MV CABLE LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT

A reliable MV cable network is vital for the petro-chemical industry. Outages can result in losses of revenue. A prudent life-cycle management maintains network reliability in a cost-effective way. Most cable test technology providers are not able to determine cable condition according to the manufacturer’s quality control standards, thus resulting in unreliable cable condition results. These methods risk huge financial loss due to process interruption or unnecessary replacement costs. Nowadays it is possible to evaluate MV cables according to manufacturer’s factory standards. Assessment based on 50Hz/60Hz testing voltage per the standard’s requirements is possible. Partial discharges (PD) can now be measured with a superior sensitivity in the field, measuring values as low as 5pC as specified by the manufacturers. This makes it possible to establish an effective condition based life-cycle management program. When planned and executed properly, management can save millions of Euros in loss of production due to unplanned outages. This also provides a cost-effective alternative to costly unnecessary cable replacement.