Influence of conditioning and features on the electrical breakdown of XLPE insulated power cables

Abstract

Over the last twenty years the decrease in breakdown strength of polymeric insulated cables as a result of water tree growth has been studied by exposing cables to water and applied field. Several of the test regimes have involved breakdown tests after a short exposure to water and electrical field, and in some instances there has been a significant reduction in breakdown strength after a few months of ageing. In this paper strong decrease in breakdown strength as the result of conditioning in water with no applied field was confirmed.