TAN (DELTA) CABLE TESTING

OVERVIEW AND ANSWERS TO

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What Is Tan , Or Tan Delta?

Tan Delta, also called Loss Angle or Dissipation Factor testing, is a diagnostic method of testing
cables to determine the quality of the cable insulation. This is done to try to predict the
remaining life expectancy and in order to prioritize cable replacement and/or injection. It is also
useful for determining what other tests may be worthwhile.
How Does It Work?
If the insulation of a cable is free from defects, like water trees, electrical trees, moisture and air
pockets, etc., the cable approaches the properties of a perfect capacitor. It is very similar to a
parallel plate capacitor with the conductor and the neutral being the two plates separated by the
insulation material.
In a perfect capacitor, the voltage and current are phase shifted 90 degrees and the current
through the insulation is capacitive. If there are impurities in the insulation, like those mentioned
above, the resistance of the insulation decreases, resulting in an increase in resistive current
through the insulation. It is no longer a perfect capacitor. The current and voltage will no longer
be shifted 90 degrees. It will be something less than 90 degrees. The extent to which the phase
shift is less than 90 degrees is indicative of the level of insulation contamination, hence
quality/reliability. This Loss Angle is measured and analyzed.
Below is a representation of a cable. The tangent of the angle is measured. This will indicate
the level of resistance in the insulation. By measuring IR/IC (opposite over adjacent the
tangent), we can determine the quality of the cable insulation. In a perfect cable, the angle would
be nearly zero. An increasing angle indicates an increase in the resistive current through the
insulation, meaning contamination. The greater the angle, the worse the cable.

R
IC

Cable

Circuit

IC + I R

IR

What Are Water Trees?

Water trees are small tree shaped channels found within the insulation of a cable, caused by the
presence of moisture. They are very prevalent in service aged XLPE and other solid dielectric
cables, like PE and EPR cables. These tree shaped moisture channels, in the presence of an
electrical field, eventually lead to the inception of partial discharge (pd), which eventually leads
to the formation of electrical trees, which grow to a point where insulation failure occurs. The
tan delta test shows the extent of water tree damage in a cable.
What Hardware Is Necessary?
The tan delta unit consists of a high voltage divider and a fiber optically linked measurement
box. The high voltage divider measures the voltage and current input to the cable, sends this
information to the controller, which analyzes the voltage and current waveforms and calculates
the tan delta number. A connected laptop computer displays and stores the results.
A voltage source is needed to energize the cable. What is typically used is a Very Low
Frequency (VLF) AC Hipot. The VLF pictured here is a 40 kV (peak) unit that is capable of
testing from 1.1 uF of cable load at 0.1 Hz, up to 5.5uF at 0.02 Hz. Other models offer an output
frequency of 0.01 Hz, used to test very long cables. VLF hipots are also widely used for testing
newly installed and/or repaired cable before reenergizing to insure the cable is sound and for
testing critical cable runs.

VLF-4022CM, 0 40kVAC

Test set up

VLF Control

Tan Delta unit

V
L
F

Loss Angle
Analyzer
Fiber Optic Cables

HV Tank

How Is The Test Performed?

The cable to be tested must be de-energized and each end isolated. Using a VLF AC Hipot, the
test voltage is applied to the cable while the tan delta controller takes measurements. Typically,
the applied test voltage is raised in steps, with measurements first taken up to 1Uo, or normal
line to ground operating voltage. If the tan delta numbers indicate good cable insulation, the test
voltage is raised up to 1.5 2 Uo. The tan delta numbers at the higher voltages are compared to
those at lower voltages and an analysis is made.
Why Is A VLF Hipot Used Instead Of A Regular 60 Hz Model.
Two reasons. First, to test a cable with 60 Hz power requires a very high power supply. It is not
practical, nearly impossible, to test a cable of several thousand feet with a 60 Hz supply. At a
typical VLF frequency of 0.1Hz, it takes 600 times less power to test the same cable compared to
60 Hz.
Secondly, the magnitude of the tan delta numbers increase as the frequency decreases, making
measurement easier. As the below equation shows, the lower the frequency (f), the higher the
tan delta number.
Tan Delta ( ) = IR/ IC = 1/(2pfCR)
(tan delta is measured in radians)
How Are The Test Results Interpreted And Is It Necessary To Have A Benchmark, Or
Standard, Result For Comparison?
While it is beneficial to have a standard or previous test to compare to for trending purposes, like
with many diagnostic methods of testing, it is not necessary. The very first test on a cable yields
valuable information about the insulation. Also, most tan delta testing is performed on a
comparative basis. More on that in the next section.
If a cables insulation is perfect, the loss factor (tan delta) will change little as the applied voltage
is increased. The capacitance and loss will be similar with 1 kV or 10kV applied to the cable. If
the cable has water tree contamination, thus changing the capacitive/resistive nature of the
insulation, then the tan delta numbers will be higher at higher voltages. Rather than a flat curve
for the loss number versus voltage, the curve will be non linear. See the below graph.
New and Aged 15 kV XLPE Cable (Nov 2000)
0.06

Measurements are voltage

dependent in an old cable.

Aged Cable

Loss Angle (Tan Delta)

0.05

0.04

0.03

0.02
New Cable

Measurements are not voltage

dependent in new cable.

0.01

0
0

2.5

5
VLF Voltage (kV rms)

7.5

10

From this graph, we can see that the aged cable has extensive water tree damage. The Loss
Angle increases with increasing voltage, indicating a high resistive current element to the
insulation. These results can be compared to other cables tested to determine which cables are in
need of immediate replacement and which can wait a bit longer. Also, many tests are measured
on a comparative basis. Many of the same type of cables may be tested, with the results
compared against each other. An average value for the tan delta can be calculated and possibly
used as a future benchmark.
If There Are No Recognized Standards For Tan Delta Test Values, What Good Is The
Test? How Do We Know If A Cable Is Good, Marginal, Or Bad?
Fair question. It is correct to say that there is not an extensive library of test values for all types
of cables and accessories. As mentioned earlier, much of the testing is done on a comparative
basis, as with partial discharge testing, where established pd levels do not exist for all cable
types, accessories, and varying installation methods. There is no reliable consensus on what are
good versus bad pd levels. Splices can exhibit very high levels of partial discharge yet last for
years, while those showing lower pd levels might fail sooner.
One must keep in mind what the purpose of the test is. Whether using partial discharge or tan
delta techniques, the point of the test is to grade all cables tested on a scale from high quality to
low. The point in the testing is to help a utility prioritize cable replacement or injection. Again,
comparative testing will show which cables are worse than others and will, over time, permit the
user to develop their own in-house guidelines, unique to their situation.
In the real world, once a utility tests hundreds of cables and grades them from good to bad,
giving them a starting point for cable replacement, they generally run out of time and money
long before they get to the cables that were marginal. This fact also demonstrates that tan delta
testing is not an exact, precise test. Again, were just trying to figure out which cables are most
worrisome. The tan delta results, along with other knowledge of the cables history, and possibly
other test data like partial discharge, all help to give us some guidance.
Important note regarding partial discharge versus tan delta: Accepting that there are not
established, well proven standards for pd or tan delta testing, and both are best used on a
comparative basis to help prioritize cable replacement, then why not use the method that is easier
and cheaper? Pd testing services charge thousands of dollars per day while a tan delta and the
required VLF AC Hipot may cost $ 35,000 to own. The VLF hipot is useful in its own right as
the best method of AC hipoting cables to expose defects in insulation and splices. With the VLF
and tan delta bridge, you actually have two tools to use for cable testing, both of which can be
operated with minimal training. Thats not the case with a pd system, which requires a highly
trained operator, and is very expensive.
Might The Cable Fail During The Testing?
Since test voltages of up to 2Uo are used, there is a possibility of a cable failing during the few
minutes needed to perform the test. This can usually be avoided if tan delta numbers are
measured at several voltages up to 1Uo and an inspection of the tan delta versus voltage curve is
made. If the curve is flat, continue the test. If the curve shows that as the test voltage is raised,
the loss angle increases sharply, then it is known that the cable has extensive water tree
contamination. By comparing numerous test results, one can determine which cables are good,

marginal, or bad. Remember, the point of the test is to help prioritize cable replacement, so
absolute numbers are less important than test results comparing many cables.
Also, since the test takes only 5 10 minutes, the cable is not voltage stressed for a long enough
period of time for breakdown to occur, unlike a VLF AC hipot test where up to 3 times normal
voltage is applied for at least 30 minutes.
How Long A Cable Can I Test?
That depends on the AC voltage source used. The standard VLF unit from High Voltage, Inc.
can test 3-4 miles of cable: one model can test 30 miles. It is generally advantageous to test
shorter lengths rather than a long cable, because the shorter the section of cable that is tested, the
more precise we can be in determining where the cable is good or bad.
Can The Test Find The Locations Of Cable Defects?
No. Tan delta tests the cable from point A to point B and gives an assessment of the insulation
quality between those points. A determination can then be made if, and when, to replace or
enhance the cable. For any value of tan delta, there could be many minor defects or a few major
defects: it cannot discriminate. When you are tan delta testing, you are only determining how
good a cable is between two points. Again, its not a faultfinding tool. It is a tool to permit a
utility to make educated decisions regarding cable replacement.
This assumes the cable being tested is in conduit and entire lengths will be replaced. In direct
buried situations, a better test is to use the VLF unit as an AC hipot and apply the IEEE
recommended 3 times normal voltage for at least 30 minutes. Any serious defect within the
insulation or accessories may fail: the reason for the stress test. Find the fault, repair it, and
move on.
Isnt This The Same As A Power Factor Test?
Not quite, although it essentially provides the same qualitative assessment as a power factor test.
With power factor, the cosine of the angle between the voltage and current is measured, yielding
the power factor. With tan delta, we are measuring the tangent of the complimentary angle, and
it is measured in radians, not degrees as power factor is done. For slight angles, the tan delta
readings will be the same as power factor. As the angle, hence loss, increases, the tan delta
numbers and the power factor numbers will not be the same.
Are There Any Limitations To Using Tan Delta Testing?
Since we are measuring the loss angle of an insulating material, and making an analysis about
the test results possibly based on historical data, it is not advisable to test a cable length that
contains more than one type of cable. Different cables have different loss characteristics. It is
not a good practice to test a cable length of XLPE insulation spliced to an EPR or PILC cable.
The only way in which this is meaningful is when many tests are done on the same cable length
over time and the results are carefully trended.

Concentric Neutral
Since we are measuring the loss angle between the conductor and the outer shield, the outer
shield must be intact. It is advisable to test the integrity of the concentric neutral before
performing the test. (This is a worthwhile test anyway for several reasons, whether or not a tan
delta test is being performed.) If there are large gaps in the neutral, the tan delta (or partial
discharge) numbers will not be meaningful. There are easy ways to test the neutral integrity and
we can help with that.
How Long Does The Whole Test Take?
The test itself can take less than twenty minutes, depending upon the settings of the instrument
and the number of different test voltage levels used. It is only necessary to capture a few cycles
of the voltage and current waveform to make the analysis. At 0.1 Hz, the period of the sine wave
is 10 seconds, so it takes 20 30 seconds for a reading to be made. At .02 Hz, the period is 50
seconds, requiring perhaps 3 minutes of test time at each voltage setting.
Other Uses Of VLF AC Hipots
VLF hipots should be used by every utility. An AC hipot test is the best way to expose defects
in insulation and accessories. Its fast, easy, and economical.
Test cable/accessories after installation or repair to insure integrity
Test critical cable runs
Test substation cables and getaways
Test rotating machinery
Use the VLF as a voltage source for off-line partial discharge testing

For more information on Very Low Frequency AC Hipot testing, consult the VLF FAQ paper
and other articles, standards, etc. found on the High Voltage, Inc. web site: www.hvinc.com

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