Motor Insulation Testing Procedure | Fluke
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Eliminate chicken scratch and start using your motor test data

Insulation testers
Image courtesy Cape Fear Solar Systems

If motors and power cables could talk, what would they say? They could tell you when they need service, or remind you to check up on them from time to time. But of course, motors can’t talk. That’s why Fluke developed Fluke Connect®--an app for your phone or tablet that connects wirelessly to Fluke’s insulation resistance testers. With highly accessible data you can learn the status of the motor and share data with colleagues or experts in other locations.

For insulation resistance testing of motor windings, baselining and data collection is an important step in preventive maintenance. Over time, motor windings will wear down. The wear leads to current leakage, and that leads to the potential for early motor failure. Data analysis allows you to identify wear trends over time and under different scenarios. What we learn from this data helps inform our service schedule to avoid unplanned downtime.

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Data collection made easy

What good is data if you can’t read it? Anyone who has ever had to read someone else’s illegible hand-written chicken scratch knows the frustration. Is that a two or an eight? Is that an I or an L?

Fluke Connect eliminates hand-written notes and maintains data in a cloud for easy access. Other benefits include:

  1. Simple, easy setup and operation through remote control of the insulation tester
  2. Visual graphing of results through real-time trending
  3. Easy creation of test result documentation through drag and drop report creation

Remote configuration and operation

Fluke Connect helps you configure testing. Using a smartphone connected wirelessly to your Fluke insulation resistance tester, the app leads you through setup for any number of tests. You can quickly and accurately set parameters such as:

  • Test voltage
  • Ramp test selection
  • Time limit (duration) for the test
  • Measure polarization index (PI)
  • Measure dielectric absorption ratio (DAR or DAR[CN])
  • Once the tester is configured, you can start and stop the test remotely, a safe distance away from any operating, energized equipment.

Remote control of your insulation tester allows you to use your smartphone to set up a ramp test ending at 2500 V. These parameters can be entered from a safe distance away from the unit under test and any other potentially hazardous equipment.

Real time trending

Interpreting real time test values as they continuously change is nearly impossible. That’s why Fluke Connect also displays a trendline, which makes real time data interpretation easy. On your smart phone or tablet, Fluke Connect also gives you visual warnings, such as when potentially hazardous voltages present on the test terminals.

The ramp test shown can be difficult to interpret just looking at the display on the tester. Using Fluke Connect, you can easily see:

  1. A ramp test has been chosen during setup.
  2. The test has run for 54 seconds so far.
  3. The instantaneous resistance measurement is 283 GΩ .
  4. The test voltage at this point in time is 2111 V dc (The voltage displayed may have some lag compared to the test instrument due to Bluetooth data transmission speeds).
  5. The instantaneous current measurement is approximately 7.46 nA dc.
  6. The test voltage has been ramping upwards. During that time, the measured resistance has been increasing.

If the resistance drops off, this would suggest poor insulation health or moisture content. With a sudden drop in resistance the 155x will cut the voltage and display the ramped voltage and resistance.

Drag and drop report creation

Insulation testing is data intensive with several parameters, including electrical measurements and environmental conditions, collected. Fluke Connect makes the job of data collection and analysis less difficult with drag and drop report creation. This saves time and makes test results easier for everyone to understand.

Data from your insulation tests are transferred either by the built-in capabilities of the meter, such as the Fluke 1587 FC Insulation Multimeter, or on the Fluke 1550 C Digital Insulation Tester by using the ir3000 FC Connector to the Fluke Connect app on your smartphone, tablet or PC*, where tests can be compared to previous results and stored for future reference. No more hand-written data transfers, transcription errors or illegible notes.

This single display on your smartphone or tablet gives you more information, in less time, than was previously available with just the instrument display.

The report creation function within Fluke Connect allows simple, fast creation of documentation for all your test results.

Report data can include the setup data you entered as part of the remote configuration, plus details such as location, technician’s name, serial number and other nameplate data for the unit under test. Ambient test conditions can be included (ambient temperature, temperature compensation. Dew point, humidity, environmental conditions, cable type).

The full data table of test results can be included with a simple drag and drop. In addition, a summary graphic of the test results can be included without separate calculations or chart preparation.

Conclusion

Motors can’t talk, but your Fluke insulation resistance tester equipped with Fluke Connect® is the next best thing. The value of real time trending and data analysis cannot be understated when so much is on the line.

*You can download and update data directly to your PC via the IR189USB adapter

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