1.

CCVT Testing: Getting Familiar with it

A CCVT consists of a basebox that is either air filled or mineral or synthetic oil-filled. On that base is mounted a
column of one or more porcelain units. The bottom unit has two capacitors, C2 on the bottom and C1-1 at the top.
In between them is the POT terminal, connected to the electromagnetic unit. The bottom of the C2 capacitor is
connected to the carrier terminal (CAR), and grounded in service if there is no carrier equipment present.
Each subsequent porcelain unit above the first has one capacitor. The total value of the capacitance in each porcelain
is given on the nameplate found on the side of that porcelain unit.
Power Factor and capacitance are measured. In air or mineral oil-filled units, the power factor is generally about 0.20.3%. In synthetic oil-filled units, it is commonly around 0.06%. Capacitance should not vary by more than 1% from
nameplate. Because of the very low Power Factors, and the low tolerance that exists for deviation of the measured
capacitance from nameplate, great care must be taken when measuring to have a clean, dry terminal box, and to
make good connections that avoid touching other surfaces or terminals.

If the base is air filled, the POT and CAR

bushings are probably accessible, and
the electromagnetic unit can be
disconnected from these bushings,
freeing them for testing. In some
CCVTs, the POT terminal is brought out
through the porcelain and connected to
the basebox through an isolating switch.
These could be tested as those with airfilled base boxes.

Most CCVTs with

synthetic oil-filled
basebox have a
grounding switch at
the POT terminal
which can be closed
to bypass the
electromagnetic unit.

If not, the
electromagnetic unit
cannot be bypassed or
separated at the POT
terminal (A1 as shown
above). C1-1 and C2
cannot be tested
separately.

2. CCVT Testing: Getting the Nameplate Data Right

GENERAL
If the nameplate capacitances are in
uF and not pF, multiply all numbers by
one million. In the example to the
right, C1, 0.00487 uF becomes 4870
pF, and C2, 0.0776 uF becomes
77,600 pF. On the basebox, beside
C1 and C2, there will usually be a
third, design capacitance, which
should be ignored.

ENTER C2
Find on the basebox the capacitance that is an order of magnitude
larger than the other capacitances on the nameplate. This is the C2
nameplate capacitance (CAR-POT in DTA); type the value into the
DTA nameplate screen.

Basebox
Nameplate

C2 Measure
this value
C1: Capacitance of C1-1 +
C1-2+C1-N in series
CN: Ignore

ENTER C2 ser C1-1

For C2 ser C1-1, type into DTA the capacitance found on
the nameplate of the first porcelain unit in the stack.

OBTAIN C1-1

Nameplate, first
porcelain unit

WHEN THERE IS ONLY ONE PORCELAIN IN THE STACK

If there is only one porcelain unit in stack, then C1 from the
basebox is C1-1 (B1-POT in DTA). Type the value for C1 from
the basebox into the capacitance nameplate in DTA last, after
C2 and C2 ser C1-1. This will overwrite the value calculated by
DTA Field.

FOR TWO OR MORE PORCELAIN UNITS IN STACK

If there is more than one porcelain in the stack, let DTA 5.6
calculate C1-1 for you. When you have entered these three
capacitances, the values should be in diminishing size from top
to bottm for these three capacitances. C2 should be the
largest, C1-1 the middle-sized value, and C2serC1-1 the
lowest capacitance.
There will usually be just one power factor given. It will apply
to all measurements taken on the capacitors. The C1-1
calculated by DTA is subject to the error caused by rounded off
nameplate values for C2 and C2 Ser C1-1.

For the 2nd porcelain unit on up, there is one capacitor

per porcelain, and the test procedure in DTA Field
should be followed.

3. Selecting The Right Capacitor Arrangement In DTA

Start Here

Select one of the Capacitor

arrangements with airfilled base that has the
same number of porcelain
units as the one you are
testing

Yes

No
Can you open the
basebox and access
the POT and CAR
terminals?

Select one of the Capacitor

arrangements with oil-filled
base that has the same
number of porcelain units
as the one you are testing

Enter the Manufacturer and

type of CCVT. Enter the
kV. Now, go to the Overall
test sheet. For Trench,
you may fine the Type also
under Haefely or Haefely
Trench.

Find the CAR terminal (HF for Ritz)

and make sure it is floating. As shown
in the photo to the left, free the HF
terminal from all but the wire from the
C2 capacitor. As shown in the photo
below, the Trench carrier lead is
grounded to the terminal box, and
must be made to float.

Above photo is
the Ritz CAR
terminal (HF), to
the right, the
Trench

4a. No Accessible POT Terminal (Modern Trench &

Ritz): Measuring C1-1 and C2
Close the Potential Grounding Switch. Connect
the ground lead to the CCVT base box.

The lead coming from

the bottom of the C2
capacitor is attached
is the CAR terminal
and normally
grounded in service.
For the first test, the
measurement of the
C2 capacitor (CARPOT), remove the
ground connection
from this terminal,
and energize it at no
more than 2 kV, using
a GST-Ground test.
Then replace the
connection to ground
as it was found.

For the second test,

the measurement of
the C1-1 capacitor
(B1-POT), energize
the top of the
bottom porcelain.
This will be a GSTGround test at 10
kV. The Potential
Grounding Switch is
closed for all tests.

4b. No Accessible POT Terminal: Measuring C2

and C1-1 Together An Alternate Test

To measure both capacitors in the bottom porcelain unit in the stack, the
electromagnetic unit is preferred to be disconnected from the capacitor stack.
This cannot be done with most new CCVTs. Therefore, do the next best thing,
disconnect the ground link from the transformer primary. This link is often
designated as P2, and disconnecting it floats the primary winding terminal.
Next, you must OPEN the potential grounding switch.

Make this measurement with either a UST or a GST-Ground test

circuit. The UST will give you some negative readings. This test is
for capacitance only, and is not reliable for power factor.

5a. Accessible POT Terminal: Measuring C1-1

and C2
If the base box is air-filled
and accessible or the
electromagnetic unit can
be detached from the
capacitors, testing is
facilitated. The larger
bushing is the POT
bushing, and can be
energized at 5 kV. The
smaller bushing is the
CAR bushing, and should
not be energized above 2
kV.

To measure the C2
capacitor, energize the
POT terminal and place the
LV lead on the CAR
terminal; measure with a
UST circuit.

Old GE and W style gives easy access to CAR and POT bushings.

To measure C1-1, top of stack

grounded:
One Porcelain Unit In Stack:
Energize the POT terminal, and
place the LV lead on the CAR
terminal. Use a GST-Guard test
circuit.
Two or More Porcelain Units In
Stack:
Energize the top of the porcelain
unit and place the LV Lead on the
POT terminal; use a UST test.

Some European models, such as this ASEA unit,

bring out the POT terminal and include a disconnect
switch between the electromagnetic unit and the
capacitor stacks.

5b. Accessible POT Terminal: The C2 and C1-1

Measurement in Series An Alternate Test
This alternate combined test (C2 in series with C1-1) is much
easier with the electromagnetic unit disconnected. Simply
energize the top of the porcelain containing the two capacitors,
and place the LV lead on the (floating) CAR terminal. Use a UST
test circuit.

6. Measuring the Porcelain Units Stacked on

Top of the First Unit
All other porcelain units in the stack, from the second to the
top, have only one capacitor measurement to make. Follow
DTAs suggested connections and test circuits. Generally, with
the exception of the first porcelain unit in the stack, the
remainder of the units can be tested in twos without changing
test cable positions, as with an arrester stack, using a
UST/GST-Guard test combination.

7. Important Considerations and Analysis of

Results
Measurement of capacitances and power factors for CCVTs is
very exacting; capacitances must be within 1% of nameplate,
and new construction using synthetic oils and plastic film
result in extremely low power factors, in the vicinity of 0.06%.
You must make connections carefully, clean and dry the unit
well, and take particular care with these tests in order to meet
these difficult nameplate values.