Electric Stress Enhancement Research Articles

Ac aging and space-charge characteristics in low-density polyethylene polymeric insulation

In the present work efforts have been made to investigate the influence of ac aging on space-charge dynamics in low-density polyethylene (LDPE). LDPE films with 200 μm were aged under various electric stress levels at 50 Hz for various times at ambient temperature. Space-charge dynamics in the samples after aging were monitored using the pulsed electroacoustic technique. It has been revealed that the space charge under ac aging conditions is related to the level of the applied field, duration of the voltage application, as well as the electrode materials. By comparing with the results of unaged sample the results from aged sample provide a direct evidence of changing trapping characteristics after ac aging. Negative space charge is present in the bulk of the material and the total amount of charge increases with the aging time. The amount of charge increases with the applied field. Charge decay test indicates that the charges are captured in deep traps. These deep traps are believed to form during the aging and related to change caused by injected charge. By using different electrode materials such as gold, brass alloy, and polyethylene loaded with carbon black, it was found that the electrode has an important role in the formation of charge, hence subsequent changes caused by charge. The charge dynamics of the aged samples under dc bias differ from the sample without ac aging, indicating changes brought in by ac aging. Chemical analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscope and Raman microscope reveals no detectable chemical changes taken place in the bulk of the material after ac aging. Finally, the consequence of the accumulation of space charge under ac conditions on the lifetime of the material has been discussed. The presence of deeply trapped space charge leads to an electric stress enhancement which may shorten the lifetime of the insulation system.

A study of electric stress enhancement part 2: stress enhancement on semiconductive shields

For pt.I see ibid., vol.11 p.976-82, (2004).This paper evaluates the electric stress enhancement due to surface protrusions on the tape of semiconductive shield compounds used in power cables. The results of a conventional grade and a supersmooth grade shield compounds are reported. Using a laser-scanning instrument, the shape of protrusions on the tape surface of these compounds can be quantitatively determined. An algorithm is developed to portray the geometry of a protrusion so as to allow the calculation of its stress enhancement. First the supersmooth grade shield compound is illustrated as much smoother than the conventional shield compound. Besides exhibiting a lower number of protrusions, the surface protrusions on a supersmooth shield compound also are much flatter than those of the conventional shield compounds. Insulation thickness is confirmed to influence the stress enhancement and, consequently, different distributions of stress enhancement factor are observed with low voltage, say, 15 kV, and high voltage, say, 500 kV, applications. The conventional shield compound exhibits higher stress enhancement than the supersmooth grade compound in higher voltage cables, though the difference is much less with lower voltage settings. Since the total number of protrusions on the conventional shield surface is more than one order of magnitude higher, the supersmooth shield therefore can offer much better protection to a cable by minimizing the electric stress degradation in its insulation material.

A study of electric stress enhancement part 1: implication in power cable design

The increase in electric stress due to a surface protrusion at the interface between a semiconductive shield and a polymer insulation layer in power cables can lead to localized electron injection into the polymer insulation and result in undesired material degradation. This paper reports the analyses of electric stress enhancement of surface protrusions in several commonly encountered medium- and high-voltage power cable configurations. First, a brief review of the electric stress enhancement theories is presented. Then evaluations using these theories for various power cable configurations are made, and it is shown that theories considering a hyperboloidal protrusion will exhibit more realistic stress enhancement results than the cases based on a spheroidal protrusion. Further examination reveals that, besides the sharpness of a protrusion, thickness of the insulation medium also plays a governing role in the stress enhancement at the interfaces between different dielectric media. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, it is a surprise to observe that a thicker insulation can actually cause higher stress enhancement at a protrusion tip, under a given applied voltage. Because of this, a flatter surface protrusion at a higher voltage setting, which usually has thicker insulation, can result in earlier degradation than a sharper protrusion at a lower voltage, even though sharper extrusions are expected to have higher stress enhancement. As a result, thicker insulation may not always be advantageous in the power cable design for higher voltage applications.

Electrical stress enhancement of contaminants in XLPE insulation used for power cables

The use of XLPE as the insulation for power cables has grown steadily since it first introduction more than 30 years ago. Today XLPE is rapidly becoming the preferred insulation system for even the highest transmission voltages. This preference is due to the high reliability, low dielectric losses, and low environmental impact that can be achieved with XLPE. The positive effects of high quality insulation materials on improved cable performance have been well known since the start of cable making. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the technical background for the cleanliness levels and to quantify the level of performance required from clean materials. The advantages of clean insulation materials are seen at all voltages. However, this work focuses on the technical basis for the benefits for HV and EHV cables, which typically are designed with a water impervious layer to ensure that the cable remains dry throughout its entire lifetime. The presence of metallic contaminants in MV cable is known to enhance the growth of trees by raising the electric stress level locally. The singular impact of cleanliness on the performance of MV cables is somewhat more complicated as it is influenced both by the cleanliness of the insulation and the ability of the insulation material to resist the growth of water trees.

Electroluminescence due to impulse voltage in cable-grade XLPE

Underground power cables in service are inadvertently subjected to impulses generated by lightning and switching surges that are superimposed on the ac voltage at which they operate. HV transients caused by lightning and switching operations not only radiate large electromagnetic fields but also impose additional stresses on the insulation and could initiate deterioration which can continue under normal operating conditions. Electrical breakdown of HV cables is a local phenomenon and electrical aging at local sites in the polymeric insulation occurs by molecular dissociation of the polymer and formation of new chemical bonds. This process usually involves the electronically excited states of the molecules that give rise to radiative phenomena, such as electroluminescence (EL). Analysis of EL can help to clarify the degradation mechanisms that occur at points of electrical stress enhancement and lead to cable breakdown. The EL technique is several orders of magnitude more sensitive than the commonly employed partial discharge detection and can provide a better understanding of the various time dependent mechanisms such as space charge injection, trapping and decay that can lead to insulation failure. The characteristics of EL in crosslinked PE subjected to impulse voltage, are described in this paper. Impulses having the same polarities as the half cycles of the ac voltage on which they are superimposed give rise to the largest number of EL pulses. Also, more EL pulses are emitted when impulses are applied at the peaks of the positive and negative half cycles than at the zero crossing of the ac voltage. This suggests that the amount of charge injected and trapped into the polymer plays a crucial role for EL emission.

Degradation mechanism at XLPE/semicon interface subjected to high electrical stress

In HV devices such as power cables, electrical stress enhancement can occur at the interface of semiconducting shields (semicon) and polymeric insulation. In this study, points of electrical stress enhancement are simulated by embedding semicon protrusions into the polymer. XLPE with two different concentrations of crosslinking byproducts and impregnated with various gases has been used. It it shown that, prior to electrical tree inception, electroluminescence occurs at the semicon tips and visible and ultraviolet light is emitted. The characteristics and the spectra of electroluminescence at semicon protrusions embedded in XLPE are similar to those previously observed at metallic needles embedded in LDPE. The ultraviolet light, emitted at points of electrical stress enhancement, can photodegrade the polymer, cause bond scission and lead to electrical treeing. Also, the results for XLPE impregnated with different gases indicate that, as in the case of LPPE/metal interface, oxygen in the free volume of the polymer plays an important role in the deterioration of XLPE insulation subjected to high electrical stress. >

Analysis and design of a traveling wave tube feedthrough

Results are presented of an investigation aimed at understanding the critical parameters that cause surface breakdown of a high-vacuum feedthrough insulator used in traveling-wave tubes (TWTs). Further impetus was the need to design a feedthrough with a higher hold-off voltage compared to existing designs so as to increase the reliability of TWT operation. Improvement in voltage hold-off was accomplished by fundamental electric field analysis and sound engineering practice. The electric stress enhancement at the insulator/flange interface was the source of flashover initiation. It was found that the hold-off voltage was greatly improved if the flange met the insulator at a right angle rather than an acute angle. The influence of various device operational parameters and physical constraints imposed by the geometry of the TWT were also investigated. A combination of spot welding and cathode termination leading to high stress enhancement led to the lowest breakdown voltages among the factors studied here. Practical means of ameliorating the premature insulator failure are presented.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>