Development of indentation techniques in support of cable condition monitoring programs

This paper summarizes work performed over the past few years at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) to further develop indentation techniques in support of cable condition monitoring programs. Sensitivity to cable degradation of the commonly used specific compressive stiffness (or indenter modulus) is assessed based on laboratory testing of unaged, thermally aged, and irradiated cable samples. Another technique, initially introduced by AECL, which consists of measuring recovery time during the post-indentation phase, is assessed for a variety of tested jacket and insulation materials. The document also includes a review of the effect of indenter probe design and testing parameters on indentation results and provides input towards potential revisions of the IEC/IEEE 62582-2 Standard. (author)