PROCEDURES IN TESTING OF LIGHTNING ARRESTERS

I. OBJECTIVE:
This procedures covers testing of surge arresters used for protection of
electrical distribution lines and substation equipment either of the metal oxide or zinc
oxide gap-less or gapped silicon carbide type.

II. DEFINITION:

a. Metal- oxide type. A metal oxide surge arrester utilizing zinc-oxide blocks
provides the best performance, as surge voltage conduction starts and stops
promptly at a precise voltage level, thereby improving system protection.
b. Gapped silicon-carbide type. Silicon-carbide has more nonlinearity than
zinc-oxide. Without a gap the increase in leakage current, because of this
nonlinearity, would soon burn out the arrester. A gap prevents burnout, but it
does not mean that the arrester will not operate until the gap spark over.

II. TESTING EQUIPMENT:

a. Doble Insulation Power factor test set

Model : M2H or equivalent

Voltage Output: 0-12Kvac

b. AC High potential Test set

Model : 100 HVT or equivalent

Voltage Output: 0-100Kvac or higher

III. SIGNIFICANCE:

Visual inspection will not always detect a damaged arrester. Electrical test can
detect interior damage resulting from a broken element, presence of moisture, a severe
direct lightning stroke, or the use of an arrester with incorrect rating.

IV. SAFETY PRECAUTION:

Caution: Before making any high voltage tests, isolate, take out of service or
disconnect all lightning arrester that is the subject of the test and any adjacent
circuit or apparatus that may induce any voltage into the circuit under test.

V. TEST SET-UP DIAGRAM:

 SPARK OVER & LEAKAGE CURRENT TEST

VI. AC HI-POT TEST SET-UP :

a. Position the unit in the testing area at the spot where the high voltage module
will be used.
b. Slide the HV module off the cart and leaving the control cabinet on the cart,
place the cart approximately 20 feet to one side of the high voltage module
and remove the top cover for access to the interconnecting cables.
c. Unwind the 3- conductor power cable from around the high voltage module
and plug it into its respective socket on the control box.
d. Pull the high voltage voltmeter probe from its vertical rack.
e. Hook the probe onto the brushed aluminum toroid on top of the HV module
and let it hang to the ground.
f. Plug one end of the RG58/U coaxial cable into the base of the HV probe. The
other end should be plugged into the position marked HV PROBE on the base
of the HV power supply.
g. The coaxial cable marked VM should be interconnected with coaxial cable to
the position labeled VM on the control front panel.
h. Plug the INTERNAL INTERLOCK to its receptacles in the instrument front
panel.
i. Connect a ground lead onto the GROUND post on the front panel.
j. Connect the jumper link between GROUND and RETURN post in the
instrument front panel.
k. Connect a #12 AWG or equivalent stranded wires onto the brushed aluminum
toroid on top of the HV module and onto the lightning arrester under test.
l. Connect the test instrument power cord to a 230Vac power supply.

VII. TESTING PROCEDURES:

GAPPED SURGE ARRESTER:

a. Set the current meter range selector switch to maximum.

b. Set the kilo-voltmeter range selector to medium(0-50kv).
c. Rotate the raise voltage control to its counterclockwise zero start position.
d. Push the ON/OFF high voltage switch to ON, the high voltage light indicator
lights up.
e. Slowly raised the output voltage control clockwise until spark over occurred.
f. Measured and record the as “found spark-over voltage “of the specimen
under test.
g. Rotate the raise voltage control to its counterclockwise zero start position.
 h. Push the ON/OFF high voltage switch to OFF, the high voltage light indicator
will turn OFF.
i. The test is completed.

GAPLESS SURGE ARRESTER:

a. Set the output current meter range selector switch to maximum.

b. Set the kilo-voltmeter range selector to medium(0-50kv).
j. Rotate the raise voltage control to its counterclockwise zero start position.
k. Push the ON/OFF high voltage switch to ON, the high voltage light indicator
lights up.
l. Slowly raised the output voltage control clockwise to the desire maximum
continuos over voltage(MCOV) of the specimen under test.
m. Turn the output current meter range selector switch to Low range(0-1mA) or
to the appropriate range.
n. Measured and record the leakage current at MCOV from the output current
meter.
o. Rotate the raise voltage control to its counterclockwise zero start position.
p. Push the ON/OFF high voltage switch to OFF, the high voltage light
indicator will turn OFF.
q. The test is completed.

MEASUREMENT OF WATTS LOSS DISSIPATION USING

THE INSULATION POWER FACTOR TEST SET

A. INSTRUMENT SET-UP:

1. Connect the clip end of the twist-lock ground lead of the test instrument to the station
ground, preferably on the equipment to be tested.
2. Insert the other end of the ground leads into the test set ground receptacle on the right
side of the transformer case.
3. Lock the lead in place by rotating the connector one-half revolution clockwise.
4. Insert the inboard pothead of the high voltage test cable into the receptacle on the
right side of the transformer case until the grooved metal ground ferrule can be
engaged by the tongue latch.
5. Insert the control cable from the transformer case to the instrument control console.
6. Set the VOLTAGE control to zero voltage , the counterclockwise stop.]
7. Set the reversing switch to the “ON” position
8. Set the CURRENT multiplier switch to the highest multiplier(100 milli-Amperes).
9. Set the WATTS multiplier switch to the highest multiplier(1K)
10. Set the current interference switch Icc to OFF position.
11. The SELECTOR switch is set to CHECK.
12. Connect the polarized supply lead to a 120/240 Vac source to the test set receptacle
located on the front of the transformer case panel. The green power pilot light on the
panel indicates when the supply voltage is connected.

B. TEST PROCEDURE:

1. Hook the high voltage test cable to the line terminal of the lightning arrester under
test.
2. Turn the circuit breaker to “ON” position.
3. Press the high voltage push button switch to energized the test specimen, a red light
labeled HIGH VOLTAGE light.
4. While watching the KILOVOLT meter, gradually turn the voltage control clockwise
until 10 KV is obtained.
5. Set the CURRENT & WATTS meter to 100 division by turning the METER
ADJUST control.
6. The selector switch is set to the CURRENT multiplier position.
7. Select the multiplier that gives the largest on scale meter reading on the CURRENT
& WATTS meter.
8. Read and record the current and multiplier readings in the CURRENT & WATTS
meter scale.
9. The REVERSING SWITCH is placed in the other “on” position.
10. Read and record the second current and multiplier readings.
11. Compute and record the average of the two current readings in step 8 and 10.
12. The selector switch is set to CHECK position.
13. Check if the CURRENT & WATTS meter is still in the 100 division, turn the
METER ADJUST control if necessary.
14. The SELECTOR switch is set to the WATTS MULTIPLIER position.
15. The WATTS ADJUST control is rotated in the direction which produces a decreasing
reading until a minimum meter reading is obtained on the CURRENT & WATTS
meter.
16. The WATTS multiplier switch is reduced successively to the smallest multiplier
which gives an on scale meter reading.
17. Re-adjust the the WATTS ADJUST control for the minimum watts reading.the
minimum watts reading should be obtained on the smallest WATTS MULTIPLIER
for the particular CURRENT MULTIPLIER in use.
18. Read and record the watts reading in the CURRENT & WATTS meter scale.
19. Turn the POLARITY control switch slowly in a clockwise direction while carefully
noting the initial change in the deflection of the pointer of the CURRENT & WATTS
meter. A down scale movement indicates a positive polarity while a up scale
movement indicates a negative WATTS.
20. Determine the polarity of the watts reading in step 17.
21. Turn the REVERSING switch to the other “on” position.
22. Re-adjust the the WATTS ADJUST control for the minimum watts reading.the
minimum watts reading should be obtained on the smallest WATTS MULTIPLIER
for the particular CURRENT MULTIPLIER in use.
23. Read and record the watts reading in the CURRENT & WATTS meter scale.
24. Turn the POLARITY control switch slowly in a clockwise direction while carefully
noting the initial change in the deflection of the pointer of the CURRENT & WATTS
meter.
25. Determine the polarity of the watts reading in step 22..
26. Compute and record the average of the two watts reading in step 17 and 22, taking
into account the signs.
27. The computed watts reading in step 26 is the measured watts loss dissipation of the
lightning arrester under test.
28. The test is completed.