Pulsed Electro-Acoustic Method for specimens and cables employed in HVDC systems: some feasibility considerations

Recent experiments on the use of the PEA method for testing dielectric materials in specimens and comparison with a detailed model provide an insight of the phenomenon and suggest the need of adopting similar models also for cables. What is said is even more important considering the possible future adoption of the PEA methodology to test DC cables for Pre-Qualification and Type Tests. The use of an accurate model of the PEA cell used for testing specimens and related experiments prove that the thickness of the different parts composing the PEA setup is a basic element for providing accurate charge reading and interpretation of the phenomenon. Both simulation and experimental results, carried out for flat specimens, show the importance of the PEA cell components and sample features in the output charge profile. In this work, we demonstrate that these considerations for flat samples are also valid for cable specimens. This aspect, and the other critical issues encountered in the experimental test on a Full-Size cable, have been reported in this paper, as well as some possible solutions.