The Detection of Incipient Faults in Transmission Cables Using Time Domain Reflectometry Techniques: Technical Challenges

The location and repair of faults in underground transmission lines is a difficult and time-consuming operation. The Department of Energy has sponsored research in the development of instrumentation to detect and locate incipient fault sites. Some of these methods rely on reflectometry techniques in either the time or frequency domain. NBS has investigated the feasibility of using such methods in extruded polyethylene cables.