1.1 This test method describes two procedures, A and B,for determining the electrical breakdown voltage of insulating liquid specimens. The breakdown test uses ac voltage in the power-frequency range from 45 to 65Hz.
1.2 This test method is used to judge if the disk electrode breakdown voltage requirements are met forinsulating liquids, as delivered from the manufacturer, that have never been filtered or dried. See Specification D3487, Specification D4652, and Guide D5222 for the minimum specified electrical breakdown. This test method should be used as recommended by professional organization standards such as IEEE C57.106.
1.3 Limitations of the Procedures:
1.3.1 The sensitivity of this test method to the general population of contaminants present in a liquid sample decreases as applied test voltages used in this test method become greater than approximately 25kV rms.
1.3.2 If the concentration of water in the sample at room temperature is less than 60% of saturation, the sensitivity of this test method to the presence of water is decreased. For further information refer to RR:D27-1006.
1.3.3 The suitability for this test method has not been determined for a liquid's viscosity higher than 900cSt at 40°C.
1.4 Procedure Applications
1.4.1 Procedure A:
1.4.1.1 Procedure A is used to determine the breakdown voltage of liquids in which any in soluble breakdown products easily settle during the interval between the required repeated breakdown tests. These liquids include petroleum oils, hydro-carbons, and askarels (PCB) used as insulating and cooling liquids in transformers, cables, and similar apparatus.
1.4.1.2 Procedure A may be used to obtain the dielectric breakdown of silicone fluid as specified in Test Methods D2225, provided the discharge energy into the sample is less than 20 mJ (milli joule) per breakdown for five consecutive breakdowns.
1.4.2 Procedure B:
1.4.2.1 This procedure is used to determine the breakdown voltage of liquids in which any in soluble breakdown products do not completely settle from the space between the disks during the 1–min interval required in Procedure A. Procedure B, modified in accordance with Section 17 of Test Methods D2225, is acceptable for testing silicone dielectric liquids if there quirements of 1.4.1.2 can not be achieved.
1.4.2.2 Procedure B should also be applied for the determination of the breakdown voltage of liquid samples containing insoluble materials that settle from the specimen during testing. These may include samples taken from circuit breakers, load tap changers, and other liquids heavily contaminated with insoluble particulate material. These examples represent samples that may have large differences between replicate tests. The use of Procedure B will result in a more accurate value of breakdown voltage when testing such liquids.
1.4.2.3 Use Procedure B to establish the breakdown voltage of an insulating liquid where an ASTM specification does not exist or when developing a value for an ASTM guide or standard. Procedure A may be used once the single operator precision of 13.1 has been demonstrated.
1.5 Both the SI and inch-pound units are equally acceptable.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
2.1 ASTM Standards:
D923 Practices for Sampling Electrical Insulating Liquids
D1816 Test Method for Dielectric Breakdown Voltage of Insulating Oils of Petroleum Origin Using VDE Electrodes
D2225 Test Methods for Silicone Fluids Used for Electrical Insulation
D2864 Terminology Relating to Electrical Insulating Liquids and Gases
D3487 Specification for Mineral Insulating Oil Used in Electrical Apparatus
D4652 Specification for Silicone Fluid Used for Electrical Insulation
D5222 Specification for High Fire-Point Mineral Electrical Insulating Oils
2.2 IEEE Standards:
Standard 4, IEEE Standard Techniques for High-Voltage Testing
C57.106 Guide for Acceptance and Maintenance of Insulating Oil in Equipment
3. Significance and Use
3.1 The dielectric breakdown voltage is a measure of the ability of an insulating liquid to withstand electrical stress. The power-frequency breakdown voltage of a liquid is reduced by
the presence of contaminants such as cellulosic fibers, conducting particles, dirt, and water. A low result in this test method indicates the presence of significant concentrations of one or more of these contaminants in the liquid tested.
3.2 A high breakdown voltage measured in this test method does not necessarily indicate that the amount of the contaminants present in a liquid from which the sample was taken are sufficiently low for the sampled liquid to be acceptable in all electrical equipment.Test Method D877 is not sensitive to low levels of these contaminants. Breakdown in this test method is dominated by events occurring at the electrode edges. The voltage stress distribution between the parallel disk electrodes used in this test method are quasi-uniform and there is substantial stress concentration at the sharp edges of the flat disk faces.
3.3 This test method may be used for evaluation of insulating liquids in equipment that is designed to be filled with unprocessed liquids as delivered by a vendor.
3.4 This test method is not recommended for evaluation of the breakdown voltage of liquids used in equipment that requires the application of vacuum and filtering of the oil before being placed into service.Test Method D1816 should be used to determine the breakdown voltage of filtered and degassed liquids.
3.5 This test method is used in laboratory or field tests. For field breakdown results to be comparable to laboratory results, all criteria including room temperature (20 to 30°C) must be met.