AFTER LAYING TESTS OF 400 kV XLPE CABLE SYSTEMS FOR BEWAG BERLIN

R. Plath; U. Herrmann Institut Prffeld fr elektrische Hochleistungstechnik Berlin K. Polster Bewag-Berliner Kraft-und Licht AG J. Spiegelberg; P. Coors HIGHVOLT Prftechnik Dresden GmbH

Abstract. The after laying tests carried out on a 400 kV XLPE cable double-system (length 6.3 km) used AC test voltage combined with partial discharges (PD) measurement on joints and sealing ends for the first time. The approx. 30 MVA test power was delivered by the two-stage mobile resonant test system of variable frequency which was specifically designed for this duty. The requirements to be met by the test system as well as the test arrangement and its connection technology are explained. For the PD measurements, directional couplers were integrated into each joint. The data measured on all joints were simultaneously recorded and centrally evaluated. The voltage tests carried out up to 400 kV and the high-sensitive PD measurements done on the joints with a PD detection level of 2 pC confirm that such test and measuring systems allow to achieve informative commissioning and diagnostic tests on extra high-voltage cables also under difficult on-site conditions 1. 400-kV cable installation

testing of the 6.3 km long cable link was only possible by using the world-wide most powerful mobile resonant test system. At the maximum test voltage level of 400 kV RMS (3 U0), the available test power reached approx. 32 MVA at 25 Hz. 2. Frequency-tuned resonant test systems

2.1 Principle of voltage generation For commissioning HV testing of extruded HV cables AC voltage of variable frequency (25 ... 300 Hz) became the preferred test voltage within few years /2/,/3/, because of the realistic simulation of the operational stress and the advantages of its generation by frequency-tuned test systems, which are among others: the minimal specific weight (approx. 1kg/kVA) in comparison with resonant circuit with adjustable inductance (approx. 5kg/kVA) as well as test transformers with compensation (more than 10kg/kVA), the lower feeding power (at least factor two in comparison with resonant circuits with adjustable inductance), the three-phase power supply, and the simple mechanic construction especially the resonant reactor has no movable parts. The frequency-tuned resonant test system works as a series resonant circuit. The resonant point is reached by tuning the frequency converter to the natural frequency of the series oscillation circuit (resonant reactor and capacitive load). The frequency range of 30 ... 300 Hz (1 :10) is generally accepted which means a permissible load range between minimum and maximum test object capacitance of 1 : 100. The load range can be increased up to 1 : 144 if the minimal frequency of 25 Hz is permitted. In comparison with them the resonant systems with adjustable inductance have only an operating range of 1 : 20. Furthermore an important characteristic is the frequency-dependent quality factor which can be described as the comparison of the capacitive test power PP to the active power PL. The power loss is mainly caused by the losses of the reactor and the exciter transformer. By using a suitable construction of the resonant reactor a Q factor greater than 100 can be achieved at least. In this case the feeding power is lower than one percent of the test power.

To enhance the long-term secure and economical power supply of Berlin, Bewag is building a 400 kV diagonal interconnection through Berlin's load centres. For the section between the substations of Mitte and Friedrichshain, Bewag decided to use 400 kV XLPE insulated cables for the first time /1/. They were assembled in the continuous cable tunnel running at a depth of approx. 25 m beneath the surface. The cable suppliers were to successfully pass a one-year longtime test and a type test. To assure the reliable and safe service life of the cable installation as a whole, quality assurance measures were an additional part of the project. They included tests during the manufacturing process and routine tests conducted on every essential component of the cable installation. Quality assurance was completed by commissioning tests carried out after assembling. It was checked whether there were any defects produced during on-site assembling. Therefore, the XLPE-insulated cable installation was subjected to AC testing after assembling and at the same time high-sensitive partial discharge (PD) measurements were done on all accessories simultaneously. Due to the very high capacitive load, on-site AC

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2.2

Rating of the test systems

The technical data and the mechanic design of the resonant reactor affect the parameters and characteristics of the test systems. The test conditions of the 400 kV cable installation of BEWAG have been determined the nominal parameter of the test systems which are as follows: Vtest = 1.73 U0 = 400 kV C = 0.190 F/km 6.3 km 2.2 F fmin = 25 Hz I = 80 A, 8 h ON/16 h OFF P = 32 MVA (!) Additionally the test system should also suitable for testing of cables in a rated voltage range of 110 kV to 220 kV as well as for 400 kV gas insulated transmission lines (GIL) at 80% of the routine test level Vtest = 0.8*630 kV = 504 kV. Furthermore the weight of the transportation unit including trailer and truck shall be taken into consideration because a weight of not more than 40 tons avoids a special permission for the road traffic. These conditions require to separate the resonant reactor into two units. Consequently, the frequency converter and the exciter transformer are separated too. As a result, there are two independent test systems which can operate separately or be connected in parallel (higher test power) or in series (higher test voltage) as well. Hence, the second resonant reactor is installed on a insulating construction which is rated for 254 kV (see also Fig. 5). Thereby, the covered test cases are shown in Table 1 and Fig.1.
rated volt. kV 110 132 150 220 110 132 150 220 400 test voltage kV 160 (2.5Uo) 190 220 254 (2.0Uo) 160 (2.5Uo) 190 220 254 (2.0Uo) 400 (1.73Uo) 504 (0.8Up) capacitance F 2.5 2.5 2.1 1.6 5.0 5.0 4.2 3.2 1.25 0.8 cable length km 12.5 12.5 10.5 8.0 25 25 21 16 6.5 11.5* test current A 64 75 80 80 128 150 160 160 78.5 80 test power MVA 10.3 14.3 17.6 20.3 20.5 28.5 32.2 40.6 31.4 40.3

Fig. 1: Load-frequency and voltage characteristics tors (ONAN). According to the BEWAG test conditions which request a test duration of 8 hours it is necessary to cool the radiators with a ventilator (ONAF). A minimum quality factor (design quality factor) of more than 100 at a frequency f = 25 Hz needs a feeding power of only 200 kVA for a test power of 20 MVA. This is equal to the rated power of the frequency converter. Therefore the two frequency converters work in a master-slave operation if the two resonant reactors are connected in a series or parallel circuit. Additionally the two exciter transformers are circuited on the primary side in parallel (Fig. 2) and on the secondary side in series.

a)

b)

c)

Fig. 2: Test circuit with 2 reactors in series 2.3 Acceptance test of the resonant test system Before the resonant test system was used for the on-site tests, it had been carefully tested at its rated voltage 254 kV (1 hour including PD measurement) at voltages up to 120% of this value, at test object punctures and so on. These tests were repeated for the series and parallel connection of two test systems. By means of switchable load capacitors and therefore different resonant frequencies the semiautomatic operation up to the test voltage was proven. The voltage measuring system was calibrated for the operating frequency range from 25 Hz to 300 Hz. The harmonic content of the test voltage meets the requirements of the international standard IEC 60060-1 and is always less than 5 percent. The measured quality factor confirms the calculated frequency response (Fig. 3) and exceeds its design value (Q = 100) remarkably. Therefore the requested test power of approximately

* 70 nF/km

Table 1: Test system 2 x 80 A / 254 kV Maximum parameters of cable testing a) single test system b) two test systems in parallel c) two test systems in series The oil insulated resonant reactor is especially designed for outdoor conditions with a steel tank and an oil-to-air bushing of composite insulation (fibreglass tube with silicon rubber sheds). Its nearly load independent inductance of 16 H is realised by an iron core with multiple gaps which enable a linear magnetization. The high quality factor is caused by a special design of this core and of the winding to guarantee minimum losses. During the 1 hour test operation the dissipation heat can usually drawed off by self-cooling from the surfaces of vessel and radia-

32 MVA can be generated by a feeding power of approx. 200 kVA.

Fig. 3: Quality factor Q and test power P characteristics (design value Q = 100) measured values 3. Tests

blocking impedance was mounted to a capacitive voltage divider on one side and to a support on the other side. The voltage signal of the voltage divider is used by the control and supply unit for voltage regulation and simultaneously for voltage measurement. The test voltage was furthermore measured by the integrated capacitive pick-up at the outgoing bushing of the resonant reactor. The safety for the tested cables was improved by providing a second independent switch-off device. To synchronise the PD measurement system to the test voltage phase, the AC signal was transmitted via an optical link to the control room. The resonant reactor was supplied by an excitation transformer placed next to the resonant reactor on the trailer. The 400 kV tests need two AC test systems. A 254 kV test system identical to that of IPH was therefore provided by KEMA. One of the two resonant reactors was mounted to an insulating construction and both AC test systems were series-connected (Fig. 2 and 5).

3.1 Test arrangement The AC voltage test and the PD measurement on the 400-kV cable installation was awarded to IPH, the high-voltage and high-power test laboratory situated at Berlin-Marzahn. The tests took place at the substation (GIS) of Friedrichsfelde. Due to its large dimensions the AC test system had to be placed outside the cable installation and connected by an additional test cable of 120 m length. One of its ends was equipped with an SF6-sealing end for connecting the test object. On the other side of the test cable an SF6 sealing end was fitted in an SF6 tank, to which an outdoor sealing end was mounted. The voltage connection to the AC test system was realised by an aluminium tube (Fig. 4).

Fig. 5: Arrangement for 400-kV test The voltage connection was arranged from the resonant reactor on high-voltage potential to the test cable via the blocking impedance which, in this case, was mounted on a capacitive 500 kV voltage divider and a 500 kV support. 3.2 AC voltage tests Since the tests anyway included the observation of the PD level, the test voltage was increased by steps of 50 kV/5 min until the final test voltage was reached. In the first part of the tests, the individual phases of each system were tested one after the other at the test voltage of 254 kV requested by Bewag over a period of 15 min and after that at 230 kV over a 45-min period. With the cable capacitance being approx. 0.190 F/km, the resulting resonant frequency of the test circuit was approx. 37 Hz. The second part of the commissioning test was a load test for conditioning the cable installation with elevated operating current (1685 - 1900 A). Over a 20-day period a cyclic load was applied to simulate potential service conditions that may occur in future service life. Furthermore, the load test served to verify the effectiveness of the cable installation's forced air cooling. In the last part of the tests, the test voltages of 1,73U0 = 400 kV during 15 minutes and of 350 kV during 45

Fig. 4: Outdoor sealing end with test cable One resonant reactor was used for the test up to 254 kV. It was mounted onto a trailer. Between resonant reactor and test cable terminal a blocking impedance was arranged to reduce interferences for the PD measurement and to protect the resonant reactor against fast transients in case of breakdown. The

minutes were applied one after the other to each of the cable conductors. The result was a resonant frequency of approx. 26 Hz for the test voltage. Fig. 6 shows the time characteristic of the 400-kV voltage test, delivered by the computer control of the test system.

the joint. After dismantling the joint, the PD causing failure was found. The PD location executed before the opening showed a displacement to the real failure location of approx. 2 cm, confirming the high accuracy of UHF measurement techniques. After repair, the joint reassembling was done exactly in the same place, because practically no damage on the cable insulation occurred due to early fault recognition. 4. Conclusions

Fig. 6: Time characteristic 3.3 PD measurement PD measurement was carried out only on the accessories, because all cables were already tested during the routine test. Each phase of both three-phase systems of the 6.3-km cable installation included 8 joints and 2 GIS sealing ends. On all of these accessories directional couplers /4/ for the decoupling of PD impulses were additionally fitted. Bewag required simultaneous PD measurements on all these accessories to detect any PD as early as possible. This was to minimise the risk of breakdown. During voltage testing no staff was needed inside the tunnel because the distributed measurement system was under remote control by optical links. Preliminary investigation showed that the noise level in the tunnel was low as compared to typical on-site conditions. The tunnel depth of 25 m and the large length of cable between two joints attenuated high frequency noise components very well. IPH designed and applied a PD measurement system fulfilling Bewag requirements including a PD detection level of 2 pC on site. Furthermore, two directional couplers left- and right-hand side of each joint enabled on-site calibration and even high-precision PD location. Capacitive sensors instead of directional couplers were used for the GIS sealing ends of one of the two three-phase cable systems. These sensors did not reach the same selectivity like the directional couplers. Even at the far end, outer noise (e.g. PD from rain) superimposed the PD measurement at the GIS sealing end. 3.4 Test results No breakdown occurred during all voltage tests. PD measurements on 60 accessories (12 GIS sealing ends and 48 joints) showed PD in only one single case. Due to the low PD level (approx. 5 pC, single pulses up to 7 pC) additional measurements were carried out in order to be very sure before opening

The experience from after laying tests of 400 kV XLEP cables with frequency-tuned resonant test systems confirms their simple erection on site, their easy handling as well as their high reliability. Such test systems for test voltages up to 500 kV and test power up to 40 MVA are available. The test results confirm also the high overall quality level of the 400-kV-XLPE cable system. Nevertheless, besides all routine tests on cables before laying and the use of prefabricated and pretested accessories, a small risk remains due to assembling work on accessories on site. On-site AC testing combined with sensitive PD measurements reduces this risk noticeably. 5. /1/ References Henningsen, C. H., Polster, K., Mller, K. B., Schroth, R. G.: New 400 kV XLEP long distance cable systems, their first application for the power supply of Berlin, CIGRE Session (1998), paper 21-109 Schufft, W. et al.: Powerful frequency-tuned resonant test systems for after-laying tests of 110 kV XLPE cables. 9th ISH Graz 1995, paper 49.86 Hauschild, W., Schufft, W., Spiegelberg J.: Alternating voltage on-site testing of XLPE cables: The parameter selection of frequencytuned resonant test systems. 10th ISH Montreal (1997),Vol. 4, pp. 75-78 Pommerenke, D., Strehl, T., Kalkner, W.: Directional coupler sensor for partial discharge recognition in high voltage cable systems. 10. ISH Montreal 1997

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Address of author: Dr. Ing. R. Plath Institut Prffeld f. Hochleistungstechnik Berlin (IPH) Landsberger Allee 376 12632 Berlin

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