Cable fault location methodology
Locating the cable faults 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 precisely determine the fault point to limit the ground excavation and, in turn, to minimize the repair time.
- Cable identification
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. - Fault analysis
The fault analysis is to ascertain the fault characteristics and to determine the further procedure in the fault location, the selection of methods and also the voltages. - Pre-location
Pre-location is to determine the fault position as precisely as possible to keep the subsequent pin-pointing activities as brief and efficient as possible. The equipments used are Time Domain Reflectometer (TDR) coupled with echometer. - Pin-Pointing
As precise as pre-location is, it is never able to detect or recognise the existing deviations of a cable route in the ground. These can only be corrected by precise pin-pointing.