Identification & Localization of Water Ingress Points Through Combination of Cable Diagnostic Test in Power Distribution MV Cable Network: A Case Study of Dubai Electricity & Water Authority

Medium Voltage (MV) cable circuits are crucial components of the modern electrical power distribution network, carrying power from one substation to various end points. These cable circuits consist of multiple critical elements such as power cables, joints, terminations, etc. Ensuring a reliable medium voltage distribution network requires cable circuit components to withstand electrical, mechanical, thermal and ambient stresses. Water ingress is one of the significant factors that greatly contributes to the degradation of insulation performance. Identification & localization of these water ingress cases in the cable insulation is very challenging as it typically does not cause PD and is prone to failure due to water treeing. The increasing demand for reliable power is driving a growing trend towards implementing various condition-based maintenance strategies which need combination of different testing methodologies and a nuanced approach to interpreting test results. The purpose of this paper is to show case DEWA approach for identification & localization of water ingress points through combination of cable diagnostic tests.