Is Fault Location Killing Our Cable Systems?

摘要

Power outages caused by faults in underground cable systems can be difficult to locate, however it is always advantageous for a utility to restore power within a short time-frame in order to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction, system performance, and profitability. Although there are different ways to determine the location of a fault within a length of underground cable, a common methodology used by electric utilities involves the use of a voltage pulse unit known to many in the industry as a `thumper.' As a derivative of a system wide cable reliability program, based on a condition assessment comparable to cable and accessory manufactures' quality control standards, one of the largest utilities in North America set forth a field experiment to help quantify the damage to cable insulation caused by fault location thumping. This paper provides insight into the harmful effects of field applied `thumping' and offers recommendations on how utility operations managers can minimize their risk of repeat outages, increase customer satisfaction while maximizing safety, efficiency and reliability.