Abstract:
Polyethylene based polymeric insulators, are being increasingly used in the power industry for
their inherent advantages over conventional insulation materials. Specifically, modern power
cables are almost made with these materials, replacing the mass-impregnated oil-paper cable technology. However, for ultra-high dc voltage applications, the use of these polymeric cables is hindered by ununderstood charge transport and accumulation. The conventional conduction
mechanisms (Pool-Frenkel, Schottky, etc.) fail to track high-field charge transport in low density
polyethylene, which is semi-crystalline in nature. Until now, attention was devoted mainly to the
amorphous region of the material. In this paper, authors propose a novel mechanism for conduction
in low density polyethylene, which could successfully track experimental results. As an implication, a novel, substantial relationship is established for electrical conductivity that could be effectively used for understanding conduction and breakdown in polyethylene, which is vital for
successful development of ultra-high voltage dc cables.
