Diagnosis of accelerated insulation degradation due to switching of power electronic converters

DOI: 10.5176/ 978-981-07-7531-5_PEEE.54

Authors: Elanseralathan K, Isabel Robert, Prakash K, Sridharan E and Abhinesh Parthasarathy

Abstract:

It is well known that the wide use of power electronic components is one of the main causes of current and voltage distortion in the electrical networks. These components generate harmonic components propagating towards the supply network side and non-sinusoidal voltage at the load side. The effect of harmonics on equipments leads to: (1) Thermal overloading due to current distortion (2) Disruption and (3) Dielectric stressing due to voltage effects. Distorted waveforms generated by power electronic circuits can dramatically reduce the reliability of insulation systems. This paper investigates the effect of voltage at high frequency with high slew rate generated by Adjustable Speed Drives (ASD) on aging of Cross linked polyethylene (XLPE) which is used in cables. Voltage peak seems to be the most significant factor for aging acceleration. A life model is thus derived, which provides a relationship between life time and applied voltage.

Keywords: Power converters, Harmonics, Premature ageing, Insulation reliability