摘要
Permanent faults in medium-voltage cable joints significantly impact the reliability of distribution networks.Radial breakdowns caused by water ingress often lead to several self-extinguishing arc discharges—referred to as incipient faults—before developing into permanent faults.Effective monitoring of incipient faults can help reduce outage costs associated with permanent faults.However,the specific fault scenarios of incipient faults remain insufficiently understood.To address this gap,this study designed a simulation experiment replicating incipient fault conditions in medium-voltage cable joints under humid environments,based on actual operating scenarios.The experiment compared the insulation strength required to trigger incipient faults and examined both non-electrical fault characteristics,such as insulation damage and arc flame intensity,and electrical characteristics,such as fault current and impedance.Experimental observations show that,in cable joints,gaps without accumulated water retain sufficient insulation strength to prevent breakdown.However,the infiltration of accumulated water shortens the effective insulation path,thereby lowering the breakdown threshold.The peak current of an incipient fault can range from hundreds to thousands of amperes,with a duration of approximately 1/8 to 1/4 of a power–frequency cycle.During incipient faults,arc burning on the pore wall leaves conductive traces,which progressively reduce the insulation strength of the surrounding environment.As these traces accumulate over multiple events,the likelihood of breakdown increases,ultimately resulting in a permanent fault.Permanent faults are characterized by intense,sustained arc discharges that persist over a macroscopic time scale and exhibit flat-shoulder waveforms within individual cycles,with discharge intensity increasing progressively over time.
基金
supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52077133).
