IEC 60252-2:2010/AMD1:2013

Amendment 1 - AC motor capacitors - Part 2: Motor start capacitors

This is an informative document covering the broadest aspects of automatic monitor systems as they apply to traction battery applications. The subject of the guide covers those monitor characteristics and features which need to be controlled, though not necessarily currently available. In addition it accommodates those characteristics which are measurable and provides interpretations of accuracy and reliability of the information generated.[
]This publication has the status of a Technical Report - type 3.

Amendement 1 - Condensateurs des moteurs à courant alternatif - Partie 2: Condensateurs de démarrage de moteurs

C'est un document information donnant une vue la plus large possible des systèmes de contrôle automatiques, dans leurs applications aux batteries de traction. Ce guide couvre les caractéristiques et paritcularités qu'il serait souhaitable de contrôler, même si ces caractéristiques ne sont pas forcément disponibles aujourd'hui. En supplément, ce guide donne les caractéristiques qui sont mesurables et fournit des interprétations sur la précision et la fiabilité des informations recueillies.[
]Cette publication a le statut d'un rapport technique de type 3.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 28-Aug-2013
• ICS: 29.220.20 - Acid secondary cells and batteries
• ICS: 31.060.30 - Paper and plastics capacitors
• ICS: 31.060.70 - Power capacitors
• Technical Committee: TC 33 - Power capacitors and their applications
• Drafting Committee: WG 3 - TC 33/WG 3
• Current Stage: PPUB - Publication issued
• Start Date: 15-Sep-2013
• Completion Date: 29-Aug-2013

Relations

• Amends: IEC 60252-2:2010 - AC motor capacitors - Part 2: Motor start capacitors
• Effective Date: 05-Sep-2023

Overview

IEC 60252-2:2010/AMD1:2013 is an important amendment to the international standard defining the requirements and test methods for AC motor start capacitors. Issued by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), this amendment clarifies safety classifications, introduces refined destruction test procedures, and updates normative references for motor start capacitors used in AC motors.

This standard serves as a technical guide for manufacturers, testing laboratories, and engineers to ensure the quality, safety, and reliability of AC motor start capacitors, which play a critical role in initiating motor operations.

Key Topics

1. Safety Protection Classes

The amendment distinctly defines four classes of safety protection (S0, S1, S2, S3) applicable to motor start capacitors, replacing previous codes. These classes designate the capacitor’s behavior in failure scenarios and protection levels against fire or shock hazards:

• S0: No specific failure protection.
• S1: May fail open- or short-circuit but protected against fire/shock hazards.
• S2: Designed to fail open-circuit only, with fire/shock protection.
• S3: Segmented film construction with fail-safe design and low residual capacitance.

2. Destruction Tests

The amendment details stringent destruction test procedures, which capacitor samples must pass to verify safety class compliance:

• Sequential DC and AC tests for S1 and S2 types simulate electrical stress and failure modes.
• Simultaneous DC and AC tests apply to the segmented film S3 capacitors to ensure low residual capacitance failure without hazardous effects.

Test apparatus specifications include high-current and high-voltage capabilities to simulate real-world fault conditions. The testing protocol requires multiple sample specimens and preconditioning to guarantee consistent quality.

3. Marking and Measurement Updates

Clear marking requirements now include the class of safety protection, ensuring end-users and technicians can easily identify capacitor safety features. Furthermore, references for capacitance and power factor measurement methods have been updated for improved accuracy.

4. Normative Reference Updates

The amendment replaces previous references to standard documents IEC 60529 and ISO 4046 with their latest editions. This maintains alignment with up-to-date terminology and testing codes, such as the IP Code for enclosure protection degrees.

Applications

IEC 60252-2:2010/AMD1:2013 is crucial for a broad range of applications involving AC motor start capacitors, including:

• Industrial motors: For motor start capacitors that enable the starting torque of single-phase induction motors in manufacturing and processing plants.
• HVAC systems: Ensuring capacitor reliability and safety in air conditioning and ventilation motors.
• Household appliances: Supporting motor start functionality in washing machines, refrigerators, and other domestic equipment.
• Electric traction systems: Where motor start capacitors contribute to the safe and efficient operation of traction motors.
• Testing and certification labs: Providing standardized methods to verify capacitor safety and performance before market release.

By following this standard, manufacturers and users achieve enhanced operational safety, reduced risk of capacitor failure, and compliance with international electrical safety regulations.

Related Standards

To better understand and implement the IEC 60252-2 amendment, the following related standards are valuable:

• IEC 60252-1: Covers general specifications for AC motor capacitors.
• IEC 60529: Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code), critical for understanding environmental protection for capacitors.
• ISO 4046: Vocabulary related to paper, board, and pulps, relevant for testing materials used in capacitor construction.
• IEC 61071: Power capacitors for power electronics, useful for complementary capacitor applications.
• IEC 60384 series: General standards for fixed capacitors for use in electronic equipment.

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Keywords: IEC 60252-2 amendment, AC motor start capacitors, capacitor safety classes, motor capacitor destruction test, IEC capacitor standards, motor start capacitor applications, power capacitor testing, international capacitor safety.

Standards Content (Sample)

IEC 60252-2 ®
Edition 2.0 2013-08
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
colour
inside
AMENDMENT 1
AMENDEMENT 1
AC motor capacitors –
Part 2: Motor start capacitors

Condensateurs des moteurs à courant alternatif –
Partie 2: Condensateurs de démarrage de moteurs

IEC 60252-2:2010/A1:2013
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IEC 60252-2 ®
Edition 2.0 2013-08
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
colour
inside
AMENDMENT 1
AMENDEMENT 1
AC motor capacitors –
Part 2: Motor start capacitors

Condensateurs des moteurs à courant alternatif –

Partie 2: Condensateurs de démarrage de moteurs

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
PRICE CODE
INTERNATIONALE
CODE PRIX J
ICS 31.060.30; 31.060.70 ISBN 978-2-8322-1057-4

– 2 – 60252-2 Amend.1 © IEC:2013
FOREWORD
This amendment has been prepared by subcommittee 33: Power capacitors and their
applications.
The text of this amendment is based on the following documents:
FDIS Report on voting
33/533/FDIS 33/539/RVD
Full information on the voting for the approval of this amendment can be found in the report
on voting indicated in the above table.
The committee has decided that the contents of this amendment and the base publication will
remain unchanged until the stability date indicated on the IEC web site under
"http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data related to the specific publication. At this date, the
publication will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
IMPORTANT – The 'colour inside' logo on the cover page of this publication indicates
that it contains colours which are considered to be useful for the correct
understanding of its contents. Users should therefore print this document using a
colour printer.
_____________
2 Normative references
Replace the reference to IEC 60529 by the following:
IEC 60529:2001, Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code)
Replace the reference to ISO 4046 by the following:
ISO 4046:2002, Paper, board, pulps and related terms – Vocabulary
3 Terms and definitions
3.29
class of safety protection
Replace definition 3.29 by the following:

60252-2 Amend.1 © IEC:2013 – 3 –
3.29
class of safety protection
degree of safety protection identified by one of four codes to be marked on the capacitor
Note 1 to entry: This definition does not apply to electrolytic capacitors.
3.29.1
(SO) class of safety protection
degree of safety protection indicating that the capacitor type has no specific failure protection
Note 1 to entry: Formerly referred to as P0.
3.29.2
(S1) class of safety protection
degree of safety protection indicating that the capacitor type may fail in the open-circuit or
short-circuit mode and is protected against fire or shock hazard
Note 1 to entry: Compliance is verified by the test described in 5.1.16.3 and 5.1.16.5.
Note 2 to entry: Formerly referred to as P1.
3.29.3
(S2) class of safety protection
degree of safety protection indicating that the capacitor type has been designed to fail in the
open-circuit mode only and is protected against fire or shock hazard.
Note 1 to entry: Compliance is verified by the test described in 5.1.16.3 and 5.1.16.5.
Note 2 to entry: Formerly referred to as P2.
3.29.4
(S3) class of safety protection
degree of safety protection indicating that the capacitor is of segmented film construction as
defined in 3.6
Note 1 to entry: This capacitor type is required to fail with low residual capacitance (<1 % C ) and has protection
N
against fire and shock hazard. Compliance is verified by the test described in 5.1.16.4 and 5.1.16.6.

5.1.16 Destruction test
Replace Subclause 5.1.16 by the following:
5.1.16 Destruction test
5.1.16.1 General
This test is optional.
Refer to revised definition 3.29 for the appropriate test for each class of safety protection.
Capacitors marked S0 are not required to be tested in accordance with this subclause.
Capacitors fitted with overpressure disconnect device designated S1 and S2 shall be
subjected to the sequential DC and AC test described in 5.1.16.3 and 5.1.16.5.
Capacitors with segmented film as defined in 3.6 and designated S3 class of safety protection
shall be subjected to the simultaneous DC and AC test described in 5.1.16.4 and 5.1.16.6.

– 4 – 60252-2 Amend.1 © IEC:2013
For capacitors designated S1, S2 and S3 refer to the chart shown in Figure 1:
5.1.16 Destruction test
Class of safety
5.1.16.2 Test specimen Class of safety
protection
protection S3
S1 and S2
5.1.16.3 + 5.1.16.5 5.1.16.4 + 5.1.16.6
sequential destruction simultaneous destruction
test test
5.1.16.7 Evaluation
IEC  2201/13
Figure 1 – Destruction test
5.1.16.2 Test specimens
The test is to be carried out on 10 samples, with a similar specimen of 10 samples held in
reserve for possible retest. Half the test specimens (5) shall have passed the test according to
5.1.4.1. The remaining five capacitors shall have passed the endurance test described in
5.1.13 (group 2).
For capacitors with a metal case, the metal case shall be connected to one of the terminals of
the voltage source.
If a distinction can be made between the capacitor terminals, the group shall be subdivided
into two subgroups. The first subgroup shall have terminal A connected to the case, the
second subgroup shall have terminal B connected to the case.
5.1.16.3 Test apparatus for sequential DC and AC test (capacitor type S1 and S2)
5.1.16.3.1 Test apparatus for d.c. conditioning
Apparatus for carrying out the d.c. conditioning is shown in Figure 2. The d.c. source shall be
capable of delivering an open-circuit voltage equivalent to 10 U and have a sustained short
N
circuit capability greater than 50 mA.

60252-2 Amend.1 © IEC:2013 – 5 –
R
mA
DC
V
C
source
IEC  2157/10
Figure 2 – Test apparatus for d.c. conditioning
The d.c. source is adjusted to provide an open-circuit voltage equivalent to 10 U with the
N
switch in position 1.
A variable resistor R is adjusted to provide a current of 50 mA with the switch in position 2.
DC voltage is applied to the test capacitor with the switch in position 3.
5.1.16.3.2 Test apparatus for a.c. destruction test
a) The instantaneous short-circuit current of the a.c. supply shall be at least 300 A.
b) A 25 A slow-blow fuse and adjustable inductance (L) shall be inserted between the a.c.
source and the capacitor (see Figure 3).
Fuse 2
L
A
V2
V1
IEC  2158/10
Figure 3 – Test apparatus for a.c. destruction test
The inductor shall be so adjusted that, with the switch in position 1 and a voltage of 1,3 U
N
applied across the voltmeter V1, a current equal to 1,3 times the capacitor rated current (I )
N
flows.
The capacitor is energized with the switch in position 2.
NOTE The variable inductor L in Figure 3 may be replaced by the arrangement shown in Figure 4 whereby T2 is a
fixed ratio transformer and L is a fixed inductor. A variable ratio transformer T1 is used to adjust the inductive
f
current.
T2
L
T1
L
f
IEC  2159/10
Figure 4 – Arrangement to produce the variable inductor L in Figure 3
5.1.16.4 Test apparatus for simultaneous DC and AC test (capacitor type S3)

Apparatus for carrying out the simultaneous DC and AC test is shown in Figure 5. The d.c.
source (U ) shall be capable of delivering an open-circuit voltage equivalent to 10 U and
dc N
– 6 – 60252-2 Amend.1 © IEC:2013
shall have a sustained short-circuit capability greater than 50 mA but limited to 50 mA during
the test.
C D
F 100 kΩ/5 kV
L
Tr 1
I
U U
AC DC
V0 V2 C V3
x
AC DC
R
IEC  2200/13
Tr Transformer (AC power supply) with sufficient capacity to supply an instantaneous short-circuit
current of at least 300 A
F Slow-blow fuse, rated 25 A
L Inductor of approximately 10 mH for grid decoupling (resonant free in all switching modes)
C  Capacitor for DC decoupling: C ≥ 10 × C (e.g. C = 330 µF -->C = 33 µF)/U = 5 kV
x xmax cmax
C Capacitor under test
x
D High voltage diode for AC decoupling
I  AC current: 1,3 × I at the beginning of the test when the capacitor is full operative (I = Rated
1 R R
current of the capacitor under test)
V2 AC test voltage: 1,3 × U (U = Rated voltage of the capacitor under test)
R R
V3 DC test voltage: Voltage increase from 0 V to max. 10 × U at a rate of 200 V/min (U = Rated
R R
voltage of the capacitor under test)
R Resistor for capacitor discharging at the end of the test
Figure 5 – Test apparatus for simultaneous DC and AC
5.1.16.5 Test procedure for sequential DC and AC test (capacitor type S1 and S2)
5.1.16.5.1 General
The test shall be conducted in four stages:
• 5.1.16.5.2 Preparation and pre-conditioning,
• 5.1.16.5.3 DC conditioning,
• 5.1.16.5.4 AC destruction test,
• 5.1.16.7 Evaluation of the failure.
NOTE The purpose of the d.c. conditioning is to produce a dielectric breakdown condition. It is not the intention
that d.c. conditioning is used to create open-circuit capacitors.
5.1.16.5.2 Preparation and pre-conditioning
All the test specimens shall be prepared and pre-conditioned as follows:
The capacitors shall be wrapped closely in tissue paper complying with 6.86 of
ISO 4046:2002 and mounted within an "air circulating" test chamber at t + 10 °C. The
c
temperature deviation shall not exceed ±2 °C. In preparation for the destruction test, the
specimens shall have rated voltage (U ) applied for 2 h at t + 10 °C.
N c
No open-circuit or short-circuit capacitors are permitted. If this occurs, the type shall be
declared a failure.
60252-2 Amend.1 © IEC:2013 – 7 –
5.1.16.5.3 DC conditioning
Five capacitors that have passed the endurance test (group 2) shall be pre-heated to a
temperature of t + 10 °C before d.c. conditioning. The remaining five capacitors, having
c
passed the test in 5.1.4.1 shall be tested at room temperature.
The voltage of a d.c. source (see Figure 2) shall be raised from zero to a maximum of 10 U
N
at a rate of approximately 200 V/min until a short-circuit occurs or 10 U has been reached.
N
Capacitors shall be removed from d.c. conditioning when the voltage indicated on the
voltmeter is zero or 10 U has been reached and maintained for a period of 5 min or other
N
period as defined by the manufacturer.
A capacitor that becomes open-circuit after the d.c. conditioning shall be replaced by another
sample and not counted. The d.c. conditioning test may be repeated on new samples until all
the 10 reserve specimens referred to in 5.1.16.2 have been used up. If the required number of
capacitors with dielectric breakdown cannot be achieved, then the test shall be regarded as
failed.
5.1.16.5.4 AC destruction test
With the capacitors maintained at the d.c. conditioning temperature, they shall then have
(see Figure 3) . If the capacitor clears (becomes operative)
applied an a.c. voltage of 1,3 U
N
or becomes open-circuit, the voltage shall be maintained for 5 min. If the capacitor is still
operative after 5 min then the d.c. conditioning shall be repeated.
If the capacitor becomes short-circuit then the test shall be maintained for 8 h.
5.1.16.6 Test procedure for simultaneous DC and AC test (capacitor type S3)
5.1.16.6.1 Preparation and pre-conditioning
Same as 5.1.16.5.2.
5.1.16.6.2 Simultaneous DC and AC test
Five capacitors that have passed the endurance test (group 2) shall be pre-heated to a
temperature of t + 10 °C before testing. The remaining five capacitors, having passed the test
c
in 5.1.4.1 shall be tested at room temperature.
Apply a constant a.c. voltage of 1,3 U at U (V ) and measure the initial current (I ).
N ac1 2 1
The voltage of a d.c. source U (V ) shall be raised from zero to a maximum of 10 U at a
dc1 3 N
rate of approximately 200 V/min until the capacitor becomes inoperative or 10 U has been
N
reached.
The capacitor shall be considered as failed if it does not become inoperative (capacitance
<1 % C ) within 5 minutes at 10 U .
N N
The d.c. current shall be limited to 50 mA.
NOTE Inoperative means the current is lower than 1 % of the initial current measured at the same a.c. voltage
and frequency as the initial measurement.
5.1.16.7 Evaluation of the failure
After completion of the test, the tissue paper shall not have burnt on any test specimen;
however, it may be discoloured by escaping substances.
...