Solid dielectric cable testing: New technologies - New methods

The intent of this paper is to assess the present day situation regarding high voltage testing of solid dielectric cable. It will discuss current practices by most NETA members for cable testing and the future direction of the industry, namely, DC testing versus AC testing. History, techniques, standards, vendors, and alternative testing methods will be discussed. This paper will describe the present methods of DC cable testing, the problems associated with DC methods, and will explain Very Low Frequency (VLF) technology. Various other methods of cable testing will also be briefly discussed: Tan Delta, Partial Discharge, Recovery Voltage, and Oscillating Wave testing.