High-Voltage Testing on Site

Abstract

High-voltage (HV) tests and measurements are applied for two different reasons on site: When new equipment or systems are finally assembled on site, a quality acceptance test, usually a HV withstand test (more and more completed by PD or dielectric measurements), is required to demonstrate the necessary quality and reliability for commissioning. This test completes the quality tests in the factory and should follow their philosophy based on insulation coordination. The aim of the second group of tests on service-aged equipment, the so-called diagnostic tests, is related to the condition assessment of insulation for the estimation of the remaining lifetime. For diagnostic purposes, usually a set of tests and measurements is performed. HV tests after repair are in between the two, because the repaired part is new, but the other insulation of the equipment or system is service-aged. After a consideration of the general requirements to HV test systems used on site, the applied test voltages according to IEC 60060-3: 2006 are introduced. The chapter is closed with examples for both, quality acceptance withstand tests and diagnostic tests on site, for compressed-gas-insulated equipment (GIS), cable systems, power transformers and rotating HV machines.