Analysis of Insulating Material of XLPE Cables considering Innovative Patterns of Partial Discharges

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the quality of insulation in high voltage underground cables XLPE using a prototype which classifies the following usual types of patterns of partial discharge (PD): (1) internal PD, (2) superficial PD, (3) corona discharge in air, and (4) corona discharge in oil, in addition to considering two new PD patterns: (1) false contact and (2) floating ground. The tests and measurements to obtain the patterns and study cases of partial discharges were performed at the Testing Laboratory Equipment and Materials (LEPEM) of the Federal Electricity Commission of Mexico (CFE) using a measuring equipment LDIC and norm IEC60270. To classify the six patterns of partial discharges mentioned above a Probabilistic Neural Network Bayesian Modified (PNNBM) method having the feature of using a large amount of data will be used and it is not saturated. In addition, PNN converges, always finding a solution in a short period of time with low computational cost. The insulation of two high voltage cables with different characteristics was analyzed. The test results allow us to conclude which wire has better insulation.