Experimental/FEM Optimization of Medium Voltage Rubber Insulated Electric Cables Vulcanized with Steam Water. Numerical Simulations and Inverse Analyses

A comprehensive combined numerical model based on Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimization and heat transfer Finite Element computations is presented. The numerical analyses are carried out to evaluate the final crosslinking degree of a medium voltage electric cable subjected to industrial peroxide reticulation. The final task is to minimize the difference between numerically predicted and experimentally determined crosslinking degree along the thickness of the insulator, when a variable steam temperature profile along the pipe length is assumed to explain the unexpected under-vulcanization of the cable in the internal layers. To minimize the gap between experimentally determined curing degree and numerical predictions, a Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimization is used.