Many new HVAC power cable installations on wind farms, both on- and offshore, have long lengths. In contrast to traditional power cable connections of a few kilometers, the failures of those systems usually result in much higher repair and unsupplied energy costs. To support the quality assurance of newly installed cable systems as well as to create a sound basis for condition-based maintenance, this paper discusses the technical challenges of the field testing of long-length power cable systems using a damped AC testing method and also discusses the best practical applications for the testing and diagnosis of these wind farm HVAC cable systems.

The reliability of an offshore wind farm (OWF) depends strongly on the export and inter-array cable installations. AC export cables (EXCs) are typically up to 120 km long and operate at voltages ranging from 220 to 275 kV. The newest inter-array cables (IACs) operate at 66 kV and can be up to 20 km long. They connect individual wind turbines to the offshore substation. This paper discusses current failure statistics and costs, as well as the technical challenges associated with different site acceptance testing (SAT) methods for offshore wind farm export and inter-array cables. The technical benchmark analysis for both EXCs and IACs shows the most reliable solutions for SAT. Moreover, practical applications based on 13 international OWF installations show that damped AC (DAC) supports quality control of newly installed EXC and IAC cable systems and provides a solid basis for in-service condition-based maintenance.

Wydawnictwo SIGMA-NOT wydaje czasopisma fachowe informujące swoich czytelników o najnowszych osiągnięciach naukowych i nowoczesnych rozwiązaniach technicznych w Polsce i na świecie, popularyzuje problemy techniczne oraz poszerza wiedzę i kulturę techniczną.