IEC 60700-1:2015

Overview

IEC 60700-1:2015 is the International Electrotechnical Commission standard that specifies electrical type and production tests for thyristor valves used in high voltage direct current (HVDC) power transmission. It applies to thyristor valves with metal oxide surge arresters directly connected between valve terminals, intended for line-commutated converters or back‑to‑back HVDC links. The standard is based on air‑insulated valves; alternative valve types can adopt modified test requirements by agreement. This edition (with corrigendum Jan 2017 included) introduces clarifications to definitions, test procedures and acceptance criteria.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and test types
  • Restricted to electrical type tests and production tests (routine and sample tests).
  • Focus on dielectric, operational and fault‑related electrical tests for valve components, valve sections and whole valves.
• Dielectric testing
  • Dielectric tests on valve support, multiple valve units (MVU) and between valve terminals including d.c., a.c., switching and lightning impulse tests.
  • An alternative MVU dielectric test method is included.
  • Notes allow temporary short‑circuiting and earthing between repeated polarity d.c. tests.
• Operational tests
  • Periodic firing and extinction tests, including requirements for applying a scaling factor when testing valve sections.
  • Non‑periodic firing, transient forward voltage and recovery tests.
• Fault and disturbance tests
  • Valve fault current tests (one‑loop, multiple‑loop scenarios), and electromagnetic disturbance sensitivity tests.
  • Table of permitted thyristor level faults during type tests.
• Production and acceptance
  • Production test objectives (visual, connection checks, voltage‑grading checks, partial discharge, firing checks, pressure tests).
  • Annexes provide test safety factors and partial discharge measurement guidance.
• Clarifications and updates
  • Clarified definitions (e.g., “thyristor level”, “valve section”, “redundant thyristor levels”).
  • Inclusion of corrigendum (Jan 2017) and supplemented Table 1.

Applications and users

• Target audience: HVDC equipment manufacturers, independent test laboratories, utilities and system integrators, commissioning teams, and certification bodies.
• Practical uses:
  • Type‑testing new thyristor valve designs for HVDC converter stations.
  • Establishing production test routines and acceptance criteria for manufacturing.
  • Verifying dielectric strength, firing/extinction behavior and fault tolerance of valve assemblies before site installation.
  • Supporting procurement and compliance documentation for HVDC projects.

Related standards (if applicable)

• IEC 60700‑1 complements other IEC and national standards on HVDC systems, power electronics testing and insulation coordination. Users should reference the latest editions and corrigenda and coordinate with manufacturer specifications when testing non‑air‑insulated valve designs.

Keywords: IEC 60700-1, thyristor valves, HVDC, electrical testing, dielectric tests, production tests, type tests, firing and extinction tests, partial discharge, valve fault tests.