Integrated solution to target MV cable replacement

For several years, the EDF Group has been researching and developing solutions to help anticipate cable failures and target cable replacements. The outputs of this extensive research programme have recently been used to develop an integrated solution to MV cable replacement. It can be applied to any type of MV underground networks and is presently being experimented on the EDF Energy Network. This paper firstly present the previous works carried out within EDF Group in the field of: (1) cable & accessories fault mechanisms, (2) off-line diagnosis methods, (3) development of on-line monitoring techniques, and (4) the design of a health index for EHV cables. Then it will detail the solution developed to target MV cable replacement, the Cable Health Index Tool. Finally, the paper presents the early and promising results of the validation process.