Transient current measurement for the detection of water tree growth in polymeric power cables

In this paper, the relationship between the frequency and time domain windows is discussed. From this study an appropriate time window for transient current measurements may be chosen so that reliable low frequency dielectric data can be obtained. The suitability of applying either Fourier transform or the Hamon approximation for the derivation of low frequency responses is discussed for transient currents with different shapes. With water-treed LDPE samples aged in the laboratory, measurements of transient currents, with subsequent transformation into the frequency domain, show a loss peak at ~10^-4 to 10^-3 Hz when moisture is retained in the samples. Even with free water removed, a higher dielectric loss is observed in water treed samples compared to virgin samples. The relaxation behavior may serve as an indicator of water treeing in polymeric cable insulation. The results of both transient measurements and TSDC results can be affected significantly by the treatment conditions of the samples. The application of vacuum to a water treed sample can alter the activation energy of the conduction process and the TSDC spectra