5kV and 10 kV Insulation Testing Testing in Noisy Environments

Application Note

KEEP THE NOISE DOWN

Application note

What is electrical noise?

What effects will noise have on insulation testing?
How does a Megger insulation tester deal with
noise?
What does the noise immunity specification mean?
What else can reduce the effects of noise?
How and when to use screened test leads?

What is electrical noise?

The term electrical noise is used to describe a whole range of electrical
phenomena, signals, RF, electromagnetic, electronic, etc. Generally it
is unwanted electrical energy, in other words electrical energy that will
produce an unwanted effect of some kind. When listening to music
electrical noise can produce an unwanted hiss in the background.
Electrical noise we are interested in is produced at a variety of
frequencies, and can appear in the sample being tested. It is usually
induced currents or voltages from adjacent equipment and is very
common in substations, particularly high voltage substations where
power frequencies predominate.

What effects will noise have on insulation testing?

This electrical noise superimposes an AC signal on
the DC test current and can cause considerable
variations in readings and may prevent the
operator getting a reading at all if it is beyond the
capabilities of your instrument. Many operators see
this as something they have to live with, a sort of
occupational hazard. One solution is to implement
a complete and expensive shutdown to remove the
source of noise. In the worst case it can lead to
incomplete test schedules and as a key objective
of diagnostic insulation testing is to prevent expensive and dangerous failures this is not good news.

How does a Megger insulation tester deal with noise?

For fear of stating the obvious Megger builds in immunity to noise. Megger has over 100 years of experience in
the innovation and design of insulation testers. Each generation of instruments improves on the last, combining
our experience with cutting edge technology. The result is instruments that are designed to operate in any
environment the operator is ever likely to encounter, including electrical noise.
1

5kV and 10 kV Insulation Testing Testing in Noisy Environments

Application Note

In Europe we have to meet stringent EMC standards, to meet these standards Megger has invested in its very
own EMC test laboratory at the Dover manufacturing site. The latest generation of MIT and S1 5kV and 10kV
insulation testers where all tested there and pass the latest edition of IEC61326-1 that came into force in
February 2009. Not only that, they passed the standard to the heavy industrial limits.
However, it doesnt stop there, in extreme testing environments experience has shown that the electrical noise
instruments are subjected to can be far in excess of the limits laid down by IEC61326. One example is HV
substations, especially in locations where earthing or grounding is difficult.

What does the noise immunity specification mean?

So when choosing an 5kV or 10kV insulation tester how can you be confident that it will be able to provide
accurate insulation measurements in noisy environments. Any manufacturer can say that an instrument has
high noise immunity, but are they willing to add a specification to their literature?
Megger have for many years specified the noise immunity of insulation testers, the latest MIT and S1
instruments are no exception. The level of immunity specified for these instruments is 2mA at 50/60Hz, but what
does that mean?
Adjacent live cables
Inducing noise current

Adjacent equipment
radiating noise

Test piece

<2mA Max.

Basically nearby powered up equipment, for example corona on HV bushings, radiates electrical noise that gets
picked up either by the test leads or the item being tested.
Nearby cables can also induce current due to their electromagnetic field. This effectively results in unwanted
noise current flowing in the test. The amount of current induced depends on the amount of electrical noise in the
locality of course.

5kV and 10 kV Insulation Testing Testing in Noisy Environments

Application Note

So, back to the specification of 2mA at 50/60Hz. This is actually a worst case, the MIT and S1 instruments
employ capacitive filtering which means that as the noise frequency increases then so does the level of
immunity. The noise generated from the effects of corona on HV bushes is typically in the kHz region, hence
why we can hear it crackling.
Noise immunity of 2mA is sufficient for the majority of applications, but what happens in extreme environments
such as >150kV substations. In these locations it is not uncommon to encounter noise currents up to 4mA. The
answer is the Megger S1-554/2 and its 10kV counterpart the S1-1054/2. These instruments represent the
ultimate in noise immunity available on an insulation tester. Specially developed input filtration efficiently remove
any high frequency effects on the reading, and then firmware filtering techniques remove the low frequency
variation on the reading. The S1-554/2 and S1-1054/2 have been successfully tested and used in the noisiest
switchyards in the world, including locations in India.
Can the noise current exceed 4mA, and what happens if it does, I hear you ask? Connecting to the tips of
bushing on the top of transformers can involve the use of very long test leads making very effective aerials, so
the answer is occasionally it will. In these circumstances the answer is prevent the noise inducing a current in
the first place.

What else can reduce the effects of noise?

The first thing that can be done is take care with test lead layout. Keep them as short as possible and where you
can keep them near to earth / ground to minimize noise pick up.

5kV and 10 kV Insulation Testing Testing in Noisy Environments

Application Note

How and when to use screened test leads?

By far the most effective precaution is to use screened / shielded test leads. Megger have a comprehensive
range of screened test leads to suit your application. The short test lead connected to earth or ground will not
pick up enough noise to cause a problem. The long test lead connected to the equipment under test is the one
to screen / shield and Megger can supply 3m, 10m or 15m leads to suit.
The screen / shield are connected to the Guard terminal, which takes the noise current away from the
measurement circuit, and therefore ignored. The Guard terminal is then employed to remove unwanted leakage
current (see the Be on Guard for effective testing application note) in the usual way.

Guard used to ignore

leakage currents in
the usual manor

The Use of
Screened Test
Leads

Screened test lead.

Available from Megger
3m, 10m or 15m long, 5
or 10kV rated

Screen
connected to
Guard terminal

However, remember the screened test leads will only remove the effects of noise picked up on the test leads. If
noise is picked up on the test piece (e.g. long overhead power cable) there is no substitute for an instrument
with excellent noise immunity.
The combination of the excellent noise immunity of the MIT and S1 range of 5kV and 10kV instruments and a
good quality set of screened / shielded test leads will provide excellent noise immunity.
Moving to the S1-554/2 and S1-1054/2 with their 4mA of noise immunity with screened / shielded leads provides
the ultimate in high noise immunity able to take accurate measurements in the most arduous locations in the
world.

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