Experimental investigation of the aging process on ADSS optical fiber cables

Tests with new samples are conducted to investigate the aging process of repeated low-level dry band arcing on ADSS cables. Based on the experiments and analysis, the process can be divided into three stages: sparking, short-term dry band arcing and stable dry band arcing. Their characteristics are described respectively. The length of stable dry band arcing is measured. The relationship between the length of dry band arc and leakage current is derived under given applied voltage. The effect of applied voltage and leakage current on the aging cycle is also studied. Experiments show that no damage or failure happens with 1mA leakage current. When applied voltage is above 7kV, dry band arcing causes failures under 2mA leakage current.