scope:

Foreword

This omnibus Guide provides an overview of known techniques for performing electrical tests in the field on shielded power cable systems. It is intended to help the reader select a test that is appropriate for a specific situation of interest. It provides a brief description of all the known sources used to perform field tests with a short discussion of specific tests. The material presented is descriptive and tutorial and does not address the evaluation of test results nor the specification of test voltage levels nor time of application.

Additional details will be provided in point documents, such as IEEE P400.1, direct voltage testing; IEEE P400.2, very low frequency testing; and IEEE P400.3™, dissipation factor testing.

This omnibus Guide provides an overview of known techniques for performing electrical tests in the field on shielded power cable systems. It is intended to help the reader select a test that is appropriate for a specific situation of interest. Field applied tests can be broadly divided into the following categories:

a) Type 1 Field Tests are intended to detect defects in the insulation of a cable system in order to improve the service reliability after the defective part is removed and appropriate repairs are performed. These tests are usually achieved by application of moderately increased voltages across the insulation for a prescribed duration. Such tests may be categorized as "pass/fail" or "go/no go."

b) Type 2 Field Tests are intended to provide indications that the insulation system has deteriorated, hence, are "diagnostic." Some of these tests will show the overall condition of a cable system, and others will indicate the locations of discrete defects that may become the sites of future service failures. Both varieties of such tests are usually performed by means of moderately increased voltages applied for relatively short duration, or by means of low voltages.

This Guide provides a brief description of all known voltage sources used to perform both categories of tests as well as a brief introduction to specific tests. The material presented is descriptive and tutorial and does not address the questions of evaluation of test results nor the specification of test voltage levels. Some of the methods described are well known and widely accepted. Other methods are still in development stages, with limited field experience. Each method described has advantages and disadvantages that are discussed in their respective clauses.

Scope

This Guide lists the various field test methods that are currently available or under development with guidance on HOW to perform each test. The Guide covers shielded, insulated power cable systems rated 5 kV through 500 kV unless these voltages are modified by the specific "point" document. A complete tutorial or debate forum for one method versus another is not being attempted. A brief listing of "advantages" and "disadvantages" is included, but the users should avail themselves of the technical papers that are referenced, the material listed in the bibliography in Annex B, manufacturers' literature, and recent research results to make decisions on whether to perform a test and which test method to use. In making such decisions, consideration should be given to the performance of the connected cable system, including joints, terminations, and associated equipment.