Short term and long term testing programme on 230 kV XLPE cable system

The extruded cable system offers several advantages over fluid filled cable systems, arising mainly from the elimination of the insulating fluid and the associated disadvantages. There remain some concerns however regarding the long term service reliability as compared to that of the well proven and established technologies such as self contained low pressure fluid filled cables and high pressure pipe type cable systems. Short term and long term testing programmes go some way in increasing the performance confidence level for both supplier and user. The authors describe a series of short term and long term tests that have been carried out on a 230 kV XLPE insulated transmission cable system. The project brought together both European and North American philosophies in combination with experience and knowledge of a supplier and a user