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UsingMeggertesterforthese3typesofinsulationresistancetests|EEP

UsingMeggertesterforthese3typesofinsulationresistance
tests
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UsingMeggertesterforthese3typesofinsulationresistancetests

Typesofinsulationresistancetests
Youknowthatgoodinsulationhashighresistanceandpoorinsulationrelativelylowresistance.Theactual
resistancevaluescanbehigherorlower,dependinguponsuchfactorsasthetemperatureormoisturecontentof
theinsulation(resistancedecreasesintemperatureormoisture).
Withalittlerecordkeepingandcommonsense,however,youcangetagoodpictureoftheinsulationcondition
fromvaluesthatareonlyrelative.
TheMeggerinsulationtesterisasmall,portableinstrumentthatgivesyouadirectreadingofinsulationresistance
inohmsormegohms.Forgoodinsulation,theresistanceusuallyreadsinthemegohmrange.
However,letstalknowaboutthreebasictypesofinsulationresistancetestsusingMeggertester:
1.ShortTimeorSpotReadingTest
2.TimeResistanceMethod
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3.DielectricAbsorptionRatio

1.ShortTimeorSpotReadingTest
Inthismethod,yousimplyconnecttheMeggerinstrumentacrosstheinsulationtobetestedandoperateitfora
short,specifictimeperiod(60secondsisusuallyrecommended).AsshownschematicallyinFigure1,youve
simplypickedapointonacurveofincreasingresistancevalues.
Quiteoftenthevaluewouldbelessfor30seconds,morefor60seconds.Bearinmindalsothattemperatureand
humidity,aswellasconditionofyourinsulationaffectyourreading.

Figure1Typicalcurveofinsulationresistance(inmegohms)withtimefortheshorttimeorspot
readingtestmethod

Iftheapparatusyouaretestinghasverysmallcapacitance,suchasashortrunofhousewiring,thespotreading
testisallthatisnecessary.However,mostequipmentiscapacitiveandsoyourveryfirstspotreadingonequipment
inyourplant,withnopriortests,canbeonlyaroughguideastohowgoodorbadtheinsulationis.
Formanyyears,maintenanceprofessionalshaveusedtheonemegohmruletoestablishtheallowablelower
limitforinsulationresistance.

Therulemaybestated:Insulationresistanceshouldbeapproximatelyonemegohmforeach1,000
voltsofoperatingvoltage,withaminimumvalueofonemegohm.

Forexample,amotorratedat2,400voltsshouldhaveaminimuminsulationresistanceof2.4megohms.In
practice,megohmreadingsnormallyareconsiderablyabovethisminimumvalueinnewequipmentorwhen
insulationisingoodcondition.
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Bytakingreadingsperiodicallyandrecordingthem,youhaveabetterbasisofjudgingtheactualinsulation
condition!Anypersistentdownwardtrendisusuallyfairwarningoftroubleahead,eventhoughthereadingsmay
behigherthanthesuggestedminimumsafevalues.
Equallytrue,aslongasyourperiodicreadingsareconsistent,theymaybeok,eventhoughlowerthanthe
recommendedminimumvalues.
ThecurvesofFigure2showtypicalbehaviorofinsulationresistanceundervaryingplantoperatingconditions.The
curveswereplottedfromspotreadingstakenwithaMeggerinstrumentoveraperiodofmonths.

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Figure2Typicalbehaviorofinsulationresistanceoveraperiodofmonthsundervaryingoperating
conditions,(curvesplottedfromspotreadingswithaMeggerinstrument)

GobacktoInsulationresistancetests

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2.TimeResistanceMethod
Thismethodisfairlyindependentoftemperatureandoftencangiveyouconclusiveinformationwithoutrecordsof
pasttests.Itisbasedontheabsorptioneffectofgoodinsulationcomparedtothatofmoistorcontaminated
insulation.yousimplytakesuccessivereadingsatspecifictimesandnotethedifferencesinreadings(seecurves,
Figure3).
Testsbythismethodaresometimesreferredtoasabsorptiontests.
Notethatgoodinsulationshowsacontinualincreaseinresistance(lesscurrentseecurveA)overaperiod
oftime(intheorderof5to10minutes).Thisiscausedbytheabsorptioncurrentwespokeofearliergood
insulationshowsthischargeeffectoveratimeperiodmuchlongerthanthetimerequiredtochargethecapacitance
oftheinsulation.
Iftheinsulationcontainsmuchmoistureorcontaminants,theabsorptioneffectismaskedbyahighleakagecurrent
whichstaysatafairlyconstantvalue,keepingtheresistancereadinglow(remember:R=e/I).

Figure3Typicalcurvesshowingdielectricabsorptioneffectinatimeresistancetest,made
oncapacitiveequipmentsuchasalargemotorwinding

Thetimeresistancetestisofvaluealsobecauseitisindependentofequipmentsize.Theincreaseinresistancefor
cleananddryinsulationoccursinthesamemannerwhetheramotorislargeorsmall.Youcan,therefore,compare
severalmotorsandestablishstandardsfornewones,regardlessoftheirhorsepowerratings.
Figure4showshowa60secondtestwouldappearforgoodandperhapsbadinsulation.Whentheinsulation
isingoodshape,the60secondreadingishigherthanthe30secondreading.

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Figure4Typicalcardplotofatimeresistanceordoublereadingtest

Afurtheradvantageofthisdoublereadingtest,asitissometimescalled,isthatitgivesyouaclearerpicture,even
whenaspotreadingsaystheinsulationlooksfine.
Forexample,letssaythespotreadingonasynchronousmotorwas10megohms.now,letsassumethatthe
doublereadingcheckshowsthattheinsulationresistanceholdssteadyat10megohmswhileyouholdvoltageupto
60seconds.Thismeanstheremaybedirtormoistureinthewindingsthatbearswatching.ontheotherhand,if
thepointershowsagradualincreasebetweenthe30secondandthe60secondchecks,thenyourereasonably
surethewindingsareingoodshape.
Timeresistancetestsonlargerotatingelectricalmachineryespeciallywithhighoperatingvoltagerequirehigh
insulationresistancerangesandaveryconstanttestvoltage.

AheavydutyMeggertestset,lineoperated,servesthisneed.Similarly,suchaninstrumentis
betteradaptedforlargecables,bushings,transformersandswitchgear.

GobacktoInsulationresistancetests

3.DielectricAbsorptionRatio
Theratiooftwotimeresistancereadings(suchasa60secondreadingdividedbya30secondreading)iscalleda
dielectricabsorptionratio.Itisusefulinrecordinginformationaboutinsulation.Iftheratioisa10minutereading
dividedbya1minutereading,thevalueiscalledthepolarizationindex.
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WithhandcrankedMeggerinstruments,itsaloteasierforyoutorunthetestforonly60seconds,takingyourfirst
readingat30seconds.IfyouhavealineoperatedMeggerinstrument,youllgetbestresultsbyrunningthetest10
minutes,takingreadingsat1andat10minutes,togetthepolarizationindex.
TableIgivesvaluesoftheratiosandcorrespondingrelativeconditionsoftheinsulationthattheyindicate.
TABLEIConditionofInsulationIndicatedbyDielectricAbsorptionRatios (1)
Insulationcondition

60/30secondratio

10/1minuteratio
(Polarisationindex)

Dangerous

Lessthan1

Questionable

1.0to1.25

1.0to2(3)

Good

1.4to1.6

2to4

Excellent

Above1.6(2)

Above4(2)

1.Thesevaluesmustbeconsideredtentativeandrelativesubjecttoexperiencewiththetimeresistance
methodoveraperiodoftime.
2.Insomecases,withmotors,valuesapproximately20%higherthanshownhereindicateadrybrittlewinding
whichwillfailundershockconditionsorduringstarts.Forpreventivemaintenance,themotorwinding
shouldbecleaned,treated,anddriedtorestorewindingflexibility.
3.Theseresultswouldbesatisfactoryforequipmentwithverylowcapacitancesuchasshortrunsofhouse
wiring.
GobacktoInsulationresistancetests
Reference//TheCompleteGuidetoElectricalInsulationTestingbyMEGGER

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