Condition Assessment of 15 kV Rejuvenated Underground XLPE Cables

Electrical utilities have been rejuvenating some of their older solid dielectric cables for several years (Stage, 2006 and Bertini and Chatterton, 1994). The rejuvenation methods involve injecting special fluids under pressure, along the conductor portion of a cable. The fluid normally improves the dielectric strength of the polymer and reduces the likelihood of a cable failure. Condition assessment was carried out on the rejuvenated cables to confirm the improvements in dielectric performance using the LIpATEST^TM technique. Successive years of testing on the rejuvenated cables has shown improvements in cable performance. This paper will discuss the results of the condition assessment on the rejuvenated cables in terms of the different methods used and the potential improvements in the life expectancy.