Tan Delta Test

A pure insulator when is connected across line and earth, it behaves as a capacitor. In an
ideal insulator, as the insulating material which acts as dielectric too, is 100 % pure,
theelectric current passing through the insulator, only have capacitive component. There is
no resistive component of the current, flowing from line to earth through insulator as in
ideal insulating material, there is zero percent impurity.

In pure capacitor, the capacitive electric current leads the applied voltage by 90.
In practice, the insulator cannot be made 100% pure. Also due to ageing of
insulator the impurities like, dirt and moisture enter into it. These impurities
provide conductive path to the current. Consequently, leakage electric
current flowing from line earth through insulator has also resistive component.
Hence, it is needless to say that, for good insulator, this resistive component of
leakageelectric current is quite low. In other way the healthiness of an electrical
insulator can be determined by ratio of resistive component to capacitive
component. For good insulator this ratio would be quite low. This ratio is commonly
known as tan or tan delta. Sometimes it is also referred as dissipation factor.

In the vector diagram above, the systemvoltage is drawn along x-axis.

Conductiveelectric current i.e. resistive component of leakage current, IR will also
be along x-axis.
As the capacitive component of leakageelectric current IC leads system voltage by
90, it will be drawn along y-axis.
Now, total leakage electric current IL(Ic + IR) makes an angle (say) with y-axis.
Now, from the diagram above, it is cleared, the ratio, I R to IC is nothing but tan or
tan delta.

NB: This angle is known as loss angle.

Method of Tan Delta Testing

The cable, winding, current transformer, potential transformer, transformer
bushing, on which tan delta test or dissipation factor test to be conducted, is
first isolated from the system. A very low frequency test voltage is applied across
the equipment whose insulation to be tested. First the normal voltage is applied. If
the value of tan delta appears good enough, the applied voltage is raised to 1.5 to 2
times of normal voltage, of the equipment. The tan delta controller unit takes
measurement of tan delta values. A loss angle analyser is connected with tan delta
measuring unit to compare the tan delta values at normal voltage and higher
voltages, and analyse the results.
During test it is essential to apply test voltage at very low frequency.

Reason of applying Very Low Frequency

If frequency of applied voltage is high, then capacitive reactance of the insulator
becomes low, hence capacitive component of electric current is high. The resistive
component is nearly fixed, it depends upon applied voltage and conductivity of the
insulator. At high frequency as capacitive current, is large, hence, the amplitude of

vector sum of capacitive and resistive components of electric current becomes

large too.
Therefore, required apparent power for tan delta test would become high enough
which is not practical. So to keep the power requirement for this dissipation
factor test, very low frequency test voltage is required. The frequency range for
tan delta test is generally from 0.1 to 0.01 Hz depending upon size and nature of
insulation.
There is another reason for which it is essential to keep the input frequency of
the test as low as possible.
As we know,

That means, dissipation factor tan 1 / f.

Hence, at low frequency, the tan delta number is high, the measurement becomes
easier.

How to predict the Result of Tan Delta Testing

There are two ways to predict the condition of an insulation system during tan
delta or dissipation factor test.
First one is, comparing the results of previous tests to determine, the
deterioration of the condition of insulation due ageing affect.
Second one is, determining the condition of insulation from the value of tan,
directly. No requirement of comparing previous results of tan delta test.
If the insulation is perfect, the loss factor will be approximately same for all range
of test voltages. But if the insulation is not good enough, the value of tan delta
increases in higher range of test voltage.

From the graph it is clear that, the tan&delta number non linearly increases with
increasing test very low frequency voltage. The increasing tan&delta, means, high
resistive electric current component, in the insulation. These results can be
compared with the results of previously tested insulators, to take proper decision
whether the equipment would be replaced or not.