Secondary Injection Testing vs.

Primary
Injection Testing for Circuit Breakers
Issue:
Secondary Injection Testing vs. Primary Injection Testing for Circuit Breakers
Product Line:
Molded Case Circuit Breakers
Environment:
Typical operating environment for circuit breakers
Cause:
Evaluation of differences
Resolution:
Secondary injection testing:
Can be done on Electronic breakers only
Quick

Tests the trip unit only

Easier

Takes less expertise to run the test

Test kit is small and portable

Less expensive

Primary injection testing:

Can be done on thermal magnetic and electronic breakers
Time intensive

Test complete breaker from the CT, CT wiring to the trip unit, and the trip unit

Takes more expertise to run the test

Equipment is heavy and less portable

More expensive

Primary and secondary current injection tests are normally conducted to check the
operation of breaker and their protective relays/devices.
The protective devices installed vary from circuit to circuit depending on the protection

needs and philosphy but typical relays/devices include overload, over current, reverse
power, earth fault, differential protection, etc., etc.
Primary injection testing normally involves injecting the actual current required to
operate a protective device power through the circuit breaker.
Primary injection testing normally requires specialist injection sets/test rigs and
measurement equipment (particularly for high power and MV and above) and can be
extremely arduous where the circuit breaker interrupts large currents, shortening its life
or requiring repair after. In many cases, primary injection testing is only conducted by
specialists and in some cases primary injection testing may not be required through life.
Testing and research of this form is certainly carried out by circuit breaker
manufacturers. Primary injection testing may be the only means of testing some LV
circuits.
Secondary injection testing is normally different to primary injection testing because it
is normally conducted when the circuit breaker is closed but is not carrying any current
throught its main poles.
Secondary injection testing normally involves disconnection of the protective device
from it's normal VT/CT and connection to a specialist test set that can inject and
measure/record the required operating signal directly into the protective device relay to
cause it to operate the circuit breaker.
The advantage of secondary injection testing is that the circuit breaker does not have
interrupt large current and only low voltage signals are injected to operate the device.
A perceived disadvantage of secondary injection testing is that the actual operation of
the 'whole' system is not tested but this may be compensated by the fact that the circuit
breaker has operated without having to interrupt a large current and the circuit breaker
type has tested and rated by its manufacturer.
I hope u got the amswer.........