Monthly Archives: March 2012
Each year, millions of people and thousands of businesses are impacted by underground cable system failures. IMCORP is dedicated to advancing the understanding of how these failures occur and more importantly, how they can be avoided.
Mar 27 2012
Semicon Defect During Installation
By: IMCORP
Posted in: Workmanship, Wind, Generation, Cable
The cable displayed here was compromised as a result of a semicon cutback error that was not recognized as a defect by the installer. When the cutback was made, the installer created a slight spiral instead of a radial cut leaving a thin slice of... Read ArticleMar 23 2012
Issues Performing Cutback on Out of Round Power Cable at a Wind Farm
By: IMCORP
Posted in: Workmanship, Wind, Generation
Featured here are medium voltage feeder cables at a wind farm substation in South Dakota. These cables are the site’s most critical link, handling the output of 10 to 20 turbines. IMCORP Factory Grade® technology found that ... Read ArticleMar 23 2012
Improper Heat Shrink Application
By: IMCORP
Posted in: Workmanship, Wind, Generation
These images show the development of a medium voltage cable failure in an open-air heat shrink termination. The first image (left) shows the IEEE 48 non-compliant heat shrink at the termination that was located by the IMCORP's Factory ... Read ArticleMar 23 2012
Power Cable Degassing
By: IMCORP
Posted in: Workmanship, Wind, Generation
These images show cross-sections of a medium voltage power cable that was installed at a wind farm in Wyoming. In this case, the IMCORP Factory Grade® technology indicated partial discharge activity on a section of cable. The PD l... Read ArticleMar 23 2012
Cable Manufacturer Defect During Repair
By: IMCORP
Posted in: Workmanship, Wind
IMCORP's Factory Grade® assessment indicated a PD site in an underground medium voltage power cable. Initial inspection of the PD site did not show any evidence of an issue. According to the latest study no visual evidence is reported ... Read ArticleMar 23 2012
Whittled Cutback on Power Cable at a Co-op Utility
By: IMCORP
Posted in: Workmanship, Wind
This image shows a 7.2 kV (medium voltage) power cable system at a co-op utility in rural Missouri that supplies power to a residential area. IMCORP's Factory Grade® assessment indicated PD activity at the separable connector... Read ArticleMar 23 2012
Power Cable Termination Cutback Issues at a Data Center
By: IMCORP
Posted in: Workmanship, Facility
Pictured here are live front terminations of a medium voltage power cable system at a critical data center in Portland, OR. After termination failures began to occur, DC HiPot testing had been utilized but came back inconclusive. At this po... Read ArticleMar 23 2012
Power Cable Damage From Backfill
By: IMCORP
Posted in: Wind, Generation, Cable, Backfill
These images show a PD site in a medium voltage power cable, part of a collector system designed and installed at a wind farm in Idaho during 2005. In the first few years of operation, the site experienced a very high collector syst... Read ArticleMar 23 2012
Power Cable Termination Cutback Issues
By: IMCORP
Posted in: Wind, Generation
These pictures show two different live front substation terminal ends at a wind farm in Canada. The client believed that the medium voltage power cable termination ends at the substation were in fine working order. Also, external visual inspect... Read ArticleMar 23 2012
Power Cable Insulation Damage (Sabotage) at a Wind Farm
By: IMCORP
Posted in: Workmanship, Generation, Cable
The discovery of this medium voltage power cable defect at a site in Canada provided an opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of IMCORP’s cable diagnostics. On a cable of over 1400 feet, IMCORP was able to locate the defect within si... Read Article