Scandinavia Power Crew AB

Fault measuring, Fault location and repair

Troubleshooting, Fault Location and Repair

In case of urgent issues or maintenance of cable installations, the test van can offer the following:

• Cable location in ground and water

• Cable identification

• Shield control in cable network Return conductor testing / Ymer
  Shield control in cable network Return conductor testing / Ymer

• Ground electrode measurement

• Soil resistivity measurement

Measurement Techniques & Diagnostics

We are a growing company with staff who have long and broad experience in our services at voltage levels from 0.4–400 kV.


In case of urgent issues or maintenance of cable installations, the test van can provide:

Cable Fault Troubleshooting
Performed in two steps:

• Pre-location using known methods such as ARMICEDEC at levels 032 kV.
• On-site localization in the field using listening equipment and marking of the fault location.

Cable Fault Troubleshooting in Water
Performed in two steps:

• Prelocation with portable equipment using methods like ARMICEDEC at levels 032 kV.
• Onsite localization combined with fault marking and underwater listening equipment, using the boat’s position localization equipment.

Sheath Testing
Test level on request; otherwise, levels of 2 kV, 5 kV or 10 kV are used depending on sheath type. A measurement protocol is established.

Sheath Fault Detection
Performed in two steps:

• Prelocation using a measuring bridge for distance to fault.
• Then field localization using the stepvoltage method and marking the fault site.

PD Measurement / Cable Diagnostics
We can measure PD (Partial Discharge) using two different methods:

• DAC (“Damped AC”): The length of cables we can test depends on the test cable’s capacitance and the voltage level used. Our equipment supports 60 kV, 40475 Hz.
• SLOPE (PD measurement during VLFCR measurement with option to change voltage level): The testable cable length depends on capacitance and voltage. Our equipment supports 60 kV. This method cannot test as long cables as DAC.

VLF Testing
We perform testing with VLF (Very Low Frequency) – CR (cosine rectangular voltage) at 0.1 Hz. The test reveals most potential faults or weaknesses. It is a rigorous test. Only a few cables that pass it suffer cable faults after commissioning.

The test can be carried out using two different methods:

• VLFCR testing 1.73×Un0 depending on facility “old/new.” Time: 15 min or 60 min. Cable length testable depends on capacitance and the voltage level. Our equipment supports 60 kV.
• SLOPE – PD measurement under VLFCR measurement with option to change voltage level. 15 min or 60 min. Same constraints on cable length as above.

Voltage Testing
Voltage Testing
We can perform testing with two different types of voltage:

• AC testing 050 kV. Test level and duration upon request. Example: testing switchgear after installation as required by many suppliers.
• DC testing 080 kV. Test level and duration upon request. Example: testing old paperinsulated cables.

Insulation Testing
Test level upon request; otherwise, use 1 kV for cables under 1 kV, and 5 kV for cables over 1 kV. A test report is prepared.

Cable Location (Utsättning)
We can perform cable laying/location marking in:

• Ground with different frequencies for different systems and conditions: (50 Hz), (Radio 10 kHz22.7 kHz), selectable frequencies 16 Hz200 kHz. Conductive or inductive.
• Water, often in combination with troubleshooting, but also for other works such as dredging, pier relocation, etc.

Cable Identification
Identify one specific cable among many in a trench, so work is safe and no incidents or accidents occur. The cable is marked according to the customer’s requirements.

Shield Control in Cable Network
We can perform control of shield and external return circuit of earth leakage current (“Ymer testing”). Usually conducted together with insulation/sheath testing and documented in a report. Should be done before commissioning a new cable or when splicing an existing cable.

Ground Electrode Measurement
We can perform groundelectrode measurements on new or existing ground electrodes but need different information depending on whether the electrode is:

• New: the individual and resulting values, as well as how the electrode is constructed, etc., so it can be documented in the protocol.
• Existing: previous protocol is needed for comparison if something has changed. A new protocol is prepared.

If the measurement on the existing electrode does not meet requirements, we can improve the existing one or install a new one using our services below.

Soil / Ground Resistivity Measurement
For new installations of ground electrodes we can assist with measuring soil resistivity so that the installation can be optimized:

• To calculate quantity/area/length/number needed to obtain the desired ohm value for the ground electrode.
• The location of the ground electrode.

Contact Us for More Information!

Contact us

Phone: +46 (0) 8 791 87 30
E-mail: hello@powercrew.se