The effects of moisture on performance of polymeric cables

Water, or the excess of it, has always been implicated in poor performance, sometimes to the point of failure, of highly stressed insulation systems as used in cables. This is no less true in the families of extruded polymeric dielectric systems with current and projected use at voltages up to 500 kV. Here, the authors examine the effects of moisture on the performance of polymeric power cables by studying the following cable insulation systems: XLPE; EPR; MDPE/HDPE; and PVC.