1/22/2020 3 Basic Modes of Power Factor Testing

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Factor Testing
By testguy June 17, 2016 0 Comments

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Most failures of electrical
power equipment are the A synchronous motor
used without load in an
result of a breakdown in
electric system serves to
the insulation system. To
Motor Starter/Motor
keep failures at a Contactor
Testing power factor is a means of
minimum, periodic SF-6 gas analyzers
measuring the integrity of the
maintenance testing of the insulation. Photo: Doble
GF Protection
insulation is
minimum number of
recommended to indicate
cables required to safely
whether it is deteriorating, and how fast. ground transformer

Circuit Breaker Simulator

Power factor tests are used to measure dielectric losses,
Tan Delta versus Partial
which relate to the wetness, dryness or deterioration of Discharge testing on
cables
electrical insulation.

Power factor is defined as the cosine of the phase angle

between voltage and current. For an ideal insulation, the
phase angle is 90°. In practice no insulation is ideal, but
instead has a certain amount of loss, and the total current Test Your
leads the voltage by a phase angle less than 90° Knowledge

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1/22/2020 3 Basic Modes of Power Factor Testing

How is Power Factor Sharpen your skills

with our collection of
Measured? quizzes on electrical
safety, maintenance &
Measuring insulation power factor is achieved by testing of electrical
equipment and
calculating the ratio of the capacitive or "charging" current
industry standards.
(measured in voltamperes) to resistive or "leakage" current
(measured in watts). Tech Quiz

Study Guide

Electrical Testing References

Power Triangle Calculator

Test Equipment 101: The Basics of

Electrical Testing

Circuit Breaker Control Schematic

Explained

Protective Relay Protection Element

Tests
Vector Components of Power Factor Test Voltage and Current. Photo: Doble
Capacitive Reactance - How to
Engineering.
Solve Series and Parallel Capacitors

Circuit Breaker Accessories

Testing power factor is a means of measuring the integrity Explained
of the insulation, since the smaller the power factor, the Switchboard Ratings
better the insulator. This is one of the best testing Transformer Insulation Classes
techniques for predictive and preventive maintenance.
Three-Phase Transformer Winding
Connections
Power factor testing also makes it possible to detect Peak vs. Average vs. RMS Voltage
equipment insulation problems without making an internal Circuit Breaker Contact
visual inspection. The result is a significant decrease in Arrangements: Straight-through vs.
Blow-apart
maintenance cost and downtime.
SF6 Circuit Breakers

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1/22/2020 3 Basic Modes of Power Factor Testing

The power factor test set utilizes an AC voltage and comes More...
with three basic modes of operation:

1. GST - Grounded Specimen Test

2. GST Guard Mode - Guarded Specimen Test

3. UST - Ungrounded Specimen Test

Power Factor Test Set Leads

When considering the three different modes of operation, it
is important to understand which test leads are associated
with each mode. Power factor test sets have four different
leads for connecting to the device under test:

Power factor test sets have four different leads for connecting to the device
under test. Photo: TestGuy

High Voltage Output Lead - Supplies the voltage

necessary to produce the test current. Not specific to any

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1/22/2020 3 Basic Modes of Power Factor Testing

mode of operation. Power Factor testing is typically

performed at 10 kV or values equivalent to 10 kV are
obtained.

Ground Return Lead (GST) - Measures current

flowing through the ground path.

Red/Blue Leads (UST) - Used to guard out current

not flowing through the ground path. Examples of this
would be the leakage between the high side winding and
low side winding of a transformer or the current leaking
between the line side and the load side of an open circuit
breaker. Of the two UST leads, only one is actually used
in over 95% of the practical application.

Three Modes of Power Factor

Testing
When you break it all down, it's really quite simple. There
are two paths of leakage current returning to the test set,
ground or guard.

When considering the three different modes of the power factor test set, it is
important to understand which test leads are associated with each mode. Photo:
Doble.

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1/22/2020 3 Basic Modes of Power Factor Testing

The GST Guard tests measures the total current leaking

to ground only. The power factor test set ignores current
flowing through the red or blue lead.

Inversely, in UST mode, ground is considered guard since

grounded terminals are not measured. When the UST test
is performed, the only current being measured by the test
set is the current flowing on the red or blue lead. Any
current flowing to a grounded terminal is bypassed directly
to the AC source return and is eliminated from the
measurement.

UST mode is used to measure insulation between two

ungrounded terminals of the apparatus, isolate an
individual section of insulation and test it without
measuring other connected insulation.

In the last mode of operation, the GST mode, both

leakage paths (ground lead and the red or blue lead) are
measured by the test set. The current, watts loss, and
capacitance parameters of the UST and GST Guard tests
should equal the parameters in the GST test. This gives
the overall condition or power factor of the test specimen.

If the sum of the UST and GST guarded parameters do not

equal the GST parameters, then either the test set is
malfunctioning or the test leads are configured incorrectly.

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References

Theory and Application of Power Factor Testing

Power Factor Insulation Diagnosis

The Value of Power Factor Testing

Power Factor Testing: Why Test?

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