Pre-commissioning electrical

tests
• Quality and safety of an electrical installation
• In so far as control procedures are respected, quality and safety will
be assured only if:
• The initial checking of conformity of the electrical installation with the
standard and regulation has been achieved
• The electrical equipment comply with standards
• The periodic checking of the installation recommended by the
equipment manufacturer is respected.
Initial testing of an installation
• Before a utility will connect an installation to its supply network, strict pre-commissioning electrical tests and visual
inspections by the authority, or by its appointed agent, must be satisfied.
• These tests are made according to local (governmental and/or institutional) regulations, which may differ slightly from one
country to another. The principles of all such regulations however, are common, and are based on the observance of
rigorous safety rules in the design and realization of the installation.
• IEC 60364-6-61 and related standards included in this guide are based on an international consensus for such tests,
intended to cover all the safety measures and approved installation practices normally required for residential, commercial
and (the majority of) industrial buildings. Many industries however have additional regulations related to a particular
product (petroleum, coal, natural gas, etc.). Such additional requirements are beyond the scope of this guide.
• The pre-commissioning electrical tests and visual-inspection checks for installations in buildings include, typically, all of the
following:
• Insulation tests of all cable and wiring conductors of the fixed installation, between phases and between phases and earth
• Continuity and conductivity tests of protective, equipotential and earth-bonding conductors
• Resistance tests of earthing electrodes with respect to remote earth
• Verification of the proper operation of the interlocks, if any
• Check of allowable number of socket-outlets per circuit
• Cross-sectional-area check of all conductors for adequacy at the short-circuit levels prevailing, taking account of the
associated protective devices, materials and installation conditions (in air, conduit, etc.)
• b Verification that all exposed- and extraneous metallic parts are properly earthed (where appropriate)
• b Check of clearance distances in bathrooms, etc.
Conformity (with standards and specifications) of equipment used
in the installation

Attestation of conformity
• The conformity of equipment with the relevant standards can be attested:
• By an official mark of conformity granted by the certification body concerned, or
• By a certificate of conformity issued by a certification body, or
• By a declaration of conformity from the manufacturer
• The first two solutions are generally not available for high voltage equipment.
Declaration of conformity
• Where the equipment is to be used by skilled or instructed persons, the manufacturer’s
declaration of conformity (included in the technical documentation), is generally
recognized as a valid attestation. Where the competence of the manufacturer is in
doubt, a certificate of conformity can reinforce the manufacturer’s declaration.
 Overview of Testing and Test Methods

• Testing of electrical equipment is usually performed in the fi eld on new equipment after installation and on existing
equipment to assess its condition.

• The manufacturer conducts electrical tests on equipment before it leaves the factory; these tests, known as factory
Tests.

• Field tests are conducted to see whether newly installed equipment has been damaged, to indicate whether any
corrective maintenance or replacement is necessary on existing equipment.

• The electrical testing of equipment can be divided into the following:

 Types of tests
 Types of testing methods
Types of Tests

The types of field tests are acceptance tests, routine maintenance tests, and special maintenance tests that are conducted
for specific purposes.

 Acceptance Tests
• These tests are known as start-up or commissioning tests and are performed on new equipment, usually after
installation and prior to energization.

• When these tests are repeated within a year, that is before the warranty period expires, then these tests are
referred to as proof tests.

• These tests are run to determine the following:

 Whether the equipment is in compliance with the specification
 To establish a benchmark for future tests
 To determine that the equipment has been installed without damage
 To verify whether the equipment meets its design intent and limit
 Routine Maintenance Tests
• These tests are performed at regular intervals over the service life of the equipment.

• These tests can be further subdivided into the following:

o As-found tests: These tests are performed on equipment on receipt or after it has been taken out of service for
maintenance, but before any maintenance work is done.

o As-left tests: These tests are performed after maintenance has been performed and just before reenergization.
They can indicate the degree of improvement in the equipment and service as a benchmark for comparison for future tests.

Special Maintenance Tests

• These tests are performed on equipment that is known to be defective or has been subjected to adverse conditions
that may affect its operating characteristics.
 Types of Testing Methods

• The testing of electrical power system equipment involves checking the insulation system, electrical properties,
and other factors as they relate to the overall operation of the power system.

• Testing of electrical equipment can be divided into the following types:

 Solid insulation testing

 Insulating liquid testing
 Relay and protective device testing
 Circuit breaker time–travel analysis
 Grounding electrode resistance testing
 Fault gas analysis testing
 Infrared inspection testing
o Solid Insulation Testing
• Insulation can be either solid, liquid, or gaseous dielectric materials that prevent the flow of electricity between points
of different potential.

• Insulation testing is done to determine the integrity of the insulating medium.

• Insulation testing can be performed by applying either direct current (DC) voltage or alternating current (AC) voltage.

• The testing of solid insulation with these voltages can be categorized as nondestructive testing and destructive testing,
respectively.

• The destructive test may cause equipment under test to fail or render it unsuitable for further service.

• Nondestructive tests are performed at low voltage stress, and the equipment under test is rarely damaged.

• The AC hi-pot test is primarily a “go” or “no-go” test. The voltage is raised to a specified level.
 If the equipment fails or shows excessive leakage current, the equipment under test is unusable.
 If the equipment does not fail, it has passed the test.

• The DC hi-pot test can indicate more than a “go” or “no-go” condition. It can indicate that equipment is all right at the
present time but may fail in the future.

• DC testing is done to obtain information for comparative analysis on a periodic basis

o Insulating Liquid Testing

• Insulating liquids used in transformers or other electrical apparatus are subject to deterioration and contamination
over a period of time.

• The elements that cause the deterioration of the insulating fluids are moisture, heat, oxygen, and other catalysts that
result in a chemical reaction that produces acid and sludge, which in turn attack the insulating fluids.

• Regular tests are recommended to monitor the condition of the insulating liquid.

o Protective Device Testing

• Protective device testing involves the testing and maintenance of protective relays, low-voltage draw out power circuit
breakers, low-voltage molded-case breakers, and associated equipment such as instrument transformers and wiring.

• The function of protective relays and devices maintenance and testing is to assure that a particular breaker or
protective relay is able to perform its basic protective function under actual operating conditions.
o Circuit Breaker Time–Travel Analysis
• The circuit breaker time–travel analysis test is performed to determine if the operating mechanism of the circuit breaker
is operating properly.

• This test is usually performed on medium- and high-voltage circuit breakers and depicts the position of breaker contacts
with relation to time.

• This relationship can then be used to determine the operating speed of the circuit breaker for opening and closing and
contact bounce, and the interval time for closing and tripping.

o Grounding Electrode Resistance Testing

• The integrity of the grounding system is very important in an electrical power system for the following reasons:

 To maintain a reference point of potential (ground) for equipment and personnel safety
 To provide a discharge point for traveling waves due to lightning
 To prevent excessive high voltage due to induced voltages on the power system
o Fault Gas Analysis Testing
• Fault gas analysis testing comprises of dissolved gas analysis and total combustible gas tests.

• The dissolved-gas analysis provides information on the individual combustible gases dissolved in the insulating oil.

• The total combustible fault gas analysis test provides information on incipient faults in oil filled transformers by
measuring the total combustible gases present in the nitrogen cap of the transformer.

o Infrared Inspection Testing

• There are many different devices available using infrared technology to check hot spots in switchgear and other
energized parts of the power system.

• They are very useful in routine maintenance and inspection for fi nding bad connections and joints and overloaded
terminals or lines.
 Review of Dielectric Theory and Practice
The electrical insulation materials should exhibit :
• high resistance to the flow of electrical current
• high strength to withstand electrical stress
• excellent heat-conducting properties.

There are three fundamental electrical circuits :

• the electric circuit
• the dielectric circuit
• the magnetic circuit.

Each of the three circuits can be written as follows :

• The electric circuit is I =

• The dielectric circuit ψ =

• The magnetic circuit is Φ =

The formulas for electrical, dielectric, and magnetic resistance are also similar; that is :
• S=( )

• )

• R=

The dielectric circuit involves several terms and parameters that need to be understood in order to assess the
characteristics and performance of the dielectric circuit.

 Dielectric: Dielectric is a term used to identify a medium, such as insulation in which an electric field charge can be
produced and maintained.

 Dielectric constant: Dielectric constant is known as specific inductive capacitance, capacitivity, or permittivity. The
dielectric constant of any medium or material is defined as the ratio of the capacitance of a given configuration of
electrodes with the medium as a dielectric, to the capacitance of the same configuration with a vacuum (or air) as the
dielectric between the electrodes.

 Dielectric absorption: Dielectric absorption is a phenomenon which occurs in dielectrics whereby positive and negative
charges are separated to respective polarity when a DC voltage is applied to the dielectric.
 Dielectric loss: Dielectric loss is the time rate at which electric energy is transformed into heat in a dielectric when it is
subjected to an electric field.

 Dielectric PF: The dielectric PF of a material is the ratio of the power dissipated in the material in watts (watt loss) to
the effective volt-amperes (effective voltage × current) when tested with sinusoidal (AC) voltage.

 Dielectric DF: The dielectric DF is the tangent of the loss angle (90 −). It is commonly referred to as tan (tan delta).

 Dielectric loss factor or dielectric loss index: The dielectric loss factor of any material is the product of its dielectric
constant and its DF.

 Dielectric strength: The dielectric strength of a material is the potential gradient (voltage) at which breakdown
(electrical failure) occurs and is a function of the material thickness and its electrical properties.

 Voltage gradient: A voltage gradient is defined as the electrical intensity at a point in an electric field, that is, force
exerted on unit charge at a point.
Characteristics of Dielectrics (Insulation)
• Dielectrics (insulation) for electrical equipment and apparatus is used for many different applications

• One major factor affecting insulation life is thermal degradation, although moisture, contamination, voltage stress, and
other factors may also contribute to its degradation.

• The properties of insulating materials that are necessary and desirable are surface leakage, resistance to moisture,
chemicals, oils and other contaminants, and mechanical properties.

• The important electrical characteristics of insulation are volume resistivity, PF, DF, capacitivity, dielectric constant, and
dielectric strength.

• These characteristics, except for dielectric strength, can be assessed by nondestructive testing. These tests are :
 AC dielectric loss
 PF or DF (tan d )
 Capacitance
 AC resistance
 Radio interference voltage (RIV)
 DC insulation resistance
 DC dielectric absorption
Dielectric Loss
• Dielectric loss is measured in watts (resistive components) and is a measure of energy dissipation through and over the
surface of the insulation.

• The dielectric losses of most insulations increases with increase in temperature, moisture, and corona.

• Insulations may fail due to the cumulative effect of temperature, that is, rise in temperature causes an increase in
dielectric loss which in turn results in a further rise in temperature. This phenomenon is self-perpetuating and continues
until the insulation fails.

PF and DF
• The PF of insulation is defined as the ratio of watt loss to total charging volt-amperes, or the cosine of the angle
between total current vector () and the impressed voltage vector.

• The DF is defined as the ratio of the watt loss to charging amperes, or the tangent of the angle between the total
current vector and the capacitive current vector.
 Capacitance

• In a capacitor, the charge Q (amount of electricity) is proportional to the voltage E. The expression for this
relationship can be written as :

Q = CE

• The dielectric constant (K) of air is practically unity and the dielectric constant of the other insulation materials
is defined in terms of air or vacuum.

• The capacitance of such a capacitor can be calculated by the following formula:

C=
 Insulation as a Capacitor

• A perfect insulator can be represented by an ideal capacitor.

• The electrical circuit of a practical insulator can be represented by a capacitor with a small resistance in parallel with It.

• When voltage is applied to the conductor, two fields are established; one due to the current flow (magnetic field) and
the other due to the voltage (dielectric or electrostatic field).

• The lines of magnetic flux around the conductor are concentric circles, whereas the lines of the dielectric flux around
the conductor are radial.

• The dielectric constant of an insulator is an indication of how much dielectric fl ux the insulation will allow through it.

• An ideal insulation can be represented as a capacitor because its behavior is similar to that of a capacitor.

• Two of the most common confi gurations considered for insulators are parallel-plate and cylindrical capacitors.
DC Voltage versus AC Voltage Tests
• When voltage is applied to the insulation, a current is established consisting of a charging current () and an in-phase
component current ().

• The vector sum of the charging current and the in-phase component current is the total current drawn by the insulation
specimen.

• The in-phase component current is also referred to as the resistive current, loss current, or conduction current.

o DC Voltage Tests
• When a DC voltage is applied to the insulation, a large current is drawn at the beginning to provide the charging energy,
however, this current decreases to a minimum level over time.

• In the case of DC voltage testing, the effect of dielectric absorption becomes minimum over time and therefore
measurements of continuous leakage current can be made.

• When a DC voltage is applied to an insulation, the total current drawn by the insulation is comprised of capacitance
charging current, dielectric absorption current, and continuous leakage currents.
 o AC Voltage Tests
• In the case of AC voltage application to an insulation, a large current is drawn which remains constant as the AC current
alternately charges and discharges the insulation.

• When an AC voltage is applied to an insulation, the currents drawn by the insulation are due to capacitance charging,
dielectric absorption, continuous leakage current, and corona which are discussed below:

 Capacitance charging current: In the case of AC voltage, this current is constant and is a function of voltage, the
dielectric constant of the insulating material, and the geometry of the insulation.

 Dielectric absorption current: When an electric field is set up across an insulation, the dipole molecules try to align
with the field. Since the molecules in an AC field are continually reversing and never fully align, the energy required is a
function of material, contamination, (such as water), and electrical frequency.

 Leakage current (conductivity): All insulation materials will conduct some current. If voltage is increased beyond a
certain level, electrons will be knocked off of molecules causing current to pass through the insulation.

 Corona (ionization current): Corona is the process by which neutral molecules of air disassociate to form positively and
negatively charged ions. This occurs due to overstressing of an air void in the insulation.
 Insulation Breakdown Modes

Insulation breakdown can be classified as :

 failure due to excessive dielectric loss
 failure due to over potential stress.

• Excessive dielectric loss is the result of deteriorated insulation or the contamination of the insulation with a poor
dielectric such as water.

• As the dielectric losses increase, the temperature of the insulation increases resulting in even greater dielectric loss.

• Over potential stress occurs when a voltage is applied across an insulation greater than its dielectric strength.

• Some of the causes of insulation failure due to over potential stress are :

 external increase in applied voltage

 decrease of insulation thickness
 air bubbles or pockets in the insulation