210 Interfaces in Accessories For Extruded HV and EHV Cables
210 Interfaces in Accessories For Extruded HV and EHV Cables
210 Interfaces in Accessories For Extruded HV and EHV Cables
August 2002
INTERFACES IN ACCESSORIES FOR
EXTRUDED HV AND EHV CABLES
Prepared by
MEMBERS:
H. Geene (SC21 Netherlands) – Convener
R. Ross (SC15 Netherlands) – Secretary
J. Cardinaels (SC21 Belgium), F. Gahungu (SC21 France), D. Kunze (SC21 Germany),
M. Nagao (SC15 Japan), F. Ombello (SC21 Italy), W. Strassberger (SC15 Germany)
Corresponding Members:
T.R. Blackburn (SC15 Australia), J. Densley (SC15 Canada), J.-T. Kim (SC21 Korea)
Copyright © 2002
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Interfaces in accessories
for extruded HV and EHV cables
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Terms of reference of JTF 21/15
1.2 Interfaces to be studied
1.3 Materials involved
2. INTERFACE PARAMETERS
2.1 Smoothness of the surfaces
2.2 Contact pressure
2.3 Lubricant
2.4 Electric field distribution
2.5 Temperature and temperature changes
2.6 Quality of accessory installation
4. TESTING
6. LITERATURE LIST
Interfaces in accessories for extruded HV and EHV cables
Members: H. Geene (SC21 Netherlands) - Convener, R. Ross (SC15 Netherlands) –
Secretary, J. Cardinaels (SC21 Belgium), F. Gahungu (SC21 France), D. Kunze (SC21
Germany), M. Nagao (SC15 Japan), F. Ombello (SC21 Italy), W. Strassberger (SC15
Germany)
Corresponding Members: T.R. Blackburn (SC15 Australia), J. Densley (SC15 Canada), J.-T.
Kim (SC21 Korea)
1 INTRODUCTION
Although interfaces in joints and terminations of extruded HV cables have been identified as
crucial parts, some of the mechanisms related to ageing are not well understood. For this
reason, a task force has been established to study the behaviour of interfaces in accessories
for HV and EHV extruded cables. The scope is limited to non-bonded interfaces between
solid insulating materials, but includes the applied lubricants.
The Joint task force 21/15 (JTF21/15) is installed by Study Committee SC21 (Insulated
Cables) and SC15 (Materials) and is called ‘Interfaces in accessories for extruded HV and
EHV cables’. The members of the task force are cable systems and/or materials experts.
Within CIGRE, interfaces are also subject of study for WG15.10. This working group is
concentrating on the material aspects of interfaces and has developed and selected interface
models for laboratory testing.
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1.2 Interfaces to be studied
The interfaces to be studied are those in accessories for extruded HV and EHV cables
between solid insulating materials. Although the cable is an essential part of the accessory, it
will not always be explicitly mentioned.
c)
1.3 Materials involved
The general term EPR is used as an abbreviation for Ethylene Propylene Rubber (see
Table 1). EPR divides into two kinds of polyolefin polymers: EPM and EPDM. EPM
represents an Ethylene Propylene copolymer while EPDM denotes a terpolymer based on
three monomers: Ethylene, Propylene and a non-conjugated Diene. Both grades EPM and
EPDM are suitable for peroxide cross-linking while only EPDM allows sulphur cross-linking.
Mixing of EPR with other components leads to the final EPR compounds for power cables
and accessories applications.
Various types of Epoxy and fillers are used for electrical applications. Among them a typical
resin system is solid Bisphenol A type [2,2-Bis-(-4-hydroxyphenyl)-propane)] epoxy resin.
Technical production of oligomeric epoxy resins involves reaction of Bisphenol A with
Epichlorhydrin to give a reactive intermediate. These reactive epoxy resin intermediates are
the basis, which is polymerized (polyaddition) with so called hardeners. Hardeners could be
either solid powdery acid anhydrides or aliphatic polyamines resp. polyamidoamines.
Cycloaliphatic epoxy resins are cured normally with acid anhydrides. Aminic systems can be
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hardened at room temperature or below 80°C, while acidic systems need temperatures over
80°C for hardening. Results are the various Epoxies, which are classified as duroplastics.
Lubricants are widely used as slip-on materials to ease the installation of cable accessories.
Silicone greases as well as silicone fluids can be used with either SiR or EPR accessories.
Other materials are greases based on fluorinated polymers or polyethylene glycol modified
greases. Generally speaking, grease is formulated from a liquid basis polymer and a
thickener, mostly silica flour and some additives. In contrast to grease e.g. silicone fluid is a
pure silicone polymer. Regarding installation and the interface, the degree and speed of
migration of the paste into the insulating material are of interest. In the case of a pure fluid,
the interface may get dry after a certain period of time, while, for greases, the thickener may
remain in the interface after the fluid migrates [5].
*) Q indicates rubbers with poly-siloxane-groups in the main chain, e.g. MVQ = Methyl-Vinyl-
Poly-Siloxane
**) M indicates rubbers with saturated poly-methylene main chain; R indicates rubbers with
unsaturated poly-carbon main chain. Note: this deviates from the wide spread use to indicate
rubbers in general by R.
2 INTERFACE PARAMETERS
Interfaces are characterized by the initial or short-term breakdown strength and long-term
ageing properties. In section 3 the ageing phenomena will be discussed while in this section
the focus will be on the initial breakdown strength.
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The electrical withstand strength of interfaces is influenced by a combination of several
parameters. In the design of interfaces the following parameters should be taken into
account:
1. smoothness of the surfaces
2. contact pressure on the interface
3. type of lubricant in the interface
4. electrical field distribution in the interface
5. temperature and temperature changes
6. quality of accessory installation
Most of the parameters mentioned interact with each other. In the following paragraphs, the
parameters will be discussed separately.
A partial discharge in a cavity in insulating materials occurs at roughly the same or higher
inception voltage as between equally spaced metal electrodes [2]. The inception voltage
between metal electrodes for a certain gas is given by the Paschen curve. According to this
curve, the breakdown stress of a gap depends on the gap distance, type of gas and pressure in
the gap. At fixed pressure, the Paschen curve indicates higher breakdown stresses for smaller
gaps. In line with the diagram in fig. 3 the smaller the cavities, the higher the stresses at which
partial discharges incept.
Interfaces without microscopic cavities do not exist, and surface scratches in the order of a
few microns are inevitable. In order to avoid partial discharges arising form these scratches,
the size of cavities should be limited to a few microns (depending on the electrical stress).
Therefore an accurate adaptation of the insulating surfaces in the interface is needed. This
can be achieved by smoothing of the insulation surfaces.
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here that the pressure in the interface and the adaptability of the insulating materials determine
the sensitivity to surface irregularities.
As described in paragraph 2.1, the sensitivity of the interface to irregularities depends on the
interface pressure (figure 4). High interface pressures minimize the size of micro cavities in the
interface. In practice, two different methods to achieve the required interface pressure have
proven to be suitable:
XLPE
E
SIR
type terminations, pushing a rubber
2.3. Lubricant
Lubricants are basically used to relieve the friction between rubber parts and the other insulating
materials during installation. Silicone
fluids and greases are commonly 99
used for this application. % E = 9,1 kV/mm 0
80 slope b = 9,8
5,9
However it is not recommended to 20
s lo p e b = 5 ,9
less dry interface, possibly leaving air without lubricant with lubricant
gaps behind.
1
The migration rate of the lubricant 5 10 15 20 25 kV/mm 40
depends on: breakdown strength E
• type of lubricant
• type of insulating materials
• contact pressure Figure 5: effect of lubricant oil on the breakdown strength of a
• temperature typical XLPE-SIR interface [ 3]
Another issue regarding lubricants is the presence of air bubbles trapped in the interface during
installation. In particular greases with a high viscosity are more likely to enclose air bubbles. The
design of the accessory or the applied installation method should prevent the formation of air
bubbles.
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2.4. Electrical field distribution
High temperatures in cable and accessories can lead to deformations of the cable insulation.
During the cooling down period of cable and accessories thermal shrinkage of materials will
occur. This may result in pressure changes at the interface and should be properly taken into
account during accessory design.
The installation of accessories is considered as the most critical step in realizing a cable system.
In particular, the interfaces are influenced by the installation, since in most cases the cable
insulation is prepared on site. The insulation surface must be prepared most carefully.
Installation instructions must clearly indicate the cable preparation, including the smoothing
technique and/or the required smoothness. During installation, also the positioning of
components is of utmost importance. The installation procedure and instructions, including the
drawings, must be clear and unambiguous.
During the installation the following aspects should be taken into account:
• final cable diameter and roundness
• straightness of the cable
• smooth and regular insulation surface
• smooth and regular transition from insulation screen to cable insulation
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• correct positioning of accessory parts
• dryness and cleanliness
It is essential that the jointers shall be well trained, to provide the necessary skills.
The ageing of interfaces can be considered as a change in one or more of the parameters
mentioned above, leading to a decrease of the dielectric strength of the interface. Electrical
ageing of interfaces, as a result of intrinsic electrical ageing of the applied materials, is not likely
to occur. The electrical stresses in interfaces are low compared to the withstand stresses used
for cables and accessories [ 3]. More likely, mechanical and thermo-mechanical effects change
the interface parameters. Thermo-mechanical effects can cause formation of cavities and in
extreme situations even gaps between the insulating materials. It is obvious that gaps or large
voids cause partial discharging, followed by electrical treeing or tracking in the interface.
The formation of cavities and gaps in interfaces can be the result of a combination of effects,
such as:
• migration of the lubricant
• movements in the interface
• reduction of the interface pressure due to relaxation of materials
• electrical ageing of interfaces
• contamination of the interface
It is general practice to use lubricants in accessories to relieve the friction between cable and
accessory parts during installation. Already during the installation most of the lubricant is
pushed out of the interface. The remaining film of lubricant will disappear in time, due to
migration into the insulation materials. Depending on the type of lubricant and the materials
applied, the migration time can vary between hours and years. Greases composed of fluid
and solid filler can dry out (migration into the insulating materials), leaving filler behind.
Sufficient interface pressure in combination with the smoothness of the surfaces will prevent
the formation of cavities.
Interfaces have been shaped carefully in order to obtain a secure fit between the insulating
surfaces. If the insulating surfaces can move in respect to one another, due to thermal
expansion or external forces, the interface pressure can decline locally causing a weak spot and
in some extreme cases even gaps in the interface. The insulating surfaces shall be shaped in
such a way that if movements can occur, this will not lead to the formation of gaps.
Interface pressure can decrease due to deformation of the cable insulation or due to relaxation
of the rubber.
Deformation of the cable insulation can occur at high temperatures. The accessory design has
to prevent unacceptable deformation of the cable insulation.
Relaxation of the rubber can occur in those designs where the interface pressure is achieved by
expanding a rubber sleeve onto the cable insulation. To prevent critical low interface pressures,
the setting of the rubber should stabilize at a safe value. Important parameters describing the
setting of rubber are the so-called compression set and tension set.
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In the case of interface pressure applied by external means (i.e. springs), their mechanical
design has to secure a sufficient pressure level during the lifetime.
Due to the fact that partial discharge is a symptom of an insulation defect, the inception and
occurrence of partial discharges may accompany the electrical ageing of interfaces as well.
Because of the different accessory designs on the market, it is impossible to deduce a single
relationship between the magnitude of partial discharges and the remaining lifetime. However
partial discharge characteristics and its development may give indications for the incipient failure
[29, 30].
4 TESTING
There are several ways interfaces in HV accessories can be tested. Roughly speaking we
can distinguish between laboratory testing and on site testing. Laboratory tests can be
performed at different levels:
• Material test
• Model tests on material samples
• System tests on cable and accessories
As none of these tests can solely represent the characteristics of the interface in field
operation completely, the optimum has to be found in a combination of these tests.
Regarding an interface, the breakdown strength of the insulation materials itself is of minor
importance, due to the lower electrical stresses in the interface section. More important for
the interface breakdown strength are the mechanical properties of the materials, i.e.:
• Modulus of elasticity
• Hardness
• Compression set or tension set
• Surface roughness
The right combination of these mechanical properties has to ensure a tight fit between the
insulation surfaces, thus leading to the required electrical interface performance.
Tests on interface models offer the possibility of a statistical result evaluation of different
interfaces at relatively low cost. Cigré WG15.10 deals with the subject of models intensively
[17]. An important conclusion that can be drawn from their work is that different model types
should be used to investigate different aspects of electrically and/or mechanically stressed
interfaces. A model for real accessory design purposes should be a realistic simulation of the
practical interface situation [20, 27], or e.g. by using a lower voltage class accessory of the
same design [29].
A good interface design has to prevent inception of partial discharges. Therefore the models
studying electrical treeing in interfaces can be of importance for basic material investigation.
For the evaluation of interface design parameters, partial discharge free arrangements are
more suitable. The results of model tests can directly be used for comparison of different
parameter settings. The absolute values can be transferred to real accessory designs, using
special algorithms, but should be done with great care.
Once a design is completed, prototypes subjected to system tests are indispensable for the
qualification of interfaces.
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• Mechanical stress to simulate installation and service conditions
• Thermo mechanical stress during load cycles
• Transient voltages as impulse voltage
• Partial discharge monitoring (continuously or periodically)
In particular the thermo-mechanical conditions are most complicated to predict. The thermo-
mechanical forces highly depend on the design and the way of installation e.g.: flexible and
rigid installations, load and environmental conditions. During the development and
qualification of HV cable systems, the accessories should be installed in practical worst-case
condition (maximum mechanical forces). Tests should incorporate heating cycles and voltage
simultaneously. During the cycle period, partial discharge measurements should be made at
different conductor temperatures. After thermo-mechanical ageing it is recommended to
perform the impulse voltage test, in order to detect possible weakening of the interface.
To verify the performance of the interface and the complete accessory, the prequalification
test as recommended by Cigre [6] and standardized by IEC [7] is a necessary and reliable
method for testing.
Outdoor terminations sometimes have to operate at low temperatures. This circumstance can
represent a more critical condition for interfaces than elevated temperatures. Testing of these
terminations in cold conditions and varying temperatures should be taken into account during
the development.
The final step in commissioning a cable system is the after laying test. The AC voltage test is an
important one to verify the correct preparation and installation of the accessories on site [12, 13].
Testing with DC voltage is not recommended. The electrical field distribution in the interface for
DC voltage can differ completely from that for AC voltage.
If there is a need for monitoring accessories in service (e.g. higher failure rate than normal),
the most appropriate test method is on-line partial discharge monitoring. The partial discharge
tests are preferably executed under different environmental and/or load conditions, in order to
determine the thermo-mechanical impact on the interface. The recommended frequency of
testing will highly depend on the nature of the discharge pattern and accessory type. In high
stress accessories (e.g. slip-on joints for EHV) partial discharges in interfaces of the order of
a few pico-coulombs can lead to breakdown within hours, while for some low stress
accessories (e.g. outdoor termination) partial discharges in interfaces can be withstood
sometimes for several years.
Interfaces in HV and EHV cable accessories should be designed in such a way that, under
operating conditions, a tight fit between cable and accessory or between other insulating
bodies is always secured. Once the insulating surfaces do not adapt carefully, cavities will be
formed leading to inception of partial discharges.
A proper interface design does not allow partial discharges. Once discharges have been
initiated and continue to occur, probably electrical ageing in the form of electrical treeing or
tracking in the interface is progressing and finally leads to failure of the accessory.
The reliability of interfaces in HV and EHV extruded cable accessories is strongly dependent
on the mechanical and thermo-mechanical design of the accessories and the interaction with
its environment, i.e. method of installation and service conditions. During the development of
cable systems, these circumstances have to be taken into account. For this reason the long
term or prequalification tests of the entire system (cable and accessories) is of eminent
importance.
The quality of the interface depends on the cable surface preparation. This has to be ensured
by clear procedures, adequate quality management systems (e.g. ISO 9001 [24]) and skilled
jointers.
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Although there is no general relation between the partial discharges and the remaining
lifetime, trend analyses by means of online partial discharge monitoring can give indication if
risk of failure is involved for the type of PD patterns observed.
6. LITERATURE LIST
[ 1] Peschke,E., and Olshausen, R.v.: Cable Systems for High and Extra-High Voltage,
PIRELLI, Publicis MCD Verlag, 1999, ISBN 3-89578-118-5
[ 5] H.M.J. Willems, H.T.F. Geene and M.R. Vermeulen, A new generation of HV and
EHV extruded cable systems, Jicable (1995), paper A.1.6.
[ 7] IEC 62067, Power cables with extruded insulation and their accessories for rated
voltages above 150kV (Um=170kV) up to 500kV (Um=550kV) - Test methods and
requirements.
[ 8] H.T.F. Geene, G.P. van der Wijk and E. Pultrum, Development and qualification of a
new 400kV XLPE cable system with integrated sensors for diagnostics, CIGRE 1998,
paper 21-103.
[10] N. Imai and K. Andoh, Development of pre-fabricated joints for 275 kV XLPE cables,
Jicable (1991), paper A.5.4.
[12] CIGRE WG 21.09, After laying test on HV extruded cable systems, Electra 173,
August 1997.
[14] R. Ross and M.G.M. Megens, An interface testing cell for multi-stress ageing,
Proceedings ISEIM 98.
[15] R. Ross, Investigating and monitoring the reliability of interfaces in polymer cable
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terminations, Proceedings at IEEJ Kansai Meeting on insulation diagnosis.
[16] Report on Internal interfaces of modern electrical insulation systems, CIGRE WG 15-10
Meeting Palais des Congres Paris, France, September 1, 1998.
[17] M. Nagao, S. Ka, Y. Murramotto and T. Tanaka, Model specimens for testing interfacial
properties in EHV extruded cable splices and preliminary results, CIGRE WG15-10, 15-
10-Nagao-01-98.
[18] J. Densley and Z. Nadolny, PD characteristics of model interfaces for extruded cable
systems - influence of contaminants, CIGRE WG15-10, 1998.
[20] D. Kunze, Macroscopic internal interfaces in high voltage cable accessories, CIGRE
session 2000, paper 15-203.
[22] Z. Nadolny, J.M. Braun, and R.J. Densley, Effect of mechanical pressure and silicone
grease on partial discharge characteristics for model XLPE transmission cable joint,
Proc. ISH’99 (London, August 1999).
[23] T. Tanaka, Polymer interfaces, associated with electric insulation systems, Cigré
Colloquium on Advanced Materials (Boston, 18 Aug. 1997).
[24] ISO 9001 (1994): Quality systems -- Model for quality assurance in design,
development, production, installation and servicing.
[25] R. Ross and M.G.M. Megens, Ageing of Interfaces by discharging, proc. ICPADM
2000.
[26] CIGRE WG 21-16, Partial discharge detection in installed extruded HV cable systems,
CIGRE technical report 182, April 2001
[28] IEC60840 (1999), Power cables with extruded insulation and their accessories for
rated voltages above 30kV (Um=36kV) up to 150kV (Um=170kV) - Test methods and
requirements.
[29] J.J. Smit, E. Gulski, E. Pultrum; Partial discharge fault analysis of SIR-based cable
terminations, Proc.International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering, Montreal
1997, Vol.4, pp. 513
[31] R. Ross, "Dealing with Interface Problems in Polymer Cable Terminations", IEEE
Electrical Insulation Magazine, July/August 1999, Vol.15, No.4, pp. 5-9.
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