Inside the voltage tester, this current passes through a known resistance. The voltage drop across this internal resistance is then measured and displayed on the tester's meter or screen. This provides the user with a reading of the voltage present. In some cases, for basic testers, this voltage may simply trigger a light or a sound to indicate the presence of voltage rather than providing a precise numerical value. Figure 1 provides examples of surge traces for a good winding and a winding that has weak insulation or a turn-to-turn short. The three traces – corresponding to the three phases of the motor’s windings – should overlay as one on the graph but, as can be seen, the trace for a winding with a turn-to-turn short is different from the traces for the other two phases.

FIGURE 4: Surge test voltage vs the dielectric strength of a 460 V motor and typical voltage spikes it sees in service Instrument transformers perform the important function of providing windows on the power grid’s electrical behaviour. Protection, control, and measuring devices require these ‘windows’ yet they also need electrical isolation from the grid as they function at much lower voltages and currents. Instrument transformers provide the solution; they are go-betweens that provide isolation by magnetically coupling secondary monitoring and measuring devices to the grid. There are several types of instrument transformers, but one of the most common on higher voltage transmission systems is the coupling capacitor voltage transformer (CCVT). The Megger TPT420 LCD/LED Two-Pole Voltage Tester is an easy-to-use and ergonomic voltage meter optimised for safety and reliability. It is designed for testing electrical installations making it ideal for electricians and electrical engineers. However, it can also be used to test automotive, fire alarm, and solar/ PV systems. Megger TPT420 LCD/LED Two-Pole Voltage Tester Key Features

Megger VF5 Voltage Tester Key Features

There are other effects due to filtering of the higher frequency components of the pulse-wave as a result of attenuation by the steel and the coils own inductance. The speed of propagation of the pulse wave is, however, the key aspect that allows the surge test to detect bad turns. The MET1000 All-in-one true RMS electrical tester is a multifunctional voltage andcurrent tester that gives electricians and electrical engineers a versatile and robust handheldmeterwith detachable test leads. Featuring both LED and LCD displays, it gives youa 200 A AC and1000 V AC/DC tester designed for everyday use. CATIV 600 V/CATIII 1000 V rated, with an IP65 housing for added protection, it reduces the number of testers required in the professional’s tool bag. When the probes of a voltage tester are connected to two points in an electrical circuit (commonly one end to a suspected live conductor and the other to a ground source), a closed circuit or loop is formed. This allows electrical current to flow from the higher potential to the lower potential.

Capacitance and line frequency power factor (PF) measurements should be made routinely on CCVTs. Insulation power factor tests are most informative when the amount of insulation included in the test is minimised. For this reason, tests are performed on each individual component of the CVD (e.g., C1-1, C1-2, …, and C2). Typical overall PF values range from 0.2 % to 0.5 %, but power factor values under 0.05 % are normal depending on the insulating materials used for construction. CCVTs are devices capable of dual function. One function they can perform is to provide highly accurate voltage conversion for measuring devices, protection relays, and automatic control systems, while the other is to couple high-frequency power-line carrier (PLC) signals onto the transmission system for communication and control purposes. In some circumstances, the CVD capacitive reactance can resonate with the magnetizing reactance of the inductive voltage transformer and the compensating reactor cores. This unwanted effect is called ferro-resonance and can give rise to large and damaging voltages across the inductive and capacitive elements. To avoid this, a ferroresonance damping circuit is installed in parallel with one of the secondary windings.

At its core, a voltage tester is a simple device designed to indicate the presence of electrical voltage in a system or a component. The underlying principle lies in Ohm's Law. This states that the current passing through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage across the two points. Furthermore, the Megger TPT420 LCD/LED Two-Pole Voltage Tester supports single-pole voltage tests and simplified phase rotation indication tests which avoid crossing the test probes. Moreover, when testing circuits between phase and earth, the Megger TPT420 LCD/LED Two-Pole Voltage Tester will work below the tipping threshold of RCDs, RCBOs and safety breakers to prevent unintentional disconnection. The EMU, in addition to an inductive voltage transformer, contains a tuning circuit and protection against ferroresonance (Figure 1). The tuning circuit is a reactor that compensates for magnitude errors and phase shift caused by the CVD, making it possible to have the CCVT with a characteristic on the secondary side that is similar, in terms of error and phase deviation, to that of a purely inductive voltage transformer. When testing motors, it’s important to keep in mind that they are complex electro-mechanical devices with a complex set of failure modes and related diagnostic options. We will look at the failures of motor electrical/insulation systems, how to manage the life of motors by adopting an appropriate test regime and the concerns that are sometimes voiced about the ‘high’ voltages used for surge testing.