The term hipot is usually used as an abbreviation for high potential. It is a term that is used to refer to a certain class of electrical safety testing instruments referred to as a hipot tester. These instruments are used in the verification of the electrical insulation in finished cables, appliances, and other wired assemblies. Such assemblies include electric motors, transformers, and printed circuit boards just to mention a few.
In many cases, after the assembling/manufacturing of an appliance/product some current leakage of some level occurs. The interior of the product contains internal capacitance and voltages that often cause this minimal current leakage. It is normal for all devices to experience this leakage. However, in some scenarios, the current leakage may too high that it should be due to certain reasons.
Excess leakage may be caused by break down of insulation in the product, design flaws or many other causes. Such flaws usually lead to excessive current leaking and may cause electrical shock to anyone that comes in contact with the faulty product. The importance of a hipot test is to verify and ensure that the product is sufficiently insulated so as not to cause shock to the operator.
Dielectric Withstanding Voltage, DWV, is another term used in reference to the hipot test. At the time of the test, a high voltage is applied between the conductors that carry current in the product and its metallic shielding. Upon completion, there will exist a resultant current that makes its way through the insulator material. The term used for this current is leakage current and is tested using a high potential tester.
One major assumption is made in hipot testing. The assumption is that by applying excessive voltage, the insulation of the product should break, and if it does not, then the device should work fine under normal conditions. The appliance is supposed to be resilient against normal voltage, which is often applied in ordinary everyday use of most devices. It is this assumption that gives rise to the name Dielectric Withstanding Voltage.
The test is aimed at stressing the insulator used in the appliance. Apart from stressing the insulator material, however, the test is additionally used to identify workmanship flaws in the product. The most critical monitored workmanship elements are minute spaces existing between the earth ground and current-carrying conductors. In ordinary environment of operation, shock, humidity, contaminants, shock, and dirt may fill these spaces.
When the gaps are closed, current is allowed to flow. Such conditions can be a major electrical hazard that must be corrected at the factory before the product is released into the market. Such defects cannot be detected by any other method besides DWV. Even though other methods may be used to attempt to resolve these problems, but they cannot be as effective as DWV.
Manufacturers use high potential testers to do the verification of electrical insulation. Often, this simple electric device comprises of a switching matrix, current meter, and a source for the high voltage. All the points located on the cable are connected to the high-voltage source and the current meter through the matrix. Including a display and a microcontroller helps to automate the testing process.
In many cases, after the assembling/manufacturing of an appliance/product some current leakage of some level occurs. The interior of the product contains internal capacitance and voltages that often cause this minimal current leakage. It is normal for all devices to experience this leakage. However, in some scenarios, the current leakage may too high that it should be due to certain reasons.
Excess leakage may be caused by break down of insulation in the product, design flaws or many other causes. Such flaws usually lead to excessive current leaking and may cause electrical shock to anyone that comes in contact with the faulty product. The importance of a hipot test is to verify and ensure that the product is sufficiently insulated so as not to cause shock to the operator.
Dielectric Withstanding Voltage, DWV, is another term used in reference to the hipot test. At the time of the test, a high voltage is applied between the conductors that carry current in the product and its metallic shielding. Upon completion, there will exist a resultant current that makes its way through the insulator material. The term used for this current is leakage current and is tested using a high potential tester.
One major assumption is made in hipot testing. The assumption is that by applying excessive voltage, the insulation of the product should break, and if it does not, then the device should work fine under normal conditions. The appliance is supposed to be resilient against normal voltage, which is often applied in ordinary everyday use of most devices. It is this assumption that gives rise to the name Dielectric Withstanding Voltage.
The test is aimed at stressing the insulator used in the appliance. Apart from stressing the insulator material, however, the test is additionally used to identify workmanship flaws in the product. The most critical monitored workmanship elements are minute spaces existing between the earth ground and current-carrying conductors. In ordinary environment of operation, shock, humidity, contaminants, shock, and dirt may fill these spaces.
When the gaps are closed, current is allowed to flow. Such conditions can be a major electrical hazard that must be corrected at the factory before the product is released into the market. Such defects cannot be detected by any other method besides DWV. Even though other methods may be used to attempt to resolve these problems, but they cannot be as effective as DWV.
Manufacturers use high potential testers to do the verification of electrical insulation. Often, this simple electric device comprises of a switching matrix, current meter, and a source for the high voltage. All the points located on the cable are connected to the high-voltage source and the current meter through the matrix. Including a display and a microcontroller helps to automate the testing process.
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