Space Charge Accumulation Mechanism Near the Stress Cone of Cable Accessories Under Electrical-Thermal Aging

Due to the complicated structure composed of different kinds of materials, space charges tend to accumulate within cable accessories, which easily leads to the electrical breakdown. To obtain insights into the space charge accumulation in cable accessories, accelerated aging was performed for 10 kV crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) insulated cable samples with stress cones, under an AC voltage of 26.1 kV and temperatures of 103 °C and 114 °C. The space charge distribution in the cable insulation was tested at different aging stages. The results show that space charge accumulates in the insulation covered by the stress cones, and the charge density and coaxial distribution region increase during aging. Together with the results for the charge measurement on peeled cable samples, it is concluded that charge accumulation is related to the semiconductor used in the stress cones. It is difficult for the space charge generated in the cable insulation to escape through the silicone rubber-based (SR-based) semiconductor in the stress cones, as the ability of this material to conduct charges is lower than that of a cable-shielding ethylene–vinyl acetate-based (EVA-based) semiconductor; therefore, the space charge accumulates near the outer part of the insulation. This research provides insights into the important function of semiconductor on charge accumulation in cable accessories, which will aid in research on optimizing and prolonging the lifetime of cable accessories.