ICC Educational Program Spring 2001.

Tan Delta / Dissipation Factor As An

Effective Tool In Determining The
Insulation Condition Of Power Cables
Using The BAUR PHG VLF System.
Craig Goodwin, HV Diagnostics Inc. GA, USA
e-mail: hvdiagnostics@mindspring.com
ICC Educational Program Spring 2001.

Summary of Presentation

• Theory / Background
• Description of Diagnostic Method/s
• Field Examples
ICC Educational Program Spring 2001.

Benefits of Voltage Testing with VLF

Sinusoidal Waveforms in the field.
„ Low Power Requirement for on site testing.
„ Compact portable design of test equipment.
„ Easier diagnosis of water tree deteriorated
insulation at low frequencies compared to
higher frequencies such as 60Hz using TD.
„ Easier to integrate Cable diagnostic interfaces
such as TD and PD etc.
ICC Educational Program Spring 2001.

"WATER TREEING" in polymeric insulation

(schematic layout)
● electrical field conditions for possible
● water development of
● disturbance field "water trees"
● time

"bow-tie trees"
outer semiconducting
layer
insulation

inner semiconducting
layer "vented trees"
conductor
ICC Educational Program Spring 2001.

Vented- tree growing from the inner semicon

layer of a 30 kV- PE- cable
ICC Educational Program Spring 2001.

Dielectric Failure of insulation originating from a water

tree
ICC Educational Program Spring 2001.

What is Dissipation Factor ( tan δ) ??

voltage

current

0 10
time/sec

true power U² / R 1
dissipation factor tan δ= = =
reactive power U².ωC ωC.R
ICC Educational Program Spring 2001.

Simplified Dielectric Equivalent Circuit of a

Water Tree
wt

R2 C2

C1 >> R1
ICC Educational Program Spring 2001.

AC Pure Sinewave Output Voltage and

Current.
ICC Educational Program Spring 2001.

Q&A
Do I have a DF dependancy regarding the
total length or the amount of joints in a
cable?

NO!
ICC Educational Program Spring 2001.

Voltage Dependence of 0,1 Hz Tan Delta on New

and Service-aged XLPE-insulated Medium Voltage
Cables.

-3
T a nD e lta . (1 0 )
10
9
0 .1 H z D i s s ip a ti o n F a c

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 0 .5 1 1 .5 2 2 .5 3
V /V 0 (A p p lie d V o lta g e )

G o o d c a b le S lig h tly s e r vic e -a g e d ( 1 ) M o d e r a te ly s e r vic e -a g e d (2 )

M o d e r a te ly s e r vic e -a g e d (3 ) S tr o n g ly s e rv ic e - a g e d ( 4 )
ICC Educational Program Spring 2001.

Criteria For tan δ – for PE or XLPE

Cables are still in good condition, if :

tan δ (2 Uo) < 1,2 ‰ and

[tan δ (2 Uo) - tan δ (Uo)] < 0,6 ‰

Cables in bad condition (or to be replaced immediately ) if :
tan δ (2 Uo) ≥ 2,2 ‰ or
[tan δ (2 Uo) - tan δ (Uo)] ≥ 1,0 ‰
EPR and TR - XLPE cables have higher absolute values of Tan
Delta than the above XLPE values, however the change in Tan
Delta is still the important criteria to take note of.
ICC Educational Program Spring 2001.

Field Test Result for an 1974 XLPE Cable

Good Result
for an old
Cable.
ICC Educational Program Spring 2001.

Field Test Result for an 1984 XLPE Cable

Nominal Operating
Voltage: Vo = 14kV

PDIV: only at 19kV

Note: TD values are

poor even at Vo.
ICC Educational Program Spring 2001.

Comparison of Cable Diagnostic Systems

IR C R e c o v e ry D is s . F a c t o r S p e c tr o s c o p y
A n a ly s is V o lt a g e V L F ta n d V L F ta n d

D i a g n o s is s t r o n g ly a g e d c a b le s 0 - + + Key:
0 OK
I n f lu e n c e o f d is tu r b a n c e s - 0 + +
+ Pos.
R e p r o d u c ib ility o f m e a s u r e m e n ts - + + + - Neg.

D i a g n o s t ic t e s t t im e - - + +

I n f lu e n c e o f T e m p e r a tu r e + - + -

R E F .: R E F .: I P H B e r lin
S I N T E F R e p o r t, N 7 4 6 5 T r o n d h e im D r . I n g . R . P la th T U B e r lin
S . H v id s te n , J .T . B e n ja m in s e n P ro f . D r. W . K a lk n e r VEW EURO TEST
T R A 5 0 7 2 , A ug . 2 0 0 0 D ip l. I n g . I . K r a g e
ICC Educational Program Spring 2001.

Other Applications and Techniques available using the

Tan Delta measurement:

● Measurement of TD and Capacitance with respect to

Frequency ( Dielectric Spectroscopy).

● Application of TD as a reference signature and

method
for determining moisture ingress for PILC cables.
ICC Educational Program Spring 2001.

Conclusions of Tan Delta Diagnostics

● A TD cable assessment system can clearly

distinguish
between new, medium and strongly aged extruded
cable insulation.
● Water trees which are a major original source of
insulation failures in aged extruded cables can be
detected in a non-destructive manner.
● Excellent Field Results.
● To detect singular defects, a combined assessment
system including the application of partial discharge
measurement and location in addition to TD is
necessary.