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Impulse-Duty
Aging of XLPE Cable
The fact that cross-linked
polyethylene (XLPE) cable deteriorates with age and repeated transients has been
accepted by the industry. There are differences, however, in the way cables age
in the field and the way they respond to accelerated aging processes used in
laboratories. This was the subject of a DSTAR research project. Four of the
DSTAR member utilities removed field-aged cables from the ground, and these
specimens were subjected to extensive testing. In addition to seeking the
relationship between impulse-duty history and insulation deterioration, the
DSTAR project examined a promising new technique of in-situ testing of cable to
evaluate the insulation degradation and to estimate remaining cable life. |
