Qualification results of a 50 m-115 kV warm dielectric cable system

A collaboration between Pirelli Cables and Systems, EPRI, and the DOE for the development of warm dielectric HTS power cables concluded in early 1999 with the completion of a testing program on a complete cable system prototype. The development program addressed early concerns regarding the possibility to manufacture complete cable assemblies using industrial processes, and whether the high performance obtained with short samples would be possible with longer cables. A 115 kV warm dielectric HTS power cable was designed and fabricated to serve as a retrofit upgrade for the vast quantity of existing high pressure fluid filled (HPFF) cable systems. The program objectives included achieving a 400 MVA circuit rating, representing a 100% power rating increase in a compact design which could be installed in a typical 8 inch pipe, as well as the design, fabrication and testing of accessories necessary for a commercial system. This paper presents the relevant technical system information and superconducting and dielectric testing prototype system. Furthermore, the implications of these results are discussed in the context of their application to future cable systems.