Study of the Accelerated Degradation of the Insulation of Power Cables under the Action of the Acid Environment

Abstract

Over operation time, there are a number of internal and external factors that change the characteristics of dielectric materials that are part of the electrical equipment. In areas with high pollution, an important requirement is the acidic chemical compounds in the soil in which the power cables are laid, which penetrate the insulation by infiltration, resulting in changes in the parameters of electrical insulation and causing a decrease in operating time. The paper is focused on the analysis, through a series of experimental determinations, of the effects of stresses to which the power cables laid in acidic environments are subjected, by simulating the operating conditions in the laboratory, obtaining concrete results. It also describes the direct current test installation used in the laboratory and presents the two stages of testing the cable sample inserted in the electrolyte, the first being a stage of accelerating the degradation of the insulation by supplying higher voltages to require insulation, and the second stage being the testing in the absence of the electric field, under the direct action of the chemical compounds from the installation tank. Given that in alternating current, the electric field causes an additional heating of the dielectric due to energy losses by electric polarization, the test is performed in direct current, precisely to be able to monitor the variation of insulation resistance in relation to temperature and losses through conduction currents, as a result of the Joule–Lenz effect and not as a result of the dielectric polarization process. At the same time, the power of the direct current source used is lower compared to that of an alternative current test source and does not contribute to the generation of electrical discharges during testing.