How to check the cable aging of electric car charger

To check the aging of electric vehicle charger cables, you can follow the following steps and methods:

First, appearance inspection

Observe the cable appearance:

Damage and cracks: Check whether there are obvious damage, cracks, or cuts on the cable surface. Aging cables may have peeling insulation layers and skin cracking.

Hardening and discoloration: Whether the cable skin hardens, the color loses luster or darkens. Aging cables become brittle and fall off easily.

Bending test: Gently bend the cable by hand to feel the flexibility and elasticity of the cable. Aging cables may feel stiff and are prone to cracks or breaks when bent.

Check cable connections:

Plugs and interfaces: Check the plug and interface parts of the charger for signs of loosening, deformation or corrosion. Aging cable connections may be in poor contact.

Fasteners: Check whether fasteners, such as screws and fasteners, on cables are loose or damaged. Ensure that cables are securely connected.

Second, insulation performance test

Use insulation resistance tester:

Test preparations: Adjust the test voltage of the insulation resistance tester to an appropriate range (for example, 1000V) to ensure that the tester works properly.

Test method: Clamp the two test clips of the tester respectively on the conductor and the insulation layer of the cable, and record the insulation resistance value obtained by the test.

Judging criteria: Generally speaking, the cable insulation resistance value of the electric vehicle charger should be greater than a certain standard value (such as 20MΩ). If the test value is lower than the standard value, the insulation performance of the cable deteriorates and the cable may be aging.

Withstand pressure test (if conditions permit) :

Test preparations: Use a voltage tester to adjust the test voltage to the rated voltage of the cable or a higher voltage (but not exceeding the voltage limit of the cable).

Test method: Connect both ends of the cable to the high voltage output terminal and the ground terminal of the voltage tester to test the voltage.

Check whether the cable is broken down or flashover during the test. If an exception occurs, the insulation performance of the cable cannot meet the requirements and needs to be replaced.

Third, physical performance test (if conditions permit)

Tensile strength test: Use a tensile testing machine to test the tensile strength of the cable and record the maximum tensile value of the cable before breaking. Compare with the standard value to determine whether the tensile strength of the cable decreases.

Bending fatigue test: After bending a cable for a certain number of times, check whether the appearance and insulation performance of the cable are changed. Aging cables may have cracks, fractures, or decreased insulation performance after bending fatigue tests.

Fourth, other precautions

Service life: Estimate the service life of the cable according to the factory date and frequency of use of the charger. Generally speaking, the service life of the cable of the electric vehicle charger ranges from several years to more than ten years. If the cable has a long service life, more detailed checks and tests are recommended.

Environmental factors: Consider environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and corrosive media. Cables that are exposed to harsh environments for a long time are more likely to age and need to be inspected and tested more frequently.

Professional maintenance: If the cable is found to be aging, contact professional maintenance personnel to replace or repair it in time. Do not disassemble or modify the charger yourself, so as not to cause greater security risks.