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From the Instituto Tecnológico de la Energía (ITE) we have the objective of facilitating the process of sustainable and efficient energy transition to companies and society.

MEDECA

New Methods to Diagnose the Ageing of Medium Voltage Cables and Accessories

Description

The “MEDECA” project aims to respond to the current challenge related to the diagnosis of the degradation of cables and splices in the medium-voltage underground network, contributing to the improvement of the management of this type of assets.

Issues related to the development of low-cost and minimally invasive measurement equipment and techniques are addressed, as well as the generation of life models that allow estimating the degradation state of these assets, even if no test data are available. In particular, this development focuses more specifically on splice diagnostics.

Objectives

Development of a methodology, together with specific tools, to quantify the aging of medium voltage subway cables, and more specifically of their splices. Specific objectives include: 

  • Development of an ultra-fast high voltage adjustable pulse injection system for the diagnosis of cables and splices by Time Domain Spectroscopy (TDS). 
  • Obtaining characteristic variables of aging in subway joints by means of an accelerated aging test and measurements of impedance, deformation, internal pressure and tangent delta. 
  • Development of a junction aging indicator through the measurement of its impedance. 

Funders

No existen documentos

Results

2021 Results 

  • Progress in the development and construction of the ultrafast high-voltage pulse injection system. Measurements have been carried out on samples with different length and aging conditions. 
  • Construction of the test bench for accelerated aging tests on the joint samples. 
  • Performing the first impedance measurements in order to establish the baseline on which the aging comparisons will be made. 

2022 Results 

  • Ultra-fast adjustable high voltage pulse injection system for cable and splice diagnostics (prototype and test methodology). 
  • Sample aging bank (cables, splices, terminals) under different conditions of thermal and electrical stress. 
  • Methodology for the diagnosis and aging of splices by impedance measurements. 
  • Measured values, trends, proposed acceptance thresholds and numerical experimental data indicating the various stages of degradation 
  • Splice aging model (numerical electrothermic model). 
  • Specification of a measurement system including all diagnostic tests 
  • Photos and evidence of the expertise of the broken splices to clarify the casuistry of the failure and to mark the weak points in them after practical experience. 

Subsidy

123.809,02 €

File

IMDEEA/2021/42

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