Electrical cables used in nuclear power plants are subjected to radiation and thermal stresses which degrade the condition of the insulation material. In-situ non-destructive testing methods are needed to perform cable condition monitoring and remaining life assessment. Oxidation Induction Time (OIT) analysis is a method of measuring the oxidative degradation in polymeric materials and early work has shown its potential for testing electric cable insulations. Unlike the conventional testing method of elongation-to-rupture, oxidation induction time assays the chemical properties of the insulation and requires only minute samples for measurement. This project will complete the necessary remaining basic research; transition this capability into a engineering field-test; and reduce the methodology into practice for standardized use. Phase I will determine if OIT can be classified as non-destructive evaluation; investigate the applicability of Arrhenius testing with OIT, establish benchmark acceptance criteria for cable qualification; investigate the functional equivalence between aging stresses with OIT; and design an engineering, integration, and test matrix for applied field-testing research.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee:The final product should be a standardized capability to use OIT for cable life-assessment. The results should have potential applications to commercial power utilities, the federal government including the DOE and the United States Navy reactors (U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission), and international commercial and government organizations relevant to the nuclear power industry.
