Switchgear Service & Testing

Presenters:

Jack Heflin, P.E; Sam Endres, P.E.; Greg Ellis, Switchgear Specialist;
Mike Cartmell, Switchgear Specialist

Switchgear is the silent sentinel for plant reliability. It is the last line of defense when an electrical or mechanical
failure occurs in a plant environment. The first line of defense is the implementation of a comprehensive
predictive maintenance program on the process machines. Through predictive maintenance analysis, the goal is
to correct issues before the electrical protection system is required to react.
An electrical protection system that is well maintained and properly coordinated will minimize damage to
critical path production machines and reduce the incident energy created when equipment failure occurs.
The goal of these presentations is to inform managers and technicians of the required service on the in-plant
electrical power systems and introduce or review some of the predictive maintenance testing procedures
recommended by most manufacturers of switchgear and transformers.

Lecture: (switchgear reliability)

Switchgear Insulation Integrity:
All electrical equipment contains various types of materials used to provide an electrical insulated barrier
between the electrical potential in the equipment. The lecture will explore some the materials used and the
required maintenance necessary to provide optimum dielectric strength of the insulation.
We will examine some the methods used to test the integrity of insulation such as megger, hipot, and power
factor testing of switchgear. A demonstration of each of these tests will be performed in the lab session.
Load Interrupting Technology:
We will examine the basic technology of air-magnetic interrupters on low and medium voltage switchgear.
Understanding how an arc is extinguished when a load or fault is interrupted is essential when performing
maintenance on substation or power feeder equipment.
Load interruption using vacuum circuit breakers will be examined. We will demonstrate the proper testing
procedures to insure the vacuum integrity is maintained in a circuit breaker.
Time-Current Characteristics:
We will examine the overcurrent trip functions on low voltage circuit breakers and medium voltage (simple)
overcurrent relays. The proper settings on the long time, short time, instantaneous, and ground fault functions on
an overcurrent protection device are critical for interrupting a fault at the source. Proper coordination of the
device functions insures the reliability of the electrical system in a plant environment.
Arc Flash Energy:
We will discuss the NFPE guidelines on the incident energy created during an electrical fault. We will examine
how the incident energy can be reduced through proper switchgear maintenance practices.
Lab Sessions:
The lab session can be a hands-on experience for the attendee. We will have new and older vintage (Low and
Medium voltage) switchgear available for demonstration. The lab sessions will provide the following:
Safe installation and removal of circuit breakers from their cubicles. The proper safety equipment and
procedures will be demonstrated.
Recommended maintenance practices on the low and medium switchgear will be demonstrated.
The following tests will be demonstrated on various types of switchgear equipment:
Megger testing
Hipot testing (Insulation and Vacuum bottle integrity)
Contact resistance testing (DLRO)
Power factor testing (Medium voltage circuit breakers)
Time/travel analysis (Medium voltage air circuit breakers)

TRANSFORMER MAINTENANCE
Presenters: AEP-PSO, Boeing, ExxonMobil, OG&E, Sentinel Power, & Shermco Ind.
Transformers are extremely reliable, typically lasting 25-40 years. For this reason, transformers are one of the
least maintained items in a large plant. However, failure of a critical, plant-owned transformer can cause
enormous productivity & economic losses to a company, with lead times on specialty transformers often 16+
weeks. The purpose of this class is to help the plant maintenance manager & technician identify potential
problems and minimize downtime with proper transformer maintenance. A copy of the United States
Department of Interior, Transformer Diagnostics manual will be provided to pre-registered attendees.
THEORY
Introduction to Transformer Maintenance & Purpose of Class
Safety, Knowledge Base & Other Preparation Considerations
Types of Transformers
Dry Type Transformers
Oil Filled Transformers
Inspections/Tests for All Transformers
Record keeping protective devices/disconnects, grounding, schematics
Make a plan -- Identify Critical Transformers & Replacement Resources
Inspection visual leaks, chk. fans, radiators, hot spots, blistered paint, noise
PCB Test (Unless nameplate says non-PCB)
Potential Problems and Remedial Actions for Dry & Liquid Type Transformers, Inspection &
Maintenance Summary
Transformer Diagnostic Flowchart Decision Tree
Tests for Critical Transformers (Overview)
Dissolved Gas Analysis
Oil Physical/Chemical Tests
Moisture Test
Infrared Temperature Analysis
IR for Transformer Tanks
IR for Lightning Arresters
IR for Bushings
IR for Radiators and Cooling Systems
Ultrasonic and Sonic Fault Detection
Vibration Analysis
Electrical Tests
Doble Tests on Insulation
Insulation Power Factor Test
Bushing Tests
Corona Scope Scan
Turns Ratio Test
DC Winding Resistance Measurement
Core Insulation Resistance and Inadvertent Core Ground Test
Transformer Diagnostics/Condition Assessment Summary
LAB TRAINING
Required safety gear
External Inspection where to look & what to listen for
De-energizing precautions, voltage test, high & low side grounding
Short-term leak repairs
Cleaning paddles
Cleaning bushings
Replacing lightning arrestors
How to take an oil sample
How to take a DGA sample
Diagnose transformer problems. Review example data on common transformer problems (DGA, IR, Ultrasound
& electrical tests) to determine faults.