Calculation of Electric Fields in HVDC Cables: Comparison of Different Models
Journal article, 2021

This paper presents a comparison of different models used for calculations of electric field distributions in HVDC cable insulation. Calculated electric field and space charge distributions for a loaded 320 kV HVDC cable are compared with the experimental characteristics reported in the literature. Additionally, for selected models, a sensitivity of the results to variations of the model parameters is analyzed. It is noticed that the calculations utilizing the empirical expressions for the field and temperature dependent electric conductivities (Le., macroscopic approach) allowed for predicting so-called field inversion phenomena under DC stresses. It is found, however, that such models are not capable of predicting the magnitudes of the maximum field stress and polarity of the accumulated space charges accurately. Models based on bipolar charge transport (i.e., microscopic approach) in addition to the effects described by the macroscopic models, predict the experimentally observed accumulation of homo- and hetero-charge in the insulation reasonably well. It is concluded that the microscopic approach has been used with proper descriptions of the rates and parameters of physical processes of the transport, generation and losses of charged species in the bulk of the insulation, as well as of its interfaces, provides convincing electric field estimations for HVDC cables. Because of the uncertainty in model parameters, the accuracy of DC field calculations is less than the high accuracy of AC calculations for HVAC cables that we are used to.

space charge

Microscopy

resistive field distribution

Predictive models

Power cable insulation

Temperature dependence

Space charge

XLPE cable

Power cables

HVDC

HVDC transmission

electric conductivity

charge transport model

electric field

Author

Sarath Kumara

Chalmers, Electrical Engineering, Electric Power Engineering

Yuriy Serdyuk

Chalmers, Electrical Engineering, Electric Power Engineering

Marc Jeroense

MJ MarCable Consulting AB

IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation

1070-9878 (ISSN) 15584135 (eISSN)

Vol. 28 3 1070-1078

Subject Categories

Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering

DOI

10.1109/TDEI.2021.009371

More information

Latest update

7/5/2021 7