Hipot testing in industry:

standards and good practices

M. Marchevsky, LBNL

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 Electrical safety standards

• IEC/UL 60601-1 3rd Edition

• UL 1598/CSA C22.2 No. 250.0-08 3rd Edition
• BS EN 60204-1:2006 + A1:2009 - “Safety of Machinery“
• IEC/UL 60335-1 5th Edition
• IEC 60598-1 7th Edition
• IEC/UL 60950-1 2nd Edition - “Safety of information technology equipment“
• IEC/UL 61010-1 3rd Edition

 The primary goal of conducting hipot tests in industry is safety

 Other two goals are: Design Qualification and Maintenance

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IEC/UL 60950-1 2nd Edition –
Safety of information technology
equipment
5.2 Dielectric Withstand Test
(The Hipot Test)
Test voltage - See tables 5B and 5C
Test time = 60 sec
Tested at 50 Hz, 60 Hz or DC equivalent (1.414 * AC
Voltage Test)
No dielectric breakdown
If DUT enclosure is non-conductive, use metal foil
as conductive medium for return point.
BS EN 60204-1:2006 + A1:2009 –
Safety of Machinery
18.3 Insulation Resistance Tests
(The IR Test)
Minimum insulation resistance ≥ 1 MΩ
Exception - a value of 50 kΩ or more is allowed
for certain parts of electrical equipment. See 18.3
for details.
Test voltage = 500 V DC
IR value measured between power circuit
conductors and grounding circuit

Annex U.3.1 Routine Hipot 18.4 Voltage Tests (The Hipot

Testing Test)
Test voltage = 1500 V AC for Basic or No disruptive discharge or breakdown on DUT
Supplementary Insulation insulation
Test voltage = 3000 V AC for Reinforced Insulation Test voltage = 1000 V or 2 * Rated Supply Voltage
No dielectric breakdown shall occur of DUT (whichever is greater)
Test voltage = 1500 V AC for Basic or Test time = 1 sec
Supplementary Insulation Tested at rated frequency
Test voltage = 3000 V AC for Reinforced Insulation

In practice, the basic test Voltage for Hipot test is the 2X (Operating Voltage) + 1000 V

A typical rule of thumb is 110 to 120% of 2U + 1000 V for 1-2 seconds.

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 Choice of trip level for leakage current

Most safety agencies do not specify leakage current limits.

Here is valid method for determining proper leakage limit settings:

1. Perform a Hipot test on a sample of known good products. Record the
leakage current results.
2. Calculate an average leakage current value from these samples.
3. Multiply the average value by 25%. Add this number to the average value.
This is your leakage current high limit. ( = 225 % of average)
4. Perform the same step, but now subtract 25% from the average value. This
is your leakage current low limit (= 75% of average)

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Charging current vs steady-state leakage current
𝑄 = 𝐶𝑈
𝑑𝑄 𝑑𝑈
𝐼= + 𝑈𝑅 = 𝐶 + 𝑈𝑅
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

 Hipot tester would normally

maintain the voltage,
meaning that current spike
at every voltage step
reaches well above the level
It
R (1-10 mOhm) of steady leakage current.

+Uc +Uc  How exactly the tester

+q handles the charging
Rx C Rarc current spikes needs to be
-q clarified with the device
manufacturer!
Note, that energy stored in the capacitor will mainly dissipate in
the arc, as it provides least resistive path for the current (Rarc<<R)

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 Production test vs design test:
testing purpose defines hipot dwell time

Hipot test time (dwell time) can also vary between agency standards. The most
common test durations are 1 sec for production tests and 1 minute for design
tests. However, if the test time is reduced from 1 min to 1 sec, the Hipot test
voltage generally needs to be raised by 20% since the insulation is being
stressed for a shorter period of time.

The example below is from UL 1598 – Luminaries, outlining the voltage and time
differences for a type and production line test:
- Dielectric Voltage-Withstand Test for incandescent type luminaries
Test Time Test Voltage
60 sec (type) 1000 VAC
1 sec (production) 1200 VAC

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 Conformance testing: proof of design
The proof of the design is done in a conformance (type) testing: A high voltage is used
to verify that the clearances and solid insulation of components have adequate
dielectric strength to resist expected overvoltage conditions. It also shows that the
equipment is able to work safely over its complete lifetime. During the test the
electrical stress on the insulation over its complete lifetime is simulated in a very short
time. Here it is assumed that the failure mechanism during lifetime is the same as in
the test. Using an empirical equation the lifetime stress is transferred to a test
condition*

This empirical equation is used in some standards to determine the high voltage type
test conditions with an exponent of n=6. Typically the test voltage is calculated for an
expected lifetime of 20 years. So equipment with an operating voltage of 230V has to
be high voltage tested with a voltage of 3400V for one minute.

This also means that the examined insulation is aged completely during this type test
and cannot be used anymore. Therefore samples from high voltage type tests have to
be scrapped or at least not be used if the safety of the user will be affected.
Semikron, Application Note AN 16-002

*Klecsztyn, S. E., “Formal theoretical foundation of electrical ageing of dielectrics”, IEEE Transactions on
Power Apparatus and Systems 100, 1981

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 Multiple testing to failure: an example

A 5HP, 4-pole, 460V, used motor from the early 1980s was tested to arcing repeatedly using DC Hipot. The motor
was last in operation in 2005 before sitting for another 10+ years in storage.

The motor was then surge tested to failure at 7.5kV – 8kV multiple times in short succession. After this,
insulation resistance measurement at 1,000V detected no leakage current, and the motor was then tested 18
times to failure in short succession with a DC Hipot Test.

The conclusion from this experiment is that the relatively low energy available in the DC Hipot
trst will not cause damage to the insulation system as long as the test is performed in accordance
with the standards.
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 Case study: stator winding maintenance

Windings in service: To reduce the risk of a costly forced outage, a regular maintenance
program, including hipot tests, is necessary. The winding may be tested during maintenance
outages often every 3 to 6 years and somewhat longer for large generators.

As stated above, a hipot test does not degrade an otherwise good winding. There is a
finite risk that a marginal winding, which would have hopefully operated for some more
time, may be punctured in the hipot test. For example, a winding with poor coils near the
neutral end may operate for many years, but it may fail a hipot test. It will require
immediate repairs or replacement. This risk can be minimized (but not eliminated) by
using the DC ramp or step test and other diagnostic tests (IR, PI, PD, DF), which may
detect insulation problems without a puncture during the test.

Maintenance hipot tests require a management decision. The choice is between the
failure of a marginal winding during the off-line hipot test and an in-service failure
sometime later with a costly forced outage.

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Is repeated hipot testing destructive if performed to
established standards?
A webinar on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKYABK05-rM
(Short answer: it is not)
“Experience of expert engineers, theoretical arguments, and experimental results from AC and DC
hipot tests on a large number of coils lead to a compelling conclusion that hipot tests do not appear
to cause any significant damage to the insulation system of a rotating machine stator in a
serviceable condition.”
B.K. Gupta, G.C. Stone, and J. Stein, 2009 IEEE Electrical
Insulation Conference, Montreal, QC, Canada, (2009)

However,
rerunning a failed hipot test over and over is not considered a good industry practice
Whenever repeat tests are still being conducted, various measures can be taken to minimize
further degradation of insulation:
1. Test to a reduced voltage
2. Observe leakage current as function of the applied voltage (slow DC ramp)
3. Use other techniques (IR, PI, PD, DF) to access insulation state without stressing it to the
failure limit

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 Auxiliary techniques
 Insulation Resistance (IR) test is done to access insulation quality. It is done using
MegOhmmeter (“Megger”) – an Ohmmeter that is capable of applying high voltages
to read high resistances. Typical test time (HV on) is 1 minute.

 Polarization Index (PI) test is generally performed at the same voltage as the
Insulation Resistance (IR) test. The Polarization Index is derived by the ratio between
the one minute reading and the ten minute reading. Recommended minimum PI
results for suitability for service (or implementation of high voltage testing) is widely
accepted as 2:1 or greater. Any reading lower than this minimum value is a concern

 Dissipation factor (DF) is a parameter which is a dimension for the quality of the
dielectric losses in the insulation system and it gives the relation between the real
and reactive components. A rise of DF is a sign for strong worsening of the insulation
condition, mostly caused by internal partial discharges. For this reason often a PD
measurement is applied to evaluate the results of dissipation factor measurements.
The classical method to measure the dissipation factor tan δ and the capacitance is
done with the Schering Bridge.

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 Partial Discharge (PD)

A partial discharge (PD) is an electrical discharge or spark that bridges a small

portion of the insulation between two conducting electrodes. Partial Discharge can
happen at any point in the insulation system, where the electric field strength
exceeds the breakdown strength of that portion of the insulating material. Partial
Discharge can occur:

- across the surface of insulating material (mainly due to contaminants or

irregularities)
- within gas bubbles in liquid insulation
- in voids within solid insulation
- around an electrode in gas (corona activity)

It should be noted that only PD occurring within the insulation has a real potential
for creating a carbonized channel.

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 Detecting PD electro-magnetically

Electromagnetic Waves (EMI) are emitted when PD occurs. The

UHF sensor is a special antenna with a response range from
300MHz to 1.5GHz. Virtually all types of partial discharge have
an emission in this range.

PD activity also induces HF current pulses onto surrounding

grounds that can be picked up with HFCT High Frequency
Current Transformer operating in 500kHz - 50MHz range

(from PMDT, Ltd. website)

HF detectors of PD also come as standard built-in feature with most of automated

hipot testers on the market.

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 Detecting PD using an ultrasonic microphone (historical)

Still another technique of finding the breakdown is to use an ultrasonic translator. The ultrasonic
translator is an ultrasonic microphone with a heterodyne circuit which translates the ultrasonic
frequencies to the sonic frequencies. Insulation breakdown is preceded by partial discharge which
produces lots of ultrasonic noise. The ultrasonic translator allows you to hear the partial discharge
long before it results in a breakdown.
Watch it in operation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE-m58nvNOk
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 Detecting PD acoustically (modern)

Acoustic Contact Airbourne Acoustic

20kHz -300kHz 40kHz Ultrasonic
The contact probe is used by placing the PD activity which is at or near
sensor onto the transformer or GIS tank. A the surface of an insulator will
vacuum gel is used to bridge the airgap and produce an ultrasonic and
ensure the signal is received by the probe. sometimes audible emission.
Acoustic contact measurements are very Surface tracking and corona
sensitive. Very small PD signals can be always produce airborne
detected and characterized. Also because emissions. Other types of PD
they travel at the speed of sound, the origin may also produce a detectable
of the signals can be triangulated using acoustic emissions.
multiple sensors simultaneously.
(from PMDT, Ltd. website)

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 Brief summary
 Hipot testing is conducted in industry for safety, design qualification and
maintenance of electrical equipment
 Testing following safety standards is done to accept or reject the part, and is
typically conducted just once
 Design qualification is done by electrically stressing insulation for an extended
period of time. Extended dwelling time at high voltage permanently degrades
insolation; any part that underwent such test is considered unusable
 Repeat hipot testing come up most often as part of maintenance procedures. It
was shown that short-time hipots that pass OK do not introduce any insulation
damage. Those tests that fail may introduce damage after being run to failure
multiple (>10) times
 Repeating failed hipot over again is not a good industry practice. Only after
establishing the likely cause of failure and making changes to the system, hipot
test can be repeated. It is done in combination with auxiliary insolation testing
procedures, and to a lower voltage level.

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 Practical recommendations
 Do not repeat any failed hipot for the sole purpose of verifying the failure. Consider
reducing voltage level when repeating hipot of any pair that has earlier failed

 Set leakage current based on the “good part” testing statistics. Verify with hipot
tester manufacturer how capacitive current spikes are being handled by their
equipment, and how to properly estimate energy deposition in failed hipot tests.

 Consider optimizing current ramping rate and dwell time. Do not over-stress
insulation unnecessary by keeping it under high voltage for a long time

 Always have a visual reading of leakage current vs applied voltage, to be able to

access its evolution in real time and act upon any observed deviations from Ohm’s
law as hipot test progresses to higher voltages.

 Use available auxiliary techniques (Megger: IR and PI, PD detection with HF and
acoustics) prior and/or during hipotting to predict imminent failure and prevent an
arc-induced damage to the insulation

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