Accelerated aging of extruded dielectric power cables. I. Controland monitoring methodology

摘要

In accelerated cable life testing of power cables, cable samplesare usually subjected to elevated voltages and temperatures in thepresence of water in order to promote aging of the insulation andpremature failures through the treeing mechanism. Failure to accuratelycontrol and monitor these accelerating factors can have adverse effectson test results and can lead to erroneous conclusions. A new andimproved accelerated cable life test is described. Through the use ofprogrammable logic controllers (PLCs), very precise and consistentcontrol of the accelerated aging process has been achieved. A computerhas been utilized to make continuous real-time data acquisition andstorage of key operating parameters possible. This precise control andmonitoring methodology has permitted the study of the synergisticeffects of voltage and temperature on the accelerated aging offull-sized cables in the laboratory