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Motor Electrical Insulation Testing

Introduction
Insulating material with high electrical resistance is used to confine electrical current to a desired path through conductors
and to isolate the conductors from ground and from each other. The conductors are usually made of copper or aluminum.
The insulating materials can be a variety of nonmetallic substances including rubbers, rubber-like polymers, thermoplastic
polymers, paper, wood, cloth, varnish, mineral oil, mica, pressed mica board, glass, porcelain and other ceramics.

The thickness and strength of the insulation material depends on the operating voltage of the machine and also on the
level of voltage, which can occur due to lightning strikes or other faults on power lines. A breakdown of the insulation will
result in arcing and current flow through the insulation. This insulation breakdown causes a short circuit and failure of the
machine, and possibly extensive damage in the area around the machine.

Insulation Life Expectancy

Except for ceramics and glass, all insulation materials suffer deterioration over time from normal heat of operation. The
insulation material’s operational temperature primarily determines its rate of deterioration. Deterioration lowers the
material's resistance to current flow and high voltage breakdown. Deterioration may also result in mechanical breakdown
of the material, allowing two conductors to come into contact.

Insulation, therefore, has a defined normal life expectancy that depends on the “hot spot” temperature of the device. This
hot spot is the point in the machine where the insulation is subjected to the highest temperature. The machine’s designer
determines the expected hot spot location and temperature through tests or computer simulations. On larger equipment,
the hot spot temperature may be monitored on a temperature meter.

Insulation Classes
Insulation materials used in motors are classified by the National Electrical Manufacturer's Association (NEMA) by the
maximum temperature at which the material can operate and still maintain its insulation and mechanical integrity over the
expected lifetime of the machine.

These classes are:

Class Max. Temp. (Hot Spot) °C

A 105
B 130
F 155
H 220

Class A insulation: This type of material is used as the solid insulation in oil-filled transformers. It is made up of organic
material such as paper, wood and varnish. Class A motor slot insulation, made up of paperboard, insulates the motor coil
assemblies from ground.

Class B insulation: This material is made up of inorganic materials such as mica or fiberglass and is held together with
organic binders such as varnish.

Class A and B windings have a seven-year life expectancy when operated at their rated temperature limits. Few motors
are continuously run at their maximum temperature limit. Operation at lower temperatures will greatly extend insulation
life. At normal power levels, insulation life expectancy of 20 years or more is common.

Class F insulation: This is the newest type of insulation material. Class F is made of petrochemical base materials such
as polyethylene, cross-linked polyethylene, silicone and synthetic rubbers.

Class H insulation: This is made with Class B materials held together with silicone rubber as a binder and filler. Life
expectancy for Class H Insulation operating at its maximum rated temperature is estimated to be 60 years.

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Insulation Failures
The most frequent cause of electrical equipment breakdowns and accidents is insulation failure. The most common cause
of insulation failure is extended operation at high temperature. If the insulation is operated above its maximum rated
temperature, the life expectancy of the material is reduced. Overloads, short circuits, low volt-age, phase voltage
unbalance or reduction or loss of cooling can cause high temperatures.

An overload exists when the conductors are carrying between 100 and 200 percent of the rated load for an extended
period of time. A short circuit can allow a current flow of greater than 200 percent, but usually is of short duration. Circuit
breakers or fuses will trip the equipment off-line quickly.

In any motor, except hermetically sealed units, the ventilating air passages are susceptible to contamination by dust, dirt,
oil, etc. This contamination interferes with the flow of ventilating air or with the heat transfer between the coils and the air.
A reduction in the cooling ability of the motor makes the motor run hotter and reduces insulation life. Insulation can also
fail due to contamination.

Contamination by moisture, corrosive gasses or mists, or introduction of conductive dust into the device can lower the
resistance of the insulation. Contamination can also cause insulation failure of ceramic or glass materials by allowing
current to flow through the contamination on the surface of the insulator.

Insulation Resistance Testing

Insulators have resistances in the megohm range (1 megohm = 1 million ohms). A lowering of the resistance will indicate
deterioration of the insulation. Resistance testing is a valuable tool for determining insulation condition and scheduling
maintenance. Proper testing and follow-up can prevent equipment damage and unscheduled outages that result in lost
production.

Insulation resistance testing is done by applying a voltage between a conductor and the equipment frame or ground. On
transformers, insulation resistance is also measured between the primary and secondary windings. All insulation
resistance test devices contain a voltage source and a method of measuring current flow across or through the insulation.
The relationship between voltage and current determines the resistance in megohms.

A megohmmeter supplies a high DC voltage across the insulation being tested. One megohmmeter lead is attached to
one of the conductors and the other to the device frame or ground. The voltage source on these portable units can be
either an AC motor driving a DC generator, a hand-cranked DC generator or a solid state circuit to convert a
megohmmeter’ s internal battery voltage to the desired test voltage. Common test voltages are 250 V, 500 V, 2,500 V,
and 5,000 V. The minimum measured value of insulation resistance for continued reliable operation of the motor or
generator depends on the operating voltage with higher voltages requiring a higher minimum resistance.

Resistance is a function of temperature. Unless the test can always be made at the same temperature, a correction factor
is needed to normalize the data to a standard temperature. The temperature should be determined by placing a
thermometer at the same place on the device each time the insulation is tested. The thermometer can be held in place
with electrical putty. Either mercury or dial type thermometers can be used. The following table gives the correction factors
for rotating machines with Class B insulation:

Temp. °C Correction Factor

10 0.63
20 1.00
30 1.25
35 1.58
40 2.00
45 2.50
50 3.98
55 5.00
60 6.30
65 7.90
70 10.0
75 12.6

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With these correction factors, the condition of the insulation can be compared over time without having to ensure the
same operating temperature every time a reading is taken.

For example, if the temperature at the designated point on a piece of equipment is 30 degrees C, and the megohmmeter
reading is 180 megohms, the reading corrected to 20 degrees C (1.80 times the 1.58 correction factor) is 284 megohms.

At another date, the temperature reading is 35 degrees C and the megohmmeter reading is 140 megohms. Although this
reading appears to be lower than the first reading, when it is corrected to 20 degrees C (1.40 times the 2.00 correction
factor) the reading is 280 megohms, very close to the first reading. The actual and corrected megohmmeter reading and
the measured temperature should be recorded in the machine's permanent maintenance record. A continuous downward
trend in the corrected megohmmeter reading can indicate impending problems.

The table below gives the recommended test voltage and minimum insulation resistance values for motors and generators
by voltage class:

Motor Nameplate Voltage (AC or DC) Test Voltage (DC) Minimum Insulation Resistance
Up to 250 volts 500 volts DC 50 megohms
250 to 1,000 volts 1,000 volts DC 100 megohms
1,000 to 2,500 volts 1,000 volts DC 100 megohms
2,500 to 5,000 volts 2,500 volts DC 1,000 megohms
12,000 to 15,000 volts 5,000 volts DC 5,000 megohms

Doing this testing periodically and recording the results will eventually show a downward trend of the insulation resistance
as it deteriorates from service, aging and contamination. The trended results can be used to forecast when remedial
action should be scheduled. The purpose of testing is to prevent unscheduled outages and to reduce repair costs. In
many cases an unsatisfactory value of insulation resistance can be restored by drying out, cleaning or revarnishing, and
these are less expensive procedures than a rewind done after a ground fault has occurred.

Dielectric Absorption Ratio

This test can be performed with a hand-crank megohmmeter and does not require temperature correction. The
megohmmeter is operated for 60 seconds. The resistance readings are recorded after 30 seconds and again at 60
seconds. The 60-second reading is divided by the 30-second reading. This 60/30 second ratio is called the dielectric
absorption ratio. The test is useful while drying out wet electrical equipment. It is also useful for charting trends in the
insulation condition of smaller motors in the under 100 horsepower range.

The dielectric absorption ratio should be between 1.4 and 1.6. Anything under 1.4 is questionable and should be
investigated. Motor drying or more extensive insulation repairs may be needed.

Polarization Index
This is another version of the dielectric absorption ratio test. This is a ratio of a 10-minute megohmmeter reading to a one-
minute reading. An AC line operated motor-driven or a solid state megohmmeter is required since it is difficult to maintain
constant test voltage using a hand-cranked instrument over a 10-minute period.

The polarization index, or PI, is used to trend insulation condition trends for motors with more than 100 horsepower or up
to 5,000 volts terminal voltage. A PI reading between 2.0 and 4.0 is acceptable. A PI between 1.0 and 2.0 might mean the
condition of the insulation is marginal and should be investigated further. A PI between 1.0 and 2.0 is acceptable if the
temperature corrected one-minute reading is greater than the minimum resistance for the voltage class from the table
above. Equipment insulation with a PI of less than 1.0 requires immediate attention.

High Potential Tests

Large or medium voltage motors and generators and medium voltage cables require high potential testing to determine
insulation condition. There are both AC and DC step voltage methods. The tests should be carried out and results
evaluated by trained specialists. Improper testing can damage the insulation.

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Safety Warning
Whenever a source of high DC voltage is applied to a piece of equipment, any capacitance in the system is charged. This
stored energy can cause serious injury. Some megohmmeters are equipped with a discharge switch to safely drain the
stored energy at the end of the test. If the tester does not have this feature, a separate discharge stick should be used at
the end of the test. The stick should be applied to the terminals for at least four times as long as the duration of the
preceding test. Capacitors and DC machines may have a stored charge from previous operation and these should be
carefully discharged both before and after the insulation testing.

Insulation Maintenance and Resistance Restoration

If the insulation test results indicate a problem, cleaning or drying can often restore insulation resistance. Occasionally,
repair or replacement of insulation is needed. The insulation of induction motor stators can often be restored by cleaning
and drying. Thermally degraded insulation can often be restored by dipping the core and coil assembly in a vat of
insulating varnish, pulling a vacuum on the varnish tank to draw out air bubbles, and then baking the core and coils in an
oven. Whenever equipment is disassembled for this type of work, the insulation should be visually inspected for physical
damage, deterioration or evidence of arcing or corona damage.

Summary
Usage and care determine the life expectancy of electrical insulation. Preventive maintenance procedures, including
testing and monitoring programs, can be used to maximize insulation life, reduce equipment failures and prevent
unscheduled outages.

References
 Inter-National Electrical Testing Association standard NETA-MTS
 ANSI/IEEE 43-2000: Recommended practice for testing insulation resistance of rotating machinery
 ANSI/IEEE 95-1977: Recommended practice for testing of large AC rotating machinery with high direct voltage
 ANSI/IEEE 432-1992: Guide for insulation maintenance for rotating electrical machinery (5 to 10,000 horsepower)

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