Reliable cable fault location
Top quality supply is our utmost concern
You want to offer your customers a reliable power supply and to use your resources in an efficient manner?
BAUR’s top quality cable fault location technology has been setting a global benchmark for decades. With over 70 years of experience in cable fault location, we offer the test engineer application-oriented solutions for all requirements, for all budget ranges and, most notably, all from a single source.
All of the technologies work together in an uncompromising manner, even in one single system. They are easy to use with the support of the new for- ward-looking software concept, making it possible even for less experienced users to operate their system in a professional manner.
Your investment in a reliable network
State-of-the-art fault location technology combined with easy, quick and efficient operation enable problems to be localised and solved as quickly as possible.
Cable fault: basic conditions, causes & types
Cable routes are influenced by various ambient parameters. A cable route can consist of multiple diverse cable parts of diverse designs and types.
Depending on the voltage level, the required load capacity and available fitting and installation technology, cables are used with plastic insulation or mass-im- pregnated paper insulation. In practice, cable faults must be located at all volt- age levels – from low voltage, medium voltage to high voltage.
Regardless of the cable type – besides external influence, e.g. damage caused during earth works or earth displacements – the most frequent fault causes include: ageing, service life, overvoltage, thermal overload, corrosion, incorrect cable laying, installation defects and damage from transport and storage.
It is beneficial for daily use if the equipment for cable fault location is designed for medium- and high-voltage ranges but it can be applied just as well for low voltage.
All from a single source
The BAUR device portfolio meets this requirement and reflects all the needs related to cable fault location, testing and diagnostics, as well as devices for phase selection of power cables.
Fault types:
Short-circuit
Damaged insulation leads to a low-resistance connection of two or more con- ductors at the fault location.
Earth fault / short-circuit to earth
Faults can occur due to an earth fault (low-resistive connection to the earth potential) in a defunct network or in an isolated operational network, as well as due to a short-circuit to earth in an earthed network. The double earth fault is another type of fault; this fault shows two earth faults on different phases with separated bases.
Cable breaks
Mechanical damage and ground movements can lead to breakage of individual or multiple conductors.
Intermittent faults
Frequently, faults do not occur constantly, but rather occasionally depending on the load on the cable. One reason for this can be the drying out of oil-isolated cables with a low load. Another reason is the partial discharge through ageing or “electrical trees” in plastic-insulated cables.
Cable sheath faults
Damage to the outer cable sheath does not always lead directly to faults but can cause long-term cable faults, among other things, as a result of moisture penetration and insulation damage.
Process steps and methods of cable fault location:
Fault location is carried out methodically following a logical procedure and in four steps. Fault analysis makes it possible to determine the characteristics of the fault and the further procedure. During pre-location, the fault is determined precisely to the meter. The objective of the subsequent pin-pointing is to pre- cisely determine the fault point to limit the ground excavation and, in turn, to minimise the repair time.
Next comes cable identification, as it is necessary to identify the defective cable in a bundle of multiple cables at the fault location. This is especially important if the fault is not visible from outside.
Overview of our product portfolio
Our products reflect our over 70 years of experience. The BAUR device portfolio for cable fault location helps locate faults quickly and safely, and covers the entire process in an optimum manner. Modular systems and devices are perfectly customised to your individual requirements. Convincing flexibility!
Portable devices
Our portable devices convince with their highest level of precision, easy handling and unlimited mobility.
High performance modules
BAUR offers a diverse portfolio of modules from which you can put together an individual package for cable fault location. This makes fault location child’s play.
System solutions
With the Syscompact series, BAUR offers compact, robust, small systems that are adapted to fault location tasks.
Cable test vans
Our cable test vans are equipped according to your requirements and make it possible to combine the com- plete product range for cable fault location, testing and diagnostics in one single system. There are fully-automatic and semi-automatic systems, each with either 1 or 3 phases.
