An Accelerated Wet Ageing Test on Medium Voltage XLPE Cables

The failure of medium voltage (MV) cables in North Queensland has led Ergon Energy to consider the relative economics of refurbishment or replacement. In order to provide data to inform decision making, an accelerated ageing program has been designed to investigate the ageing of new, field aged, and refurbished cables. This paper describes the considerations affecting the design of the ageing experiment and reviews the features of the test rig in which ageing is accelerated by a combination of high voltage stress, load-cycling to high temperatures and water immersion. Research into cable condition diagnostics will also be discussed