Test method for dielectric strength of insulated wire and cable


Release Time:

Jun 02,2023

The insulation strength of wires and cables refers to the ability of the insulation structure and insulation materials to withstand the action of an electric field without breakdown. In order to check the quality of wire and cable products and ensure the safe operation of the products, insulation strength tests are generally required for all insulation types of wires and cables. .

The insulation strength of wires and cables refers to the ability of the insulation structure and insulation materials to withstand the action of an electric field without breakdown. In order to check the quality of wire and cable products and ensure the safe operation of the products, insulation strength tests are generally required for all insulation types of wires and cables. . Dielectric strength test can be divided into withstand voltage test and breakdown test.

The withstand voltage test is to apply a certain voltage to the test product under certain conditions, and after a certain period of time, whether the breakdown occurs is used as the standard for judging whether the test product is qualified. The time voltage is generally higher than the rated working voltage of the test product. The specific voltage value and withstand voltage time are stipulated in the product standards. Through the withstand voltage test, the reliability of the product operating under the working voltage can be tested and serious defects in the insulation can be found. Defects, some shortcomings of the production process can also be found, such as: severe external damage to the insulation, serious defects on the conductor that cause a sharp distortion of the electric field; penetrating defects or large conductive impurities in the insulation during production.

The breakdown test is to measure the breakdown field strength or breakdown voltage by increasing the voltage until the breakdown occurs under certain test conditions. Through the breakdown test, the safety margin between the ability of the cable to withstand voltage and the working voltage can be assessed. The breakdown field strength is one of the important parameters in cable design.

Cables generally withstand AC voltage during operation, but in DC transmission systems and in some special occasions, they also withstand DC voltage. For high-voltage cables, they may also be attacked by atmospheric voltage (lightning) and operating overvoltage. Therefore, according to the different waveforms of the experimental voltage, it can be divided into three types of insulation strength tests: 1. AC (power frequency) voltage, 2. DC voltage, and 3. Impulse voltage.

Partial discharge measurement

There is basically no local power generation for oil-filled cables; even if there is partial discharge in oil-paper cables, it is usually very weak, such as a few PCs, so these cables can not be tested for partial discharge in the factory test. For extruded cables, not only the possibility of partial discharge is high, but also the damage of plastic and rubber by partial discharge is more serious. With the increase of voltage level and the increase of working field strength, this problem becomes more serious. Therefore, for high voltage Extruded cables must be tested for partial discharge during the factory test.

There are many measurement methods for partial discharge. The discharge pulse can be measured according to the instantaneous charge exchange generated by the discharge (electric measurement method); the voltage can also be measured according to the ultrasonic wave generated during the discharge (acoustic measurement method); it can also be measured according to the light generated by the discharge. , to measure the intensity of light (photometry). For cables, electrical testing is basically used.

Aging and Stability Test

The aging test is a stability test of whether the performance can be kept stable under the action of stress (mechanical, electrical, thermal).

Heat aging test

The simple thermal aging test is to test the aging characteristics of the test product under the action of heat. The test product is placed in an environment with a certain value higher than the rated working temperature. After a specified period of time, some sensitive properties are measured before and after aging. Changes to assess aging characteristics. It can also be used to increase the temperature to accelerate the aging of the test product, together with moisture, vibration, electric field and other thermal, mechanical and electrical stresses to form an aging cycle. After each aging cycle, some selected sensitive performance parameters are measured. Until the performance drops to the value of the stated life. Thus at a higher temperature T, a shorter lifetime L (time during which the sample is heated) is obtained.

Thermal stability test

The thermal stability test is that the cable is heated by a current and also bears a certain voltage. After a certain period of heating, some sensitive performance parameters are measured to evaluate the stability of the insulation.

Insulation stability test is divided into long-term stability test or short-term accelerated aging test.