Polarization and dielectric behavior of ac-aged polyethylene

High field polarization and dielectric relaxation behavior have been used to study the aging mechanisms of crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) aged at constant alternating electrical field stress in a humid environment at room temperature. For this study, the dielectric spectroscopy data in the frequency range of 10^-5 to 10⁶ Hz and their comparative analysis, have been used to provide electrical analog models of the aging. The dielectric data in the frequency range of 10^-5 to 5×10 ^-2 Hz were calculated from the desorption current, whereas bridge measurements provide the data in the frequency range of 10 Hz to 10⁶ Hz. In addition, thermal transient current and thermally stimulated discharge current measurements have been carried out in order to determine the polarization and space charge accumulation in ac aged polyethylene. A correlation has been observed in the behavior of polarization and dielectric relaxation in the present work. The dielectric behavior of the XLPE cable samples and of the LDPE flat samples show a presence of both the inter-cluster (low frequency) charge exchange and the intra-cluster (high frequency) charge motion, the former mechanism becoming more dominant as the aging progresses. For the XLPE cable samples ac aged in a humid environment at room temperature, relaxation peaks obeying the fractional power law have been observed in addition to a quasi-dc process     

Liquid microvortex generated around a laser focal point in anintense high-frequency electric field

A microvortex was discovered in liquid films when subjected to the combined action of a focused laser beam and a high-frequency electric field. The laser beam was perpendicular to both the surface of the liquid film and the direction of the electric field. The size of this opto-electrostatic microvortex (OEMV) in various liquids (water, ethanol, acetone, nitrobenzene) varied with the experimental conditions, but stayed in the 10-μm range. The velocity of the liquid flow in the vortex could be controlled by the intensity and frequency of the electric field (5.0×10⁴ to 0.8×10⁶ V/m, 2×10⁴ to 1×10⁶ Hz), by the laser power (0.01 to 2 W) and by the laser power density in the focal point. No microvortex was observed in benzene and chloroform. As an application of this phenomenon, single DNA molecules could be transported along the OEMV     

Mechanism for impulse conversion of water trees to electrical treesin XLPE

A lightning impulse causes substantial capacitive current in a water tree channel which, as a result of its small cross section, has relatively low conductance. Transient, nonlinear finite element computations with coupled thermal and electric fields for the geometry of a 15 kV XLPE dielectric cable indicate that an 80 kV lightning impulse can cause the water within a water tree channel to boil over a range of four orders of magnitude in water conductivity, from 10^-2 S/m to 10² S/m. Boiling of the water in a water tree channel reduces substantially the yield stress of the XLPE, raises the pressure within the water tree channel, and is likely to leave a cavity which can support partial discharge resulting in electrical tree initiation     

Electrical studies of leaves over wide frequency range

Dielectric properties of fresh leaves samples from different plant species were studied over the frequency range 10^-3 to 10⁴ Hz. The dynamic behaviour of the conductance and capacitance in leaf samples has been observed to follow fractional power law. The observed power-law dispersions have been modelled using frequency dependent resistive and capacitive elements of a conventional equivalent circuit     

Electrical relaxation in iron-containing glasses

Glasses with composition 70 mol%(SiO₂, B₂O ₃, P₂O₅, TeO₂)-15 mol% Fe ₂O₃-15 mol%(BaO, CaO) were prepared by the conventional melt quenching technique. The electrical relaxation of these glasses has been studied in the frequency range 20 to 10⁵ Hz. The small polaron hopping between iron ions in a different valence state Fe²⁺ to Fe³⁺ is found to be the principal conduction mechanism. The ratio of Fe²⁺ ions to the total iron content, C=Fe²⁺/Fe_tot, is one of the factors determining the electrical conductivity. The glass former has a minor influence on dc conductivity, except of TeO₂ glass where conductivity is three order of magnitude higher than those of other glasses. The ac conductivity as a function frequency is divided into two domains, a dc plateau, followed by a power law in frequency. These two regions are well distinguished in the complex plot of electric modulus where all data points for different temperatures reside on the single plot. The results are discussed in the frame of the Hunt theory of dielectric relaxation in glasses containing mobile charge carriers     

Low-loss behavior of α-PVDF

The exact nature of the polarization processes in low-loss materials is not sufficiently understood and good experimental material is relatively scarce. Dielectric response of α-PVDF covering 8.5 decades of frequency between 10^-2 and 3×10⁶ Hz and a range of temperatures between 103 and 138 K were analyzed to reveal the nature of the dominant polarization process. Correcting for a series resistance and a Debye-like loss process at 50 kHz, the `universal' fractional power law of dielectric response is well maintained, the residual tan δ falls between 0.002 and 0.02 depending on temperature and frequency, with the residual loss process presumed to be due to hopping charge carriers having an activation energy of 0.035 eV. The universal process itself has a relatively high loss but its amplitude is low and this accounts for the low tan δ     

Winter lightning on Japan Sea coast-development of measuring systemon progressing feature of lightning discharge

With the aid of recent optoelectronic techniques, the authors have developed a measuring instrument named ALPS (Automatic Lightning Discharge Progressing Feature Observation System) to determine the progress of lightning flashes. The progress velocities of stepped leaders for lightning in winter seasons were observed using the ALPS in the coastal area of the Japan Sea. The progress velocity of an individual step of a stepped leader can be expressed by a lognormal distribution and its mean value is 1.6×10⁶ m/s for upward leaders and 4.0×10⁶ m/s for downward leaders. The mean progress velocity of a total leader process is given as 0.8~2.7×10⁵ m/s for upward leaders and 2.9×10⁵ m/s for downward leaders     

Dielectric properties and spatial distribution of polarization inpolyethylene aged under ac voltage in a humid atmosphere

This paper reports the results of an investigation of the dielectric properties, growth of water tree density and spatial distribution of polarization in samples of non-stabilized LDPE. Samples were initially sand-blasted to accelerate initiation of water trees, and subsequently aged in salt solution for approximately three weeks under two regimes of temperature (room temperature and 65°C). Aging both with and without the presence of electric field stress was studied. The capacitance and dielectric loss of each sample were measured using a HV capacitance bridge, and compared to theoretical models over the frequency range 10^-5 to 10⁴ Hz. The results indicate a real movement of charges/ions in the polymer bulk which causes a deterioration of the electrical insulation properties even in the absence of AC fields. The presence of a field further degrades the insulator. Samples were studied using the LIMM (laser-intensity-modulation method) to determine the distribution of polarization, assuming mean polarization is zero and space charge is absent. In the absence of the external field there is a presence of ionic charges of opposite polarity, which increases with increasing aging time and is highest at room temperature. The length of the twenty longest vented water trees was measured after various aging times, and it was found that trees grown at room temperature are longer than those grown at 65°C. Also, the tree density was higher in specimens tested at room temperature     

The ac superposition method,a new hot‐line diagnostic method for 6‐kV XLPE power cables

Water trees are the most hazardous factor affecting the life of XLPE distribution cables and the major cause of insulation failure. It is well known that insulation failure causes stoppages in electrical service and requires extensive repair work. Up to now, deterioration of cable insulation has been diagnosed mainly by the dc leakage current method. However, application of this method for diagnostic measurements requires interruption of electrical service. Several types of hot‐line diagnostic methods (including the dc component current and dc superposition methods) were developed to detect water tree deterioration. However, these methods have some shortcomings, such as being subject to effects of stray currents and the accuracy of measurements not being sufficiently high. Therefore, we have attempted to develop a new hot‐line diagnostic method. We investigated whether the signals produced by superposition of voltages of various frequencies to the cover layer of energized cables were correlated with deterioration by the water treeing. As a result, we found that a deterioration signal of 1 Hz was observed when we superposed an ac voltage (commercial frequency × 2 +1 Hz) on the cover layer of cable where the water tree had occurred in the insulation. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 130(2): 49–58, 2000     

电力电缆的现场试验与诊断

本文介绍电力电缆现场试验和诊断的现状和发展。直流电压试验作为一种对油浸纸绝缘电缆非常有效的方法应用至今 ,但它对塑料绝缘电缆是无效而且有害的。文中讨论了近几年以来开发的 0 .1Hz VL F法、CDA法、OWTS法以及变频谐振试验系统。用变频谐振试验系统进行的 2 0～ 30 0 Hz交流电压试验已被 IEC确认为高压和超高电力电缆的主要试验方法。     

实际XPLE电缆模型下升压速度对电树枝生长特性的影响

电树枝化是影响交联聚乙烯(XLPE)电力电缆运行安全与寿命的技术瓶颈。笔者采用金属针缺陷模拟电缆中集中的电场应力,研究了在工频交流电压下(50 Hz),不同实验起始升压速度(0.1 kV/s,1 kV/s)对XLPE电缆中电树枝生长特性的影响。结果表明,在高的升压速度下电树枝起始快,同时电树枝形态会由纯枝状变为稠密枝状,分形维变大。     

66 kV抗水树XLPE绝缘轻型海底电缆研制

介绍一种额定电压66 kV抗水树XLPE绝缘轻型海底电缆的研制方法。通过对模型电缆进行工频电压和雷电冲击电压击穿性能测试,按照CIGRE TB 722:2018规范对研制样品进行500 Hz/3000 h、50 Hz/8750 h、50 Hz/17500 h 3种湿式绝缘质量鉴定试验,按照CIGRE TB 490:2012和CIGRE TB 623:2015规范对研制产品进行型式试验,试验结果完全满足设计规范要求。在未来的深远海、大功率海上风机互联阵列海缆选型中,66 kV抗水树XLPE绝缘轻型海底电缆可以完美替代35 kV XLPE绝缘海底电缆。     

海底电缆谐波频段电气参数计算

随着海上风电的大规模开发,由海上风电接入电网引起的谐波问题越来越突出,迫切需要进行建模和分析,而在谐波频段对海底电缆进行建模是其中的一项重要工作.研究了海底电缆谐波频段电气参数的计算方法,为海底电缆建模提供了依据.首先给出了电缆电气参数的定义,然后总结了海底电缆电气参数的计算流程和计算公式,并对计算公式的适用性进行了论证,最后对3种典型海底电缆的电气参数进行了计算.结果表明,无论是电缆的正序参数还是零序参数,都会随频率有较大幅度的变化,在进行谐波分析时必须考虑电缆电气参数随频率变化的特性.     

γ辐照交联聚乙烯绝缘电缆水树行为的研究

核电站的控制系统等需要大量的电线电缆,这些电缆的耐辐射性能至关重要。高能辐射对固态聚合物有多种作用,包括引发交联以及链裂解等。水树是影响交联聚乙烯电缆,特别是中低压电缆使用寿命的重要因素。本文研究了γ辐射对交联聚乙烯电缆绝缘水树行为的影响。结果显示,在0~3000 kGy辐照剂量之内,水树的长度与密度随着辐照剂量的增加而增加。     

Dielectric response of ionically conducting liquids in thelow-frequency region

The selected dielectric studies are presented of ionically conducting materials (liquid crystal, epoxide resin) in the range of time, 10^-4 to 10⁴ s, or frequency, 10^-4 to 10⁴ Hz. The properties of the space charge at the blocking electrodes were taking into account. Investigations were focused on the time domain dielectric response of the model liquid crystalline pentylcyanobiphenyl. Similar studies were performed also on the epoxide resin Epidian 3. An influence of external parameters like temperature or concentration of impurities were included to interpret the obtained results. This interpretation was established on the principles of the two theoretical models for the space charge polarization     

Influence of frequency, electrode material and superimposed dc onac electroluminescence in polymer films

Summarizes new results on the influence of some experimental parameters on ac electroluminescence (EL) of polymers used as insulating materials in electrical engineering. Electroluminescence under a uniform ac field is investigated in low density polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) films with semi-transparent electrodes on both sides. Particular emphasis is given to polyethylene. The dependence of EL on the voltage frequency is investigated in the range of 10^-2 Hz to 10⁺² Hz with the help of phase-resolved measurements. The influence of the electrode/polymer contact is investigated by changing the electrode material (gold, silver, and calcium). The effect of a superimposed dc bias on the ac voltage is also reported     

电力电缆绝缘监测中的低频交流电压叠加法研究

电力电缆绝缘损坏主要由水树枝劣化引起,对电力电缆进行带电检测是非常必要的,低频交流电压叠加法是目前比较好的一种检测方法,本文对该方法的原理和软硬件设计方法作了介绍。     

Electrical treeing characteristics in XLPE power cable insulation in frequency range between 20 and 500 Hz

Electrical treeing is one of the main reasons for long term degradation of polymeric materials used in high voltage ac applications. In this paper we report on an investigation of electrical tree growth characteristics in XLPE samples from a commercial XLPE power cable. Electrical trees have been grown over a frequency range from 20 Hz to 500 Hz and images of trees were taken using CCD camera without interrupting the application of voltage. The fractal dimension of electric tree is obtained using a simple box-counting technique. Contrary to our expectation it has been found that the fractal dimension prior to the breakdown shows no significant change when frequency of the applied voltage increases. Instead, the frequency accelerates tree growth rate and reduces the time to breakdown. A new approach for investigating the frequency effect on trees has been devised. In addition to looking into the fractal analysis of tree as a whole, regions of growth are being sectioned to reveal differences in terms of growth rate, accumulated damage and fractal dimension.     

InGaN-based blue laser diodes

The continuous-wave (CW) operation of InGaN multiquantum-well (MQW) structure laser diodes (LDs) was demonstrated at room temperature (RT) with a lifetime of 100 h. The threshold current and the voltage of the LDs were 50 mA and 5 V, respectively. The threshold current density was 8.8 kA/cm². The carrier lifetime and the threshold carrier density were estimated to be 3.5 ns and 1.8×10²⁰/cm³, respectively. The Stokes shift of the energy difference between the absorption and the emission energy of the InGaN MQW LD's were 140 meV. Both spontaneous and stimulated emission of the LD's originated from this deep localized energy state which is equivalent to a quantum dot-like state. From the measurements of gain spectra and an external differential quantum efficiency dependence on the cavity length, the differential gain coefficient, the transparent carrier density, threshold gain and internal loss were estimated to be 5.8×10^-17 cm², 9.3×10 ¹⁹ cm^-3, 5200 cm^-1, and 43 cm^-1 respectively     

Dielectric spectroscopy for diagnosis of water tree deteriorationin XLPE cables

An HV dielectric spectroscopy system has been developed for diagnostics of water tree deteriorated extruded medium voltage cables. The technique is based on the measurement of nonlinear dielectric response in the frequency domain. Today's commercially available systems are capable of resolving low loss and small variations of permittivity as a function of frequency and voltage. Experience from more than 200 field measurements was combined with laboratory investigations. Small samples were used in an accelerated aging test to elucidate the correlation between water tree growth and dielectric response. Furthermore, field aged cables were investigated in the laboratory. It has been shown that the dielectric response of water tree deteriorated crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) cables can be recognized and classified into different types of responses related to the aging status and breakdown strength. The influence of termination and artifacts such as surface currents was investigated. The measurement method enables us to separate the response of the cable from the influence of accessories. Finally, two different field studies of the implementation of the diagnostic method are presented. The field studies show that the fault rate decreased significantly when replacement strategy was based on the diagnostic criteria formulated