स यमेव जयते

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF POWER
CENTRAL ELECTRICITY AUTHORITY

MAY 2020
GUIDELINES FOR THE VALIDITY PERIOD OF
TYPE TEST(S) CONDUCTED ON MAJOR
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT IN POWER
TRANSMISSION

BY

POWER SYSTEM ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

CENTRAL ELECTRICITY AUTHORITY

भारत सरकार
Government of India
के
ीय िवत
ु ािधकरण
Central Electricity Authority
िवुत मंालय
Ministry of Power
नई िदली
New Delhi

MAY 2020
 C Central Electricity Authority

1. Back ground:

Prior to commercialization, any equipment passes through product

development stage, which requires various testing to achieve
desired functionalities of the equipment. Once, the equipment
design is finalized, it is subjected to type tests before going for
commercial production. Type tests are generally performed on any
equipment conforming to relevant National/ International
standards to validate the design and to demonstrate its functional
requirement meeting the intended application and reliable
performance during its service life. These tests are also called
‘Proof Tests’ or ‘Design Validation Tests’. Such tests are not
required to be performed on each unit of the equipment but are
performed on representative design of the equipment. Moreover,
successfully type tested equipment does not guarantee that there
will be no failure of the equipment as the equipment is likely to
encounter various types of electrical, mechanical, thermal and
environmental stresses during its service life which may not match
exactly with the conditions simulated during testing.

[Note: The word “equipment” used in the document refers to all items listed in
the Table covered under 2(h)]

National/ International standards does not specify any period for

validity of type test results. Ideally, repetition of type tests on the
equipment is not desirable so long as there is no change in basic
design/ technology, mechanical construction including physical
dimensions (e.g. unit spacing, total height, shed diameter, arcing
distance, shed profile, and creepage distance etc. of an insulator),
material, functionality of the equipment, performance

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characteristic and manufacturing process. The change in design

includes change in voltage stress, thermal stress, mechanical
stress, current density, flux density, degree of protection etc. The
change in materials includes enclosure material (magnetic, non-
magnetic etc.), transformer core material (grades of CRGO,
Amorphous, mu metal), insulating material (solid, liquid, gaseous),
electronic parts (processor, memory, principal/ main relays etc.)
etc. If relevant standard (IS/IEC) of the equipment is
revised/amended, fresh type test is warranted even if equipment
has not changed in design/ material etc. provided there is change
in test procedure/ method/ criteria or test levels in the revised
standard. However, many of the equipment involves manual
intervention during manufacturing process and comprises of a
number of bought out items. The quality of workmanship and the
quality of components/ materials used in manufacturing of the
equipment may change/ deteriorate over the years affecting overall
quality, reliability and performance during service life of the
equipment. Therefore, some utilities insists for repetition of type
tests after a reasonable period of time to ensure that equipment
quality, performance and reliability of the equipment is being
maintained. The frequency of repetition of type tests by Indian
utilities, even if the equipment has remained essentially the same
(in terms of basic design, construction, material and
manufacturing process etc.) has become a matter of concern as it
varies from utility to utility. Few utilities even do not accept type
tests conducted on equipment of same rating /specifications and
demand for repetition of type test(s). Sometimes testing time
exceeds the entire production time e.g. over voltage cycling test for
capacitors etc.. Facilities for some of the type tests for some
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equipment are not available in India for which these equipment are
being sent abroad for testing.

In view of the increasing grievances of the manufacturers regarding

type test requirements mandated by the utilities in their
specifications and requests from many utilities , Central Electricity
Authority (CEA) had organized a meeting with all major
stakeholders on 10.09.2018 to deliberate and standardize the
duration of validity of type tests conducted on transmission system
equipment. All manufacturers and utilities had emphasized the
need of uniform guidelines in this regard across the utilities in the
country as this is unnecessarily leading to wastage of national
resources, time & money and increasing burden on manufacturer
and cost to the end consumers. Therefore, there is need to address
such issues and develop uniform practice /guidelines relating to
period of validity of type test reports of major electrical equipment
in Power transmission system for the benefits of end users, utilities
and manufacturers in the country considering the cost/
complexity associated with frequent type testing of the equipment.

2. Broad Guidelines

a) Type tests on indigenous equipment, for which testing facility

is available in India, should have been conducted in any
independent laboratories approved by Government or
accredited by National Accreditation Body of the Country, like
Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), Electrical Research
and Development Association (ERDA) etc.

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b) Type tests on indigenous equipment, for which testing facility

is not available in India, should have been conducted in a
laboratory of foreign Country accredited by National
Accreditation Body of that Country.

c) Type tests on imported equipment should have been

conducted in an Indian laboratory or foreign laboratory
accredited by National Accreditation Body of respective
Country.

d) The type tests conducted in-house by manufacturers shall also

be acceptable provided the lab is accredited by National
Accreditation Body of the Country and the tests have been
witnessed by a representative of NABL accredited laboratory/
Power Utility.

e) The result of all type tests shall be recorded properly in Type

Test Reports (TTRs) containing sufficient information like the
ratings, the relevant drawings, model number, test circuit,
calculations (if any), photos and compliance to the relevant
standards (IS/IEC) etc. The relevant clauses of the standards
(IS/IEC) according to which type tests have been conducted
and acceptance criteria/values need to be brought out clearly
in the report.

f) All the testing equipment used for type testing should have
been duly calibrated and the valid calibration reports should
form part of the Type test reports.

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g) The equipment shall be supplied from the same manufacturing

works, where from the sample unit was manufactured and
successfully type tested as per relevant standard (IS/IEC).

h) Validity period of type tests conducted on the equipment i.e.

the period for which Type Test Reports (TTRs) shall remain
valid and acceptable to user/ utility provided no major change
has been introduced in the basic design/ technology/
material/ mechanical construction/ functionalities of the
equipment/ performance characteristic/ manufacturing
process of the equipment, shall be as follows:

Sl. No. Name of Equipment Periodicity (in

years)
i. Power Transformer 5

ii. Distribution Transformers 5

(33 kV and below)

iii. Shunt Reactor 5

iv. OLTC 10

v. Power transformer Bushing / 7

Reactor Bushing
vi. Transformer/reactor fittings 10
and Accessories

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vii. Circuit Breaker 10

viii. Isolator 10

ix. Lightening Arrester 10

x. Wave Trap 10

xi. Instrument Transformers 7

xii. LV and MV Switchgear 10

xiii. GIS & Hybrid Switchgear 10

xiv. Cables and associated joints 10

xv. Capacitor 10

xvi. Relays 7

xvii. Energy Meter (including smart 5

meters and ABT meters)
xviii. Battery and Battery Charger 7

xix. Conductors and earth wire 10

xx. High Temperature (HT) / High 7

Temperature Low Sag
Conductor (HTLS) conductor
xxi. Insulators (Porcelain/ Glass) 10

xxii. Composite Insulator 5

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xxiii. PLCC/ FO cable / OPGW 5

xxiv. Transmission Line insulator 7

hardware fittings, and
accessories for conductor &
ground wire

Note 1: The type tests reports shall be valid as on the last date
of submission of bid.

Note 2: The period of validity of Short Circuit test (a special

test) conducted on transformer shall be as per CEA (Technical
Standards for Construction of Electrical Plants and Electric
Lines) Regulations.

Note 3: Type test reports of 220kV voltage class equipment

shall be valid for 230kV voltage class equipment as the highest
system voltage is same in both cases provided Basic Insulation
Level is same.

i) The type tests of the equipment shall be repeated during its

validity period, if there is change in technology or basic design
or generic materials employed or manufacturing process or
combination of any of above. However, minor changes, which
have no effect on functionality & reliability of the equipment,
may not require repetition of type tests. Minor changes do not
include change in electrical stress, thermal stress, mechanical
stress, change in construction, change in dielectric material,
impregnating oil, thickness of electrode & internal fuse design

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in a capacitor, enclosure materials (magnetic, non-magnetic

like stainless steel, Aluminum) etc.

j) If relevant standard (IS/IEC) of the equipment is revised or

amended, fresh type test is warranted even if equipment has
not changed in design/ material etc. However fresh type
testing will be limited to only those tests for which test
procedure/ method, any technical requirement or test levels
have been changed in the revised standards. In such cases,
enough time should be given to manufacturer to comply with
revised provision in standards.

k) The utilities should co-relate the need of repeating type test(s)

to changes in design/technology and may emphasize/ insist
for stage inspection to check workmanship, manufacturing
process and to ensure quality of the component/ material used
in the manufacturing of the equipment.

l) The change in the make of component(s) of the equipment shall

not be the criteria for repetition of type tests provided that the
component of new make has been successfully type tested and
its use shall not affect the, functionality, performance &
reliability of the equipment. The type test reports of the
component of new make shall be submitted.

m) Utilities, if so desires, may repeat the type tests, at their own

cost even if valid TTRs have already been provided by the
bidder/manufacturer. However, the utilities should refrain
from making it a regular practice. The utility must clearly

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specify which type tests would be repeated in the event of

award of the contract and quotation for such tests should be
invited separately in the price bid. In such case utility shall
provide extra time for repetition of such type tests.

n) The philosophy of extending type test results of the equipment

is based on two primary factors: similar design and design with
higher stresses (electrical, mechanical, thermal, and
environmental). Validity of type test report of a equipment can
be extended to the same equipment of similar design and/or
lower design stress provided relevant standard (IS/IEC)
permits.

o) It is practically impossible to subject all possible arrangements

of the GIS (for a particular switching scheme corresponding to
a specified voltage level) to type tests as various arrangements
are possible using same combination of equipment depending
on layout arrangement and space availability. The
performance of any particular arrangement shall be
substantiated from type test results obtained on representative
assemblies or sub-assemblies. The user shall check to ensure
that tested sub-assemblies can be a representative form of the
user’s arrangement and meet his desired requirement/
objective.

p) For capacitors, the successful completion of each type test is

also valid for units having the same rated voltage and lower
output (KVAR), provided that they do not differ in any way (i.e.

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design, construction, material, and production process etc.)

that may influence the properties to be checked by the test.

q) Repetition of short circuit test on transformer is not required

due to change in make and type of bushings and/or make of
OLTC provided bushings and OLTC of supplied make have
same or better rating and have been successfully type tested
as per relevant IS/ IEC.

r) The utility shall not reject the transformer for supply against
the contract, if the Short Circuit (SC) tests was conducted on
the subject transformer as per relevant standard (IS/IEC) and
it has successfully passed the SC tests and other type tests as
per relevant standards.

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