Evaluation, Optimization and Test of a Standard Air Dielectric Coaxial Cable Filled with Oil for Possible Use in HV Kicker Systems at CERN

Particular kicker systems at CERN use specialized SF6 (Sulphur hexafluoride) gas filled coaxial high voltage cables. Due to discontinued production, economic non-viability and possible environmental impacts, solutions for the replacement of these cables are being investigated. This paper summarizes a study for substituting the air-dielectric of a standard coaxial cable [1] with electrical insulating oil. The upgraded cable is expected to reach a higher peak voltage whilst having also less partial discharges. The setup of the equipment is outlined as well as the construction of the optimized designs of the cable. FEM- simulations have been performed to evaluate the performance and behaviour of the test subjects and are described together with different tests and measurements thoroughly executed in the laboratory, taking budget, efficiency and accuracy into consideration. The theoretical predictions (analytic and simulation) are compared to the measurement results. The evaluated and analyzed results are discussed together with the encountered difficulties. An outlook is given on the feasibility of oil-filled cables as replacement for SF6 gas pressurized cables and the foreseen future developments.