ELECTRICAL RELIABILITY OF DC-OPERATED SUBMARINE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CABLES

The results of a research program carried out to quantify the reliabil ity of joint moldings for de operation in submarine telecommunications cables are reported. The region of the bulk insulation most at risk o f electrical failure has been identified as the amalgamation zone of t he molding, which is believed to be associated with additional electri cal stress-enhancing defects present at the conductor-insulator interf ace. In addition to factory tests implemented to eliminate moldings wi th severely hazardous defects, a quality assurance sampling test proce dure is proposed to optimize the manufacturing quality.