2/12/2018 Tan Delta Test |Loss Angle Test | Dissipation Factor Test

Tan Delta Test |Loss Angle Test | Dissipation Factor Test

Principle of Tan Delta Test
A pure insulator when is connected across line and earth, it behaves as a capacitor. In an
ideal insulator, as the insulating material which acts as dielectric too, is 100 % pure, the
electric current passing through the insulator, only have capacitive component. There is no
resistive component of the current, flowing from line to earth through insulator as in ideal
insulating material, there is zero percent impurity.
In pure capacitor, the capacitive electric current leads the applied voltage by 90o.
In practice, the insulator cannot be made 100% pure. Also due to the ageing of insulator
the impurities like dirt and moisture enter into it. These impurities provide the conductive
path to the current. Consequently, leakage electric current flowing from line to earth
through insulator has also resistive component.
Hence, it is needless to say that, for good insulator, this resistive component of leakage
electric current is quite low. In other way the healthiness of an electrical insulator can be
determined by ratio of resistive component to capacitive component. For good insulator
this ratio would be quite low. This ratio is commonly known as tanδ or tan delta.
Sometimes it is also referred as dissipation factor.

In the vector diagram above, the system voltage is drawn along x-axis. Conductive electric
current i.e. resistive component of leakage current, IR will also be along x-axis.

As the capacitive component of leakage electric current IC leads system voltage by 90o, it
will be drawn along y-axis.
Now, total leakage electric current IL(Ic + IR) makes an angle δ (say) with y-axis.

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2/12/2018 Tan Delta Test |Loss Angle Test | Dissipation Factor Test

Now, from the diagram above, it is cleared, the ratio, IR to IC is nothing but tanδ or tan
delta.

NB: This δ angle is known as loss angle.

Method of Tan Delta Testing

The cable, winding, current transformer, potential transformer, transformer bushing, on

which tan delta test or dissipation factor test to be conducted, is first isolated from the
system. A very low frequency test voltage is applied across the equipment whose
insulation to be tested. First the normal voltage is applied. If the value of tan delta appears
good enough, the applied voltage is raised to 1.5 to 2 times of normal voltage, of the
equipment. The tan delta controller unit takes measurement of tan delta values. A loss
angle analyser is connected with tan delta measuring unit to compare the tan delta values
at normal voltage and higher voltages, and analyse the results.
During test it is essential to apply test voltage at very low frequency.
Reason of applying Very Low Frequency

If frequency of applied voltage is high, then capacitive reactance of the insulator becomes
low, hence capacitive component of electric current is high. The resistive component is
nearly fixed; it depends upon applied voltage and conductivity of the insulator. At high

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2/12/2018 Tan Delta Test |Loss Angle Test | Dissipation Factor Test

frequency as capacitive current, is large, hence, the amplitude of vector sum of capacitive
and resistive components of electric current becomes large too.
Therefore, required apparent power for tan delta test would become high enough which is
not practical. So to keep the power requirement for this dissipation factor test, very low
frequency test voltage is required. The frequency range for tan delta test is generally from
0.1 to 0.01 Hz depending upon size and nature of insulation.
There is another reason for which it is essential to keep the input frequency of the test as
low as possible.
As we know,

That means, dissipation factor tanδ ∝ 1/f.

Hence, at low frequency, the tan delta number is high, the measurement becomes easier.

How to Predict the Result of Tan Delta Testing

There are two ways to predict the condition of an insulation system during tan delta or
dissipation factor test.
First, one is, comparing the results of previous tests to determine, the deterioration of the
condition of insulation due ageing effect.
The second one is, determining the condition of insulation from the value of tanδ, directly.
No requirement of comparing previous results of tan delta test.

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2/12/2018 Tan Delta Test |Loss Angle Test | Dissipation Factor Test

If the insulation is perfect, the loss factor will be approximately same for all range of test
voltages. But if the insulation is not sufficient, the value of tan delta increases in the higher
range of test voltage.

From the graph, it is clear that the tan and delta number nonlinearly increases with
increasing test very low-frequency voltage. The increasing tan&delta, means, high resistive
electric current component, in the insulation. These results can be compared with the
results of previously tested insulators, to take the proper decision whether the equipment
would be replaced or not.

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