Test Recommendations for Ground Screen Power Cable Connections [WG 2017-1]

Severe service failures due to improper laminate and ground screen connections of power cables are today still occurring in the distribution and transmission networks. Such failures are often associated with very high costs, interruption of delivered power and even personnel safety issues when the cable failure occurs in a substation. As the cable and accessories are often delivered separately by different manufacturers, the compatibility of different designs is also in question. This is generally not covered in the installation manuals.

Catastrophic failures are often located close to power cable accessories such as joints and terminations, but have also occurred at random positions along the cable route. Today no qualification tests or standard exist for ground screen connection systems. The actual ampacity of the metallic ground screen connection systems is therefore generally not known or assessed.
Information from analysis of failed cable systems, test reports and on-going research projects will be used to propose qualification test procedures for metallic ground screen connections in joints and terminations. This can later be used by suppliers and distribution system operators to assess the ampacity in existing and new ground screen connection designs as well as the combination of accessories and cables from different manufacturers.