How to Prevent Overheating and Damage in Medium-Voltage Cables
Learn about a new testing method for detecting coupling in cable shields to prevent cable failure.
In this episode, we talk about a new measurement to detect coupling in cable shields, which can cause overheating and damage to parallel medium-voltage power cables.
OMICRON has a strong commitment to helping customers get the most out of their power system testing equipment. Sometimes, additional measurement methods that did not exist before are developed by OMICRON to help customers solve frustrating power equipment issues they have been trying to figure out.
One such example is when multiple customers were reporting an identical situation they had been experiencing with multiple parallel medium-voltage cables. It turns out that coupling in the cable shields was causing overheating which damaged the cables.
During the design stage of these cable systems, simulation techniques are used to estimate different scenarios, but up until now no onsite measurement method had been available during commissioning to measure coupling once the cables were installed.
Our guests from OMICRON include Florian Fink, Application Expert for Industrial & Distribution Grid Testing, and Moritz Pikisch, Application Expert for Line and Ground Testing.
They describe what causes coupling in cable shields, and how the coupling measurement they developed with existing OMICRON power system testing equipment reliably assesses the situation during cable system commissioning so that timely corrective action can be taken before the cables are put into service. Lastly, they describe how the test can also be performed after the cables are in service for troubleshooting when problems are suspected or overheating is detected.
More information about power cable testing is available here:
“We recommend that you perform the coupling measurement during commissioning, so that you can determine whether adjustments are needed before cables are put into service.”
- Florian Fink, Application Expert for Industrial & Distribution Grid Testing, OMICRON
“This coupling measurement is definitely more accurate than simulation techniques, because you get a real test result instead of relying on uncertain estimations.”
- Moritz Pikisch, Application Expert for Line and Ground Testing, OMICRON