Steps of cable fault location – Faults in the main insulation

Low resistance High resistance

Insulation test
(500 V or 1000 V)

Rf = 0 Ω Rf > 0 Ω

Fault resistance Rf > 300 Ω DC Test

Ohm-Meter Break down voltage ?

Rf < 300 Ω Burning Rf > 300 Ω

Pre location LV method Pre location HV method

TDR-Teleflex, IFL ARM, ARMPlus DECAY, ICE, ICEPlus

Trace location
Pinpointing
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Steps of the cable fault location – Faults in PVC/PE sheath

DC Test
3 kV, 5 kV or 10 kV

OK / NO

No further steps Pre location

Bridge or Voltage drop - Method

Pinpointing

DC Step voltage method Audio frequency method

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 Methods of the Cable Fault Detection
Cable Diagnosis
 vaticinal
 non-destructive

Cable Testing
 preventive
 „destructive“

Cable Fault Location

 reactive

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Fault Locating in Power Cables

Fault Acceptance Test

 after installation
 after repair
Fault Identification
Periodic
Prelocation Maintenance Test
 DC hipot
Cable Tracing  VLF 0.1 Hz

In Operation
Pinpointing
 Aging
 External damage
Cable Identification

Repair
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Fault Locating in Power Cables
- Fault Identification -
Low resistance < 100 Ohm,
continuity, cable length,
Fault interruption
TDR Time Domain Reflectometer
“Cable Radar”
Fault Identification “Impulse Echo”
“Reflectometer”

Prelocation
Identify affected phase,
fault resitance, High resistance > 100 Ohm
breakdown voltage
Cable Tracing  Isolation Tester
Which phases are affected?
 “Megger” 0 … 10 kV
 Phase – to – Phase  DC Tester
Pinpointing
 Phase – to – Sheath  VLF Tester
 Phase – to – Soil
 Sheath – to – Soil
Cable Identification Sheath to soil (0 … 5 kV)
 Isolation Tester
 DC Tester
Repair
5
Fault Locating in Power Cables Low resistance < 100 Ohm
- Prelocation - TDR
“Cable Radar”
“Impulse Echo”
Fault “Reflectometer”
High resistance > 100 Ohm
Fault Identification  ARM Arc Reflection Method with
Surge Wave Generator: ARM, ARM Plus
 ARM Burning with burner
Prelocation  ICE Impulse Current with SWG:
ICE, ICE Plus
 Decay with HV DC-tester:
Cable Tracing Decay, Decay Plus

High resistance, wet fault

Pinpointing
Burning permanent conversion

Cable Identification to earth (soil)

Sheath fault
 HV Bridge
Repair  Voltage Drop Method

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Fault Locating in Power Cables Connection
- Cable Tracing -
Passive (no transmitter):
 50 / 60 Hz,
 RF radio frequency
Fault
Active:
 Direct galvanic, with conn. cables
 Inductive Clamp on energized cables
Fault Identification
 Inductive Antenna terrain survey

Method
Prelocation
 Minimum (Null)
 Maximum (Peak)
Cable Tracing  SuperMax
 SignalSelect
current direction indication
Pinpointing
Frequency
 RF radio frequency
Cable Identification  50 / 60 Hz power frequency
 400 … 1000 Hz: low coupling, long range
Repair  1 kHz … 10 kHz: coupling, low interference
 10 kHz … 80 kHz: high coupling, water pipes
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Fault Locating in Power Cables
- Pinpointing -

Fault
Low resistance
Fault Identification Audio Frequency:
 Twisted – Field – Method (core – core)
 Minimal Turbidity (core – sheath)
Prelocation
High resistance
Cable Tracing
SWG Surge Wave Generator and
+ Digiphone
Pinpointing
to earth (sheath fault)

Cable Identification Step – Voltage – Method with

 DC step voltage
 Audio frequency step voltage
Repair Fault Gas Detection (FaultSniffer)
8
Fault Locating in Power Cables
- Cable Identification -

Fault Single Phase Cable

Pulse Method
Audio frequency signal direction ident.
Fault Identification with inductive clamp connection

Prelocation Multi Conductor Cable

Pulse Method
Cable Tracing  Pulse direction
 Pulse intensity
Audio Frequency
Pinpointing  Twisted – Field – Method

Energized Cable LV
Cable Identification
Pulse Method for energized Cables
Audio frequency signal direction ident.
Repair with inductive clamp connection
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Fault Locating in Power Cables
- Cable Test after Repair -

Fault

Fault Identification

Prelocation

Cable Tracing
Acceptance Test

Pinpointing  Isolation test (Megger, Easytest)

 DC test (PILC)
 short DC Test max. 5 min. (XLPE)
Cable Identification  VLF 0.1 Hz (60 min, 1.7 … 3 Uo)
 Soak test (24 h energized at Uo)
 Resonant test
Repair  Sheath test
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 Safety in Test Vans

Earth cable connection to the station earth

x x x
x F-Ω FU

x x x ]
]

Power cable HV-cable of the test van

11
Safety in Test Vans

F-Ohm

Safety
HV earthing
cables cable
F-U cable F-U Safety Circuits

1 4 2 F-Ohm earth circuit

Auxiliary  max. 6 Ohms
3 earth spike F-U step voltage
Power  max. 35 V
supply
 max. 150 kOhms
 max. 1 V/sec.
Test Rear Door Switches
cabl
Emergency-OFF
e
ext. Emergency-OFF (optional)
System
earth Key Switch
Potential
equalization
Switch-ON Procedure
TN TT
required, if not existent system
Function Interlocks
system
12