Name of Laboratory : Electrical Safety

Lab Subject Code : EEE1021

Name of School : SELECT

Exp. 3 – Measurement of Insulation Resistance Withstand of Cables

Aim: To measure the Insulation Resistance withstand of cable and understand the acceptance
criteria for a healthy insulation of cables

Developed early in the 20th century, the insulation resistance (IR) test is the oldest and most
widely used test for assessing the quality of insulation. The IR test is the second test required by
the electrical safety testing standards. This test consists in measuring the insulation resistance
of a device under test, while phase and neutral are short circuited together. The measured
resistance has to be higher than the indicated limit from the international standards. 

A megohmmeter (also called insulation resistance tester, “tera-ohmmeter”) is used to measure

the ohmic value of an insulator under a direct voltage of great stability.  Since the insulation
system cannot always be perfect a small current called the “leakage current” can flow through
the equipment which comprises this insulation. If the insulation deteriorates, this leakage can
become large whereby necessitating a high resistance to current, which in turn necessitates the
requirement to sustain high resistance for a long time.

Need for Insulation Resistance (IR) test & factors influencing insulation deterioration:

Harsh installation environments, especially those with temperature extremes and/or chemical
contamination, accelerate the process of degradation of insulation system that protects the
current carrying conductor of the equipment. Some of the major factors that can influence the
process of degradation of insulation include:

 Electrical stresses: Mainly linked to overvoltage 

 Mechanical stresses: Frequent start-up and shutdown sequences can cause mechanical
stresses.  
 Balancing problems on rotating machinery and any direct stress to the cables and the
installations in general (called “chafing”)
 Chemical stresses: The proximity of chemicals, oils, corrosive vapours and dust, in general,
affects the insulation performance of the materials. 
 Stresses linked to temperature variations: When combined with the mechanical stresses caused
by the start-up and shutdown sequences, expansion and contraction stresses affect the
properties of the insulation. Operation at extreme temperatures also leads to aging  
 Environmental contamination causes aging acceleration of insulation. 

Wear and tear can reduce the electrical resistivity of the insulating materials, thus increasing
leakage currents that lead to incidents which may be serious in terms of both safety (people
and property) and the costs of production stoppages. 

Hence, it is important to identify this deterioration quickly so that corrective steps can be
taken. In addition to the measurements carried out on new and reconditioned equipment
during commissioning, regular insulation testing on installations and equipment helps to avoid
such incidents through preventive maintenance. These tests detect ageing and premature
deterioration of the insulating properties before they reach a level likely to cause the incidents
described above. 

This test is often used as a customer acceptance test, with minimum insulation resistance per
unit length often specified by the customer. The results obtained from IR Test are not intended
to be useful in finding localized defects in the insulation as in a true “HIPOT” test, but rather
gives information on the quality of the bulk material used as the insulation.  Wire and cable
manufacturers use the insulation resistance test to track their insulation manufacturing
processes, and spot developing problems before process variables drift outside of allowed
limit. 

Basics of IR Test Procedure:

Insulation resistance measurement is done using an IR tester. This is a portable tool that is
more or less an ohmmeter with a built in generator that’s used to produce a high DC voltage.
The voltage usually measures at least 500V, and causes a current to ow around the surface of
the insulation. This gives a reading of the IR in ohms.  Insulation resistance measurement is
based on Ohm’s Law. (R=V/I).

By injecting a known DC voltage lower than the voltage for dielectric testing and then
measuring the current, it is very simple to determine the value of the resistance. In principle,
the value of the insulation resistance is very high but not infinite, so by measuring the low
current owing, the mega-ohmmeter indicates the insulation resistance value, providing a result
in kW, MW, GW and also TW (on some models). This resistance characterizes the quality of the
insulation between two conductors and gives a good indication of the risks of leakage currents.

Working of IR Withstand Test Kit:

The voltage for testing is supplied by a hand generator incorporated in the instrument or by
battery or electronic voltage charger. It is usually 250V or 500V and is smaller in size.

 A test volt of 500V D.C is suitable for testing equipment operating at 440V A.C. Test
voltage of 1000V to 5000V is used for high voltage equipment (beyond 1kV).
 The current carrying coil (deflecting coil) is connected in series & carries the current
taken by the circuit under test. The pressure coil is connected across the circuit.
 Current limiting resistor – CCR and PCR are connected in series with pressure and
current coil to prevent damage in case of low resistance in the external source.
 In hand generator, the armature is moving in the field of a permanent magnet or vice
versa, to generate a test voltage by electromagnetic induction effect.
 With an increase of potential voltage across the external circuit, the deflection of the
pointer increases; with an increase of current, the deflection of pointer decrease so the
resultant torque on the movement is directly proportional to the potential difference and
inversely proportional to the resistance.
 When the external circuit is open, torque due to voltage coil will be maximum and the
pointer will read “infinity”. When there is short circuit the pointer will read “0”.
 Fig: Generic Setup of Insulation Resistance Withstand Tester

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Name of Laboratory : Electrical Safety

Lab Subject Code : EEE1021
Name of School : SELECT

Major Aspects in during Insulation Resistance Testing

A. Insulation Resistance Test for Electrical Components and Equipment

As per Indian Electricity (IE) Rules

 At a pressure of 1000 V applied between each live conductor and earth for a period of one
minute the insulation resistance of HV installations shall be at least 1 Mega ohm or as
specified by the Bureau of Indian Standards
 Medium and Low Voltage Installations:
 At a pressure of 500 V applied between each live conductor and earth for a period of one
minute, the insulation resistance of medium and low voltage installations shall be at least
1 Mega ohm or as specified by the Bureau of Indian Standards] from time to time.

As per Central Bureau of Irrigation & Power (CBIP) specifications

 Acceptable values are 2 Mega ohms per KV

IR Value for Electrical Cables and Wiring:

 For insulation testing, we need to disconnect from panel or equipment and keep them isolated
from power supply. The wiring and cables need to test between phases (phase to phase ) and
phasw with the ground (E). The Insulated Power Cable Engineers Association (IPCEA) provides
the formula to determine minimum insulation resistance values.
 R = K x log 10 (D/d)
 R = IR Value in MΩ per 1000 feet (305 meters) of cable
 K = Insulation material constant
 D = Outside diameter of conductor insulation for single conductor wire and cable
 D = d + 2c + 2b diameter of single conductor cable
 d – Diameter of conductor
 c – Thickness of conductor insulation
 b – Thickness of jacket insulation
IR Value Measurement (Conductors to conductor (Cross Insulation)

 The first conductor for which cross insulation is being measured shall be connected to Line
terminal of the megger.
 The remaining conductors are looped together (with the help of crocodile clips) i. e.
Conductor 2 and onwards, are connected to Earth terminal of megger. Conductors at the
other end are left free.
 Now rotate the handle of megger or press push button of megger. The reading of meter will
show the cross Insulation between conductor 1 and rest of the conductors. Insulation
reading shall be recorded. Now connect next conductor to Line terminal of the megger &
connect the remaining conductors to earth terminal of the megger and take measurements.

IR Value Measurement (Conductor to Earth Insulation)

 Connect conductor under test to the Line terminal of the megger

 Connect earth terminal of the megger to the earth. Rotate the handle of megger or press
push button of megger.
 The reading of meter will show the insulation resistance of the conductors. Insulation
reading shall be recorded after applying the test voltage for about a minute till a steady
reading is obtained.

Insulation Resistance Withstand Test for HV test on new XLPE cable (As per ETSA Standard)
 Fig: HV test on new XLPE cable (As per ETSA Standard)

IR Value for Domestic /Industrial Wiring:

A low resistance between phase and neutral conductors, or from live conductors to earth, will
result in a leakage current. This cause deterioration of the insulation, as well as involving a
waste of energy which would increase the running costs of the installation.

The resistance between Phase-Phase-Neutral-Earth must never be less than 0.5 M Ohms for the
usual supply voltages.

The IR test between Phase-Natural to earth must be carried out on the complete installation
with the main switch off, with phase and neutral connected together, with lamps and other
equipment disconnected, but with fuses in, circuit breakers closed and all circuit switches
closed.

Two Phase Wiring:

Where two-way switching is wired, only one of the two stripper wires will be tested. To test the
other, both two-way switches should be operated and the system retested. If desired, the
installation can be tested as a whole, when a value of at least 0.5 M Ohms should be achieved

Fig: Insulation Resistance Withstand Test for Single Phase Domestic Circuits

3 Phase Wiring:

In the case of a very large installation where there are many earth paths in parallel, the reading
would be expected to be lower. If this happens, the installation should be subdivided and
retested, when each part must meet the minimum requirement

Fig: Insulation Resistance Withstand Test for Three Phase Circuits

The IR tests must be carried out between Phase-Phase-Neutral-Earth with a minimum

acceptable value for each test of 0.5 M Ohms.
Min IR Value = 50 MΩ / No of Electrical outlet. (All Electrical Points with fitting & Plugs) Min IR
Value = 100 MΩ / No of Electrical outlet. (All Electrical Points without fitting & Plugs).

Table: Insulation Resistance Withstand Test requirements for Low Voltage Apparatus

References:

[1] NFPA 70:2014, “National Electric Code”

[2] Brian Scaddan, "IEE Wiring Regulations- Explained and Illustrated", 6th Edition, Newnes,
2002

[3] “The Complete Guide to Electrical Insulation Testing”, Megger, 2006

[4] ANSI/NETA MTS-2011, “Standard for Maintenance Testing Specifications for Electrical Power
Equipment and Systems”, 2011

[5] IEEE 43:2013, “IEEE Recommended Practice for Testing Insulation Resistance of Electric
Machinery”, 2013

[6] IS 732: 2005, “Code of Practice for Electrical Wiring Installation”, 2005

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