Effects of voltage surges on solid-dielectric cable life

Technical Report · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990

OSTI ID:6463143

Hartlein, R A; Harper, V S ^[1]

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1. Georgia Power Co., Forest Park, GA (USA). Research Center

Lightning and fault locating voltage impulses have long been thought to cause extruded underground distribution cables to fail prematurely in service. Unfortunately, the extent of this effect has never been adequately determined. The research conducted under this contract was aimed at finding the influence of simulated lightning impulses and fault locating impulses on various types of extruded underground distribution power cables aged in the laboratory. Fifteen kV cables with two insulation thickness were investigated. Insulation materials included crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE), tree resistant crosslinked polyethylene (TRXLPE), tree resistant high molecular weight polyethylene (TRHMWPE) and ethylene propylene rubber (EPR). The cables were aged up to 640 days in the laboratory using a slightly modified version of the standard AEIC accelerated water treeing test procedure. While they aged, selected cables were exposed to 40 kV, 70 kV and 120 kV rapid rise, simulated lightning impulses. Other cable samples were exposed to a fault locating impulse, and control samples were aged without the application of an impulse. The surge effect was assessed using two methods. First, the ac breakdown and impulse breakdown strength of control and impulsed samples was compared. Second, the number of impulsed cables which failed during the aging test were compared to the number of control failures. 13 refs., 76 figs.

• Research Organization: Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (USA); Georgia Power Co., Forest Park, GA (USA). Research Center
• Sponsoring Organization: EPRI
• OSTI ID: 6463143
• Report Number(s): EPRI-EL-6902
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
240300* -- Power Transmission Lines & Cables-- (1990-)
AGING
CABLES
CONDUCTOR DEVICES
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
ELECTRIC CABLES
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRICAL FAULTS
EQUIPMENT
FAILURE MODE ANALYSIS
FAILURES
LIGHTNING
MATERIALS
POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
POWER TRANSMISSION
SERVICE LIFE
SURGES
SYSTEM FAILURE ANALYSIS
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
UNDERGROUND POWER TRANSMISSION