TABLE OF CONTENTS E. Gockenbach
Tests are generally necessary to demonstrate that the equipment under test fulfils the specified requirements and quality standards. The tests may have different purposes, a type test as check and quality assurance for the design of the equipment and a routine test as check and quality assurance for the manufacturing processes. Above all a routine test should show that the equipment is able to withstand the test conditions, which are selected according to the stress during the whole time period of service. That means that the test stress should be high enough concerning the sensitivity but low enough to prevent an initiation of undetected defects during the test procedure, which may lead to damage after a certain period of service. Therefore the test requirements are based on experiences concerning the stress and the behaviour of the tested material during normal operation conditions. Furthermore the following parameters have to be taken into account for the type and/or routine tests:
regulations by law
requirements
recommendations
mutual agreements on technical specifications
economy.
The following sections are only related to high voltage testing requirements and recommendations for type and routine tests, without any consideration of regulations by law, mutual agreement on technical specifications and economic factors.
IEC Publ. 60071 [1] describes the relationship between the different test voltages:
AC voltage at power frequency
lightning impulse voltage
switching impulse voltage.
IEC Publ. 60060 [2] gives the general definitions and requirements on the voltage shape, the tolerances and...
