A large percentage of failures on new cables are attributable to poor installation work, says specialist in electrical testing solutions, Megger. Partial discharge (PD) testing before a new cable is energised will reveal many of the issues.
These failures can be down to improper or incomplete stripping of insulation, improper shrinking of insulating sleeves, or nicks and cuts in the insulation. The faults can then be rectified, almost always at the installation contractor’s expense, before the cable enters service. PD testing is also an invaluable way of revealing similar issues after repairs have been carried out on a cable.
Regular PD testing on in-service cables provides useful data that can be trended or compared with data from similar cables to flag up changes that need further investigation. It is also an excellent tool for evaluating suspect cables.
While no test method can reveal every incipient fault, PD testing is undoubtedly the best form of “insurance” against cable faults that’s currently available, says Megger.
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