitigate that it indicates the number of electrons and ions involved
its effects. However, experience has shown that a signifi- in the discharge. The larger the number of electrons, the
cant increase in PD over time may reduce the stator more the (organic) insulation will be damaged by the elec-
winding insulation system’s operating life. tron and ion bombardment, and, thus, the faster the insu-
An elevated number of PDs in new machines may lation aging process.
indicate manufacturing problems with impregnation, In older PD detection systems, the integration of the
stress-relief coatings, or spacing between coil end wind- current to yield charge is done in an analog fashion
ings or leads to the terminal box. Elevated PDs that are using a low-pass filter that works in the LF range. It is
observed in operating machines after an appropriate for this reason that the conventional PD detectors in
period may suggest thermal deterioration, partly con- ASTM D1868 and IEC 60270 are described as LF PD

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ductive contamination of the end winding, or loose detectors. A PD pulse, which lasts only a few nanosec-
windings in the stator core (in the case of windings made onds, will be integrated by a low-pass filter with an
without global vacuum-pressure impregnation). upper cutoff frequency lower than 1 MHz. Modern PD
Advanced detection of these issues may allow for proac- detectors will usually digitally integrate the PD current
tive repairs or rewinding. to yield the charge in picocoulombs in each pulse. The
Offline PD testing has been used since the 1930s as calibration process involves injecting a known amount
an in-factory diagnostic test of new windings. The of charge (in picocoulombs) via a pulse generator into
online test method was first reported in the 1950s [1]. the test object and measuring the milliamperes or mil-
This practice has recently produced fairly standard test livolts that the calibrating pulse produces on the PD
guidelines, which comes along with a wide variety of
test methods developed and used throughout the years.
When comparing and contrasting PD testing standards
for motors and generators, it should be noted that the Test Object
general-purpose standards such as IEC 60270 and
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) High-Voltage
Supply Cb Ck Measuring
D1868 cover PD theory and measurement techniques Ca
Cc Instrument
that are common to all types of electrical equipment. Zm
IEEE Standard 1434 is the oldest PD standard written
especially for machines and is compared with the newer
IEC 60034-27 and IEC 60034-27-2. Added to this
group is the recent publication of IEEE Standard 1799
on blackout testing and surface-corona inspection. This Ca = Coil or Winding Capacitance
article addresses some common questions about the vari- Cb = Capacitance in Series with Void
ous standards, especially with respect to PD testing of Cc = Capacitance of Void Where PD Occurs
machines in petrochemical facilities. Ck = PD Detection Capacitance
Zm = Impedance That Converts Current to Voltage
Conventional PD Standards 1
The oldest general-purpose consensus standard for con- The voltage signal at the PD detector decreases with
15
ventional PD testing is ASTM D1868 [2], with its first increasing capacitance of the coil or winding.

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 detector output, which will give a ratio between pico- The opportunity for false indications due to electri-
coulombs and millivolts. cal interference (noise) and the zone of coverage for a
The PD in individual coils can be calibrated in terms of stator winding are significant considerations when
picocoulombs since a single coil actually behaves like a applying an online PD test. Although LF methods are
lumped capacitance between the copper conductor and more “searching” (allowing detection of PDs from
ground. However, stator windings are not purely capaci- sources farther from the sensor), false positives from
tive, which means the PD pulses (or the calibration pulses) noise are more likely. Nearby high current or voltage
will respond differently depending on any resonant fre- switching or other unshielded electrical activity can
quencies that may occur between the winding capacitance create spurious pulses alongside any actual stator wind-
and the winding inductance [4]. ing PD, which might initiate an unnecessary and costly
IEC TS 62478, High Voltage Test Techniques—Measure- motor shutdown. Higher-frequency detection methods
ment for Partial Discharges by Electromagnetic and Acoustic use traveling waves, pulse shape, and impedance mis-
Methods, is being prepared as a companion document cov- matching to help segregate noise from signal, but there
ering high-frequency (HF) PD measurement in any type is a tradeoff: PDs appearing farther from the sensor are
of high-voltage apparatus. It will address the following more attenuated at higher acquisition frequencies and
acquisition frequency ranges: may thus go undetected.
■■ 3–30 MHz, HF IEEE 1434 discusses the reliability of capacitive PD
■■ 30–300 MHz, very HF (VHF) sensors, by far the most common type used for the online
■■ 300–3,000 MHz, ultra HF (UHF). testing of machines. The capacitors are connected to the
HF acquisition is appropriate for the online PD testing phase terminal, and, if they fail, the motor or generator
of electrical equipment. The high signal-to-noise ratio will trip. Originally, IEEE 1434 only required the cou-
decreases the risk of false positives, and the characteristic plers to have a PDEV above the rated phase-to-phase volt-
output signatures can be correlated to typical locations in age, when applied phase-to-ground (i.e., to be PD free at
the equipment where PD appears. 70% over operating voltage). Based on the latest revision
of IEEE 1434, it harmonizes the requirements for capaci-
IEEE 1434: Online and Offline Testing tive PD sensor reliability with IEC 60034-27-2 [5]. This
IEEE Standard 1434 [4] was the first consensus guide for includes type testing for thermal stability, a PDEV not
offline and online measurement of PD in stator wind- less than twice the rated line-to-ground voltage, and
ings, specifically those operating at 50/60 Hz and rated capacitors that must survive 400 h at 2.17 times the rated
3.3 kV and above. It describes PD theory in detail, phase-to-phase voltage.
including both LF and HF test methods, with a compen- IEEE 1434 confines the interpretation discussion to
dium of published electrical test methods for conven- general statements that PD will tend to increase and
IEEE In dustry A p plication s M ag az in e • JAN |F E B 2016 • www.ieee.or g/ia s

tional PD pulse measurement of stator windings plus a eventually level off as the insulation ages and that the
brief description of optical, acoustic, and radio-frequency manufacturers of rotating machines and PD test instru-
(RF) detection. It also includes a bibliography with hun- ments should develop a database of results. Upper thresh-
dreds of related technical papers. However, IEEE 1434 olds for PDs will depend on the individual machine, its
does not offer acceptance criteria based on either PD operating environment, and the characteristics of the PD
magnitude or EV. measurement system. Most systems produce a phase-
IEEE 1434 presents four methods for the offline testing resolved (PR) PD plot of pulse magnitude against the ac
of stator windings based on capacitive couplers for acquisi- cycle (Figure 2). IEEE 1434 gives examples of character-
tion under several permitted frequency ranges, with both istic PRPD patterns associated with different stator
picocoulombs and millivolts as possible measurement units. winding failure processes. Machine operating conditions
The variety of options makes it difficult to compare data such as load, winding temperature, and ambient humidi-
from different methods. The challenges of calibration by ty can influence PD activity in a stator winding. The
injecting a known pulse and measuring the response of the effect of these operating conditions on PDs can also offer
detector are extensively addressed. The process is called nor- clues about its root cause.
malization to acknowledge that calibration appropriate to
lumped capacitances (i.e., sample coils or bars) is not rele- IEEE 1799: “Blackout” Testing
vant for stator windings due to the winding inductance and IEEE Standard 1799 [6] is a new recommended practice
resulting resonant frequencies. Four electrical methods are for the methods that use emitted light to detect PDs
presented measuring the PD on individual coils or bars, appearing on stator winding surfaces. It was created in
again employing different frequency ranges. response to reported problems occurring in the end
In addition, 12 electrical methods for the online testing of windings of relatively new machines, specifically with
stator windings are discussed, including capacitive couplers their stress-control coatings and clearances between
connected at the machine terminals, RF current transformers regions of high voltage. Although this document
(CTs) at the stator winding neutral or on its surge capacitors, addresses only surface PDs, it does include acceptance
and a variety of antennas placed at various locations around criteria and is, therefore, more practical to use and inter-
the winding. There is an extensive discussion of the merits of pret than IEEE 1434.
different frequency ranges, and those permitted include LF all IEEE 1799 is principally employed as a guide to the
the way to UHF. Units of PD magnitude may be in milli- offline inspection of surface PDs as a quality-control test
16
volts, microvolts, milliamperes, and dBm. for new coils and windings using detected light. For the

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end-winding inspection of stators,
one phase is energized to phase-to- Bipolar Slot Total
phase voltage (applied phase-to-
ground) plus 15% to compensate for 0–3.16 Pulses/s 3.16–10 Pulses/s 10–31.6 Pulses/s 31.6–100 Pulses/s
temperature. The other two phases
are grounded. This creates phase-to- 100–316 Pulses/s 316–1,000 Pulses/s 2 1,000 Pulses/s Subset 8
phase stress between the coils in the 30 30
end winding. Light from any dis-
20 20

Pulse Magnitude (mV)

charges that are distant from the sta-
tor core is then observed—ideally, 10 10
there will be none. Under these test
conditions, the stress-relief coatings 0 0
are overexcited, so any visible dis- - 10 - 10
charges in these regions are ignored.
After the phase-to-phase inspec- - 20 - 20
tion, the applied voltage is decreased
to phase-to-ground (+15%) to inspect - 30 - 30
for surface PDs on the stress-relief
0 45 90 135 180 225 270 315 360
coating or at the slot exits. Accep-
tance is based on whether surface PDs Phase Angle (°)
are observed on the relevant parts of (a)
the winding. Bipolar Machine PD
IEEE 1799 describes two meth-
ods to detect the light from surface
0–3.16 Pulses/s 3.16–10 Pulses/s 10–31.6 Pulses/s 31.6–100 Pulses/s
discharges:
■■ the human eye, which requires 100–316 Pulses/s 316–1,000 Pulses/s 2 1,000 Pulses/s Subset 8
darkness for blackout or lights- 750 750
out conditions
■■ ultraviolet (UV)-sensitive imag- 500 500
Pulse Magnitude (mV)

ing devices, which may be used

in ambient lighting. 250 250
For the blackout test, the stator is 0 0

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placed in a completely dark enclo-
sure, and its winding is energized to - 250 -250
the required test voltage and - 500 - 500
inspected for surface PDs. After
about 15–30 min in darkness, the - 750 - 750
human eye becomes sensitive to the
very low light emitted by surface 0 45 90 135 180 225 270 315 360
PDs, and, thus, an observer can usu- Phase Angle (°)
ally determine if and where the (b)
activity is appearing. The test is 2
conceptually very simple, but there Example characteristic PRPD plots of PD magnitude versus phase angle for two stator
are some caveats in practice. Setting windings, suggesting (a) PDs within the stator groundwall insulation and (b) PDs
up this test in a factory to permit between coils in the end winding. The color represents the number of PD pulses per
complete darkness may be quite second.
elaborate and time-consuming, the
observers need to be very close to the energized equip- IEC 60034-27-1: Offline PD Testing
ment while both are in darkness, and the perception of IEC 60034-27 [9] was first published in late 2006 as
PD inception voltage (PDIV) and PDEV may be subjec- the first of a two-part series covering PD measure-
tive and poorly repeatable depending on the location and ments on motor coils and windings. This TS will be
eyesight of the observer [7]; although it has been report- renamed IEC 60034-27-1 in the next version. It is
ed that sensitivity to PD light is somewhat independent largely based on the offline portion of IEEE 1434,
of the observer [8]. with a few significant exceptions. IEC 60034-27
UV imaging devices can distinguish surface PDs describes the physics of PD and why it is a useful
from normal visible light, permitting inspection with- diagnostic test of stator winding insulation condi-
out the need for darkness. UV viewers and cameras have tions. The document applies to both individual coils
become more economical and widely available [7]. and the offline testing of complete stator windings,
IEEE 1799 describes a process to calibrate UV devices and it describes two options for PD detection:
against the human eye, since UV imaging devices have ■■ a capacitor in parallel with the test object (Figure 1)
17
different sensitivities. ■■ an impedance on the ground side of the test object.

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 The recommended systems only operate in the LF (below tine tests for the sensors. The PDEV in particular should
a few megahertz) range, using a wideband detector for be more than twice the rated line-to-ground voltage.
single coils, bars, and stator windings. For windings, the IEC 60034-27-2 offers no PD acceptance criteria for
principle is that LF testing enables PD detection in coils tests on coils, bars, or windings, instead providing the
that are distant from the sensors. usual general statements on interpretation. Table 1 sum-
To report PDs in picocoulombs from tests on individ- marizes the differences between the IEEE and the IEC
ual coils, the calibration procedure described in IEC online and offline tests.
60270 is valid. IEC 60034-27 acknowledges that a com-
plete stator winding is not a purely capacitive test object Discussion
and, for this purpose, refers to normalization rather than The variety of PD test methods available for coils and
calibration. stators often raises questions. Some of the most common
IEC 60034-27 offers no PD acceptance criteria for tests questions are addressed in the following sections, based
on coils, bars, or windings. Like IEEE 1434, the document on the information in the standards and the authors’
emphasizes that PD data are comparative only—that it is experiences.
appropriate to observe the trend in PD behavior of a given
winding or compare a particular coil or winding to a data- Do Elevated PDs Indicate the
base of PD results from similar coils or windings. Also, Impending Failure of a Winding?
similarly to IEEE 1434, PD root-cause identification is PDs are rarely the root cause of failure. Several different
based on the analysis of PRPD plots. stresses impact the winding life, and, therefore, the PD mag-
nitude usually does not determine the rate of deterioration.
IEC 60034-27-2: Online PD Testing It is possible for a machine to run for many years with elevat-
IEC TS 60034-27-2 [5] was first published in 2012 as ed PDs, and the activity often levels off or even decreases as
the second in a two-part series on PD measurement. It the winding nears the end of its life [1], [4], [5].
covers online PD testing of stator windings and is much
more restrictive than IEEE 1434 on the allowed detec- Will PD Testing Find All Winding Insulation Problems?
tion methods. Permitted sensors include capacitive cou- Online testing will not find metallic debris (such as tools
plers, RF CTs, and microwave antennas, which total five left in the machine) except those that are very near the
different measurement systems when taken together. line end of the winding. Online tests also will not find
Like IEEE 1434, the document includes an extensive dis- insulation deterioration that is limited to the neutral end
cussion of the various tradeoffs in LF versus HF instru- of the winding; however, a low operating stress means
mentation. In the end, any measurement frequency range that neutral end coils are at a low risk of PD anyway.
is acceptable, which, of course, makes it difficult to com- Offline testing used as a factory acceptance test may be a
IEEE In dustry A p plication s M ag az in e • JAN |F E B 2016 • www.ieee.or g/ia s

pare data taken by different PD measurement systems. helpful diagnostic evaluation of the general winding con-
The reliability of capacitive couplers is directly dition. Neither test will detect end-winding vibration,
addressed, describing several appropriate type and rou- end-winding insulation cracks, or magnetic “termites”
within the insulation. PD testing cannot detect problems
with rotor winding insulation.
Table 1. A COMPARISON OF IEC AND
IEEE STATOR PD STANDARDS. Can PDs Determine the Root
Cause of Insulation Problems?
Standard For online testing, the effect of winding temperature, load,
Item IEEE IEC and humidity can provide useful information. If there is a
single dominant deterioration process, there will often (but
Test methods not always) be a unique PRPD pattern. However, if two or
Offline 4 2 more deterioration mechanisms occur simultaneously, then
even experts will disagree on the root causes. Despite recent
Online 12 5 developments in advanced software tools to distinguish
Surface-PD inspection Yes No mechanisms based on PD patterns alone, ambiguous results
Frequency range are found by independent, blind testing of these tools [1].
Offline All 10 kHz–1 MHz Can We Specify PD Limits for
Online All All New Coils or Stator Windings?
Measurement units
Yes and no. A purchase specification must identify the test
procedure and acceptance criteria. One can include IEEE
Offline pC, mV pC, mV 1799 for its clear test procedures and acceptance criteria,
Online All All but this standard is only relevant for surface discharges.
For all other measurements, IEC provides a clear proce-
Acceptance criteria
dure but no acceptance criteria. IEEE 1434 has neither a
Coils None None clear procedure nor acceptance criteria. Both the procedure
Stator windings None None and acceptance criteria should be discussed in detail and
18
agreed upon with the machine manufacturer.

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Which Is Better: Offline or Online PD Testing? PDs can be measured offline on individual bars and
Each method has advantages and disadvantages, so they coils, and either offline or online methods may be used for
are complementary. Offline testing requires an external stator windings. The IEEE and IEC have recently devel-
ac power supply, energizes all the phase coils to the same oped several international guides and recommended prac-
voltage (and can therefore detect PDs throughout a tices to draw together the state of the art in PD-detection
winding), allows simultaneous energizing of all phases, knowledge and provide guidance on suitable ways to
and generally has a low rate of false positives due to low obtain and interpret PD measurements. The IEEE and
noise. It is a very useful technique to use for detailed IEC agree on measurement units, frequency ranges for
inspections during a shutdown, especially when the online testing, and the validity of calibration or normaliza-
results can be compared to a factory- or newly installed tion with respect to the type of test object. However, the
baseline test. Online testing does not require an outage IEC recognizes roughly half as many test methods in both
or external power supply, so it is almost always simpler the offline and online cases, is more restrictive about the
and cheaper. Assuming that the detectors are already allowable acquisition frequency for offline tests, and does
installed, the online test can be done at any time and not have a guide for surface-PD inspection.
accurately indicates the operating behavior by detecting Due to the wide variety of insulation systems, machine
issues (such as loose coils) that can only be observed dur- operating conditions, and PD-measurement techniques in
ing operation. use, none of the standards from either organization offers
acceptance criteria for PD magnitude, PDIV, or PDEV.
Should We Use LF or HF for PD Testing of Our Windings? Clearly, further work is needed to develop databases from
It is a tradeoff. For offline PD testing, always use LF, partic- both online and offline testing, aiming for eventual har-
ularly if the most searching test for deteriorating coils is monization and simplification of the standards.
needed. In online testing, HF testing will minimize the risk
of false positives, which may result in a needless shutdown. Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the significant
How Do We Determine When and largely voluntary efforts of the IEEE and IEC work-
Maintenance Is Needed? ing groups and their balloting members in the develop-
If you have measured the offline and/or online PD trend since ment of these standards.
the machine was built, determine if the PD activity is dou-
bling every six months or so. Be aware that PDs may become References
stable or even decrease in older, seriously aged insulation. Also [1] G. C. Stone, “A perspective on online partial discharge monitoring
for assessment of the condition of rotating machine stator winding
consult with the machine manufacturer or PD system vendor insulation,” IEEE Electr. Insul. Mag., vol. 28, no. 5, pp. 8–13, Sept.
since they may have a database to compare the results with to 2012.

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determine if the PD is normal or high. PD test results can be [2] Standard Test Method for Detection and Measurement of Partial Discharge
compared with visual inspections and other diagnostic tests. (Corona) Pulses in Evaluation of Insulation Systems, ASTM Standard
D1868, 2007.
[3] High-Voltage Test Techniques—Partial Discharge Measurements, IEC Stan-
If We Find High or Rapidly Increasing PDs in Our dard 60270, 2012.
Winding, Should We Shut Down the Machine? [4] IEEE Guide to the Measurement of Partial Discharge in Rotating Machinery,
No, PD testing normally gives an early warning of a IEEE Standard 1434, 2014.
developing problem. Machines may run for many years [5] Rotating Electrical Machines—Part 27-2: On-line Partial Discharge Mea-
surements on the Stator Winding Insulation of Rotating Electrical Machines,
with high PD. Watch for a trend and, if possible, compare IEC TS Standard 60034-27-2, 2012.
the results to other machines of similar design and operat- [6] IEEE Recommended Practice for Quality Control Testing of External Dis-
ing conditions. Confirm the results through planned out- charges on Stator Coils, Bars, and Windings, IEEE Standard 1799, 2012.
ages for inspections and complementary diagnostic tests. [7] M. K. W. Stranges, S. U. Haq, and D. Dunn, “Blackout testing vs.
UV camera for corona inspection of motor stator endwindings,” in
Proc. IEEE IAS Petroleum Chemical Industry Technical Conf., Sept. 2013,
Should We PD Test Our Stator Windings pp. 1–6.
Rated 3.3 kV and 4.1 kV? [8] C. Hudon, “Quality control test of external discharges stator bars,” in
Proc. CIGRE SC A1 D1 Joint Colloq., Oct. 2007.
It depends. For such machines, PD measurements may [9] Rotating Electrical Machines—Part 27: Off-line partial discharge measure-
not provide sufficient notice to plan a turnaround. If the ments on the stator winding insulation of rotating electrical machines, IEC
machine fails, the cost of the repair or replacement may Standard TS 60034-27, 2006.
be the same as a proactive repair.

Conclusions G.C. Stone (gstone@qualitrolcorp.com) is with Qualitrol-Iris

Techniques for measuring PDs in the insulation of high- Power, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Meredith K.W. Strang-
voltage electrical apparatus, particularly coils and stators es is with GE Power Conversion, Peterborough, Ontario, Cana-
for rotating machines, have been in use since the 1930s. da. Donald G. Dunn is with Phillips 66 in Houston, Texas.
There is global industry acknowledgment of the value of Stone is a Fellow of the IEEE. Stranges and Dunn are Senior
PD measurement as both a preliminary quality check of Members of the IEEE. This article first appeared as “Recent
a new insulation system and a diagnostic test of its Developments in IEEE and IEC Standards for Off-Line and
health throughout the life of the machine. Many avail- On-Line Partial Discharge Testing of Motor and Generator
able techniques have been developed by manufacturers Stator Windings” at the 2014 IEEE IAS Petroleum and
19
and end users throughout the years. Chemical Industry Conference.

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