Hello everyone, as you have seen on the title of this paper, I will try to

treat the subject in the most feasible manner comprehensible. Following

several questions that were posed to me on the subject by my LinkedIn
and work friends, so I think it's nice to post this document. Obviously I
was inspired by very interesting documents that I've found on the net, I
hope you'll find this post interesting too.

So what is the IR & IP test of GEN and motor?

The insulation resistance and polarization index tests of an electric

motor or generator has been regarded as a useful tool in evaluating its
windings for buildup of dirt or moisture, deterioration of the insulation.

IEEE Standard No. 43- 2000 covers the producer for determining
Insulation Resistance and Polarization Index in detail. However, this
paper provides a summarized guide for carrying out insulation resistance
and polarization index test.

Insulation system prevents winding faults. The stator winding is

generally designed to achieve a satisfactory service life of typically 20 to
40 years. But it all depends on the operating condition. Practically
insulation is in the form of organic compound that contains water as a
part of chemical make-up. Excessive temperature rise dehydrates and
oxidizes and makes the insulation brittle. Subsequently it disintegrates
under vibration and shock.

As the life of a generator or motor mainly depends on the insulation, the

condition of the insulation should be ascertained at a regular interval.
Insulation Resistance (IR) and Polarization Index (PI) are two
universally accepted diagnostic tests for insulation tests. These are in use
for more than 75 years.

The IR test measures the resistance of the electrical insulation between

the copper conductors and the core of the stator or rotor. Ideally the
value of this resistance is infinite since the purpose of the insulation is to
block current flow between the copper and the core. But in practice, it is
not possible. However, the resistance should have a high value to avoid
any appreciable leakage current. Lower value of IR indicates that the
insulation has been deteriorated.

PI is a variation of the IR test. It is the ratio of IR measured after voltage

has been applied for 10 minutes (R10) to the IR measured after one
minute (R1), i.e.

PI = R10/R1

Low value of PI indicates that the winding may have been contaminated
with oil, dirt etc or absorbed moistures. In the test, a relatively high DC
voltage is applied between the copper conductor and the stator or rotor
core usually between the winding and ground as the machine core &
body are grounded). By applying Ohm’s law, IR (Rt) at time t is then,

R1 = V/It

V is the DC Voltage applied and It is the current flowing in the circuit.

The characteristics of the insulation are such that the current. It is not
constant and it varies with time. The purpose of measuring PI can be
understood by knowing the flow of the different currents in the flow of
different currents in the insulator. There are four currents in the
insulator. There are four currents that may flow when a DC voltage is
applied to the winding. These four are:

Capacitive Current (Ic) Conduction Current (IR) Surface leakage current

(IL) Polarization current (IP)

1. Capacitive Current
Insulator behaves as a capacitor when a DC voltage is applied to a
capacitor, a high charging current first flows and then it decays
exponentially. The size of the capacitor and the internal resistance of the
voltage supply, typically a few hundred kilo ohms, set the currents
decay. In case of generator or motor windings, the current effectively
decays to zero in less than 10 seconds. Since the capacitive current
contains little diagnostic information, the initial IR is measured once the
capacitive current has decayed. Hence the first IR measurement has been
set as one minute to ensure that this current does not distort the IR
calculation.

2. Conduction Current
This current is due to flow of electrons between the copper and the core.
This is galvanic current through ground wall. Such a current through
ground wall. Such a current can flow if the ground wall has absorbed
moisture, which can happen on the older thermoplastic insulation
systems. The current may also flow if there are cracks, cuts or pinholes
in the ground insulation and some contamination is present to allow
current to flow.

This current is constant with time. With modern insulation this current
usually is zero (as long as there are no cracks, cuts etc).

3. Surface leakage
Current
This is constant DC current that flows over the surface of the insulation.
It is caused by conductive contamination (oil or moisture mixed with
dust, dirt, insects, chemicals etc) on the surface of the windings. This
current is also constant with time.

4. Polarization Current
Electrical insulation is hygroscopic in nature and presence of moisture
will be there either in low quantity or in excess. Water molecules are
very polar. When an electric field is applied across the insulation start
absorbing electrons from the hydrogen molecules causing ionization of
hydrogen. In other words, the molecules constituting water align in the
electric field, just as magnetic field. The energy required to align the
molecules comes from the current in the DC test voltage supply. This
current is called polarization current. The water becomes completely
polarized when the absorption of electron from hydrogen merging with
oxygen is completed. Once the molecules are all aligned, the current
stops. The approximate time for complete polarization is 10 minutes.
That is why the IR is measured after 10 minutes of applying voltage.

Now, the total current is the sum of all above currents, i.e. It = IC + IR +
IL+ IP

As we have analysed, after one minute, IC is zero.

So It (1 minute) = IR + IL + IP

As we have seen that, after 10 minutes, IP is zero, So It (10 minute) =

IR + IL

PI = IR + IL+ IP/IR + IL = R10/R1

Effect of Temperature on IR
One may argue that by measuring argue that by measuring IR after one
minute, one can diagnose the condition of the insulator. If it is less, the
insulation will be considered to have been deteriorated. Unfortunately,
just measuring IR has proved to be unreliable, since it is not tenable over
time. The reason is that IR is strongly dependent on temperature. A
100C increase in temperature can reduce IR by 5 to 10 times. When
readings of temperature and insulation resistance are plotted on ordinary
equally divided co-ordination, a curved characteristics is obtained. On
the other hand if graph paper is used on which the insulation scale is laid
out in logarithmic division, the graph becomes a straight line. Further,
the effect of temperature is different for each insulation material and
type of contamination. Although some temperature correction graphs
and formulae are given in the IEEE-43 and some other books, they are
acknowledge as being unreliable for extrapolation by more than 100C.
The result is that every time IR is measured at different temperatures,
one gets a completely different IR. This makes it impossible to define a
scientifically acceptable IR valve over wide range of temperatures.

Importance of PI
PI was developed to make interpretation less sensitive to temperature. PI
is the ratio of two IR at two different times. Temperature of the winding
does not rise during the test period of 10 minutes. So it is fairly assumed
that both R10 and R1 are measured at same winding temperature. Then
the temperature correction factor will be same for both cases and will be
cancelled during the calculation of PI. Thus PI is relatively insensitive to
temperature. Further in the formula of PI, the polarization current is used
as a ‘yard stick’ to see if the leakage and conduction currents are
excessive. If these later currents are much larger than the polarization
current, the ratio will be about one. It is known from the experience that,
if PI is about one, leakage and conduction currents are large enough that
electrical tracking will occur. Conversely, if the leakage and conduction
current are low compared to polarization currents, PI will be greater than
2, and experience shows that electrical tracking problems are unlikely.
Thus during test, if we see the decay in the total current or rise in the IR
in the interval between 1 minute and 10 minutes, then this must be due
to polarization current ( since the leakage and conduction currents are
constant with time) which implies that the leakage and conduction
currents are low.

Test Method
1. Instrument
IR is measured with a ‘mega-ohmmeter’. Sometimes this is called
Megger Tester after the name of the instrument first developed for this
purpose (Megger is a trade name of AVO). Mega-ohmmeter generates
and applies a regulated DC supply. It measures the flow of current and
IR is directly read on its dial. Hand driven and motorized mega-
ohmmeters are available. But for constant rotation and steady DC
voltage, a motorized meter is preferred. Modern mega-ohmmeter can
apply voltages exceeding 10 KV, and measure resistance higher than
100GΩ

2. Test Voltage
Test voltage should be well below the rated peak line-to-ground voltage
of the winding as it is not a ‘high potential’ test. But the voltage should
be high enough to find defects such as cuts though the insulation in the
windings.

Guidelines for DC voltages to be applied for the test are

Rated voltage (line-to-line) of the winding in volts / Test voltage (DC) in
volt

<600 / 5
00

1000-2500 / 500-
1000

2500-5000 / 1000-
2500

>5000 / 2500-
5000

3. Test Procedure
IR & PI tests shall be done simultaneously. If the winding temperature is
below the dew point, the winding may be heated to dry off the moisture
that has condensed on the winding. If the temperature is below the dew
point, there is no way to correct the IR & PI for humidity Otherwise, the
test is very simple. The procedure is as follows:

Remove all external connections to the machine and completely

discharge the windings to the grounded machine frame

Apply required DC voltage between the winding and ground using a

direct indicating, motor driven mega-ohmmeter.

Continue to apply the voltage for 10 minutes.

Measure the insulation resistance after 1 minute and 10 minutes. Switch
off supply to the meter and completely discharge the windings to the
grounded machine frame.

Calculate the polarization index by dividing the 10-minute insulation

resistance by the 1-minute insulation resistance.

Note the winding temperature.

If test is carried out only on one winding of three phase equipment, then
other windings should be grounded during the test.

Interpretation of Results
1. There is no established rule or method for determining the
minimum value of IR at which machine may operate without
However, standard values of IR have been
recommended; Minimum IR measured after minute at 400C in
mega ohm, Random wound windings manufactured before 1947 R,
min = KV+I, Random wound winding manufactured after 1947 RI
min = 5, Form wound windings and DC Armatur Ri min = 100.
the K.V = Rated line – to – line voltage of the machine in KV
(rms).
2. If IR is below the above recommended value, the winding should
not be subjected to high potential test or be taken to service, since
failure may However, if historical record indicates that a low IR
 value is always obtained on a particular winding, then the machine
can probably be returned to service with little risk of failure.

Interpretation of PI value is by folow. If IR or PI is below the minimum

value in a modern stator winding, it is an indication that the winding is
contaminated or soaked with water.

PI / Condition of winding / Measures

to be
taken <1.0 Hazardous
Dry winding

1-1.5 Bad Dry

winding

1.5-2.0 Doubtful Drying is

recommended

2.0-3.0 Adequate

3.0-4.0 Good

>4.0 Excellent

For modern form wound stators, if a very high value of IR is measured

(say greater than 5GΩ) then PI is not likely to indicate anything about
the winding. Thus the test may be stopped after one minute to save time.
If a high PI result is obtained on an older stator winding, then there is a
possibility that the insulation has suffered thermal deterioration. This
occurs because thermal deterioration fundamentally changes the nature
of insulation and thus the polarization currents that flow. In general IR &
PI test are an excellent means of ascertaining winding conditions that are
contaminated or soaked with moisture. The tests are also good detecting
major flaws where the insulation is cracked or has been cut through. The
test can also detect thermal deterioration for form wound stators using
thermoplastic insulation system. It is seen that some testing engineers
take the PI as the ratio of IR after 60 seconds to that measured after 15
seconds. This is done to save time and as explained in the theory part, it
does not indicate anything. Sometimes it is known as spot test and the
result is normally recommended for comparison in trend insulation. It is
advised that to keep the winding in good condition it should be cleaned
off the dust, oil, lubricants etc from its surface regularly. Moisture is the
main culprit for deterioration of the insulation. Absorption of moisture
becomes dangerous when the machine is idle. During this period the
moisture is condensed on the insulation and is absorbed by it.
Condensation of moisture on electrical machines occurs when the
surface temperature falls below the dew point. Therefore, during idle
period the winding temperature should be kept at least 50C higher than
the ambient temperature. For this space heaters have been provided and
these should be automatically started with a time delay when the
machine is switched off. Further, the machine should be operated within
its rated temperature limit. As a general rule, it may be said that life
expectancy of insulation reduces by 50% with each 100C rise in the
operating temperature.
Let’s refer to one of huge GEN and Motors manufacturer, which is
General Electric Power (GE). The example GEN is; 324H Gas cooler
GEN 15.75 KV and 360 MVA generator application for Gas Turbine
drive 9FB GT. For the scope preservation before ASET, GE preconize
three mandatory procedures based on the following documents:

1/ GEK 110146 Generator Preservation Instruction

2/ GEK 110146E Generator Storage and Observation-General
Requirement
3/ GEK 7613 is our subject
I will transcribe what is written on the GE document GEK 7613;

AVAILABLE TESTS

There are several means of testing the insulation system to evaluate the
dielectric strength for assurance of suitability for service. All of these,
without exception, involve the application of a voltage across the
insulation ground wall. The difference from one test to the other is a
matter of difference in voltage level, and the measurement and
interpretation of the results. Basically the series of tests available fall in
two categories: (1) proof tests made at levels higher than rated voltage,
and (2) analytical tests made at voltage levels usually below rated
voltage. Some of these are:

A.Proof Tests

High-potential (hi-pot)

B. Analytical Tests (Recommended)

Insulation resistance and dielectric absorption (Megger) DC leakage

C. Analytical Tests (Customer Option)

Dissipation factor
Radio noise, slot discharge
Corona start voltage

The B is our subject .

Analytical Tests (Recommended)

a/ Insulation Resistance

This by far the simplest and easiest of the available tests to determine the
integrity of the insulation. It is made with an instrument commonly
known as a Megger, either hand operated, motor operated or electronic.
One of these types is usually available in most shops and test labs. The
instrument generates a constant internal voltage and has a high internal
resistance. The meter actually senses terminal voltage; thus, any current
flow reduces the scale reading, which is calibrated in megohms. The
results of this reading indicate only the presence or absence of
conducting paths through or around the insulation system. The dense
nature of epoxy-mica insulation systems has eliminated paths through
the insulation; however, water-cooled windings have introduced a path
from winding to ground that very vitally influences the insulation
resistance reading that might be obtained. The multiple connecting hoses
from the winding to the liquid header form many parallel paths; and if
the winding is filled with water, these hoses in parallel contribute
enough conductivity to reduce the insulation resistance reading to a level
below the normally accepted limits. On water cooled windings, after the
continuity check in the factory, the water is evacuated and the winding is
dried out by vacuum. This permits a recheck of the insulation resistance
prior to hi-pot and shipment. This dry condition then permits a recheck
of insulation resistance at destination prior to startup in order to verify
that no damage has been done to the insulation. Subsequently, if the
purchaser has occasion to recheck the insulation resistance after water
has been added, it is necessary to remove the water from the winding.
This can be accomplished by draining, followed by surging air through
the winding as described in GEK 7602, Tab 33. Under this condition it
will be difficult to completely dry the winding, and thus the Megger
reading will still be somewhat lower than the normal values but can be
used to check for major damage to the insulation. An index commonly
used in interpretation of the Megger reading is known as the Dielectric
Absorbtion, obtained by continuing the reading for a longer period of
time. If the test is continued for a period of about 10 minutes, the
Megger will have an opportunity to polarize or charge the high
capacitance of the stator insulation wall, and the indicated resistance
reading will increase if the insulation is clean and dry. Thus, a 10-minute
reading is frequently made for optimum results. The ratio of the 10-
minute reading to the one-minute reading has been identified as
Polarization Index. Polarization index values of 2.5 or higher might be
expected on the stator, and 1.25 or higher on the field. The simplicity of
operation and availability of equipment lead to the common use of a
Megger as the first step in most insulation evaluations. The following
will serve as a very quick check that would eliminate the time required
to drain the winding. With water in the winding, the Megger reading is
likely to be as low as 0.5 to 1 megohm (0.5 to 1 MW), which is normal.
This value of winding resistance is low because of the leakage current
through the water in the hoses. However, this Megger reading will still
verify that the insulation does not have a complete breakdown or short to
ground. Subsequent checks with similar conductivity of water can be
compared to an initial reading with water in the winding for assurance
that no major change has taken place. The insulation resistance reading
has for years been the most convenient measure of the surface moisture
condition of a winding at startup. A very low Megger reading and also a
low polarization index would usually indicate the presence of moisture
and would suggest that a dry-out be conducted. If the winding is heated
to eliminate moisture, and on new machines a dry-out run is hardly ever
required. Refer to IEEE 43 for recommended DC Megger values. In
most cases, a 5,000 VDC Megger is recommended

b DC Leakage

This is a term used to designate another type of insulation resistance

measurement.
This ismade with a variable voltage test set in which voltage can be
applied to the insulation in a series of steps, and the leakage current
through the insulation measured at each voltage.
This involves somewhat larger and more complicated equipment than
the Megger but provides more intelligence as to the nature of the
insulation level. It has higher capability and can thus maintain the
selected voltage constant while leakage current is measured at the
desired voltage point. The test has been used extensively in older
electrical equipment, particularly involving insulation systems that are
subject to moisture absorption. Air-cooled machines are subjected to the
changes in humidity in the cooling air. In hydrogen-cooled machines,
the ambient is quite dry and the winding is protected against moisture
absorption. Even if a fault does exist in the insulation wall in a very dry
atmosphere, as long as the fault is clean and dry, no appreciable dc
leakage current will be obtained. It is thus entirely possible that the
dc leakage test will fail to indicate a fault in a hydrogen-cooled
generator. Since epoxy-mica systems do not absorb moisture into the
ground wall under normal conditions, the test is still less meaningful.
Water-cooled windings that have multiple parallel hoses from the
winding to ground can have leakage current through the water in the
hoses as high as 50 milliamperes during a high-potential test, thus many
times greater than the total leakage through the insulation, making it
impossible to interpret the results. If the hoses are dry, the dc
leakage test can be evaluated to look for other leakage paths over the
surface of the insulation or through openings to ground. The maximum
dc voltage applied should be limited to twice the RMS value of the rated
ac voltage of the generator.

COMPONENTS TO BE TESTED
The component of the turbine-generator set that is normally involved in
an electrical test program is the generator stator.
The rotating field is, of course, also subject to insulation failure, and
such failure could result in a forced outage.
In most cases, however, the field circuit is ungrounded, except for the
addition of a ground detector relay; and thus if a single breakdown
occurs, it does not result in a power surge through the fault, with
the associated consequential damage. The practice in most operating
companies is to do much less testing on the field than on the stator. In
most cases the testing has consisted of possibly a Megger test to verify
the insulation resistance level and an impedance or other test to search
for shorted turns.
There are factors that might indicate that this should be reevaluated,
however, such as the rapidly increasing size of units, with the
commensurate increase in dollar value of forced outage time,
together with the increased voltage being used on recent fields. It might
be considered good insurance to apply more effort and a more
sophisticated test program in the future to promote a high level of
reliability of the field winding and associated excitation equipment.The
exciter falls in the same general category as the field as far as the scope
of the test program.

The program for protection of other auxiliary equipment such as pump

motors on the seal oil or stator liquid cooling equipment usually consists
of routine maintenance such as visual inspection, lubrication,etc., and
does not normally include an electrical test program.

PREPARATION AND TESTING

Insulation is very sensitive to change in temperature and this is reflected
in the insulation resistance reading as obtained by a Megger or similar
equipment. The variation of insulation resistance as a function of
temperature is indicated in Figure 3. Thus, for successive tests to be
comparable, the data should be compared at the same temperature..

Any application of voltage for measuring winding conditions is

dependent on a clean, dry winding to obtain optimum results. If
moisture, wet paint or other contaminants are present, the test data
will likely reflect the abnormal condition, since many such materials
may provide a conducting path to ground.

Liquid-cooled stators using water for the coolant have an additional

dielectric leakage path in the columns of water through the connecting
hoses. AC overvoltage tests can be performed either with water
circulating in the winding or with the winding drained and dried. DC
overvoltage tests normally require that the winding be drained and dried.
Drying is usually accomplished by blowing air through the winding after
draining the bulk of the water.
The stator winding should be isolated or separated from other connected
equipment such as power transformers and station bus.
It is also desirable to separate the three phases of the winding from each
other so that one phase can be tested at a time. Normally both ends of
each phase are brought outside the generator through bushings. For test,
both ends of the phase in question should be tied together. During the
test, the other two phases that are not involved should be grounded.
Instrumentation such as temperature detectors, both resistance type and
thermocouples, which are located within or adjacent to the winding with
leads brought to a terminal board outside the generator, should be
grounded during the test.
As far as safety is concerned, there are many established variations of
safety regulations and usually each operating company has a set of rules,
and these should be observed in accordance with the location and
conditions of the test. In any event, some common rules would apply.
The equipment to be tested, the high-voltage test set itself and any
connecting high-voltage leads should be enclosed with a safety tape to
prevent stray personnel from entering the area. Enough guards should be
posted in the area to provide observation of the winding and equipment,
be alert for winding failures and abnormal conditions, and also to
prevent personnel from entering the winding.

Thank you to reading me.