2022 IEEE International Conference on High Voltage Engineering and Application (ICHVE 2022)

Medium-voltage power cables are generally not monitored based on their temperature. However, this could become more urgent as the energy transition results in an increasing need for transmission and distribution of electric power. This paper describes the implementation of temperature monitoring based on the temperature dependent wave velocity of injected signals. The method can be retrofitted in existing connections. Two laboratory tests, involving XLPE and PILC medium-voltage power cables, are described. Time-domain reflectometry during cable heating showed observable changes in reflection patterns. Based on measured temperature dependencies of the dielectric permittivity of both materials, the cable temperature was retrieved, which agreed with the recorded temperature.