IEC TR 61243-6:2017
(Main)Live working - Voltage detectors - Part 6: Guidelines on non-contact voltage detectors (NCVD) for use at nominal voltages above 1 kV AC
Live working - Voltage detectors - Part 6: Guidelines on non-contact voltage detectors (NCVD) for use at nominal voltages above 1 kV AC
IEC TR 61243-6:2017(E) is applicable to portable non-contact voltage detectors (NCVD) with built-in power source, to be used to indicate the presence or the absence of the operating voltage on electrical systems for nominal voltages above 1 kV AC and frequencies of 16 2/3 Hz, 50 Hz and/or 60 Hz. This document describes only devices, and their behaviour, using electric field and voltage gradient detection principles even if other principles could be used. It provides performance guidelines, recommendations for use and recommended minimum criteria for selection.
General Information
Standards Content (sample)
IEC TR 61243-6
Edition 1.0 2017-03
TECHNICAL
REPORT
colour
inside
Live working – Voltage detectors –
Part 6: Guidelines on non-contact voltage detectors (NCVD) for use at nominal
voltages above 1 kV AC
IEC TR 61243-6:2017-03(en)
---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
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IEC TR 61243-6
Edition 1.0 2017-03
TECHNICAL
REPORT
colour
inside
Live working – Voltage detectors –
Part 6: Guidelines on non-contact voltage detectors (NCVD) for use at nominal
voltages above 1 kV AC
INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
ICS 13.260; 29.240.20; 29.260.99 ISBN 978-2-8322-3903-2
Warning! Make sure that you obtained this publication from an authorized distributor.
® Registered trademark of the International Electrotechnical Commission---------------------- Page: 3 ----------------------
– 2 – IEC TR 61243-6:2017 © IEC 2017
CONTENTS
FOREWORD ........................................................................................................................... 4
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 6
1 Scope .............................................................................................................................. 7
2 Normative references ...................................................................................................... 7
3 Terms and definitions ...................................................................................................... 7
4 The principles of an NCVD ............................................................................................ 11
4.1 NCVD designed to work at a distance without any contact .................................... 11
4.2 NCVD designed to work with reference points ....................................................... 13
4.2.1 General ......................................................................................................... 13
4.2.2 NCVD designed to work with one reference point .......................................... 14
4.2.3 NCVD designed to work with two reference points ......................................... 15
5 Different designs of non-contact voltage detectors ......................................................... 17
6 Limitations and recommendations of use for each type of NCVD ................................... 19
6.1 Principal limitations ............................................................................................... 19
6.2 Recommendations for the selection, calibration and use of NCVD ........................ 19
6.2.1 Selection of the appropriate type of NCVD ..................................................... 19
6.2.2 Calibration of the selected device .................................................................. 20
6.2.3 Use of the selected device ............................................................................. 20
7 Recommended requirements ......................................................................................... 21
7.1 General ................................................................................................................. 21
7.2 Recommended general requirements .................................................................... 21
7.2.1 Safety ............................................................................................................ 21
7.2.2 Indication ....................................................................................................... 21
7.2.3 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) ............................................................. 21
7.3 Recommended functional requirements ................................................................ 22
7.3.1 Clear indication ............................................................................................. 22
7.3.2 Clear perceptibility ......................................................................................... 25
7.3.3 Temperature and humidity dependence of the indication ................................ 26
7.3.4 Frequency dependence ................................................................................. 26
7.3.5 Response time ............................................................................................... 26
7.3.6 Power source dependability ........................................................................... 26
7.3.7 Testing element ............................................................................................. 26
7.3.8 Non response to DC voltage (static electric field) ........................................... 27
7.3.9 Immunity to electrostatic discharges .............................................................. 27
7.3.10 Time rating .................................................................................................... 27
7.4 Electrical requirements ......................................................................................... 27
7.4.1 Insulating material ......................................................................................... 27
7.4.2 Protection against bridging for Type 3 only .................................................... 27
7.4.3 Resistance against sparking .......................................................................... 28
7.4.4 Resistive (impedance) element of Type 5 only ............................................... 28
7.5 Recommendations for mechanical performance .................................................... 28
7.5.1 General ......................................................................................................... 28
7.5.2 Design ........................................................................................................... 28
7.5.3 Dimensions and construction ......................................................................... 28
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7.5.4 Degree of protection provided by enclosure ................................................... 30
7.5.5 Grip force and deflection................................................................................ 30
7.5.6 Vibration drop and shock resistance .............................................................. 31
7.6 Markings ............................................................................................................... 31
7.7 Instructions for use ............................................................................................... 31
Annex A (informative) General considerations about voltage detection ................................ 32
A.1 General ................................................................................................................. 32
A.2 Principles of functioning of voltage detectors ........................................................ 32
A.2.1 Basic analysis................................................................................................ 32
A.2.2 Voltage detection with two contact electrodes (bi-polar detectors) ................. 32
A.2.3 Voltage detection with one contact electrode ................................................. 33
A.2.4 Voltage detection without contact electrode ................................................... 34
Annex B (informative) Instructions for use ............................................................................ 36
Annex C (informative) In-service care .................................................................................. 37
C.1 General ................................................................................................................. 37
C.2 Maintenance ......................................................................................................... 37
Annex D (informative) Suitable for live working; double triangle ........................................... 38
Bibliography .......................................................................................................................... 39
Figure 1 – NCVD working at a distance without any contact .................................................. 12
Figure 2 – Effect of the relative position of the non-contact voltage detector ......................... 13
Figure 3 – NCVD working at a distance with one reference point .......................................... 14
Figure 4 – Non-contact voltage detector with a reference point making contact with the
cable insulation covering an insulated conductor .................................................................. 15
Figure 5 – Non-contact voltage detector working with two reference points making
contact with the cap and pin of an insulator .......................................................................... 16
Figure 6 – Non-contact voltage detector working with two reference points on anunderground cable ................................................................................................................ 16
Figure 7 – Directional properties of NCVD working at distance.............................................. 25
Figure 8 – Examples of designs of NCVDs ............................................................................ 29
Figure A.1 – Bi-polar voltage detection principle ................................................................... 33
Figure A.2 – Capacitive unipolar voltage detection principle .................................................. 34
Table 1 – Types of non-contact voltage detector ................................................................... 18
Table 2 – Limitations for use ................................................................................................. 19
Table 3 – Specific recommendations for use ......................................................................... 20
Table 4 – Examples of values of the radius of the cone of detection as a function of
the directional properties angle ............................................................................................. 24
Table 5 – Climatic categories ................................................................................................ 26
Table 6 – Minimum length of the insulating element or of the insulating stick (L ) .................. 30
Table C.1 – Recommended checking points for in-service care ............................................. 37
---------------------- Page: 5 ----------------------– 4 – IEC TR 61243-6:2017 © IEC 2017
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
LIVE WORKING – VOLTAGE DETECTORS –
Part 6: Guidelines on non-contact voltage detectors (NCVD)
for use at nominal voltages above 1 kV AC
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
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indispensable for the correct application of this publication.9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of
patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
The main task of IEC technical committees is to prepare International Standards. However, a
technical committee may propose the publication of a Technical Report when it has collected
data of a different kind from that which is normally published as an International Standard, for
example "state of the art".IEC TR 61243-6, which is a Technical Report, has been prepared by IEC technical
committee 78: Live working.
The text of this Technical Report is based on the following documents:
Enquiry draft Report on voting
78/1143/DTR 78/1162A/RVDTR
Full information on the voting for the approval of this Technical Report can be found in the
report on voting indicated in the above table.---------------------- Page: 6 ----------------------
IEC TR 61243-6:2017 © IEC 2017 – 5 –
This document has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
Terms defined in Clause 3 are given in italic print throughout this standard.A list of all parts of the IEC 61243 series, published under the general title Live working –
Voltage detectors, can be found on the IEC website.The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data related to
the specific document. At this date, the document will be• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
A bilingual version of this publication may be issued at a later date.
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 correctunderstanding of its contents. Users should therefore print this document using a
colour printer.---------------------- Page: 7 ----------------------
– 6 – IEC TR 61243-6:2017 © IEC 2017
INTRODUCTION
With the aim of ensuring the safety of the users the purpose of a voltage detector is to give a
clear indication of the presence or absence of the operating voltage, without any need for
interpretation or analytical evaluation by the user.IEC 61243-1, IEC 61243-2 and IEC 61243-3 apply to portable voltage detectors designed to
work correctly when they are in direct contact with the bare part of the installation to be
tested.At HV and UHV, large distances between the user and the bare parts to be tested make the
handling of a very long insulating element or insulating stick an ergonomic and safety
concern. In such situations, it may become convenient to avoid any contact with the bare part
to be tested and to perform voltage detection at a distance.This document provides considerations and performance guidelines for portable “non-contact”
voltage detectors and it can be used as a reference for the development of national, industry
or manufacturer's standard(s) or for the selection of a product by users.This document has been prepared taking into consideration the provisions given in
IEC 61477.---------------------- Page: 8 ----------------------
IEC TR 61243-6:2017 © IEC 2017 – 7 –
LIVE WORKING – VOLTAGE DETECTORS –
Part 6: Guidelines on non-contact voltage detectors (NCVD)
for use at nominal voltages above 1 kV AC
1 Scope
This part of IEC 61243, which is a Technical Report, is applicable to portable non-contact
voltage detectors (NCVD) with built-in power source, to be used to indicate the presence or
the absence of the operating voltage on electrical systems for nominal voltages above 1 kV
AC and frequencies of 16 2/3 Hz, 50 Hz and/or 60 Hz.NOTE 16,7 Hz is often referenced.
This document applies only to devices that are not designed to be used in contact with the
bare part of the installation on which the presence or the absence of the operating voltage
has to be tested.This document describes only devices, and their behaviour, using electric field and voltage
gradient detection principles even if other principles could be used. It provides performance
guidelines, recommendations for use and recommended minimum criteria for selection.
Devices like personal safety distance voltage detectors, distance voltage detectors for
emergency responders or machine operators are not covered by this document.Except when otherwise specified, all the voltages defined in this document refer to phase-to-
phase voltages of three-phase systems. In other systems, the applicable phase-to-phase or
phase-to-earth (ground) voltages are used to determine the operating voltage.2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their
content constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition
cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including
any amendments) applies.IEC 61318, Live working – Conformity assessment applicable to tools, devices and equipment
3 Terms and definitionsFor the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in IEC 61318 and the
following apply.ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
adaptor
part of an NCVD as a separate device which permits attachment of an insulating stick
---------------------- Page: 9 ----------------------– 8 – IEC TR 61243-6:2017 © IEC 2017
3.2
application mark
mark on the NCVD to show to the user where to put the NCVD at the application point for
clear indicationNote 1 to entry: An application mark may or may not be present.
3.3
application point
specific point of the installation where the application mark (if present) of the NCVD should
correspondNote 1 to entry: An application point may or may not be needed.
3.4
active signal
audible or visual phenomenon whose presence, absence or variation is considered as
representing information on the condition “voltage present” or “voltage not present”
Note 1 to entry: A signal indicating only that the NCVD is ready to operate is not considered as an active signal.
3.5clear indication
unambiguous detection and indication of the voltage state of the part to be tested
3.6clear perceptibility
case where the indication is unmistakably discernible by the user under specific
environmental conditions when the NCVD is in its operating position
3.7
contact electrode
bare conductive part of a voltage detector which establishes the electric connection to the
component to be tested3.8
design of NCVD
different constructions of NCVDs, either as a complete device with or without an insulating
element or as a separate device intended to be equipped with an insulating stick3.9
directional property
property whereby an NCVD detects an electrical field relative to a specific position
3.10electrode
metallic part of an NCVD combined with one or more other metallic parts that allows to pick
up the electric field3.11
expected voltage
maximum voltage value of the part of the installation that will or could be touched by the
NCVD3.12
far electric field
far field
in free space, region where the distribution of the electrical field is almost independent of the
distance to the source---------------------- Page: 10 ----------------------
IEC TR 61243-6:2017 © IEC 2017 – 9 –
3.13
hand guard
distinctive physical guard separating the handle of an NCVD as a complete device from the
insulating elementNote 1 to entry: The purpose of the hand guard is to prevent the hands from slipping and passing into contact
with the insulating element.3.14
indicator
part of the NCVD that indicates the presence or absence of the operating voltage for the part
of the electrical equipment or installation to be tested3.15
indoor type
NCVD designed for use in dry conditions, normally indoors
3.16
insertion depth
distance between the limit mark and the top of the NCVD as a complete device
3.17
insulating element
part of an NCVD as a complete device that provides adequate safety distance and insulation
to the user3.18
insulating stick
insulating tool made essentially of an insulating tube and/or rod with end fittings
Note 1 to entry: For voltage detection, an insulating stick is intended to be attached to the NCVD as a separate
device in order to provide the length to reach the installation to be tested and adequate safety distance and
insulation to the user.[SOURCE: IEC 60050-651:2014, 651-22-01, modified – Note 1 to entry has been added.]
3.19interference field
electric field due to the configuration of the installation that may
affect the electric field of the part to be tested3.20
interference voltage
voltage picked up inductively or capacitively by the part to be tested
3.21limit mark
distinctive visible location or mark on the NCVD to indicate to the user the physical limit to
which the NCVD could be inserted between live partsNote 1 to entry: A limit mark may or may not be present.
3.22
medium electric field
medium field
in free space, region where the distribution of the electric field is slightly dependent on the
distance to the source---------------------- Page: 11 ----------------------
– 10 – IEC TR 61243-6:2017 © IEC 2017
3.23
near electric field
near field
in free space, region where the distribution of the electrical field is strongly dependent on the
distance to the source3.24
nominal distance
suitable value of distance, between the bare part of the installation to be tested and the
NCVD, associated with the nominal voltage of the NCVD for clear indicationNote 1 to entry: The nominal distance of the NCVD is a parameter associated with its clear indication. The
manufacturer can identify the nominal distance directly linked to the corresponding discrete nominal voltage.
Note 2 to entry: An NCVD may have more than one nominal distance when having more than one nominal
voltage, or one or more than one nominal voltage range. In this case, for each nominal voltage or each nominal
voltage range the manufacturer can identify at least one characteristic discrete nominal voltage. The manufacturer
can then identify the nominal distance directly linked to each corresponding discrete nominal voltage.
Note 3 to entry: For some devices, the nominal distance(s) could be defined by the NCVD reference points.
3.25nominal voltage
suitable approximate value of voltage used to identify a system or device
Note 1 to entry: The nominal voltage of the NCVD is a parameter associated with its clear indication. An NCVD
may have more than one nominal voltage, or a nominal voltage range. Limit values of the nominal voltage range
are named U and Un min n max
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-601:1985, 601-01-21, modified – The definition has been modified to fit
the specific context of device or equipment and Note 1 to entry has been added.]3.26
non-contact voltage detector
NCVD
voltage detector that does not require making physical contact with the bare part of the
installation (e.g. conductor, bus bar, capacitive tap for a cable elbow or switchgear) on which
the presence or the absence of the operating voltage has to be tested3.27
operating distance range
range of distances to the bare part to be tested declared by the manufacturer where the
NCVD will function properly when used according to the instructions for useNote 1 to entry: For some devices, the operating distance could be defined by the NCVD reference points.
3.28outdoor type
NCVD designed for use in wet conditions, either indoors or outdoors
3.29
operating voltage
system voltage under normal conditions at a given instant and location
Note 1 to entry: This value may be calculated or measured.3.30
protection against bridging
protection against flashover or breakdown, when the insulation between the parts of the
installation to be tested, at different potentials, is reduced by the presence of the NCVD
---------------------- Page: 12 ----------------------IEC TR 61243-6:2017 © IEC 2017 – 11 –
3.31
rated voltage
value of voltage to which certain operating specifications are referred
Note 1 to entry: The rated voltage of the NCVD is the voltage selected from IEC 60071-1:2006+AMD1:2010,
Table 2 and Table 3, column 1, which should either be equal to the nominal voltage (or the highest nominal voltage
of its nominal voltage range), or the next higher voltage selected from those tables.
3.32reference point
point of an installation which is different from the bare part to be tested and which needs to be
touched in order to give an electrical reference according to the principle of functioning of
some NCVD3.33
response time
time delay
...
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