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Function vs. Functional Testing

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10 views

Function vs. Functional Testing

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chandraippa2
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Function vs.

Functional Testing
JACOB LOYD AND MICHAEL WILSON, MEGGER FEBRUARY 23, 2024FEATURES, SPRING 2024 FEATURES

Testing plays a critical role in verifying that the protection scheme is designed to meet its intended purpose. It ensures that
the wiring diagrams match the schematics, and everything works together seamlessly.

WHY DO WE TEST?
While engineers and electricians are highly skilled professionals, they are human and can make mistakes. That’s why, during
the commissioning process, we meticulously search for errors, knowing full well that they can exist anywhere. It is imperative
to verify cable sizes, color codes, and termination labeling in even the most carefully planned designs to ensure accuracy.
Moreover, the creation of precise as-built drawings is crucial for future projects. Without proper maintenance, it becomes
increasingly difficult to plan and design upgrades.

WHAT IS FUNCTION TESTING?


In the world of commissioning, function testing involves the manual or electrical manipulation of various components — such
as relays, sensors, gauges, and contacts — to verify the presence or absence of electrical signals through the different paths
of a schematic. This signal can be verified by picking up or dropping out a downstream device or by using a metering device
like a multimeter to measure voltage or current.

Because each device and customer design has unique schematics, creating a standard commissioning procedure that
ensures point-to-point continuity through an AC or DC circuit can be a complex and meticulous process. As a commissioning
engineer gains experience with exposure to schematically testing different devices and designs, they develop an appreciation
for the science and the art of commissioning.

To illustrate, consider the DC schematic of a breaker trip circuit shown in Figure 1. The normally open OUT101 contact breaks
the positive leg of the 125 VDC circuit of a specific component. The circuit breaker’s trip coil is energized by pulsing the
OUT101 contact, proving that the signal is passed to a downstream terminal point or device when the contact is closed.

Pulsing the relay contact also verifies the relay contact’s ability to operate from an open to closed position and back again.
Note that for simplicity, we have removed the auxiliary contacts that are usually present to provide supervision.

WHAT IS FUNCTIONAL TESTING?


Functional testing is an intricate process that not only checks the relay’s output contact movement from closed to open and
back again, but also verifies when the contact should operate. To elaborate, consider Figure 2. We observe that the relay’s
OUT104 contact is connected in series with the 86BF breaker failure lock-out relay (LOR). During function testing, we pulse
the output to test the lock-out relay’s operation or roll, followed by verifying the contact development to validate the circuits
connected with the 86BF LOR.

While function testing involves pulsing the output to confirm the lock-out relay’s operation and validating the contact
development to prove the circuits associated with the 86BF LOR, functional testing takes a more comprehensive approach. In
this method, we examine the circumstances that could cause OUT104 to operate, such as the trip condition that exists after
18 cycles, typical in programming breaker-failure logic.

This approach allows the trip to be initiated, monitors the secondary current magnitude, and asserts a separate contact to
operate a lockout relay that trips adjacent circuit breakers, blocks auto-reclosing, and sends necessary alarms to the station
relay terminal unit (RTU). However, testing the operability of the OUT104 contact alone can lead to missing the conditions
that must be fulfilled and dictate when OUT104 operates.

Even if the OUT104 contact is properly wired, the wiring diagrams are accurate, and the output is pulsed successfully during
commissioning, there is still a chance of missing critical details. For instance, the OUT104 definition could be flawed or
dependent on some other bit of logic that might have been inadvertently brought over from a previous project or an entirely
different substation.

As technology advances and protection schemes evolve, testing methodologies must adapt to keep up. Commissioning
engineers must ask themselves if their current testing strategies could miss critical details. If the answer is yes, they must
make changes accordingly to ensure that the system is thoroughly tested and meets the desired standards.
HOW DO WE TEST NOW?
As commissioning engineers and test technicians, our work often involves testing various devices, alarms, and circuits in
newly implemented designs. Sometimes, we are required to do these tests on short notice due to necessary isolations or in-
service equipment that could potentially be affected. While this approach may not be the most efficient, it does allow us to
make progress while waiting for additional circuits to become available. Additionally, it offers greater insight into terminated
cables and their potential impact on existing equipment, enabling us to identify and address any issues that may arise. By
doing so, we can ensure that the devices, alarms, and circuits in the newly implemented design are functioning optimally and
that any potential problems are identified and resolved quickly and efficiently.

Advantages of Current Testing Methods


Engineers and technicians should test protection and control circuits as they become available to ensure that all construction
and commissioning activities are well-coordinated. This approach allows them to verify the accuracy of issued-for-
construction (IFC) schematics and wiring diagrams and identify any discrepancies early on. Typically, commissioning activities
are driven by construction activities, and technicians tend to coordinate their testing based on the availability of electricians to
install, form, and terminate cables running from panels. By commissioning circuits as they become available, engineers can
ensure that the construction activities are aligned with the commissioning activities and that discrepancies are addressed
immediately.

It is important to note that customers often have strict protocols regarding returning equipment to service and completing the
required documentation. Since the final protection settings may not be available at the start of a project, it is crucial to test the
operation of inputs and outputs, even without actual relay settings. This approach helps engineers identify possible wiring or
equipment issues early on that may require replacement, which could have a lengthy lead time. In the case of modifications,
these problems can even be latent issues with wiring or labeling that have gone unnoticed for years. By identifying such
issues early in the project cycle, engineers can ensure they are addressed while there is still enough time to commission the
equipment and avoid any delays.

Ultimately, getting an early start on highlighting or verifying drawings is critical to submitting as-built drawings on a timely
basis. This approach is also essential for ensuring that newly commissioned equipment is placed into service as soon as
possible. Commissioning circuits as they become available is an efficient and effective way to achieve these objectives while
ensuring that all construction and commissioning activities are well-coordinated.

Disadvantages of Current Testing Methods


Testing circuits as they become available has several disadvantages compared to a more structured and coordinated
approach. Multiple touches are often required, which can lead to human error and wear and tear of the contact being
operated. Lifting terminations during testing can also increase the risk of human error while the time required for warning
others before operating devices in the substation yard or switchgear room can be substantial. Moreover, when a trip or close
coil saturates and operates, an arc develops across the contacts as it interrupts the circuit. This arcing causes pitting and
degradation of the contact’s life (Figure 3). Therefore, minimizing the number of operations performed on a device, such as a
circuit breaker, motor-operated disconnect, or lock-out relay, is crucial to reduce the chances of degradation.

We recommend a more structured approach to testing circuits to achieve overlap in testing procedures while minimizing the
number of operations performed on a device. This will reduce the risk of human error and contact wear and tear, ultimately
improving the efficiency and performance of the circuit.

For example, if testing a protective scheme on a circuit breaker equipped with a lockout relay, the first relay operation can be
verified to trip the lockout relay, which then trips the breaker. Now that the circuit between the 86 and the circuit breaker has
been verified as intact and functional, we can avoid additional operations of that breaker by leaving it in the trip state and
testing all further trips to the 86, helping prolong the lifecycle of the breaker.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF FUNCTIONAL


TESTING?
This leads us to the next question: What are the advantages and disadvantages of functional testing? Functional testing can
be a complicated process, depending on the protection schemes being tested and the affected equipment. Brownfield
upgrades often involve in-service equipment and require weeks, if not months, of planning. Protection outages (temporarily
disabling specific protection schemes, such as secondary relaying, etc.) can put the power system at risk, and planned
station outages may require extensive switching in the field. However, functional testing should not be disregarded without
proper documentation and clear communication with the customer.
The advantages of functional testing are numerous. Functional testing not only provides reassurance that the scheme works
as intended, but also gives the technician a better understanding of the protection scheme. Verifying interoperability with
overlapping schemes is critical and should be investigated thoroughly before placing equipment into service. This reduces the
risk of future mis-operations and, if coordinated, can minimize the time spent testing.

WHAT CAN WE DO BETTER?


Ultimately, as engineers and technicians, we are always trying to balance technical rigor with speed and efficiency to meet the
needs of a project. Rather than being rigidly committed to one way of working, flexibility and openness to new methods allow
us to continue to improve. While the most critical elements of the protection system or those with a high degree of
dependence on outside interactions are better served by functional testing of the larger system, we can identify discrete
elements and functions that can be easily verified inside a smaller test envelope. This efficiency can ultimately give us more
time to respond to emergent problems on the project or spend longer working on the most critical aspects. Isolating some of
these discrete elements also allows us to quickly identify some issues and respond earlier in the process, avoiding potential
delays late in the project’s lifecycle.

CONCLUSION
There are numerous benefits and advantages to implementing functional testing with function testing while performing
commissioning activities. We’ve shown that, given the proper coordination and planning, many normal commissioning
activities can be combined to make the commissioning process more efficient. This more holistic approach can ensure that
each individual element has been verified against its settings. It can also prove that there are no unexpected interactions with
other elements internal to that relay and externally elsewhere in the circuit.

By intelligently applying these combined methods, the work of commissioning and testing will be made easier, and we can
help design and manage the project more successfully by finding issues as early in the project’s lifecycle as possible. While
there is no one-size-fits-all solution to protection system commissioning and testing, examining our practices and finding
opportunities to apply the right techniques at the right time gives us our best chance to be successful as well as efficient in
our work.

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