Medium Voltage Testing
5/15kV Vacuum Breaker - NETA-Style Tests
Practice a 5/15kV vacuum breaker sequence after the real-world LOTO/live-dead-live hold point: gap/wipe review, closed-contact resistance, phase-to-ground insulation, phase-to-phase insulation, open-contact bottle highpot, lead placement, and grounding of every pole that is not actively under test.
Review gap and wipe
Select gap/wipe reviewed after checking the mechanism and manufacturer instructions. This simulator explains the concept but does not simulate measurements.
Current Objective
Review gap and wipe
A field tech reviews the manual, checks linkage condition, looks for binding or unequal travel, and records whether gap/wipe measurement was required or witnessed.
Why
Gap is the contact separation when open. Wipe is the contact overtravel/contact-pressure travel after the contacts touch. Both affect interrupter performance and contact pressure.
Safety
Mechanical checks can involve stored energy springs and moving parts. Discharge/secure mechanisms per manufacturer instructions.
Tip
A breaker can pass a dielectric test and still have a mechanical issue. Keep the mechanical notes separate from highpot readings.
Safety Hold Point
This simulator starts after the real-world LOTO and live-dead-live check. In the field, use the properly rated tester, prove it on a proving unit or known live source, test for absence of voltage, then prove it again before installing test leads.
Loadout
Test Bench
Required Now
Test Set
Breaker Condition
RequiredGrounding
Mechanical Review
RequiredSim Workbench
Lead Placement
Select a lead, then hit the highlighted target nodes.
Expected for Current Step
No lead placement required for this step.
Animated Breaker
Tap bottle terminals and the ground cluster for the active highpot shot.
Vacuum bottles
Grounding
Red test lead / HV output
Not placed
Black return / ground lead
Not placed
Ground cluster
Not placed
Step Checklist
Field Intel
Use a properly rated high-voltage detector for medium-voltage absence-of-voltage checks.
Include the common NETA-style vacuum breaker checks without copying acceptance tables: contact resistance, insulation resistance, mechanical review, and vacuum bottle integrity.
Connect the highpot output and return across only the open vacuum interrupter being tested.
Use phase-to-ground and phase-to-phase insulation results to recognize contamination, tracking, moisture, and barrier issues.
Ground the frame and the inactive phases so stored charge and accidental induced voltage have a controlled path.
Understand gap and wipe as mechanical checks that support, but do not replace, dielectric testing.
Mistakes Tracked
No mistakes yet. Good simulator runs come from correct setup, lead placement, and sequence discipline.
Readings
Correct the setup, place leads, and run the current step to generate simulated readings.
Profile History
No saved attempts yet. Completed reports show up here and on the simulator landing page.