Here Is Information On Hipot Tester

By Diane Bailey


The phrase hipot test means high potential or high voltage test. Another name used to refer to this test is dielectric withstand test. This is an analysis of electrical components that is done with the intention of checking for suitability of electrical insulation. The analysis is meant to ensure that there is no current leakage from one point to another in electrical devices. It is the opposite of continuity test. This is worth knowing about Hipot tester.

The test is nondestructive and capable of determining the sufficiency of electrical insulation. The test uses high voltage. The high voltage is applied to all electrical appliances for a certain time duration to ensure the insulation is more than marginal. High quantities of voltage are applied to the insulation in the process.

The purpose of the process is to determine if there is crushed or nicked insulation in a component. It also helps in identifying conductive or corrosive contaminants, braided shielding, and stray wire strands around conductors. Tolerance errors in cables and terminal spacing problems can also be identified easily using hipot testing. The voltage that is used in this process is usually two times greater than operating voltage.

Hipot testing is usually conducted using hipot analyzers. A typical tester usually connects one side of the supply to safety ground. The second side of the supply gets connected to the conductor that need to be tested. In this arrangement, there are only two kinds of contact to which conductors can be connected, that is, the ground and voltage.

In case there are two contacts that need to be connected, then one has to be connected to the voltage while the other is connected to the ground. This kind of connection is important because it ensures that contacts are isolated from kinds of other contacts. If the insulation between the two conductors is inadequate, then a small current will flow between the conductors when a huge voltage is applied.

While the flow of a small current is normally acceptable, a breakdown of air or solid insulation is not expected in whatever case. Excessive voltage is generally used in these assessments due to the fact that any electrical product is subjected to regular day-to-day transient over voltages. In the event that such variations in voltages take place at some point of the day, the product should be able to remain safe and working.

There are different standards that are usually observed when conducting this analysis. The various standards require the voltage to be applied for different amounts of time. Under the IEC 06950, the analysis is supposed to be continued continuously for a duration of one minute. However, a typical rule of thumb is to apply 110 to 120 percent of operating voltage of the product plus 1000 volts for 1 to 2 seconds.

There are also specifications for the amount of current that need to be applied. Currently, there are several different kinds of testers in the market that one can buy. Different testers are meant for different classes of products. As such, it is important to know which tester to use for certain applications.




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