Investigations of degradation of XLPE insulation in low voltage aerial bundle cable systems

Aerial bundle cable (ABC) systems were introduced in Australia in 1985 for low voltage reticulation. Although ABC systems had been reported to have been operated successfully for many years in Europe and Scandinavia, potential degradation problems could be caused in Australia by extreme climatic conditions and the use of insulating materials that are not proven for Australian conditions. This paper describes preliminary results from a research project aimed at identifying degradation processes in Australian ABC systems. The project has two major components: a chemical evaluation of degradation of the polymeric materials in ABC systems (particularly XLPE) and an engineering investigation into the long-term behaviour of the overall system including supports and connectors