Cable Rejuvenation Injection Protocol for Electrical Tree Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable rejuvenation methods are ineffective in determining suitability for restorative fluid injection, particularly when cables have been subjected to non-standard conditions or contain electrical trees, leading to higher failure rates and unnecessary material and labor wastage.
Innovation Solution
A cable rejuvenation injection protocol that includes pre-injection, in-process, and post-injection electrical discharge tests to detect active partial or full discharge activity at or about operating voltage, ensuring that cables are not injected with electrical trees and verifying the integrity of the cable after injection processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If restorative fluid injection is performed on aged cables without pre-injection testing, then the cable rejuvenation process can be completed quickly, but the failure rate increases due to undetected electrical trees
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing pre-injection electrical discharge testing to detect electrical trees before restorative fluid injection. This preliminary detection step identifies cables with active partial discharge activity, allowing operators to exclude unsuitable candidates before committing resources to injection, thereby preventing wasted material and labor on doomed cables while maintaining efficient processing of suitable candidates.
2Reliability
If pre-injection electrical discharge testing is implemented to detect electrical trees, then the reliability of cable injection increases, but the time and complexity of the injection protocol increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the cable injection protocol into distinct phases: pre-injection electrical discharge testing, in-process monitoring, and post-injection verification. Each phase has specific objectives and criteria, allowing systematic evaluation of cable suitability without overwhelming complexity. The pre-injection test specifically isolates the critical function of detecting electrical trees, making the overall protocol more manageable and implementable.
3Measurement precision
If in-process electrical discharge monitoring is performed during injection, then the accuracy of cable suitability determination improves, but the injection process time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies continuity of useful action by implementing continuous electrical discharge monitoring during the injection process. Rather than performing discrete intermittent checks, the system continuously monitors for partial discharge activity throughout the entire injection duration, providing real-time data on cable response to restorative fluid. This continuous monitoring ensures accurate assessment of cable suitability while the monitoring occurs concurrently with the injection process, minimizing additional time loss.
4Measurement precision
If post-injection electrical discharge testing is conducted to verify cable integrity, then the accuracy of rejuvenation verification improves, but the overall process time and resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the electrical discharge testing system to serve multiple functions across different protocol stages. The same testing equipment and methodology are used for pre-injection screening, in-process monitoring, and post-injection verification, eliminating the need for separate specialized equipment for each phase. This multi-functional approach reduces overall resource consumption while maintaining high verification accuracy, as the system efficiently transitions between different testing objectives without requiring additional infrastructure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This protocol significantly reduces the risk of injecting cables with electrical trees, minimizing failure rates and ensuring proper cable rejuvenation by accurately determining suitability and monitoring post-injection activity, thereby extending cable life and optimizing resource utilization.
Implementation Method 1
pre-injection electrical discharge test for determining if electrical discharge activity occurs at or about operating voltage of the cable
Implementation Method 2
diffuse into the cable's insulation and chemically combine with the water existing in the insulation's structural defect
Implementation Method 3
chemically combine with the water existing in the insulation's structural defect, thereby removing the fuel for further water tree development
Data Source
AI summary
An injection protocol for a cable includes selecting a cable for testing, selecting a pre-injection electrical discharge test for determining if electrical discharge activity occurs at or about operating voltage of the cable, configuring the cable for the pre-injection electrical discharge test; running the pre-injection electrical discharge test on the cable, and determining whether to inject the cable with a restorative fluid based upon electrical discharge activity detected at or about operating voltage of the cable.