Checking Capacitor Banks for
Failed Capacitors

Introduction
This technical note provides background information on capacitance testing of medium voltage double bushing capacitors commonly used in capacitor banks and harmonic filter banks with rated line voltages greater than 2.4kV. Due to their relatively low capacitance (0.20uF to 100.00uF), testing of the capacitors can be done with many standard digital multi-meters (DMM's). Meters such as the Fluke 110, 170, and 180 series can provide the required data necessary to determine the presence of a failed capacitor. Although other test methods are available, such as live testing, this technical note is centered around testing capacitors in their de-energized state.

Medium Voltage Capacitors can be internally fused or externally fused. External fuse operation (as evidenced by a blown fuse indicator for current limiting fuses, or a "dropped out" fuse link for expulsion style fuses) may indicate a failed capacitor. The fuse operation, however, does not guarantee a failed capacitor as the fuse may have opened due to a faulty fuse or from surges due to lightning or switching operations. It is therefore recommended that externally fused capacitors be tested before replacement in situations where the external fuse has blown. For internally fused capacitors, testing is required as the fuse is not visible.

Test Procedure
The following test procedure requires the capacitor/harmonic filter bank to be grounded and disconnected. Normal high voltage disconnect, grounding, and test procedures should be followed and should only be conducted by individuals that are qualified in the operation and maintenance of medium and high voltage harmonic filter banks and capacitor banks. A suggested procedure, but not a necessarily all inclusive procedure is as follows:

1. De-energize the capacitor bank per the recommendations of the capacitor bank manufacturer. All necessary safety procedures should be followed.
2. Isolate the capacitor bank (i.e. provide a visible disconnect) from the medium or high voltage system.
3. Wait at least five minutes after de-energization before proceeding to the next step.
4. Ground the capacitor bank. It is important that each phase as well as the neutral (for ungrounded banks) be grounded. For banks equipped with vacuum switches, phase bus grounding should take place on the load side of the vacuum switches.
5. In addition to the phase bus grounding and before coming into contact with an individual capacitor, each capacitor should be individually grounded by touching its terminals with a grounded tip at the end of a high voltage stick.
6. Disconnect the line-side terminal of the capacitor to be tested. This may involve the removal of a fuse link for externally fused capacitors.
7. After bank grounding, proceed to the appropriate section below for the type of capacitor.
   

Figure 1 - Internal Construction of Externally Fused and Internally
Fused Capacitors of Equal Ratings

Externally Fused and Fuseless
Capacitor Bank Testing
IEEE Std. 18 (IEEE Standard for Shunt Power Capacitors) specifies the standard ratings of capacitors designed for shunt connection to alternating current transmission and distribution systems should have a capacitance rating of 0 to +10% of its nominal nameplate value. In reality, most manufactures produce capacitors in the 0 to +2% of its nominal nameplate rating. It is desirable to detect, remove, and replace open capacitors, shorted capacitors, and partially failed capacitors. Each of these conditions can be detected with a DMM as follows:

Shorted Capacitors - Typically the DMM will show over-load or -O.L- for a completely shorted capacitor.

Open Capacitors - Typically the DMM will show a "di.sc" or a very low capacitance reading (capacitance reading in the 0 to 1 nF).

Partially Failed Capacitors - Typically the DMM will show a capacitance reading that is more than 10% greater than the capacitors nominal value as shown in Table-1.

The values listed in Table-1 are for industry standard shunt capacitors. For double bushing capacitors not listed in Table-1, a program at the following web address can be used to calculate the nominal capacitance value based on nameplate data.
http://www.nepsi.com/cap_calculation.htm

In almost all cases, capacitors utilized in externally fused capacitor banks and fuseless capacitor banks will fail in the partially failed condition or the shorted condition as noted above.

Internally Fused Capacitor
BankTesting
As with externally fused capacitors, IEEE Std. 18 specifies capacitance readings in the 0 to +10% range. In reality, internally fused capacitors will be in the 0 to +2% range. These capacitors will show signs of failure in the following three ways:

Shorted Capacitors - Typically the DMM will show over-load or -O.L- for a completely shorted capacitor.

Open Capacitors - Typically the DMM will show a "di.sc" or a very low capacitance reading (capacitance reading in the 0 to 1 nF).

Partially Failed Capacitors - Typically the DMM will show a capacitance reading that is less than the capacitors nominal value as shown in Table-1.

It should be noted that internally fused capacitors are composed of many parallel and series groups of smaller capacitors called "sections" or "rolls". Each roll is protected by a fuse element that opens upon roll failure (See Figure 1). Capacitor manufactures generally recommend capacitors be removed after the second roll failure. Detection of this failure can be difficult for the following reasons:

• The total capacitance loss for a single roll failure can be as little as 1.5%. A double roll failure can result in a 3% loss of capacitance.
• Capacitance over the capacitor operating temperature range can vary on the order of +/-2% (See Figure 2).
• DMM accuracy for capacitance readings is in the 1% to 2% range.
• Manufacturer tolerance is typically 1% to 2%, but can be higher.
  
  

Figure 2 - Capacitance Vs. Temperature for
Film-Foil Capacitors

Due to the above, accurate capacitance records are required to detect imminent capacitor failure when using internally fused capacitors.

Northeast Power Systems, Inc.
66 Carey Road
Queensbury, New York 12804
Phone: 518-792-4776
Fax: 518-792-5767