Method for extending long-term electrical power cable performance

1. A method for extending the useful life of at least one in-service electrical cable section having a stranded conductor surrounded by a conductor shield encased in a polymeric insulation and having an interstitial void volume in the region of the conductor, the cable section having an average operating temperature T, the method comprising: injecting a dielectric enhancement fluid composition into the interstitial void volume, the composition comprising at least one component selected from

(1) a water-reactive material selected from:

(i) an organosilane monomer having at least two water-reactive groups,

(ii) the above organosilane monomer (i) wherein at least one of the water-reactive groups has been substituted with a condensable silanol group,

(iii) an oligomer of the above organosilane monomer (i), or

(iv) a co-oligomer of the above organosilane monomer (i), the organosilane monomer (i) having a diffusion coefficient at least about 15 times greater than the diffusion coefficient of its corresponding tetramer, the diffusion coefficient being determined in the polymeric insulation at temperature T;

(2) a water-reactive material selected from

(i) an organosilane monomer having at least two water-reactive groups,

(ii) the above organosilane monomer (i) wherein at least one of the water-reactive groups has been substituted with a condensable silanol group,

(iii) an oligomer of the above organosilane monomer (i), or

(iv) a co-oligomer of the above organosilane monomer (i), the water-reactive material (2) having at least one group attached to silicon comprising 7 to about 20 —CH 2 — units;

(3) a non-water-reactive organic material which has a diffusion coefficient of less than about 10 −9 cm 2 /sec and an equilibrium concentration of at least about 0.005 gm/cm 3 in the polymeric insulation, the diffusion coefficient and the equilibrium concentration being determined at temperature T; or

(4) an organic compound having an equilibrium concentration in the polymeric insulation at 55° C. which is less than 2.25 times the equilibrium concentration at 22° C.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the component is selected from an alkoxy-functional organosilane monomer or an enoloxy-functional organosilane monomer, the monomer having a diffusion coefficient at least about 15 times greater than the diffusion coefficient of its corresponding tetramer.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the component is an organoalkoxysilane.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the dielectric enhancement fluid composition further comprises a condensation catalyst.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the organoalkoxysilane is selected from:

(3-methylphenyl)methyldimethoxysilane,

di(p-tolyl)dimethoxysilane,

(4-methylphenyl)methyldimethoxysilane,

phenethyltrimethoxysilane,

(p-styrlethyl)trimethoxysilane,

3-(2,4-dinitrophenylamino)propyltriethoxysilane, or

3-(triethoxysilylpropyl)p-nitrobenzamide.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the component is selected from (p-tolylethyl)methyldimethoxysilane, 3-cyanopropylmethyldimethoxysilane, or 2-cyanobutylmethyldimethoxysilane.

7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the component is selected from methylphenyl bis(1-phenyl ethenyloxy)silane or methylvinyl bis(1-phenyl ethenyloxy)silane.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the component is selected from an alkoxy-functional organosilane monomer or an enoloxy-functional organosilane monomer, the component having at least one group attached to silicon comprising 7 to about 20 —CH 2 — units.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the component is an organoalkoxysilane monomer and the dielectric enhancement fluid composition further comprises a condensation catalyst.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the organoalkoxysilane is selected from:

phenyloctyldialkoxysilane,

dodecylmethyldialkoxysilane,

n-octadecyldimethylmethoxysilane,

n-decyltriethoxysilane,

dodecylmethyldiethoxysilane,

dodecyltriethoxysilane,

hexadecyltrimethoxysilane,

1-docosenyltriethoxysilane,

n-octyltrimethoxysilane, or

n-octadecyltrimethoxysilane.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the component has a diffusion coefficient of less than about 10 −9 cm 2 /sec and an equilibrium concentration of at least about 0.005 gm/cm 3 in the polymeric insulation and is selected from a metalocene, a 1,3 diketone, a HALS compound, a triazole, a nickel chelate, or a UV absorbing compound.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the component has an equilibrium concentration of at least about 0.01 gm/cm 3 in the polymeric insulation.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the component is selected from n-butylferrocene, octanoyl ferrocene, avobenzone, benzopheonone, octocrylene, menthylanthranilate, an ethyl ester of acetoacetic acid, an n-propyl ester of acetoacetic acid, or a compound selected from the following

bis-(1-octyloxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl)sebacate,

2,4-bis[N-Butyl-N-(1-cyclohexyloxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-4-yl)amino]-6-(2-hydroxyethylamine)-1,3,5-triazine,

2-docecyl-N-(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl)succinimide,

a mixture of [3-[3-(2H-Benzotriazol-2-yl)-5-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl]-1-oxopropyl]-hydroxypoly(oxo-1,2-ethanediyl) and

(3-(3-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-5-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-oxopropyl)-w-(3-(3-(2hbenzotriazol-2-yl)-5-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-oxopropoxy)poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) and glycol, or

isooctyl 2-[4-[4,6-bis[(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-yl]-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl]-3-hydroxyphenoxy]propanoate.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the component is selected from avobenzone, octocrylene, or menthylanthranilate.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the component is an organic compound having an equilibrium concentration in the polymeric insulation at 55° C. which is less than 2.25 times the equilibrium concentration at 22° C.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the component is ferrocene.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the component is selected from cyanopropylmethyldimethoxysilane or cyanobutylmethyldimethoxysilane.

18. A method for extending the useful life of at least one in-service electrical cable section having a stranded conductor surrounded by a conductor shield encased in a polymeric insulation and having an interstitial void volume in the region of the conductor, the cable section having a flux-weighted operating temperature T flux-avg , the method comprising:

injecting a dielectric enhancement fluid composition into the interstitial void volume, the composition comprising at least one component selected from

(1) a water-reactive material selected from

(i) an organosilane monomer having at least two water-reactive groups,

(ii) the above organosilane monomer (i) wherein at least one of the water-reactive groups has been substituted with a condensable silanol group,

(iii) an oligomer oligomer of the above organosilane monomer (i), or

(iv) a co-oligomer of the above organosilane monomer (i), the organosilane monomer (i) having a diffusion coefficient at least about 15 times greater than the diffusion coefficient of its corresponding tetramer, the diffusion coefficient being determined at temperature T flux-avg ;

(2) a water-reactive material selected from

(i) an organosilane monomer having at least two water-reactive groups,

(ii) the above organosilane monomer (i) wherein at least one of the water-reactive groups has been substituted with a condensable silanol group,

(iii) an oligomer oligomer of the above organosilane monomer (i), or

(iv) a co-oligomer of the above organosilane monomer (i), the water-reactive material (2) having at least one group attached to silicon comprising 7 to about 20 —CH 2 — units;

(3) a non-water-reactive organic material which has a diffusion coefficient of less than about 10 −9 cm 2 /sec and an equilibrium concentration of at least about 0.005 gm/cm 3 in the polymeric insulation, the diffusion coefficient and the equilibrium concentration being determined at temperature Tflux-avg; or

(4) an organic compound having an equilibrium concentration in the polymeric insulation at 55° C. which is less than 2.25 times the equilibrium concentration at 22° C.