CONTENTS

Page No.

TITLE PAGE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0

PURPOSE

2.0

SCOPE

3.0

DEFINITIONS

4.0

REFERENCE STANDARDS AND CODES

5.0

RESPONSIBILITIES

6.0

TEST EQUIPMENT CONTROL

7.0

QUALITY CONTROL

8.0

TESTING PROCEDURE

9.0

DOCUMENTATION

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DISCIPLINE :

ELECTRICAL

TITLE

PROCEDURE FOR SITE ACCEPTANCE TESTING OF

MOLDED CASE CIRCUIT BREAKERS

1.0

PURPOSE
To ensure that the molded case circuit breakers are installed in accordance with
design specifications, that their characteristics are within applicable standards and
manufacturers tolerances.

2.0

SCOPE
This procedure shall apply during the site acceptance testing of molded case circuit
breakers.

3.0

DEFINITIONS

3.1
3.2
3.3
3.5

C.E.
C.M.
T.T.
Q.C.

4.0

REFERENCE STANDARDS AND CODES

4.1

4.2

TCP-P-105-00 Pre-commissioning Testing Procedure

NEC National Electrical Code

5.0

RESPONSIBILITIES

Commissioning Engineer
Construction Manager
Testing Technician
Quality Control

5.1 The Commissioning Engineer (C.E.) shall be responsible for preparing the testing plan,
for the observance of all safety precautions required by the JAL Safety Plan, for
supervising the testing activities.
5.2 The Testing Technicians (T.T.) shall be responsible for carrying out the tests, recording
the test values.
5.3
The QC Department shall be responsible for conducting reviews of the test records
to ensure that all tests have been performed in accordance with the approved
inspection and test plan.
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6.0

Test Equipment Control

The Commissioning Engineer shall carry out an inspection of the test equipment
when the test equipment arrives in the warehouse. Each piece of test equipment
shall have the calibration labels intact. The Commissioning Engineer shall ensure
that the test equipment manual is available and that the test equipment is calibrated
and calibration certificates are available.
The Commissioning Engineer will keep a record with the test equipment serial
numbers, date of calibration and copies of the calibration certificates. JAL will
submit copies of the calibration certificates of the test equipment to Al-Mashariq.
The Commissioning Engineer shall ensure that test equipment that it is out of
calibration is isolated in a quarantine zone and will be sent as soon as possible to a
certified metrology laboratory for re-calibration against national standards.
The Testing Technicians shall ensure that the test equipment is tested for proper
operation before starting any test. Any defective test equipment will be isolated in a
quarantine zone and sent as soon as possible for repairs.
QC Department shall conduct periodic audits on the test equipment to ensure all
test equipment is within the required calibration period.

7.0

Quality Control
The Commissioning Engineer shall prepare the testing plan that will include the
equipment to be tested, the tests to be performed, the test equipment to be used,
the test procedure to be applied and the test records to be used. Based on the
testing plan, in coordination with the Construction Manager a testing schedule will
be developed.
The Commissioning Engineer shall organize, supervise and verify the
implementation of the testing schedule.
Any defects or variances from the approved specifications and standards will be
noted during the testing and shall be informed to the Construction Department by
the Inspection Report.
The Testing Technician shall use the pre-commissioning form as a checklist and to
record the results of the testing. The form shall be the quality record document to
identify that the inspection and testing has taken place.
The following tests will be performed and recorded on the pre-commissioning
form:
1. Visual and mechanical check
2. Contact resistance test
3. Insulation resistance test
4. Testing the thermal-magnetic trip units by primary injection test.
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4.1.
4.2.

Thermal trip unit

Magnetic trip unit (instantaneous)

The following test equipment will be used to perform the above tests:
1. Microohmmeter, DLRO or T&R
2. Megohmmeter 1000V, AVO
3. Digital multimeter
4. Single-phase primary current injection set, Oden or KAM
5. Clampmeter
6. Thermometer
7. Humidity meter
8.0

TESTING PROCEDURE
The following shall be the guidelines for the testing personnel during the inspection
and testing of molded case circuit breakers.

8.1

8.2

Visual And Mechanical Check

Compare nameplate data with drawings and specifications.
Inspect circuit breaker for correct mounting.
Operate the breaker mechanically.
Inspect mechanism contacts and arc chutes in unsealed units.
Verify correct operation of any auxiliary features such as trip and pickup indicators,
zone interlocking, electrical close and trip operation, trip-free, and antipump function.
Contact Resistance Test

Test Equipment: Microohmeter DLRO or T&R

Check that the breaker is de-energized on both sides. Ground the breaker on one side.
Make sure that the breaker is closed.
Ground the micro ohmmeter.
Check that the micro ohmmeter is switched off during making connections.
Connect the current and voltage cables, with respect to the polarities, as in fig. 1.
Always connect the voltage cables inside the current cables.
Switch on the micro ohmmeter.
Increase the current to the desired
value.
Read the resistance value.
Repeat for each phase of the
breaker.
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Compare measured values with

manufacturers
specifications;
compare results between different
phases of the breaker. Differences
greater than 20% between phases
should be investigated for breakers
greater than 600 Amps. For
breakers with rated current less
than 600 Amps differences greater
than 50% should be investigated.

Fig. 1

8.3 Insulation Resistance Test

Test Equipment: Mega ohmmeter, AVO; Thermometer; Humidity meter
8.3.1. Breaker open

Measure and record the ambient temperature and humidity.

Disconnect the breaker to be tested from other equipment and circuits.
Make sure that the
breaker is open.
As shown in Fig. 2,
connect the line terminal
of the Megohmmeter with
one pole of the breaker
and all other poles
together to ground and to
earth terminal of the
Megohmmeter.
Set the test voltage to
1000V, or to the value
recommended by the
Fig. 2
manufacturer.
Measure the insulation
resistance for one minute.
Repeat for all other phases.
The measured insulation resistance must not be less than 50 megohms. In case of new
breakers, the resistance is much higher.

8.3.2. Breaker closed

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Disconnect
all
connections
between poles and the connection
to earth.
Close the breaker.
As shown in fig. 3, connect the
line terminal of the Megohmmeter
with one phase of the breaker and
the other phases together to
ground and to earth terminal of
Fig. 3
the Megohmmeter.
Set the test voltage to 1000V, or to
the value recommended by the
manufacturer.
Measure the insulation resistance for one minute.
Repeat for other phases.
The measured insulation resistance must not be less than 50 megohms. In case of new
breakers, the resistance is much higher.

8.4 Testing the thermal-magnetic trip units by primary injection

Test Equipment: Primary injection test set Oden or KAM; Clampmeter
The difficulty in conducting this test especially the instantaneous test trip test is the
availability of obtaining the required high value of test current. Precise control of test
conditions is necessary otherwise different test results will be obtained. Moreover due to
large values of the test current the trip characteristic of the breaker can be influenced by
stray magnetic fields. Also the current wave shape can influence the results.

Disconnect the breaker to be tested from all other equipment and circuits.
Make sure that the breaker is closed.
As shown in fig. 4, connect one current output (according to the desired test current)
of the primary injection unit to one phase of the breaker.
Connect the trip signaling contact of the breaker to the primary injection unit, so that the
contact of the breaker will stop the timer. If a secondary contact from the breaker is not
available than a primary contact of a phase that is not under test could be used.

8.4.1. Thermal trip unit test

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Set the output current of the primary

injection unit to 3 times the rated
current of the breaker.
Set the timer of the primary injection
unit to start at the same time with the
current injection and stop when the
breaker trips.
Start the current injection.
Read the tripping time.
Fig. 4
Repeat the test for all phases.
Check that the measured tripping
time is correct according to
manufacturers specifications
If the minimum tripping times are lower than indicated by the manufacturers data plus
15% the breaker should be retested after it has been cooled to 25 0C. If the values are
still lower the breaker manufacturer should be consulted.
If the maximum tripping times are higher than indicated by the manufacturers data
plus 15% recheck the test procedure and conditions. If the test still indicates higher
values the breaker manufacturer should be consulted. If the breaker does not trip
within the maximum allowable time the breaker should be replaced.

8.4.2. Magnetic trip unit test (instantaneous)

In order to check the pick-up value of the magnetic trip the primary injection can be
performed in two ways: the run-up method and the pulse method.
The run-up method approximately 70 percent of the tripping current is injected into
the breaker until the breaker trips. The injection of the current has to be done skillfully
so it is neither too slow or too fast. If the injection is too slow than the breaker may
trip owing to the thermal effect and not provide a true value of tripping current. If the
current is injected too quickly the meter reading will lag the actual current owing to
damping of the meter and thus providing erroneous results.
The pulse method requires equipment with a pointer stop ammeter or an image
retaining oscilloscope. The current to the breaker under test is applied in short pulses
of 5-10 cycles duration until the breaker trips. The current is then reduced below this
value and the pointer stop on the ammeter is adjusted by repeated pulses until the
pointer movement is barely noticeable. The current is then raised slightly and the
tripping value of current rechecked. One disadvantage of this test is that is subject to
dc offset when conducted in the field. The dc offset might be as big as 20% and
therefore the tripping current indicated by the ammeter 20% lower.

With the available primary injection test sets only the run-up test method can be
employed. The hook-up to the breaker is as in fig. 4.
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For checking the tripping time set the output current of the primary injection unit to
1.5 times the setting of the instantaneous pick-up of the breaker to ensure that the
breaker magnetic feature will trip the breaker.
Set the timer of the primary injection unit to start at the same time with the current
injection and stop when the breaker trips.
Start the current injection.
Read the tripping time.
Repeat the test for all phases.
Check that the measured tripping time is correct according to manufacturers
specifications.
Because of the inherent errors in the field the test results may vary from the
manufacturers published data. Therefore the main thrust of any field testing of molded
case circuit breakers should be to ensure that the breaker is functional and that its trip
characteristics are within the range of values for that particular circuit breaker. Nema
AB-4-1991 provides recommended values for testing trip units in the field-see the
table below.

Type of
instantaneous trip
Adjustable

Breaker rating

Trip tolerance

< 250Amp

High setting
+40%
-25%
+25%
-25%

>250Amp
Nonadjustable

All

Low setting
+40%
-30%
+30%
-30%
+40%
-30%

When performing field verification testing of molded case circuit breakers the
important issue is how field testing is conducted compared to the testing done at the
factory. All low voltage molded case circuit breakers that are Underwriters
Laboratories (UL) listed are tested in accordance with UL standard 489 and NEMA
AB-1. The following is a summary of conditions under which the manufacturers and
UL calibration tests are conducted to obtain the trip-time curves:
The time current curves are based on 400C ambient temperature.
The time current curves are based on current flowing in all three poles.
Circuit breakers are tested in open air.
The trip values of each breaker are measured from cold start.
The calibration tests are made with UL specified size conductors connected to
line and load terminals.
The current must be held constant without variation over the entire test period.
The rated maximum interrupting current for testing magnetic trip is 5000 Amp
or more.

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The current intended for testing the molded case circuit breakers shall be
essentially sinusoidal.
9.0

DOCUMENTATION

9.1
9.2

Molded case circuit breakers instruction manual-vendor documentation

Test equipment operation manuals

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