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Abstract - The medium voltage (MV) cable network is an underground cable joints. Heat shrinkable cable joints require
important asset of a distribution system. Cable joints are one of the skill sensitive usage of multiple tools including gas
the most important components of MV cable systems that can torches, igniters and spare gas cylinders [7]. High percentage
define system reliability. Cable joint is a main source of defects of cable joint failures are caused by electrical failure. Good
that may lead to cable system failures. Cable system failures will
electrical properties of the cable joints depend on the skill of
cause power outages and lead to costly maintenance work and
repairs. Therefore, early detections and diagnosis of cable joints the technicians who assemble them [8]. However, cable joints
insulation condition can prevent the cable failures. The are the weakest part of MV cable systems and the most typical
development of MV underground cable joints requires basic fault site due to the presence of an interface between the cable
understanding of the electrical stress caused by the electric field insulation and the insulation of the cable joint [9] as a result of
in different parts of the insulating structures. It is fundamental to field concentration [10]. The faults on cable joints affect not
know the location and the magnitude of the maximum field stress only the health of the cable but also the integrity of the whole
for the proper design and safe operation of MV cable systems. cable system [11]. Therefore, accurate assessment of cable
Finite element software can be used to compute the electric field joint insulation condition is important and can be achieved by
inside cable joints. In this paper the computation of the electric
implementing advanced diagnostic and simulation techniques
field and potential is done through through modeling a MV cable
joint using open source Finite Element Method Magnetics that assist the measurement and monitoring the properties
(FEMM) software with octave in order to investigate the effects related to the failure of the insulation system [12].
of different insulation materials, void size and void location on Numerical Electric field analysis has become a basic tool
the electric field magnitude within the void in the cable joint. The for the design and development of cable joints [13]. Defects
simulations are very controlled and so allowed fine realistic within polymeric insulation of cable joints such as voids,
details to be added to the model. Finally, the simulation results contaminants, or protrusions, can lead to partial discharge
are also compared to that obtained with commercial multiphysics (PD) activity [14]. However, PD activity at the defected site
software through literature review. may cause energy loss and degrade the insulation depending
on the type and location of the defect and the quality of the
Index Terms - Finite element, Underground Cable joints, insulation design [15, 16]. Therefore, the simulation of the
Electric field, FEMM.
electric field and potential distribution within the cable joint
I. INTRODUCTION can provide a simple tool to locate the electrical stresses that
could be harmful to the system over the long term of
Cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulated cables are operation.
extensively used for transmission and distribution of electric Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to reduce the
power worldwide, for its good mechanical and dielectric possibility of individual error by offering a computational
performances. They have been greatly improved over the last numerical simulation for the MV cable joint. A Finite Element
two decades as a result of better controlled extrusion simulation model using octaveFEMM [17] has been
techniques, cleaner insulating materials and semiconducting constructed in order to study the electric field distribution
shields. MV cable network plays an important role in the long- inside it. The finite element model allowed very repetitive
term reliability of power distribution system. Cable joints are models to be tested, with only minor changes being made each
one of the major components of MV cable systems that can time. The simulations are very controlled and so allowed fine
define system reliability [1-5]. realistic detail, to be added to the model. The combination of
Cable joints are needed to connect the cable bodies effects with regards to the cable joints breakdown is a key area
together and are also needed when cable faults are repaired under consideration, which needs further detailed investigation
[6], which are assembled manually on-site. There are two and experimentation.
types of MV cable joints, namely, heat shrink and cold shrink. Nevertheless, there are benefits to be derived from
Heat shrink cable joints are quick and easy to install, offering computational models, particularly when they are calibrated
high reliability and excellent performance for MV with empirical results. Although precision is unattainable,
17th International Middle East Power Systems Conference, Mansoura University, Egypt, December 15-17, 2015
much information about the trends and relative performances
of various systems and operating condition may be obtained. TABLE I
CONSTRUCTIVE AND ELECTRICAL PARAMETERS OF A MEDIUM VOLTAGE
A computational model may provide such information without
XLPE CABLE JOINT [18].
the expense and effort required for the implementation of a
physical model. Furthermore, some parameters of the physical
model, such as the electric field distribution, may not be
measurable to the desired resolution without significantly
disturbing the system.
II. MODELING OF MEDIUM VOLTAGE CABLE JOINT
A. System geometry and Electrostatic Equations
Fig.1 shows a two-dimensional (2D) axisymmetric model
geometry of a typical heat shrinkable MV cable joint that has where o is the permittivity of free space, r is the relative
been developed using a finite element software octaveFEMM permittivity of insulation material, and D is the electric
which was used to simulate the electric field in a MV cable displacement of the conductor which is proportional to the
joint. Due to the axisymmetric geometry, only one half applied voltage to the conductor. A general formulation for the
section view of the model is used in the analysis as shown in Poisson’s scalar equation can be derived by considering the
Fig. 1. Table I shows the basic constructive and electrical Gauss’s law which involves the free charge relation with the
parameters of each component in this model [18]. The electric displacement as:
conductor is subjected to 22 kV, the ferrule electrode is v
assigned as a floating potential, the conducting outer layer is 2V . (3)
grounded and all internal boundaries are continuity.
The model is solved for a non-degraded system v is the free volume charge density in C/m3. The charge
configuration as a base for further analysis. In this case, the density in the insulation can be neglected due to its small
mesh of minimum size near the boundaries has of importance amount as well as in the void due to its small size in
that it has a high impact on the simulation results, where the comparison to the size of cable insulation. Therefore, the
gradients are very high. A parametric study has been done on scalar potential is expressed by Laplace’s equation as:
the size of this mesh to minimize the error difference between
two consecutive calculated electric field intensities at the 2 2V 2V
V 2 2 0. (4)
boundary for each corresponding sizes of mesh. However, the x y
error difference in our case was in the order of 10-4 % (or less) Equation (4) will be used to calculate the electric field
of the electric field intensity at boundary surface. Furthermore, inside the cable joint insulation layers and the air-filled void-
with this percentage of error, there are not any considerable defect by using the finite element octaveFEMM software in
differences on the calculated electric field distributions in the terms of boundary conditions [12, 17].
bulk of the insulation.
The electric field distribution E in a typical cable B. Boundary Conditions
construction is described by the negative gradient of scalar In addition to the electrostatic equations describing the
potential as follows: distribution of the electric field in the bulk of the cable joint,
the boundary conditions are critically important. For the model
E V . (1) described here, spatial boundary conditions were needed for
the conductor surface, insulation medium interfaces and the
The equation of constitutive relationship between the outer sheath. The boundary condition of the relationship of
electric field E and electric field density for the insulation interfaces between two different mediums for the electrostatic
material, in terms of relative permittivity of the insulation and model can be mathematically expressed as:
free space, are given by:
n D1 D2 s . (5)
D o r E . (2) 2
s is the surface charge density in C/m , nD1 and nD2 are the
normal components of the electric field density of any two
different mediums in the model. Due to the cable joint
applications, Dirichlet conditions [12] have been imposed on
both the conductor surface, (including the ferrule surface), and
outer sheath with constant potential values of 22 kV and zero
potential, respectively.
On the discontinuous surfaces of the metallic sheath
Fig. 1 Typical heat shrinkable medium voltage cable joint geometry with boundary, the normal component of the electric displacement
generated mesh (darker regions have high grid densities). D is applied as follow:
n D1 D2 0 . (6)
17th International Middle East Power Systems Conference, Mansoura University, Egypt, December 15
15-17, 2015
III. SIMULATION OF ELECTRIC FIELD AND POTENTIAL insulation, with temperature being the parameter most likely to
DISTRIBUTION OF A MV CABLE JOINT affect aging of the underground cable joint insulation. A gas-
filled void has lower permittivity and breakdown strength than
It is well recognized that the electric field distribution is
those of the original insulation cable joint
joint. PD is initiated
the dominant factor in the initiation of degradation process in
when the electric field across the cavity exceeds the gas
the insulation system [12]. Accordingly, knowledge of the
breakdown strength and an initiating electron is present [20,
electric field distribution is an important issue in MV cable
21].
joint insulation design [6] in order to compare it with the
To highlight the effect of void content, an artificial void of
maximum permissible values of field stresses according to
unit permittivity and 1 mm in diameter has been introduced in
joint insulation material. Fig. 2 shows the electric potential
the insulation zone of the cable joint under test which has been
and the electric field distribution within the cable joint using
considered in Fig.1 with the same parameters as in Table I.
octaveFEMM simulation. However, the electric potential is
Fig. 3 shows the simulation of the electric field distribution
higher on the conductor and electrode parts but decreases
decreas
inside the cable joint which contains a void . The location of
when it is closer to the grounded outer sheath of cable joint.
the void was in the middle of cable joint insulation material.
As shown from Fig. 2, the high permittivity of ferrule
Fig. 4 shows a comparison of the electric field distribution in
insulation material compared to XLPE insulation reduces the
the insulation cable joint in two cases; with and without void
electric field at that region significantly. However,
However the electric
existence. As shown from Fig. ig. 3 and 4, the void leads to the
field is higher within joint insulation (rubber) due to its lower
disturbance of the electric field distribution and the electric
dielectric constant and the electric field is lower within the
field magnitude in the cavity is higher than the surrounding
outer semiconductor layer due to its high dielectric constant.
insulation due to the lower permittivity in the void which leads
Semiconducting materials in power cables have been applied
to higher electric field in the insulation material and hence
in order to prevent PD at the interfaces between the insulation
more stresses at the location of the void which decreases the
and conductor and between the insulation and external
breakdown strength of the insulation material
material. However, the
shielding layer, as well as to moderate the electrical stress in
electric field is lowest on the void surface areas closest to the
the insulation layer. They provide a uniform electric field
electrodes; the charge is concentrate
concentrated there because the
around the cable insulation by reducing the potential gradient
applied field is almost perpendicular to the void surface When
over the surface of the stranded conductors and prevent corona
the maximum stress at the void exceeds certain level, the
discharge at the surface of the stranded conductors and the
electron avalanche during a discharge event occurs which can
insulation by maintaining close contact between the inner and
be considered as the main component of the PD event wh which
outer surface of the insulation. They also provide protection
can lead to insulation breakdown [20 20-22]. Hence, the analysis
during short circuit against damages caused by the heating of
of stress values inside the cable joint insulation with and
the conductor.
without void in necessary from both PD study and life of the
IV. EFFECT OF VOID IN THE CABLE JOINT INSULATION cable points of view.
The maximum electric field inside the void can be
It is known that the aging of electrical components are
changed according to the size and location of the void inside
often contribute to the failure due to the presence of
the insulation cable joint [21]. When the size of the void is
degradation stresses such as electrical, thermal, mechanical changed, there will be a change in the electric field values at
and environmental stresses [19].. The combination of the the void location. This change is shown in Fig. 5 due to
stresses can lead to formation of gas filled
illed voids in the
(a) Electric field (b) Potential distribution (a) Electric field distribution (b) Zoom at void location
Fig.. 2 OctaveFEMM simulation of a 22 kV XLPE cable joint. Fig. 3 OctaveFEMM simulation of a cable joint contain
containing void of 1 mm in
diameter located at joint insulation layer
layer.
17th International Middle East Power Systems Conference, Mansoura University, Egypt, December 15-17, 2015
Fig. 4 Comparison of the electric field distribution inside the cable joint Fig. 6. The electric field magnitude at the void center versus void diameter dv.
with and without void content.
value of breakdown field for both cavity positions and
variable diameters of cavities but at the same location in the diameters. However, similar results with our tool can be
middle of cable joint insulation. Fig. 6 shows the electric field obtained when changing the location and size of an elliptic
magnitude at the void center as a function of spherical void void inside cable joint insulation.
diameter located at the center of insulation cable joint. It is
clear that, increasing the void diameter reduces slightly the IV. EFFECT OF MATERIAL PERMITTIVITY ON THE ELECTRIC
electric field magnitude due to the increasing influence of the FIELD
conductor, which reduces the field at void surface. There is a In general, the change in the permittivity of certain
corresponding reduction in the electric field near the void material in the cable joint affects the electric field magnitude
dielectric boundary, because the charge density is reduced due in the neighboring regions of the material, as in (6). Fig. 8
to the proximity of the conductor. Additionally, we can shows the electric field magnitude across the MV cable joint
observe from Fig. 6 that the higher the field intensity in the with different values of relative permittivity of different
dielectric the smaller the size of the void may be for a insulation layers. In Fig. 8a, it can be seen that the electric
discharge free operation of the cable [21]. However, our tool field magnitude in the stress control tubing (HPW) becomes
provides and efficient way to study all those parameters higher when the decreasing the relative permittivity of the
without either the expense of multiphysics codes or the effort stress control tubing with increasing in the electric field
required for the complicated analytical ` magnitude in the ferrule insulation, joint insulation (rubber)
Fig. 7 shows the electric field distribution of a 1 mm and conductor outer layer. In Fig. 8b, when the relative
diameter spherical void, as a function of void center location permittivity of the joint insulation (rubber) is decreased, the
within the insulation cable joint. The closer the void to the electric field magnitude in ferrule insulation, stress Control
conductor the higher the electric field magnitude in the void, tubing and conductor outer layer decreases but increases in the
which emphasizes the importance of the void position inside joint insulation (rubber). In Fig. 8c, the change in the relative
the cable joint insulation. If the embedded gas in the void is permittivity of conductor outer layer does not affect the
mainly air at atmospheric pressure (which obviously could be electric field magnitude in the ferrule insulation, cable joint
affected by a temperature gradient), the critical field necessary (rubber) and stress control tubing except at the conductor outer
to the apparition of the PD in the void is supposed to be about layer. These results show that relative permittivity plays a
3 kV/mm (dielectric strength of air) [23]. The graphical significant role in electric field distribution within the medium
representations from Figs. 6 and 7 show that the electric field voltage (MV) cable joint. Therefore we can control the electric
sharply increase inside the void and may exceed this critical field inside cable joint and consequently their design.
Fig. 5 Electric field distribution in the insulation material of a cable Fig. 7 Electric field distribution for different location of void inside
joint for different cavity diameters. cable joint insulation (rubber).
17th International Middle East Power Systems Conference, Mansoura University, Egypt, December 15-17, 2015
operation. The electrostatic simulation showed a map of the
electric field strength within MV cable joint insulation. The
simulated results were strongly agreed with that obtained with
commercial multiphysics software through literature review.
However, the insights obtained from simulation reveal the
cause for the evolution of parameters in a way that no existing
instrumentation could. Furthermore, the simulation also allows
one to examine a wide range of parameters in medium voltage
cable joint; material characteristics, manufacturing defects and
field distribution that would require much more time and
expense to investigate experimentally.
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