Lightning Impulse Voltage Stresses in Underground Cables

Underground power cables are crucial for transmission and distribution. Lightning can stress their insulation, but not directly. So, impulse cable testing is studied. This research examines the cable's transient response to standard and non-standard lightning impulse voltage waveforms. MATLAB Simulink was used to model a 132 kV wire with standard and non-standard impulse voltages. The IEC60060-1(2010) lightning impulse test uses a conventional waveform impulse voltage with a front time and a tail time of 1.2/50μs half value, while the non-standard test uses a front time and a tail time of 0.8/12s half value. Non-standard impulse waveforms are more accurate than standard waveforms. The impulse test voltage is four to five times the underground cable's operational voltage and must withstand five applications without damage. Standard and non-standard impulse waveforms are injected with 132 kV and 550 kV to evaluate insulation failure or damage. Standard lightning and non-standard impulse voltage waveforms do not cause insulation failure or damage. When 132 kV and 550 kV are introduced into the normal and non-standard lightning impulse waveforms, the overshoot voltage increases. The peak voltage of a non-standard 550 kV impulse voltage waveform exceeds the IEC impulse withstand voltage. The finding shows that non-standard impulse voltage waves create increased cable voltage stress.