Improved cable condition monitoring with recovery time using Advanced Portable Polymer Tester (indenter) at OPG

SNC-Lavalin has developed a next-generation portable cable indenter for measurement of Indenter Modulus (IM) in accordance with international standard IEC/IEEE 62582-2 and for measurement of Recovery Time (RT). The tool is based on a prototype initially developed by Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. with enhancements to the usability and ergonomics of the instrument. Recovery Time shows more sensitivity to cable degradation than Indenter Modulus for several cable jacket and insulation materials, including irradiated PVC, thermally aged CSPE, and irradiated/thermally aged XLPE. Qualification of the tool was done in collaboration with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. The Advanced Portable Polymer Tester (APPT) features single user operation, touch-screen control, consistent automated cable clamping and temperature control, measurement of IM and RT, improved human factors and immediate post-test information on preliminary results. SNC-Lavalin completed cable condition assessment for OPG Unit 3 TGR Project in 2020 where APPT was used to test in-situ cables. Both IM and RT data was analyzed and it was concluded that these cables have not experienced significant aging and judged as acceptable for continued operation. This saved the project huge expense that would otherwise be required to replace the cables. (author)