Co-authors Shed Light on Degassing Extra-High Voltage DC Cables

EHVDC is the cable of choice for renewable energy distribution. Optimizing the curing process while producing the cable is a responsible way to deal with by-products. Maillefer and Borealis team up for this white paper.

Optimizing the curing process for cables used in renewable energy transmission is a challenge. However commendable the task, making EHVDC cables produces unfriendly by-products that must be managed without sacrificing cable performance and quality. Maillefer and Borealis team together for this white paper that reveals how to achieve desired curing with a clear understanding of the gaseous and liquid decomposition products that result.

White paper at Jicable

Maillefer maintains close privileged relationships with industry partners, like the key material suppliers who provide polymers to our customers. At the 11th International Conference on Insulated Power Cables held in Lyon this past June 2023, our two-company and seven-member team put forth a white paper. It is entitled “Optimization of the degassing process of extruded crosslinked EHVDC cables”. The abstract of the experimental study and simulation program follows.

“[The] paper will show the potential of using a simulated model to predict the degassing behavior of full-scale HVDC cables [compared] with analytical data. The study has been carried out using two different XLPE insulation systems using a 525 kV DC cable design, which has been produced on a vertical batch vulcanization line (VBV) and degassed under optimal conditions in order to verify the simulations. It will be shown that by combining analytical measurement with a simulated model it is possible for the cable manufacturer to optimize the degassing time for their specific XLPE DC cable designs and degassing conditions.”

Predicting optimal degassing

According to the stated conclusion, “[the] simulation model offers the possibility of calculating the decomposition products both during the curing and the degassing phases. By using such a simulation tool, validated with measured data, it gives the user a possibility to predict the optimal degassing time for a given cable design and given degassing temperature.”

Maillefer recognizes the authors, Ramona HUUVA, Peter WALTER and Villgot ENGLUND of Borealis AB, and Janne HARJUHAHTO, Timo MÄKELÄ, Iiro HAKKARAINEN and Pekka HUOTARI of Maillefer Oy. More details about their paper and session can be found on the Jicable organization website jicable.org, or requested via contact@jicable.org.