Benefits of High Voltage Testing - High Voltage Power Systems

In HVT (High Voltage Technology), any voltage above 11 kV is considered to be in the high voltage range. This can be either alternating or direct current. Most industries are supplied with this range of voltages from the national grid, while some generate their own high voltage electricity using power generators. These high voltages are usually transferred to certain lower voltages, allowing their electrical machinery such as motors, heaters, HVAC systems, to run, among others. For these industries, there should be regular checks by authorized personnel to assess the condition of their equipment. Equipment testing is very important in determining the sound of the machine to avoid equipment breakdown and mass production losses. These tests also help determine if a newly purchased device is in place before installation. Most manufacturers use high voltage testing to test the insulation of their equipment before supplying it to their customers.

The benefits of implementing high voltage insulation testing are commonly seen by many industries, as a technique for locating the status of their electrical equipment. This can be attributed very much to the fact that there is a lot of pressure and emphasis on production activities at the expense of active maintenance of equipment. A reliable and effective insulation for an electrical machine is of utmost importance for its correct operation every time. As the insulation of equipment deteriorates over time, the electrical department concerned for any industry must conduct regular checks for machines as part of its normal working schedule. This should also be done for low and medium voltage systems.

In most cases, a four-stage process is followed. The steps are briefly described below:

Process testing

This is the most basic process that can be easily performed even on installed devices, so as long as it is not running. This process involves the use of a meggering instrument to test the insulation integrity of the coils before being phase, neutral, and connected to the earth. In some cases, a multimeter may also be used. At this stage inter-winding and winding-to-body resistors are investigated. Therefore, the voltage and insulation resistance of the coil can be determined by the dielectric.

Testing accessories

This includes testing for insulation resistance and dielectric sense voltage for interconnecting cables, high voltage bushes, busbars and terminations. This can be conducted when components are interconnected or separated.

Generator assembly test

In this case the generator is inspected. Cleaning is done and machine stability is also assessed. The pulse of the machine is closely monitored using a special display instrument. The device is also meggered for insulation resistance and dielectric sense voltage testing.

Among the factors to consider in a test instrument are; Voltage and correct test equipment. The voltage must be high to effectively measure the insulating resistance for the most reliable results tested. However, it should not be too high to overstress the equipment insulation. The right testing tools that can effectively store results enable them to be stored in a computer for collection and analysis. This process saves time and reduces the risk of error.

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