Effect of the Cable Cross-Section for Locating Partial Discharges in Underground XLPE Cables

Abstract

Partial discharge (PD) frequently occurs in underground cables. Gradually, these discharges can lead to permanent and hazardous faults, causing severe damage to the cable insulation and distribution in the service quality. Therefore, it is crucial to accurately locate PD sources and intervene before they evolve into irreversible failures. PD location can be determined using fundamental traveling wave equations. Therefore, cable cross-section significantly affects the cable parameters and eventually performance of PD localization method is hindered. In this study, it was observed that identical PD sources yielded different location estimates when cable cross-sections are varied. These results were demonstrated through a comprehensive simulation model of a cable feeder developed in EMTP-ATP Draw program using actual field data.