Effect of short term thermal aging on PVC films by the extended voltage response measurement method

As a result of various new appliances connecting to the low voltage grid (e.g. renewable power sources, electric vehicles etc.) the distribution grid has to face new challenges. Since the distributed power generation can cause reverse power flow, parts of the cables might become overloaded raising the temperature of the cable, hence decreasing its lifetime. In this paper the effect of short term thermal aging (3 and 6 hour long at 110°C) on PVC films were investigated by the Extended Voltage Response (EVR) measurement method and measuring Shore D hardness. The PVC samples contained four different plasticizer contents: 50, 40, 30 and 0 wt%. The results suggest that the EVR measurement method is a useful tool to follow the effect of short term aging.