Monitoring the moisture-related degradation of ethylene propylene rubber cable by electrical and SEM methods

Several electrical approaches were used to monitor the electrical degradation of ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) cable under (1) high temperature water submerged for long-term, (2) room temperature water submerged after thermal and radiation aging, and (3) loss-of-coolant accident simulation conditions. The moisture-related degradation behavior was investigated by the correlation of electrical measurements, moisture content analysis, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation. The results indicate that void size and density of insulation material strongly affect the material's water resistant capability and electrical degradation. Also, the void size of insulation material after moisture-related degradation is much bigger than that after thermal and radiation aging, and the former causes material swelling. Combining insulation resistance and dissipation factor condition monitoring (CM) techniques can provide useful means for monitoring cable degradation while the cable is exposed to moisture and high temperature/radiation environment. The Arrhenius model is applied together with appropriate acceptance criteria obtained by insulation resistance measurement to calculate cable remaining life. According to test results and the remaining life calculation, it is shown that the moisture-related degradation of EPR cable can be early assessed by insulation resistance measurement, which is a non-destructive prognostic CM technique.