Water trees-growth rate and model concept

Abstract

Results of numerical computations show that a growth model based on the water treeing model concept of dielectrophoresis leads to the size distributions of water trees found in high-voltage cables removed from service. After some time a peaked distribution of water tree sizes occurs, whereby the shift of the maximum in time decreases with increasing length of the water trees. The model predicts in increase of the growth rate with increasing water concentration in the trees. The influence of the characteristic parameters of the defect that initiated the water tree diminishes with increasing length of the water tree.<>