15 kV DC Insulation Testing Application Note

Clive Pink
Product Manager

Maintenance matters
Equipment maintenance is an essential part of continuous operation of electrical assets. DC
insulation resistance testing has been used to assess quality and degradation of insulators for
decades and has contributed significantly towards the upkeep of transmission and distribution
assets; e.g. transformers, circuit breakers, isolators, power cables, motors/generators and
switchgear.

In 2008 a survey was conducted on 340 000 protective devices in USA. The survey showed that;

a. 23% of circuit breakers had an issue affecting the device operation

b. Approximately 10.5% of devices did not function at all
c. Reviewing the data from the IEEE studies in 1974 and 1996, it was found that 30% of all
circuit breakers failed while in service and thus would not have been identified unless
proper maintenance was performed.
d. In addition, 16% of all circuit breakers failed or were damaged while opening.

The lack of circuit breaker maintenance in the 2008 report resulted in 78200 faulty circuit breakers.
This speaks volumes about the need for maintenance on electrical assets and insulators are no
exception. Importantly, DC insulation testing is used to test insulation quality and degradation of
insulation over time. Results are trended with regular maintenance intervals and assist in
determining the remaining working life of the insulation under test.

The long and the short of DC insulation test modes

Modern DC insulation testers offer a full range of test modes applicable to international standards
and are much smaller and lighter than larger HIPOT AC & DC testers used to pressure test HV
cables.

A one minute test, sometimes referred to as a “spot test”, is sufficient time to give a reading which
can be trended to determine the degradation of insulation over time. Another common test is the
Polarisation Index (PI) test which lasts for 10 minutes. IEEE 43-2000 standard specifies the PI test
as the ratio of resistance at 10 minutes divided by the resistance after 1 minute, and because it is a
ratio, the effect of temperature can be ignored if one makes the assumption that the asset does not
change temperature over the 10 minutes the test runs for. The dielectric discharge test is the
longest DC insulation test with a default time of 31 minutes, as it relies on the insulation being
measured to be fully polarised before being discharged through a resistor. A goodness factor for the
DD test is equal to the discharge current measured in mA 1 minute after the discharge, divided by
the product of the test voltage immediately before discharge and the capacitance in Farads.

Overvoltage tests include the step voltage and ramp tests. These tests are useful because instead

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of applying full voltage as soon as possible and thereby risking damage of the insulator, the voltage
can be stepped up or ramped up in a continuous, linear way. IEEE 43 advises that one performs a
PI test on motors prior to initiating an overvoltage test. For power cables the use of step or ramp
tests will not strain the insulation by an almost immediate step to full voltage. All other test modes
apply full voltage as soon as the test starts.

The best 15 kV DC insulation testers operate up to 4000 m and are safety rated to CATIV 1000 V or
better still, CATIV 1000 V to an altitude of 4000 m to enable testing in mountainous regions of the
world. The Andes Mountains stretch along the entire western coast of South America and are rich in
minerals with many mining companies operating there performing DC insulation tests. The average
height of the Andes is 4000 m and there are mines operating above this altitude where the 15 kV
test voltage would have to be reduced to ensure breakdown free operation.

Some of the benefits of increasing DC insulation test voltage to 15 kV include:

• Measuring in extra high voltage substations where noise is almost always a problem,
increasing test voltage from say 5 kV to 15 kV will increase test current by a factor of three.
This will help keep the test current from going negative in the presence of induced electrical
noise.
• Using a DC insulation tester powered from an internal battery saves time compared to AC
powered DC HIPOT testers where an AC source is not readily available. A customer
reported that whilst testing fifteen GE 13.8 kV Power/VAC circuit breakers at four nearby
wineries, he typically used an analogue dielectric tester at 15 kV to "spot check" breaker
phase-to-ground and phase-to-phase quality insulation resistance. Being battery powered,
Megger’s new 15 kV insulation testers don’t require a generator or AC supply and will save
this customer test equipment set-up time. (Spot check is a basic insulation resistance
measurement that lasts for 1 minute)

International specifications (see Appendix) call for the use of 15 kV DC test voltage for the
following:

• Insulation resistance test values for electrical apparatus, PEARL Reconditioning Standard /
NETA MTS-1997 Table 10.1, requires equipment rated 35 000 V or above to be tested with
15 kV DC and the measured resistance should be at least 100 GΩ.
• NETA ATS 2007. Section 7.15.1, refers to IR value of motors with name plate voltage of
34 500 V and above require 15 kV DC insulation testing and resistance values of 100 GΩ or
higher.
• IEC 60229 2007,– Tests on extruded oversheaths of electric cables with a special protective
function, calls for the electrical integrity of the oversheath to be tested using either a DC
voltage test or a spark test, section 3.1. A DC voltage of 8 kV per millimetre of the specified
nominal thickness of the extruded oversheath shall be applied for 1 min between the
underlying metal layer at negative polarity and the outer conducting layer, subject to a
Megger Limited Archcliffe Road Dover Kent CT17 9EN England.
Registered No. 190137

T +44 (0)1304 502 100.

F +44 (0)1304 207 342
E [email protected]
www.megger.com
Registered to ISO 9001:1994 Reg no. Q 09250 Registered to ISO 14001 Reg no. EMS 61597
 maximum voltage of 25 kV. A 15 kV insulation tester will suffice for testing insulation
thickness up to 1.9 mm under this standard, whereas a 5 kV insulation tester would only be
able to test insulation up to 0.6 mm.

Who uses 15 kV DC insulation testers?

A customer in South America reported that 15 kV insulation testers are used to test:

• 23kV underground cables

• distribution points where insulation measurements are made between terminals
• large motors to verify winding, wedges, varnish and insulating paper
• transmission networks

Why do they use 15 kV DC insulation testers?

Because these are an essential tool for the examination of the conditions of almost all major
equipment of the electrical network, such as transformers, circuit breakers, cables and rotating
electrical machines.

Common tests that are performed with a portable high voltage tester are:

• Test dielectric failure.

• Dielectric resistance testing.
• Insulation resistance test.

What faults can be detected that may not be detected with 5, 10 kV?
15 kV high voltage DC tests are preferred to verify that there is a good insulator between the parts
of a circuit and are useful for finding:

• Fractures or crushed insulation

• Filaments out of place.
• Damaged cable outer sheath
• Corrosive or conductive contaminants near the conductors
• Space between terminals

With this kind of equipment are made non-destructive testing for assessing the insulation of the
equipment under test.

Also our Rep based in Spain, has sent us the following comment that may be useful:

"In Spain there are standards developed for utilities which require all outsourced maintenance
companies to have a 15kV Megger so that it is 2.5 times the rated voltage. I spent years asking for
a tester with 20kV range and we have lost many sales. I have always argued that develop a product
like this would not be much problem for Megger because they have the know-how.

Megger Limited Archcliffe Road Dover Kent CT17 9EN England.

Registered No. 190137

T +44 (0)1304 502 100.

F +44 (0)1304 207 342
E [email protected]
www.megger.com
Registered to ISO 9001:1994 Reg no. Q 09250 Registered to ISO 14001 Reg no. EMS 61597
Appendix
Pearl reconditioning standard / NETA MTS-1997 Table 10.1
Insulation Resistance Test Values For Electrical Apparatus

Max. voltage Min. DC test Recommended

rating of voltage Insulation
equipment Resistance
(MΩ)

250 V 500 V 25

600 V 1000 V 100

5000 V 2500 V 1000

8000 V 2500 V 2000

15000 V 2500 V 5000

25000 V 5000 V 20000

35000 V 15000 V 100000

46000 V 15000 V 100000

69000 V 15000 V 100000

IR Value of Motor as per NETA ATS 2007. Section 7.15.1

Motor Name Plate (V) Test Voltage Min IR Value

250V 500V DC 25 MΩ

600V 1000V DC 100MΩ

1000V 1000V DC 100MΩ

2500V 1000V DC 500MΩ

5000V 2500V DC 1000MΩ

8000V 2500V DC 2000MΩ

15000V 2500V DC 5000MΩ

25000V 5000V DC 20000MΩ

34500V 15000V DC 100000MΩ

Megger Limited Archcliffe Road Dover Kent CT17 9EN England.
Registered No. 190137

T +44 (0)1304 502 100.

F +44 (0)1304 207 342
E [email protected]
www.megger.com
Registered to ISO 9001:1994 Reg no. Q 09250 Registered to ISO 14001 Reg no. EMS 61597
Electric cables – Tests on extruded oversheaths with a special
protective function
3 Routine tests
The electrical integrity of the oversheath shall be tested using either a DC voltage test or a spark
test.

3.1 DC voltage test

A DC voltage of 8 kV per millimetre of the specified nominal thickness of the extruded oversheath
shall be applied for 1 min between the underlying metal layer at negative polarity and the outer
conducting layer, subject to a maximum voltage of 25 kV.

No breakdown of the oversheath shall occur during the test.

Megger Limited Archcliffe Road Dover Kent CT17 9EN England.

Registered No. 190137

T +44 (0)1304 502 100.

F +44 (0)1304 207 342
E [email protected]
www.megger.com
Registered to ISO 9001:1994 Reg no. Q 09250 Registered to ISO 14001 Reg no. EMS 61597