Testing GE Versa Trip with Ground Fault 4

[rhatcher]

Does anyone have the procedure for high current testing a GE Versa Trip overcurrent trip device when equipped with 4-wire ground fault (external neutral CT)? A copy of the instruction manual would be even better. By the way, this is not a MicroVersatrip or RMS-9 MicroVersaTrip, this is the "original" Versa Trip mounted on a molded case circuit breaker. A picture is attached.

 

[rhatcher]

Here is another picture.

 

[rcw retired EE]

We used to test them like any other ground fault system:

High current tests for phase overcurrent pickup, time and instantaneous by pushing current in A phase out B&C, in B out A&C, and in C out A&B.

Or connect the neutral CT and do single phase tests with the CT in the test current loop.

Test GF pickup and timing by pushing current only through one pole of the breaker, not the neutral CT. Also push current through just the neutral CT and verify pickup.

After installation, verify correct neutral CT polarity and that the neutral is not grounded or bonded downstream of sensor, and is bonded upstream.

I don't recall any jumper or defeat on the GF function or if you can just leave the setting pin out to inhibit ground fault, but it's been 24 years since I did one.

 

[rhatcher]

Thanks for the detailed answer rcwilson. I was hoping for a jumper defeat of the GF but I guess that I'll have to do it the hard way.

Do you happen to know the secondary current for the Versa Trip CT? I was thinking that I could use a secondary current injector to test the neutral pickup instead of having to remove the neutral CT's from the gear.

 

[Zogzog]

You need the secondary test set for ground defeat, there is no instruction book, the book is a metal nameplate in the cover of the test set. I have one sitting right here.

Otherwise use rcwilsons procedure.

Little side note, I can't recall the last one of those that actually passed testing, we just retrofit those with a more modern trip unit.

 

[rcw retired EE]

I remember trying to simulate the neutral CT and or the phase CT on some VersaTrip retrofit kits for AK air circuit breakers. I think the current was milliamps, may have even been a millivolt signal.

I don't recall the exact outcome of our experiment but there are vague memories of something going wrong or getting broken: plug-in terminals got damaged, over-voltage damage to the circuit board or ???

Based on my memory, I probably shouldn't even post this!

 

[dpmac]

If my memory serves me correctly, the VersatTrips were fed from .5A CT's as were the SST (previous generation GE Box). The wooden box test set shown by Zog were for the next generation which were were .2A ct''s. Point being that to perform secondary injection tests and possibly defeat ground fault, one would actually use the GE SST test set on the early Versatrip. The wooden box test set plug does not fit the yellow Versatrip box.

PLEASE confirm this information as I suffer from C.R.S these days.

 

[Zogzog]

dpmac, yep you are right, I should have looked at the photo. Appears the CT's are 0.5A for 1600A or less and 1.0A for >2000A CT's.

I posted the wrong old GE wooden box

http://www.geindustrial.com/publibr...NR=Installation and Instruction|GEI-86158|PDF

 

[rhatcher]

Thanks for the responses Zogzog and dpmac. I found that I can rent the secondary test set TAK-TS1. Do you know if the secondary test set can be used on a molded case breaker like the one shown in the photo on my first post?

 

[Zogzog]

I believe the TAK-TS1 will work but not sure, I don't have one, we have a special bench for primary injection testing these that uses the same theory dpmac mentioned.

 

[rhatcher]

Thanks for the response Zogzog. I just talked to a old GE technician who told me that the that the secondary test set does not work with the molded case breakers, it is only good for the AK series air circuit breakers. This is because the molded case breaker does not have the plug-in interface that the TAK-TS1 test set uses. Of course, if someone here knows differently then I'd love to hear from them.

We normally use primary injection also and use bus bar adaptors to connect the breakers to the test set stabs. We have often used the method dpmac suggested for testing ground fault equipped breakers but it is time consuming to switch the bus bars for the various tests. For this reason we like to use a secondary injection set for ground fault testing or ground fault defeat when available.