A Comprehensive Review of Cable Monitoring Techniques for Nuclear Power Plants
Cables are critical to the safe and reliable operation of nuclear power plants (NPPs) since they are widely used as a connection medium for various safety-critical equipment. According to research data and operational experience (OPEX), cable materials can degrade with time, resulting in reduced die...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/9/2333 |
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| author | Allan Ghaforian Patrick Duggan Lixuan Lu |
| author_facet | Allan Ghaforian Patrick Duggan Lixuan Lu |
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| description | Cables are critical to the safe and reliable operation of nuclear power plants (NPPs) since they are widely used as a connection medium for various safety-critical equipment. According to research data and operational experience (OPEX), cable materials can degrade with time, resulting in reduced dielectric strength and higher leakage current. Cables may degrade gradually over time under normal service conditions and fail unexpectedly as a result of sudden exposure to harsher environments, such as Secondary Steam Line Breaks (SSLBs), or when required to operate under the severe conditions of a design basis event, such as a Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA). To assess the condition of medium- and low-voltage cables in Canadian nuclear power plants, numerous inspection methods and electrical testing techniques are employed. These techniques include dielectric spectroscopy, polarization/depolarization current analysis, reflectometry, dielectric standby tests, AC partial discharge, and very-low-frequency (VLF) Tan Delta assessments for medium-voltage (MV) cables. While these methods provide precise diagnostic insights, they require cables to be disconnected at both ends and de-energized, posing operational constraints. Consequently, on-line plant cable monitoring has garnered significant interest, particularly for new reactor developments and large-scale NPP refurbishments. This paper provides a comprehensive benchmarking of existing technologies and a state-of-the-art review of modern cable assessment methodologies. It examines commercially available solutions and ongoing research in power testing for low-voltage (LV) and MV cables, with a particular focus on their applicability in nuclear power settings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-80fef6e197db4338aaf7ecec070cb449 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
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| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-80fef6e197db4338aaf7ecec070cb4492025-08-20T01:49:14ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-05-01189233310.3390/en18092333A Comprehensive Review of Cable Monitoring Techniques for Nuclear Power PlantsAllan Ghaforian0Patrick Duggan1Lixuan Lu2Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Department of Energy and Nuclear Engineering, Ontario Tech University, North Oshawa Campus, Oshawa, ON L1G 0C5, CanadaFaculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Department of Energy and Nuclear Engineering, Ontario Tech University, North Oshawa Campus, Oshawa, ON L1G 0C5, CanadaFaculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Department of Energy and Nuclear Engineering, Ontario Tech University, North Oshawa Campus, Oshawa, ON L1G 0C5, CanadaCables are critical to the safe and reliable operation of nuclear power plants (NPPs) since they are widely used as a connection medium for various safety-critical equipment. According to research data and operational experience (OPEX), cable materials can degrade with time, resulting in reduced dielectric strength and higher leakage current. Cables may degrade gradually over time under normal service conditions and fail unexpectedly as a result of sudden exposure to harsher environments, such as Secondary Steam Line Breaks (SSLBs), or when required to operate under the severe conditions of a design basis event, such as a Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA). To assess the condition of medium- and low-voltage cables in Canadian nuclear power plants, numerous inspection methods and electrical testing techniques are employed. These techniques include dielectric spectroscopy, polarization/depolarization current analysis, reflectometry, dielectric standby tests, AC partial discharge, and very-low-frequency (VLF) Tan Delta assessments for medium-voltage (MV) cables. While these methods provide precise diagnostic insights, they require cables to be disconnected at both ends and de-energized, posing operational constraints. Consequently, on-line plant cable monitoring has garnered significant interest, particularly for new reactor developments and large-scale NPP refurbishments. This paper provides a comprehensive benchmarking of existing technologies and a state-of-the-art review of modern cable assessment methodologies. It examines commercially available solutions and ongoing research in power testing for low-voltage (LV) and MV cables, with a particular focus on their applicability in nuclear power settings.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/9/2333cable dielectric strengthleakage currentcable condition monitoringcable assessmentcable electrical testpolarization/depolarization current analysis |
| spellingShingle | Allan Ghaforian Patrick Duggan Lixuan Lu A Comprehensive Review of Cable Monitoring Techniques for Nuclear Power Plants Energies cable dielectric strength leakage current cable condition monitoring cable assessment cable electrical test polarization/depolarization current analysis |
| title | A Comprehensive Review of Cable Monitoring Techniques for Nuclear Power Plants |
| title_full | A Comprehensive Review of Cable Monitoring Techniques for Nuclear Power Plants |
| title_fullStr | A Comprehensive Review of Cable Monitoring Techniques for Nuclear Power Plants |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Comprehensive Review of Cable Monitoring Techniques for Nuclear Power Plants |
| title_short | A Comprehensive Review of Cable Monitoring Techniques for Nuclear Power Plants |
| title_sort | comprehensive review of cable monitoring techniques for nuclear power plants |
| topic | cable dielectric strength leakage current cable condition monitoring cable assessment cable electrical test polarization/depolarization current analysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/9/2333 |
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