5/1/2017 DLATestingOpenElectrical

DLATesting
FromOpenElectrical

Dielectriclossangletests,alsocalleddissipationfactor,powerfactorortandeltatests,determinetheinsulation
dielectricpowerlossbymeasuringthepoweranglebetweenanappliedACvoltageandtheresultantcurrent.Inthe
idealinsulator/dielectric,thepoweranglewouldbe90Casitispurelycapacitiveandnonconducting.However
inrealinsulators,thereissomeleakagecurrentandresistivelossesthroughthedielectric.

Relativeincreasesindielectricpowerlossesareindicativeofinsulationdeteriorationandmayfurtheraccelerate
degradationduetoincreasedheating.Notethatdielectricpowerlossdoesnottranslatetodielectricstrength,
thoughthereareoftencommoncausesforincreasesinpowerlossanddecreasesindielectricstrength.

Contents
1 RelationshipbetweenPowerFactorandDissipationFactor
2 Measurement
2.1 ScheringBridge
2.2 TransformerRatioArmBridge
3 InterpretationofResults
4 References

RelationshipbetweenPowerFactorandDissipationFactor

Thecosineofthepowerangle( )iscalledthepowerfactor.Thecomplementof iscalledthelossangleandis

denotedby inthediagramabove.Thepowerfactorcanalsobeapproximatedbytakingthetangentof (hence
thenametandelta).Thisapproximationiscalledthedissipationfactor(orlosstangent)andisroughlyequaltothe

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powerfactorbetweenvaluesof0and0.08pu,whichcoversthemajorityoftests(ininsulatingoilsofgood
condition,thedissipationfactor/powerfactorisintheorder0.005).Therefore,dissipationfactorandpowerfactor
canbeconsideredinterchangeable.

Theexactrelationshipbetweendissipationfactor(DF)andpowerfactor(PF)isasfollows[2]:

PF
DF =

1 P F 2

Thedissipationfactorisessentiallytheratiobetweentheresistiveandcapacitivecomponentsoftheinsulationand
canbemeasureddirectly(e.g.withacapacitancebridgecircuitmoreonthislater).Thelowerthequalityofthe
insulationcondition,themoreresistiveitwillappearandthemorepowerlosswillbedissipatedthroughit(inthe
formofheat),andthusthedissipationfactorwillbehigher.

Theincreaseinthedissipationfactorvaluesasthetestvoltageisincreasediscalledthe"tipup"(dissipationfactor
orpowerfactortipup).

Measurement
ScheringBridge

Asmentionedearlier,thedissipationfactorcan
bemeasureddirectlyusingaSchering
capacitancebridgecircuit(namedafterHarald
Schering(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_
Schering)).Thebasiccircuitisshowninthe
figurerightwhereCx istheunknown
capacitanceundertest.Likeotherbridge
circuits(suchastheWheatstonebridge),the
circuitistuneduntilthecurrentthroughthe
middleofthebridgeiszeroandthecircuitis
balanced.ForacapacitanceCn withlow
losses,theunknowncapacitanceand
dissipationfactorcanbecalculatedasfollows:

R4
Cx = CN
R3

DF = C4 R 4

TheScheringbridgeistypicallyaccuratefor
measuringdissipationfactorsdownto0.001
(i.e.goodforliquidinsulatingmaterials).For
othersolidinsulatingmaterialssuchasXLPE Scheringcapacitancebridgecircuit
andpolypropylenethathavedissipationfactors
<0.001,theScheringbridgemaynotbeabletoprovidetheaccuracywithoutcarefulscreeningandgoodearthing.

TransformerRatioArmBridge

TBA
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InterpretationofResults
Dissipationfactororpowerfactoriseitherexpressedasadecimalperunitvalue(e.g.0.005)orasapercentage
(e.g.0.5%).

TBA

Thetechnicalliteratureonthissubjecthasnotedthatthistestisusefulfordetectingmoistureingressinbushings
andwindings.About90%ofbushingfailuresmaybeattributedtomoistureingressevidencedbyanincreasing
powerfactorfromdielectriclossangletestingonascheduledbasis.

References
[1]ANSI/NETAATS,"StandardforAcceptanceTestingSpecificationsforElectricalPower
EquipmentandSystems",2009
[2]ASTMD924,"StandardTestMethodforDissipationFactor(orPowerFactor)andRelative
Permittivity(DielectricConstant)ofElectricalInsulatingLiquids"(http://www.astm.org/Standards/D9
24.htm),2008
[3]ASTMD150,"StandardTestMethodsforACLossCharacteristicsandPermittivity(Dielectric
Constant)ofSolidElectricalInsulation(http://www.astm.org/Standards/D150.htm)",2011

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Category: ElectricalTesting

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