⚡ Common tests of high-voltage switchgear — PN-EN 62271-1

Electronics PN-EN 62271-1

Overview

SCOPE FROM THE PKN CATALOGUE CARD, QUOTED VERBATIM (our translation): "This part of IEC 62271 applies to alternating current switchgear and controlgear designed for indoor and outdoor installation and for operation at service frequencies up to and including 60 Hz on systems having voltages above 1 000 V. This standard applies to all high-voltage switchgear and controlgear except as otherwise specified in the relevant IEC standards for the particular type of switchgear and controlgear."

THIS IS AN UMBRELLA STANDARD, NOT A PRODUCT STANDARD — AND THAT IS WHY IT APPEARS IN SO MANY SCOPES. The 62271 family has several dozen parts: circuit-breakers, disconnectors, switches, metal-enclosed switchgear, gas-insulated switchgear. Part 1 brings together what is common to them: definitions of rated quantities, service conditions, design requirements and — most important for the laboratory — the types of tests and the rules for carrying them out. A laboratory testing any device of this family reaches for two documents at once: part 1 and the part appropriate to the type of device.

THE PHRASE "EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED" IS THE KEY TO CORRECT APPLICATION. The provisions of part 1 give way to the provisions of the specific standards. A practical rule follows: a contradiction between part 1 and a product part is not resolved in favour of the newer document or the one more detailed in wording, but always in favour of the part appropriate to the given type of switchgear. A report that cites only part 1 does not yet indicate against which requirements the device was assessed.

TWO LIMITS OF THE SCOPE THAT MUST BE CHECKED BEFORE ACCEPTING AN ORDER. The first is voltage: above 1 000 V. Low-voltage switchgear has its own family of standards and is not assessed by this document. The second is frequency: up to and including 60 Hz. Switchgear intended for higher frequencies falls outside the scope, even if the voltage matches.

INDOOR AND OUTDOOR IN ONE DOCUMENT. The scope covers both installation conditions. The differences between them — environmental stresses, insulation requirements under pollution and humidity — are the subject of provisions in the text of the standard, but the scope itself does not separate them.

THE 2022 AMENDMENT. For the 2018 edition there is an amendment in the PN collection, PN-EN 62271-1:2018-02/A1:2022-06 (English version). A citation of "PN-EN 62271-1:2018-02" without stating whether the amendment has been taken into account is incomplete — this is the same class of ambiguity as citations of standards with the suffix "+A1" in other fields.

CONTINUITY OF THE NUMBER. The 2018 edition replaced PN-EN 62271-1:2009 together with its amendment A1:2011. Citations of the 2009 edition are still found in accreditation scopes — they are out of date.

WHERE "IEC 60694" IN OLDER DOCUMENTATION COMES FROM. The common specifications previously had a different number. PN-EN 60694:2004 "Common specifications for high-voltage switchgear and controlgear standards" was WITHDRAWN on 23-07-2009 and — according to the catalogue card — REPLACED by PN-EN 62271-1:2009. That is why specifications, trade articles and older accreditation scopes cite IEC 60694 where 62271-1 applies today; it is not a different document, only the earlier form of the same one.

HOW THE COMMON SPECIFICATIONS WORK IN PRACTICE — AN EXAMPLE FROM A PRODUCT PART. A trade publication discussing PN-EN 62271-202 (prefabricated substations) shows the mechanism directly: the product part states that the substation is intended for operation under NORMAL SERVICE CONDITIONS according to the common specifications, and for the action of wind on the enclosure it refers to a specific subclause of that document. The product part therefore does not repeat the service conditions or definitions — it takes them from the common part and adds only what is specific to the given product (in this case, among other things, the internal arc test and resistance to mechanical impact). Hence the practical conclusion for the laboratory: the report must cite both documents, because neither of them alone describes the full set of requirements.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We did not have the text of the standard — PKN sells it. WE DO NOT GIVE: the list or description of the individual type tests and routine tests, test voltage values, requirements for rated currents, normal and special service conditions, criteria for assessing results or requirements for test circuits. This information is the content of the standard and of the product parts.

Method principle

The assessment of switchgear consists in checking conformity with the common requirements collected in part 1 and with the requirements of the part appropriate to the given type of device. Part 1 defines rated quantities and types of tests, the product part specifies their scope and criteria for the particular device. The test is carried out under the conditions specified in both documents, and in the event of a discrepancy the product part prevails. We do not give the details of the tests — we did not have the text of the standard.

Applications

• Type tests of high-voltage circuit-breakers, disconnectors and switches
• Tests of metal-enclosed switchgear and gas-insulated switchgear
• Routine tests and acceptance tests of alternating current switchgear
• Conformity assessment of switchgear intended for indoor and outdoor installation
• Establishing common test conditions in work on the product parts of the 62271 family

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-EN 62271-1:2018-02 (wersja angielska; poprawka A1:2022-06)

Title (PL)

Wysokonapięciowa aparatura rozdzielcza i sterownicza — Część 1: Postanowienia wspólne dla aparatury rozdzielczej i sterowniczej prądu przemiennego

Title (EN)

High-voltage switchgear and controlgear — Part 1: Common specifications for alternating current switchgear and controlgear

Step-by-step procedure

1. Checking both limits of the scope

   System voltage above 1 000 V and service frequency up to and including 60 Hz. Low-voltage switchgear and switchgear for higher frequencies are not subject to this standard.

2. Establishing the product part

   Find the standard appropriate to the type of switchgear (circuit-breaker, disconnector, metal-enclosed switchgear and so on). Without it, part 1 is not sufficient for the assessment.

3. Resolving discrepancies

   If the provisions of part 1 and of the product part differ, the product part is applied — this is what the scope of part 1 states.

4. Checking the edition and the amendment

   PN-EN 62271-1:2018-02 with amendment A1:2022-06 applies. Citations of the 2009 edition are out of date; a citation without stating the amendment is ambiguous.

5. Carrying out the tests

   The tests are carried out according to the requirements of both documents. WE DO NOT GIVE THE SCOPE OF TESTS, CONDITIONS OR CRITERIA — they are in the text of the standard and of the parts.

6. Entry in the report

   State both reference documents: part 1 with the amendment and the product part. Citing part 1 alone does not say against which requirements the device was assessed.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• Tests are carried out at voltages above 1 000 V — a full regime for work on live equipment, access interlocks and earthing before entering the test bay apply
• Short-circuit tests involve the release of large amounts of energy — protective screens, exclusion zones and a remote triggering procedure are mandatory
• An electric arc poses burn and light hazards — protective measures against arc effects
• Insulating gases in switchgear: in the event of leakage they can displace oxygen, and decomposition products after a discharge are toxic — ventilation and a gas evacuation (emptying) procedure
• After testing, devices may remain charged — discharge and earthing before touching

Frequently asked questions