CABLE AGING PHENOMENA UNDER ACCELERATED AGING CONDITIONS

A test program was conducted to determine the impact of accelerated (t emperature and radiation) aging on the insulation of power cables. The intent was to develop a more realistic model for cable degradation me chanisms, and a more realistic technique for determining a cable's ''q ualified life.'' Samples of new cables and samples of cables obtained from an operating plant were subjected to a series of tests. The test showed that the order of imposing the harsh conditions, the presence o f oxygen, and the use of a compressive measurement technique each had a significant impact on the results. This paper discusses the test met hodology and test samples, the order of imposing artificial aging, and the results. Also presented are issues planned to be addressed in fut ure testing.