ON-LINE SHORT CIRCUIT AND HIGH VOLTAGE TESTING FACILITIES

.ELECTRICAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION
(ACCREDITED BY NABL, GOVT. OF INDIA AND INTERTEK TESTING AND CALIBRATION SERVICES, UK (ASTA-BEAB, UK)
MORE THAN THREE DECADES OF SERVICE TO INDUSTRY AND UTILITIES 

 

INTRODUCTION

A wide variety of Electrical materials, Equipment and Component are used in Power generation, Transmission and Distribution networks and the country has attained self sufficiency in manufacturing all these materials, equipment and components.  To ensure high quality of these equipment, testing has to be carried out as per national, international or user specified specifications to qualify them for their intended applications.  Thus availability and access to highly sophisticated testing facilities is a prerequisite for ensuring high quality of materials / products. 

Electrical Research and Development Association (ERDA), the R&D Institution of the Indian Electrical Industry was established to provide a wide range of sophisticated testing facilities, many of which are too expensive for individual manufacturer to establish and operate.  Amongst the test facilities established at ERDA “On line Short Circuit Testing” and “High voltage Impulse Testing”, facilities together meet majority of testing needs of the industry under one roof.  This brochure highlights these two facilities.

RECOGNITIONS

·         National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), Govt. of India, Dept. of Science & Technology
·         Intertek Testing and Calibration Services Ltd., (ASTA-BEAB), U. K.
·         Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
·         Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL)
·         Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
·         CARAT Certificate from TUV-PS, Germany
·         Govt. of India, Ministry of Scientific & Industrial Research
·         Govt. of India, Ministry of Finance, Dept. of Revenue 
·         Govt. of India, Director General Factory Advice & Labour Institute
·         Govt. of Gujarat, Commissioner of Electricity
·         Govt. of Gujarat, Chief Inspector of Steam Boilers and Smoke Nuisances.
·         Govt. of Maharashtra, Charity Commissioner
·         Electricity Utilities of the States of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab etc.

HIGH VOLTAGE IMPULSE TESTING

Infrastructure

	AT MAKARPURA	AT SAVLI
Impulse Voltage Generator	1200 kVp (60 kJ), 800 kVp (40 kJ)	1600 kVp (80 kJ)
Impulse Voltage Divider	1200 kVp, 800 kVp, 300 kVp	1600 kVp
H. V. A. C. Transformer	600 kVrms	750 kVrms
Multiple Chopping Gap	1200 kVp	1500 kVp
Low Resistance Non Inductive Shunts	0.1, 0.5, 1.0 Ω	0.1, 0.5, 1.0 Ω
Digital Impulse Oscilloscope	12 Bit Nicolet with software	14 Bit Nicolet with software
	500 mm sphere gap for HV measurement	750 mm sphere gap for HV measurement
	PD / RIV Measuring Instrument	PD / RIV Measuring Instrument

TESTS HV Impulse testing HV Dry / Wet Power frequency testing Capacitance and Tan delta measurement Partial discharge measurement Insulation Resistance / Polarization index Losses and Temperature rise tests  RIV, Corona measurement HV Calibration, CT/PT Calibration Earthing system Recovery Voltage / Acoustic emission tests RLA / Condition Monitoring at site   HV AC/DC & Impulse Calibration at site

PRODUCTS COVERED  HT Cables, Joints, Accessories LT/HT Capacitors HV Switchboards, Breakers Insulators, Bushings, Isolators Transformers, CTs, PTs Lightning Arresters Switchgear & Controlgear Products etc . .

INDIA’S LARGEST ON-LINE SHORT CIRCUIT TESTING FACILITY

ERDA has two on-line short circuit test facilities: 50kA on-line short circuit test laboratory at Makarpura and 120kA on-line short circuit test laboratory at Savli

Infrastructure

50kA, 525V, Makarpura Laboratory	120kA, 570V, Savli Laboratory
66/11 kV Short Circuit Transformer	132/33 kV Short Circuit Transformer
Voltage variation from 82 % to 120 %	Voltage variation from 82 % to 120 %
11/0.436 kV, 60 kA Short Circuit Transformer,	33/0.475 kV, 120 kA Short Circuit Transformer,
Sequential Timer with timing of 0.1 millisecond to 9999 seconds & 32 Channels with point on wave switching.	Sequential Timer with timing of 0.1 millisecond to 9999 seconds & 32 Channels with point on wave switching.
Digitizer – 8 Channels	Digitizer – 8 Channels
Coaxial Shunt, Non-inductive, 80 kA rms.	Coaxial Shunt, Non-inductive, 150 kA rms.
66 kV Sub station/Supply line.	132 kV Sub station/Supply line.
Fault level of 1200 MVA at ERDA.	Fault level of 3000 MVA at ERDA.

Products

Sr.No.	Products	Standard	Facilities at 50 kA, 525 V S.C. Test Laboratory at ERDA, Makarpura	Facilities at 120kA, 570 V S.C. Test Laboratory at ERDA, Savli
1	LV ACBs & MCCBs	IEC:60947-2-2006 IS/IEC: 60947-2-2003	2000 A, 415 V upto 50 kA	6300 A, 500 V upto 120 kA
2	LV Switches, Disconnectors, SFUs	IS/IEC: 60947-3-1999 IEC: 60947-3-2005	500 A, 415 V upto 50 kA	800 A, 500 V upto 120 kA
3	Contactors and Motor Starters	IS: 13947-4-1993 IEC: 60947-4-2005	800 A, 415 V upto 50 kA	800 A, 500 V  upto 120 kA
4	Low Voltage Fuses (HRC)	IS: 13703-1-1993 IEC: 60269-1-2005	800 A, 415 V Upto 50 kA	800 A, 500 V upto 120 kA
5	Low Voltage Switchgear &  Controlgear Assemblies	IS: 8623-1&3-1993 IEC: 61439-1-2009 IEC: 61439-2-2009	50 kA for 1 sec. & 31.5 kA for 3 secs.	120 kA for 1 sec. & 70 kA upto 3 secs.
6	Electric Power Connectors	IS: 5561-1970	50 kA for 1 sec. & 31.5 kA for 3 secs.	120 kA for 1 sec. & 70 kA upto 3 secs.
7	Distribution Transformers	IS: 2026-1-1977 IS: 1180-1989 IEC: 60076-5-2006	Upto 1600 kVA, 11 kV Upto 500 kVA, 22 kV Upto 500 kVA, 33 kV	Upto 1000 kVA, 11 kV Upto 1000 kVA, 22 kV Upto 4000 kVA, 33 kV
8	Current Transformers	IS: 2705 (Pt.1 to 4)-1992  IEC: 60044-1-2003	145 kV, 31.5 kA for 1 sec.	400 kV upto 50 kA for 3 secs.
9	HT Isolators with and without Earth Switches, A.B. Switches	IS: 9920-2002, IS: 9921-1985 IEC: 62271-102, IEC: 60265-1-1998 &  IEC: 60265-2-1998	145 kV, 31.5 kA for 1 sec.	245 kV upto 40 kA for 3 secs.
10	HT/LT Cables	IEC: 60502-2-2005 IS: 7098-2-1985 IS: 9968-2-2002 IS: 1554-2-1988	Upto 26.3 kA for 3 secs.	Upto 70 kA for 3 secs.
11	MCBs	IS: 8828-1996 IEC: 60898-1-2003 & IEC: 60898-2-2003	All ratings	All ratings
12	RCCBs/RCBOs	IS: 12640-1-2008 IS: 12640-2-2008 IEC: 61008-1-2006 & IEC: 61009-1-2006	All ratings	All ratings
13	HT Panels	IS-3427-1997 IEC-62271-2007	50 kA for 1 sec. & 31.5 kA for 3 secs.	120 kA for 1 sec. & 70 kA upto 3 secs.
14	Panels - Internal Arc Tests	IEC-61641-2008	50 kA, 500 V	120 kA, 500 V
15	Rewirable Fuses	IS: 2086-1993	All ratings	All ratings

Other test facilities

All routine test facilities, pre and post test facilities for transformers, current transformers and switchgear products

ASSOCIATED SERVICES

• Infrastructure for bringing large trailer loaded apparatus for testing.
• 8 Ton mobile crane at Makarpura and 12 Ton mobile crane at Savli
• 3 Ton fork lift at Makarpura and 5 Ton fork lift at Savli
• 10kA temperature rise test facility
• Condition monitoring
• RLA studies
• Failure investigation
• Calibration
• Type test facilities for electrical products up to 220 kV class.

PRODUCTS COVERED 

Air Circuit Breakers, Moulded case Circuit Breakers, Switches, Disconnectors, Fuse combination units, Contactors, Motor Starters, Control Contactors, Miniature circuit breaker, Residual current operated circuit breakers, Low voltage fuses, Semi-conductor fuses, Rewirable fuses, D-type fuses, Enclosed distribution fuse boards and cut-outs, Electrical power connectors, Metal enclosed switchgear and controlgear, H.V. Air Break Switch, Isolators, Earthing switches, HT & LT Cables. Current Transformers, 11 kV, 22kV and 33kV Distribution Transformers etc. 

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES 

Sponsored Research studies are taken up on topics like Power System grounding, Lighting Performance, impulse breakdown etc. 

Some of the major projects completed and in progress are:

• Enhancement of Short Circuit level of Air circuit Breaker.
•  Remote operated 11 kV load break switch and MCCBs.
• Transient response of 400 kV CT.
• Power System grounding
• Lightning Performance of Transmission line
• Impulse Breakdown studies on Transformer oil.
• Studies on Rotating Machine Stator coils
• Pollution Studies on insulators
• Design of earthing grid for power stations