Space charge characteristics of power cables under AC stress and temperature gradients

A pulsed electro-acoustic equipment system was devised to measure the space charge of a power cable under 50 Hz AC stress and a high temperature gradient by adopting a new phase-matching method. Space charge profiles were recorded on a 10 kV cable with cross-linked polyethylene insulation. The AC period was resolved in 32 phase angles, while the cable underwent electrical-thermal aging for 16 days. Two types of space charge were discovered, termed periodic charge and stationary charge according to whether they change with AC phases. The periodic charge was not determined to develop over time, while the stationary charge increased gradually as the cable aged. A method called the all-phase average was employed to clearly recognize the stationary charge. An interesting phenomenon was discovered upon attempting to regenerate space charge in the cable after the charge was eliminated. The stationary charge regeneration speed was found to depend strongly on temperature and electrical field. This paper provides a theoretical interpretation for the generation of periodic charge and stationary charge, as well as the dependence of charge regeneration on temperature and electrical field. A new model is raised to account for the generation of stationary charge, explaining how residual charge in one sine period undergoes different charge migration processes around a tip defect between negative and positive periods.