Investigations on the failure modes of XLPE cables and joints

The work reported in this paper pertains to the investigations on the cross-linked polyethylene (XPLE) cable systems in the presence of water and other electrolytes in contact with the conductor. In this connection, several diagnostic test procedures have been instituted which reveal the status of the dielectric at any point of time. While evaluating different types of joints, it has been observed that two modes of failure are operative, while one is due to electrical effect, the other is essentially due to mechanical effect.