A Turnkey Solution for Extruded Cable Testing

Thermal qualification of cables for energy transmission has been well established within science, standardization and testing facilities for decades. Especially, for high voltage direct current (HVDC) cables, heat cycle tests gain momentum. Field distribution within HVDC cables differs significantly from that present in alternating current (AC) cables, as material properties are affected by thermal stresses. With the aim of providing a turnkey solution for automated thermal investigation on cables and their accessories, a suitable test setup has been designed, installed and validated. Besides normative testing routines, the presented setup provides capabilities for research purposes. After a brief overview of heat cycle tests, the overall system design is presented. Subsequently, the installation and validation process is elaborated. Furthermore, aspects regarding normative requirements, reactive power compensation, measuring and automation concepts and solutions for system integration and housing are described.