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On-site PD measurements on HV cables have to concentrate on the cable accessories because there is
a remaining risk for assembling faults on site. PD sensors with an appropriate coupling behavior to
accessory-internal PD give sensitivities of a few pC or even better. Unfortunately, two main reasons
prevent the general use of PD sensors in cable accessories. First of all, the costs for PD sensors have to
be balanced with the costs of the accessories, importance of the cable link, consequential costs for
outages etc. This is the reason why PD sensors were mainly used for EHV cable systems. The second
reason is limited accessibility: the PD sensor cable at the accessory has to be connected to a PD
detection unit. Accessibility is much more difficult for direct buried cable systems than for cable
terminations and for tunnel-laid cable systems: the sensor cable must pass the ground and end up in a
box on the surface to provide access. This solution causes additional costs and new problems like
sealing the sensor cable against humidity, capability to withstand sheath testing etc. By looking for
alternative access to PD signals from cable joints of long cable systems, a very simple solution proved
suitable: detecting PD at the cross-bonding links. To investigate the high frequency propagation of PD
pulses in cross-bonding links, computer simulations and laboratory measurements were done. On-site
PD measurements at cross-bonding links of a 220-kV-XLPE cable system showed unexpected high
sensitivity. Using HF transformers for PD coupling and appropriate signal processing led to PD
sensitivities of a few pC or even better. The use of cross-bonding links for on-site PD measurements is
suited for direct buried systems, has no impact on the cable system, needs no PD sensors in the cable
joints, offers a low-cost solution and so opens a wider range of applications in cable testing.
1. INTRODUCTION
After installation testing of HV and EHV cable systems is actually carried out by AC voltage tests
according to IEC 60840 and IEC 62067, respectively. These standards offer alternatives for the AC
Due to the fact, that the most part of possible defects in cable systems will cause partial discharges
(PD) in accessories after installation under AC stress, combined AC resonance testing and sensitive
PD measurements will result in best test efficiency [1]. AC test systems provide free adjustable test
voltage levels, so sensitive PD measurements would discover defects at lowest possible voltage level,
resulting in minimized risk for breakdown during testing. Nevertheless, a Uo/24 h-testing benefits
from sensitive PD measurements, too.
In practice, sensitive PD-measurements on long HV cable lengths can only be realized if either PD
sensors have been installed inside the accessories (as in many new installed EHV cable systems) or
sensitive PD decoupling is possible at joints or in cross-bonding links, if existing. The latter possibility
would be of advantage for technical and economical reasons for both, new installed cable systems and
especially cable systems already in service.
HV cable lengths are already routine tested at the manufacturer, including high-sensitive PD
measurements in screened laboratories. The components of prefabricated accessories are also pre-
tested, but there is a remaining risk for assembling faults on site. Consequently, on-site PD
measurements have to concentrate on the cable accessories.
To achieve high sensitivity for on-site PD measurements on long cable lengths, conventional PD
detection at the cable end is clearly not the best way. The sensitivity for PD detection at the cable end
depends strongly on the length of the cable system and will give acceptable results only for cable
lengths up to 1 or max. 2 km. This method is very sensitive to external disturbances, but not to PD
from defect sites at long distances.
The damping behavior of the cable is mainly determined by the thickness and conductivity of the
semicon layers. A strong attenuation can be found at conductivities of 1...10 S/m, which is in the range
of typical values of semicon layers of high voltage XLPE-insulated cables. Increasing semicon
thickness leads to higher attenuation [2].
In order to get maximum PD sensitivity, PD sensors installed inside joints and terminations are
recommended. HF or UHF PD sensors inside the accessories take full advantage from cable
attenuation. Noise from the end of the cable (just like PD signals) is increasingly attenuated with
propagation along the cable length. Therefore, sensor PD sensitivity on site increases with longer
distance from the end.
Small PD signals from one joint will usually not interfere with PD from the next accessories, either
because cable attenuation pushes small PD signals below noise level (UHF PD detection) or because
propagation time measurements clearly separates PD sources.
PD sensors with an appropriate coupling behavior to accessory-internal PD will give best performance
with sensitivities of a few pC or even better [3]. Experience with PD sensors was made especially on
EHV cable systems, e.g. [4].
Unfortunately, two main reasons prevent the general use of PD sensors in cable accessories. First of
all, the costs for PD sensors have to be balanced with the costs of the accessories, importance of the
cable link, consequential costs for outages etc. This is the reason why PD sensors were mainly used
for EHV cable systems. The second reason is limited accessibility: the PD sensor cable at the
accessory has to be connected to a PD detection unit. Accessibility is very easy to achieve for cable
terminations as well as for tunnel-laid cable systems. However, for direct buried cable systems it is
difficult: the sensor cable must pass the ground and end up in a box on the surface to provide access.
This solution causes additional costs and eventually new problems like sealing the sensor cable against
humidity, capability to withstand sheath testing etc.
By looking for alternative access to PD signals from cable joints of long cable systems, a very simple
solution proved suitable: decoupling PD at the cross-bonding link-boxes.
Long HV and EHV cable systems are usually designed as cross-bonding systems to minimize screen
losses and to limit voltage rise. Using cross-bonding links for on-site PD measurements is suited for
direct buried systems, has no impact on the cable system, needs no PD sensors integrated in the cable
joints, offers a low-cost solution and so opens a wider range of applications [5], [6] in cable testing
after installation as well as on service-aged or repaired cable systems.
To analyze the possibility of decoupling PD-pulses in cross-bonding links computer simulations were
done. In addition, for laboratory measurements, different test set-ups were developed to investigate the
high frequency propagation of PD-Pulses in cross-bonding links.
In a first basic approach a LV test set-up using 50 Ω coaxial measuring cables was built up. The CB-
joints were realized by ohmic resistors to simulate the discontinuity of the wave impedance for
propagating impulses. The interrupted cable sheath has been cross-bonded with the corresponding
sheath of the other phases in a separate cross-bonding box. In the cross-bonding wires of the joint, the
PD-signals injected by a calibrator in one phase of the cable model could be detected and allocated to
its origin (Fig. 2). To improve the validity of the LV model, especially respecting the attenuation of
the semicon layers, the 50 Ω cables were substituted by MV cables with laminated sheath. As a result
the cross talking effects of the cables laid parallel on the ground were minimized. The main measuring
results concerning the propagation of PD impulses could be confirmed.
Finally, a HV test set-up (Fig. 3) was constructed using similar components as applied in a 220-kV-
cable project in Cairo. Especially the CB joints and the coaxial cross-bonding wires were structurally
identical to achieve the most possible consistency with the expected on-site conditions. To enforce PD
signals, one joint was mounted with an artificial PD defect. Also a new multi-channel PD-measuring
device mpd520 was integrated for calibration matters [4]. A PD measurement was performed
successfully. However, the exact calibration was highly frequency dependent and mainly influenced
by the set-up (Fig. 4). According to this it was decided to repeat the calibration for the Cairo cable
project on site.
250 5
M1 k
200 4
M2 k
M 2 /M 1
Relationship M2/M1
150 3
Q [pC]
100 2
50 1
0 0
1 ,5 2 ,5 3 ,5 4 ,5 5 ,5 6 ,5 7 ,5 8 ,5
f [M H z ]
Fig. 3: Test set-up in high-voltage laboratory Fig. 4: Frequency dependency of cal. impulses
measured at the cross-bonding box in the lab
4. ON-SITE INVESTIGATIONS
Transition joints are used to extend existing oil-paper-insulated cable systems with new XLPE-
insulated cables. PD impulse attenuation of oil-filled cables is several times higher than that of XLPE
cables, so PD testing from the (XLPE) cable end can be very difficult, even for shorter (XLPE) cable
lengths. For sheath corrosion testing, transition joints usually provide external screen connections,
which are very useful for PD detection. Furthermore, PD signal propagation through transition joints
causes not any crosstalk effects, like in cross-bonding links, making evaluation easier. Fig. 5 shows
the frequency response of an insulating joint, which is very similar to the signal transmission behavior
of the transition joint.
0
-10
Attenuation [dB]
-30
-40
1,0E+05 1,0E+06 1,0E+07 1,0E+08
Frequency [Hz]
At 4 MHz centre frequency, the attenuation was 25 dB/km. Fig. 7 shows the PD finger prints of the
first joint groups (M18, close to substation) of both three-phase cable systems (no. 907 and 908)
obtained at on-line operation (both sides connected, load condition). The similarity of the PD
fingerprints and the detected PD levels were caused by similar PD sources. By comparison of PD
propagation time and impulse attenuation depending on the switching state (single or both sides
connected) it was possible to clearly identify the nearby substation as the source of detected PD. When
the far-distance substation energized the cable system, only noise of a few pC was detected due to
strong attenuation of any external interference.
To minimize network interference, one substation was disconnected from the cable system under test,
leaving the second system still in service. Corona protection spheres were mounted on the top of the
outdoor terminations to avoid PD on the bushing bolts.
2000-pC-calibration impulses for re-checking the frequency behavior were injected at the outdoor
terminations. Figure 10 shows the test set-up for this case. The result of re-checking frequency
dependency on damping is shown in fig. 11, respectively.
-5
D [dB]
-10
-15
S1 J8 L1
S1 J8 L2
-20 S1 J8 L3
-25
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Frequency [MHz]
Fig. 10: Test set-up for re-checking frequency Fig. 11: PD attenuation and phase-to-phase cross-
behavior on site talk relations vs. frequency (test set-up fig. 10)
Results from figure 11 (on site) delivered high PD sensitivity, which was not expected from the results
of the test set-up in the high-voltage laboratory (see Fig. 4). The results of phase-to-phase cross-talk
led to the choice of 4 MHz mid-frequency for PD measurements to have approximately equal
sensitivities for all three joints within one joint group. For higher measurement frequencies, under- or
over-estimation of PD levels of different phases is probable. Lower measurement frequencies would
cause the disadvantage of lower cable damping, resulting in higher external interference from both
ends of the cable link.
The results of the on-site PD measurements are shown in figure 12. By the use of the synchronized
multi-terminal measurement system it is possible to clearly distinguish between external disturbances
and possible PD from the accessories. Due to that signal separation it was proved that all joints
showed no PD higher than the base noise level of a few pC.
100
Base Noise Level
90
PD in Joint Group
80
70
Corona from El Bassatin (4MHz)
50
40
30
20
10
PD from El Sirra (1.7MHz)
0
Corona from El Bassatin (4MHz)
8 (CB) PD in Joint Group
7 (CB)
6 (E)
5 (CB) Base Noise Level
4 (CB)
3 (E)
Joint Group 2 (CB)
1 (CB)
5. CONCLUSIONS
The cross-bonding link-box is usually accessible also in case of direct-buried cable systems. The use
of inductive sensors is possible without any interference and therefore has no impact to the cable
system.
6. REFERENCES