Proceedings of the 14th International Middle East Power Systems Conference (MEPCON10), Cairo University, Egypt, December 19-21,

2010, Paper ID 128.

Investigation of Partial Discharge Measurement for HV Cable System with Variable Frequency
A.ELFaraskoury *, F.Tahoun, M. Awad
Egyptian Electricity Holding Company Extra High Voltage Research Centre* Cairo, Egypt a.elfaraskoury @yahoo.com

O.E.Gouda
Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University Cairo, Egypt d_gouda@yahoo.com II. CHARACTERISTICS OF VARIABLE FREQUENCY TEST SYSTEMS The tests are carried by the support of Extra High Voltage Research Center, Egyptian Electricity Holding Company, Cairo, Egypt. Resonance is achieved by tuning the frequency of the converter unit to the natural frequency (f) of the oscillating circuit formed by the reactor (L) and the cable under test (C). The test voltage is pure sine-shaped in the case of series resonant circuit. Its frequency depends on the load capacitance according to the equation:

Abstract The main principle of the insulation coordination and HV testing is that the test voltage simulates the stresses which occur during the operation of the HV apparatus. High voltage tests should provide the information for decision whether a defect in the insulation is dangerous or not for the later operation. That means the failure mechanism (caused by the kind of internal cavity defect and kind of the voltage stress) during the HV test and the later operation should follow the same physical process. To accelerate this process, the test voltage is usually higher than the corresponding stress during operation.This paper is an over view covering best practices for cable testing using variable frequency test system (20-300Hz) and applying predictive diagnostic programs to aging cable systems. It contains also the results of many tests carried out on XLPE cable systems, withstand voltage test is completed with partial discharge (PD) measurements.
Index Terms - High voltage cables - Variable frequencyPartial discharge- Cross bonding links- High frequency current transformers.

f =

(2
C L

1 LC

(1)

The frequency increases by decreasing the load capacitance, the test current and the (reactive) test power are given by

I =V
I. INTRODUCTION The variable frequency test system is used to improve cables performance by using up to date technology for On-site withstand tests of power cable systems. The tests are mainly performed to check the quality of the accessories and their assembling. Damages of the cable during lying can be detected too by using the frequency tuned resonant test systems. The withstand test may be combined with PD measurements check the performance of cable systems according to IEC standards. High voltage tests should provide the information for decision whether a defect in the insulation is dangerous or not for the later operation [1-4]. The most important stress of a XLPE cable in service is the stress with the operational alternating voltage. If an on-site test is completed with a partial discharge (PD) measurement, all the experience of the various tests can be transferred to the various factory tests to improve the high voltage cable performance.

(2)

P =V 2

C L

, with V= test voltage

(3)

For the constant inductance L, the minimum resonant frequency fmin is at the maximum load capacitance Cmax.. In addition to the test voltage V, the maximum load capacitance Cmax and the acceptable frequency range fmin to fmax is a decisive design criteria for the fixed HV reactor of variable frequency test system:

L=

(2 f min )2 C max

(4)

I max = V 2 f min C max

(5)

112

Pmax = V 2 2 f min C max

(6)

The test system block diagram in parallel operation mode is given in Figure (1).

The maximum reactive test power Pmax decreases with decreasing fmin [1]. The IEC 60840 /2004 and IEC 62067/2006 [2, 3] recommends a frequency range from 20 to 300 Hz, corresponding to

f max = 15 f min

(7)

The relation between maximum and minimum load is according to equation (4)

(8)

and the characterizes the very wide range of testable cable lengths. The quality factor (q) of a resonant test system is the ratio between test power P and required feeding power PS q = p / ps (9) Fig.1 Block diagram of test system in parallel operation mode of HV reactors. The resonant circuit must have both capacitance and inductance when the resonance occurs, the energy absorbed at any instant by one reactive element within the system. The control of test system searches for the resonant frequency automatically and the HV test is carried out at this frequency as shown in Figure (2). The voltage applied for 1 h, either with a voltage according the Table I, depending on practical operational conditions.

In this work the withstand voltage tests and PD measurements are carried out on the cable system by a variable frequency test system (20Hz-300Hz) with 4.8 F maximum test capacitance, which corresponds to cable length of 16.4 Km at a cable capacitance of 0.26 F/Km at 220 kV XLPE cables and with a cable length of 24.3 Km at a cable capacitance of 0.32 F/Km. The tests are mainly performed to check the quality of the accessories and their assembling. Damages of the cable during lying can be detected too by using the frequency tuned resonant test systems. The withstand test may be combined with PD measurements to check the performance of cable systems according to IEC. The test system can also be designed in advance for use as two independently running systems with single reactor which also can be operated in series or parallel. Such system is available in Extra High Voltage Research Centre Laboratory. The on-site testing of cables has to check the insulation condition after-laying and assembly of cable system, as well as ageing of cables and accessories, since the performance of the cables and accessories was tested during the type and routine tests in the factory. The after laying test of new cables fills the quality assurance gap between the type and routine tests of the cable at the manufactures site and the commissioning of the complete cable system on-site. During the assembly or repair of a cable system, defects of the cable sheath and misassembled of joints and terminations can occur [4].

113

Fig.2 withstand voltage of 220 kV XLPE cable after resonant frequency automatically. TABLE I STANDARDS AC VOLTAGE TESTS FOR AFTER INSTALLATION OF EXTRUDED HV CABLES

Fig.3 Breakdown during withstand voltage for 66 kV cable after 00:31:55 with 27.05 Hz

III. TEST ARRANGEMENT A. WITHSTAND VOLTAGE TESTS The tests have been carried out on-site according to IEC for HV cables according to Table I, the test cable have different lengths to determine the faulty joints and cable defects sample of these are defects shown in Figures (3, 4, and 5). The results of the on-site withstand testing of 66/220 kV XLPE cables by the use frequency tuned resonant test system (20- 300 Hz) are in use since early 2007. To date more than 16 circuits and about 113 km long can be tested by withstand voltage test with duration of 1 hour and eight faults during test , three joints , one termination as shown in Figure (6). Sources of partial discharges in extruded cables include breakdowns in voids, cavities, along an interface between an energized electrode and floating conductor, in an electrical tree etc. It is known, that HV power cables failure can occur as a result of the normally applied operational voltage or during a transient voltage lightning or switching surges. The failure can occur if localized electrical stresses are greater than the dielectric materials in the area of localized stress or the bulk dielectric material degrades to the point where it cannot withstand the applied voltage. Fig.4 Breakdown during withstand voltage for 66 kV cable after 00:47:40 with 26.94 Hz

Fig.5 Breakdown during withstand voltage for 220 kV cable after 8 second with 42.8 Hz

114

sensor do not disrupt the normal configuration of the accessories and cable part. As the total cable line is energised, a PD test must be carried out simultaneously at all accessories per phase. This requirement leaded to the development of a new synchronous multi channel PD measurement system. Selective PD measurements need a potential free connection from the accessories to storage and visualisation unit, these achieved using optical fibres.

Fig.6 220kV cable termination failures during withstand voltage test.

B. PD MEASUREMENTS Partial discharges measuring at Cross-Bonding (CB) links by using inductive sensors are especially designed as an inductive sensor, such installation is even possible under online conditions, as the sensor is a clamp-on type high frequency current transformer sensor (HFCT) that can be opened and clamped around a cross-bonding link cable. Figure (7) shows the installed HFCT inside a cross-bonding links, also used PD gating unit MPD540 for gating purposes in order to provide the possibility to filter certain external background noise. Also HFCT sensor will be connected around the core of each phase of the cable as shown in the Figure (8) to measure both phase-to-phase and phase-to-earth PD activity in the cable and termination. The calibrated HFCT sensor uses inductive coupling to detect PD pulses flowing between phases and earth, converter the high frequency current pulses from the discharges into high frequency voltage pulses on the PD test unit. The PD sensitivity using HFCT the central measuring frequency is recommended to lie between 2 MHz and 10 MHz in a flat zone of the frequency spectrum. The spectrum is obtained from FFT of calibration PD pulses. Furthermore, the measuring frequency must be set in order to obtain the greatest possible PD signal/noise ratio. In addition, an ''on-site performance check" must be carried for the selected measuring frequency before the PD measurement starts [5]. PD sensors work based on detection of high frequency current pulses that occur during PD in the cable system. The PD pulses occur in very short time, the width and rise time of the pulses are in the nanosecond region. Consequently, PD pulses with energy frequency up to hundred MHZ are generated [6]. These PD pulses with travel through the cable earth conductor and finally can be recorded by the sensors. These types of sensor mostly used in practice due to the advantage that these Fig.7 Cross-Bonding links with mounted three HFCT for 220 kV (PD Sensors) PD sensors work based on detection of high frequency current pulses that occur during PD in the cable system. The PD pulses occur in very short time, the width and rise time of the pulses are in the nanoseconds region. Consequently, PD pulses with energy frequency up to hundred MHz are generated These PD pulses will travel through the cable earth conductor and finally can be recorded by the sensors. For unconventional PD detection, internal and external capacitive and inductive sensor can be used. Internal inductive sensors can be placed in the cable accessories without disturbing the cable insulation because they placed on the top of earth screen of cable. However, this type of sensors has to be already installed in manufacture of the cable accessories [7].

Fig.8 Measurement set-up for PD detection using HFCT For 66 kV 115

connection, to minimize cross-talk between the three phases and to clearly distinguish between the three joint of one group. By using a computer which already installed with PD software connected to the spectrum PD analyser. The amplitude and number of PD pulses as a function of phase cable performed and this pattern will be useful to recognize the type of defect in the cable system. However, calibration on this PD detection method cannot be applied as in conventional PD detection which described in the IEC 60270 standard [9] due to several reasons related with high frequency behaviour of the sensors and the type and routing of the measurement cables [10]. The results of rechecking frequency dependency on damping and phase to phase cross-talk are shown in Figure (10), led to choice of 1 MHz mid frequency for PD measurements to have approximately equal sensitivities for all joints. For higher measurement frequencies, under or over estimation of PD level of different phases is probable. Lower measurement frequencies would cause the disadvantages of lower cable damping, resulting in higher external interference from both ends of the cable link. The results of the on-site PD measurements with the alternating voltage of variable frequency have been performed in conjunction with test at cross-bonding links using HFCT sensors reported the discharge activity ranged from 7 to 500 pC. The variation of noise level which is experienced during all measurements resulting in higher external interference from ends of the cable, also corona effect caused by floating parts close to high voltage at the cables termination.

Fig.9 Block diagram of an acquisition unit MPD 540 The PD signals are filtered, amplified and digitized. Having an amplitude quantization of 14 bit and a sampling rate of 64 MS/s, the time accuracy of detection of a PD signal is at about 2ns. The quasi-integration is realized by a digital band - pass filter. The center frequency for digital filter can be chosen in a frequency range from DC up to 20 MHz, the bandwidth between 9 KHz and 3 KHz, respectively. Hence an optimal frequency band can be chosen to avoid disturbances and to reach a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) even under noisy conditions on site. Furthermore, the test voltage signal is digitized in acquisition unit to document the test voltage during the PD measurement as shown in figure (9) [8]. C. TEST SET-UP FOR PD MEASUREMENTS The test set-up for on-site PD measurements should be corona free. Therefore, corona protection spheres and metallic pipes of suited diameter have to be used. Sufficient clearance from HV connections to any part of the construction should prevent PD from earthed potential free components.

IV. TEST RESULTS AND EXPERIENCE The tests have been carried out on-site according to IEC for 66/220 kV cables at 2 U0 for 66 kV and 1.7 U0 for 220 kV having different lengths to determine the faulty joints and cable defects as shown in Table I. Therefore, the XLPE cable insulation was subjected to AC tests after assembling and at the same time partial discharge measurements were done on all accessories simultaneously for three-phase PD measurement on the relevant joint box would be possible, also the cross-bonding can be changed to straight-through

Fig. 10 PD measurement relation frequency

116

The on-site PD measuring level for cable system doesnt limit in the standards but depends primarily on the experience of those involved in the measurements, and the experience learned how to the diagnostics of the PD limit. We always ask this question from the manufacturers and owner customers, What is the safe level for PD activity in the cable systems? The answer to this can only be, there is no safe level for internal PD in the cable systems, all internal discharges will be damaging. The PD Guide line level given below for the on-line PD testing condition assessment of polymeric-insulated XLPE cables, cable accessories and cable sealing ends of operation voltages from 66 kV up to 400 kV as shown in Table II [11].

Table II PD LEVEL FOR ON-LINE MEASUREMENTS FOR OPERATION VOLTAGE FROM 66 kV UP TO 400 kV Fig.11 PD measurements results on circuit 1

Most polymer based insulation now has standards which set by IEC guidelines (at least in the factory/type test) to have a PD level of better than 10pC. It is difficult to see that properly installed plant which is discharging less than this level is going to fail by insulation failure. All other failure modes can be sorted with maintenance programs and hence the aim should be to run any new system discharge-free (this can be tested at commissioning stage to provide a base-line, at installation PD level). The results of on-site PD measurements on this paper compare between two 220 kV XLPE cable system have 8Km length and 14 cross bonding box as shown in Figures (11, 12), the PD magnitudes in pico-Coulombs versus the cable length. PD activity of up to pC can be observed at the discharging joint. It can also noted from Figures (13, 14) that there are some PD event originating in the termination at the remote end of the cable, in this way, PD pattern allows a view of the PD activity on the cable in a non-destructive.

Fig.12 PD measurements results on circuit 2

117

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors would like to express his great thanks to the staff of the Extra High Voltage Research Centre for providing their facilities during this work. REFERENCES

Fig.13 Example of PD measurement pattern some noise and corona

[1] S. Schierig, D. Russwurm, HV On-site Testing on Cable by Alternating Voltage of Variable Frequency, IEEE Insulated Conductors Committee (ICC), October 2000. [2] IEC Publ. 60840, 3rd ed., Power Cables with Extruded Insulation and their Accessories for Rated Voltages above 30 kV (Um =36 kV) up to 150 kV (Um=170 kV) Test Methods and requirements, 2004-4. [3] IEC Publ.62067 Power cables with extruded insulation and their accessories for rated voltages above 150 kV (Um = 170 kV) up to 500 kV (Um =550 kV) - Test methods and requirements, 2006-1. [4] M. Awad, F.Tahoun, A.ELFaraskoury and O.Gouda On-site Commissioning Test and Diagnostics of 220kV XLPE Cable System, CIGRE, B1.304, 2010. [5] F.Garnacho, I.Trasmonte et al., On-site measurements experiences in insulation condition for medium and high voltage cables, CIGRE, D1201, 2008. [6] S. M.eijer, R.A.Jongen, et al, On-site VHF Partial Discharge Detection on Power Cable Accessories,Proceedings Jicable, 2007. [7] Jarot Setyawan Investigation of Partial Discharge Occurrence AND Detectability in High Voltage Power Cable Accessories TU DELFTNOV.2009. [8] K.Rethmeier, P.Mohaupt, et al, New Studies on PD Measurements on MV Cable Systems at 50Hz and Sinusoidal 0.1 Hz (VLF) Test Voltage CIRED- May 2007. [9] IEC Publ. 60270 High voltage test techniques- partial discharge measurements 2000-12. [10]S. M.eijer, R.C.Ladde, R.A.Jongen, et al, Sensitivity Verification Procedure of VHF PD Detection Systems,Proceedings Jicable, 2007. [11]HVPD Technical Guide for PD Levels in MV and HV Cables and JointsManchester, UK- May2009.

Fig.14 Example of PD measurement pattern with same corona due to floating electrode

V. CONCLUSION
The experience of testing with variable frequency, and several other laboratory tests on aged cables show the advantage of testing cable with frequencies in the range of 20-300Hz. onsite withstand test of 66/220 kV XLPE cables with variable frequency test systems combined with un-conventional PD detection is performed by using HFCT sensors after installation of HV cable system reduces the risk from the service, also after repair the joint reassembling was done exactly in the same place given good results. Nevertheless, besides all routine and type tests before installation and the use of prefabricated and pretested accessories with conventional PD detection.

118