Development of Equipment to Measure Insulation Resistance and Evaluate the Lifetime of High-voltage Cable in Operation

In this paper, we find out the lifetime index in order to determine the time-dependent trend of deteriorating performance of 6.6kV high-voltage power cable in operation at a power station. The cable systems used in our study have been in operation for 13 years. With measurements for the 13 years, we analyzed the insulation resistances. By developing measuring equipment (comprized mainly of transformer, temperature sensor, and LPF) operating by the three-phase electric power, we analyzed the changing characteristics of insulation resistance of power cable. In contrast to 22kV cables, 6.6 kV cables have thicker insulation. Therefore the characteristics of 6.6kV cables are different from that of 22kV cables. The study found that as time passes, the insulation resistance does not decrease continuously; it decreases to a certain value, then does not decrease any more and shows properties of oscillation. We could not detect the process of deterioration in the preceding twelve years. The cable system showed great stability so that deterioration was not apparent. In this case, it is not possible to measure the future life indices of power cables because the lifetime indices are not predictable.