Insulation Resistance Testing

2004 Fluke Corporation

Insulation Resistance Testing

Resistance 101
Resistance is the opposition to current flow Resistance is used to lower the amount of current and/or voltage flowing through a circuit Unit of resistance is the ohm Ohms symbol is omega:

2004 Fluke Corporation

Insulation Resistance Testing

What is megohm testing?

Its testing for electrical insulation failure under controlled conditions Used to determine the integrity of
Cables Windings in motors and transformers Switching gear Electrical installations

Similar to pressure-testing a water pipe

2004 Fluke Corporation

Insulation Resistance Testing

Why different instruments read different ohms values

Ohmmeter (DMM)
Low voltage (~1-2V). Low current (~1-10mA) .

MegOhmMeter
High voltages to stress the insulation. Insulation Resistance Test (IRT).

Low Ohms Tester

Relatively high current (>200 mA). Greater accuracy for low-resistance devices or conductors.
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Leakage current basics

All insulators leak because all resistances conduct some current, however small

High voltages produce currents in insulators

The amount of current depends on
Applied voltage (Ohms Law) System capacitance Total resistance Temperature of material

2004 Fluke Corporation

Insulation Resistance Testing

Components of leakage current

Polarization absorption leakage (IA) Conductive leakage (IL)
Capacitive charging leakage (Ic)

2004 Fluke Corporation

Insulation Resistance Testing

Measuring insulation resistance

Customary: between two conductors insulated from each other Worst case: tie one conductor to the conduit

2004 Fluke Corporation

Insulation Resistance Testing

Measuring insulation resistance

Insulation resistance test Insulation resistance test over time for a motor

2004 Fluke Corporation

Insulation Resistance Testing

Be careful: I bite!
A 5 KV tester = up to 5200V DC output Nonlethal, but potent Limited to 2mA

2004 Fluke Corporation

Insulation Resistance Testing

Installation testing
Performed on these conductors
De-energized current-carrying (live) Grounded Grounding

When
Construction and maintenance After initial installation

Why
#1 reason: Safety Establish baseline

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Maintenance testing
Reasons for regular monitoring/testing
Predicts and identifies imminent failure Prevents disaster Lowers total cost of ownership

Performed on critical conductors

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Common voltages for testing

Equipment Voltage Rating Up to 50 V
Up to 100V 440 to 550V 2,400V 4,160V and above

Test Voltage 50 and 100 V

100 and 250V 500 and 1,000V 1,000 to 2,500V or higher 1,000 to 5,000V or higher

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Testing procedure
To ensure proper installation and integrity: 1. Verify supply power is isolated/disconnected from system under test. 2. Select the appropriate voltage level. 3. Connect leads. 4. Take reading. 5. Allow discharge of test voltage 6. Test each conductor.

2004 Fluke Corporation

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Using test results

Keep records Analyze readings Resolve issues Monitor suspect cables

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Insulation Resistance Testing

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Spot-reading/Short-time test
Connection time: 60 seconds Applies to low-capacitance equipment Steady increase in resistance One Megohm Rule of Thumb Trending rates of decrease

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Step voltage test

Resistance testing at discrete voltage settings Connection time: 60 seconds When: After spot test Looking for inconsistencies Flaws show at steps

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Step voltage test, good results

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Step voltage test failure

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Dielectric-absorption / time-resistance test

Absorption characteristics: contaminated vs. good. During first minute apply voltage every 10 seconds Apply once a minute for 9 remaining minutes

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Generator, motor, or transformer windings

Check: Winding to winding Winding to ground Phase to phase

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Insulation Resistance Testing

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Generator or motor windings

Disconnect stator winding and phases Raise brushes for DC
Motor Nameplate Voltage Rating (v) 0-1000 1000-2400 2400-5000 Minimum Acceptable Resistance (ohms) 1M 2M 3M

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Stop the presses!

Newspaper printing press example
Initially: >500 M. After a day or two: 10 M. At about 1 M: rebuild the motor.
1000

100

10

1 0 100 200 300 400

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Low ohms testing

Connection quality check
Measure across connection Typically less than 1 ohm Requires lead compensation

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Electrical contractors
IR test applications:
Leakage Cable insulation integrity Windings and switches Connections, fuses, breakers, and switches

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Motor technicians
IR test applications:
Leakage between windings Leakage between windings and motor frame When to test?

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Plant maintenance
IR test applications:
Wiring and cable Contacts and connections Grounding system integrity

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Other users
Electrical Utility Workers
Low-voltage equipment High voltage equipment

Elevator Technicians
Motors Wiring Controls

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Final tips
Use the right tester Follow the procedures Analyze the results Use proper trending Take corrective action

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1520/1550 MegOhmMeter optional hands-on exercises

Basic checks Normal resistance test Low resistance test High resistance test

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