Environmental degradation of utility power connectors in a harsh environment

This paper reports on an investigation of the effects of a marine atmospheric environment on the performance of aluminum bolted, compression, and fired wedge power connectors. These connector types are representative of the three major connector technologies used in electrical distribution systems throughout the world. The atmospheric test site was situated on the seacoast in Daytona Beach, FL. The test specimens consisted of sections of aluminum and copper conductors joined together by a connector. The paper describes the performance and lifetime of the different connector types exposed to the harsh marine environment. Examinations of failed connectors revealed that failure in all three connector types was ultimately due to galvanic corrosion at the aluminum/copper interfaces within the connectors. The failure rate was largest for compression connections. Bolted connections failed somewhat less rapidly. The failure rate for fired-wedge connections was the lowest.