WO2015143167A1

WO2015143167A1 - Self-healing cable

Info

Publication number: WO2015143167A1
Application number: PCT/US2015/021485
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roy Edward Mcalister
Original assignee: Advanced Green Technologies, Llc
Priority date: 2014-03-19
Filing date: 2015-03-19
Publication date: 2015-09-24

Abstract

The invention is a class of self-healing cables and cable sheaths. In high-voltage applications, the inventive self-healing cables reduce sudden voltage surges caused by current flow through an insulative layer system. The self-healing cables of the invention comprise at least one conductor, at least one self-healing sheath surrounding said conductor, and at least one dielectric sheath surrounding the self-healing sheath and conductor. The cable may comprise a carbon-based conductor made of graphene or graphite for improved flexibility and elongation properties, reduced weight, and greater of long term service compared with conventional cable products.

Description

Self-Healing Cable

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This international PCT Application claims the benefit of priority from U.S.

Provisional Patent Application No. 61/955,699, filed March 19, 2014, entitled, "SELF- HEALING ELECTRICAL CABLE", the entirety of which is incorporated here by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present technology is generally directed to self-healing cables and cable sheaths. Self-healing cables reduce, for example, sudden voltage surges caused by current flow through an insulative layer system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Conventional cable designs for delivering electric power provide a current conductor within a high dielectric sleeve. Conductors include a variety of arrangements including single or multiple strands of conductive material such as copper, aluminum, carbon filaments or carbon deposits on polymer filaments that may be reinforced with higher strength steel, graphite filaments, or support cable to prevent stretching and drooping between supports such as the high voltage towers for utility power transmission lines.

[0004] Insulative polymer sleeves that are extruded and/or drawn around the conductive components at the core of modern cables are designed to provide considerable surplus material of high dielectric strength and thus distance between potential grounds and the central cable. This approach is necessary to prevent the dielectric material from being permanently disabled by an initial containment breakdown and passage of current and the resulting repeated voltage containment failures that follow the same pathway.

[0005] The resulting conventional design is bulky, expensive, and requires considerably greater ultimate expenditures for fuel through life -cycle applications in aerospace systems. This is primarily because of the high weight and large cross-sectional area (that implies drag losses) produced by such designs. In many instances the resulting overall diameters of the products that result, such as magnet wire or high voltage cable, prohibits the desired compactness and cost effectiveness desired.

[0006] Conventional dielectric oil filled transformers are another example of products that are extremely bulky and that may require heat exchangers and gas removal subsystems to operate. Such oil-filled designs have the advantage of providing flooding to fill voids and self-healing of pathways that are formed by voltage surges that cause momentary arc over failures.

[0007] There is a need for cable products that are smaller in overall dimensions, more flexible, lighter weight, improved elongation properties, and have a higher probability of long term service compared with conventional cable products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The invention relates to self-healing cables. It is one object of the invention to provide a cable having a conductor with a self-healing sheath surrounding the conductor. It is another object of the invention to provide a cable having a conductor with a sheath and a self- healing fluid running the length of the sheath. It is another object of the invention to provide methods of making and using the inventive self-healing cables.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] FIG. 1 of the drawings is a cross section of one embodiment of the inventive cable having a single group of conductive filaments.

[0010] FIG. 2 of the drawings is a cross section of one embodiment of the inventive cable having a two discrete groups of conductive filaments.

[0011 ] FIG. 3 of the drawings is a longitudinal section of one embodiment of the inventive cable. [0012] FIG. 4 of the drawings illustrates a flow chart of one embodiment of the process for growing conductive filaments.

[0013] FIG. 5 of the drawings schematically illustrates an embodiment for growing conductive filaments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The self-healing cables of the invention are generally comprised of at least one conductor, at least one self-healing sheath surrounding said conductor, and at least one dielectric sheath surrounding the self-healing sheath and conductor. The cable may further include a radiofrequency containment and/or surface protection outer layer. In other embodiments the self-healing cables are generally comprised of at least one conductor, at least one sheath surrounding said conductor, and at least one self-healing fluid disposed between the conductor and the sheath.

[0015] The self-healing sheaths of the invention are comprised of materials that are designed to wet, wick, crawl, reorganize, polymerize, knit, or as sufficiently small and/or slippery molecules that "wet" and flow to and into any incipient crack or void produced by fatigue or an arc-over fault that could otherwise allow static or sudden voltage surges to cause current to flow through the insulative layer system. Examples of such slippery materials include compositions disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,458,087 along with various other silicones, fluorosilicones, fluorocarbons, fluorochlorocarbons, polyetherimides, xylenes, poly-para- heterocyclic xylenes, urethanes, and polyimides that can be selected to be effective with the insulative layer system.

[0016] An illustrative embodiment utilizes permanently cross-linked polyuria- urethane elastomer to mend by reaction of aromatic disulphides that exchange, react, regenerate, and knit by metathesis to heal fissures or damaged zones. Another illustrative embodiment is based on self-healing silicones that can be activated by radiation, activated siloxane, and/or heat. Several useful components are identified, for example, at Zheng and McCarthy "A Surprise from 1954: Siloxane Equilibration Is a Simple, Robust, and Obvious Polymer Self-Healing Mechanism", J. Am. Chem. Soc, 134(4) at p. 2024-2027 (2012) and Rekondo et al. "Catalyst-free room-temperature self-healing elastomers based on aromatic disulfide metathesis", Mater. Horiz. 1 at p. 237-240 (2014) each incorporated herein by reference.

[0017] Installation of such slippery materials may be by co-extrusion techniques or by back filling after a dielectric layer has been formed. Back filling of monomers, dimers and polymers, sulfur hexafluoride, tetrachloromethane, fluorotrichloromethane, difluorodichloromethane, trifluorochloromethane and similarly modified ethanes, propanes, butanes, etc., or thixotropic materials may be accomplished by pressurized flow of such self- healing materials into spaces between the conductor and sheath, or between sheaths, by delivery from one or both ends of the cable (for example at a port or seal at a cable end) during or after primary manufacturing.

[0018] In another example one or more dielectric sheaths may be comprised thermoplastic fluoropolymers, polyolefins, fluoro-olefins, polysilicones, urethanes, and other polymers that contain microcapsules of healing agents such as low molecular weight preparations of potentially complementary materials that are not end-capped and/or serve as a reactant with another reactant that is available from space between multi-stranded conductors 116 or between layers of dielectric 1 10-1 12-1 14 etc. Thus upon fracture induced release from the microcapsules the healing agents wet and coat the fracture interfaces and polymerize to heal the fissure. An illustrative embodiment utilizes a small amount of an elastomeric epoxy Part A that is released from such microcapsules to stimulate polymerization of a larger amount of Part B that can be supplied from the space between conductive filaments or layers of dielectric such as polyetherimide. In another embodiment for service at elevated temperatures, the dielectric sheath is comprised of thermoplastic fluoropolymer and the healing fluid contains silicon carbide tetrafluoride.

[0019] Products resulting from the technologies disclosed herein are much smaller in overall dimensions, more flexible, lighter weight, and have a much higher probability of long term service as benefits of the self-healing capabilities that are achieved.

[0020] Figure 1 shows a cross section of an embodiment 100 of the invention including a group of conductive filaments 116, a primary self-healing insulative sheath 1 14, a surrounding dielectric sheath 1 12, a second self-healing sheath 110, another surrounding dielectric sheath 108, a third self-healing insulative sheath 106, another surrounding dielectric sheath 104, and a radiofrequency containment and/or surface protection layer 102. In certain applications a semiconductor substance or diamond-like coating (DLC) can be included in one or more layers such as 102, 106, 110, and/or 114 as shown to normalize the voltage gradient during operation.

[0021] Conductive filaments 1 16 include graphene and other nano-fibers, and may also be comprised of graphite fibers, copper, aluminum, gold, silver, iron, titanium, other metals and various alloys including stainless steel with silver plating. Particularly lightweight assemblies are made with high conductivity carbon nano-fibers and sheath materials such as polyimide with back fillers such as selected healing activators, monomers and dimers as self-healing agents and precursors with high dielectric strength such as trifluorochloromethane, fluorinated ethylene propylene, tetrafluoroethylene, ethylene silicon carbide tetrafluoride and other halogenated intermediate agents including various combinations of such agents.

[0022] In one embodiment the outside of insulative sheath 114 substantially contacts the inside of dielectric sheath 112. In one embodiment the outside of insulative sheath 114 is separated from the inside of dielectric sheath 1 12 by the presence of a self-healing fluid to flow to and into any incipient crack or void in sheath 112 or sheath 1 14 - such fluid may be comprised silicones, fluorosilicones, fluorocarbons, fluorochlorocarbons, polyetherimides, xylenes, poly-para-heterocyclic xylenes, polyimides, monomers, dimers and polymers, sulfur hexafluoride, tetrachloromethane, silicon tetrafluoride, fluorotrichloromethane, difluorodichloromethane, trifluorochloromethane and similarly modified ethanes, propanes, butanes, etc. In one embodiment installation of the fluid between sheath 1 12 and sheath 114 is by co-extrusion techniques; in another embodiment, installation of the fluid between sheath 112 and 114 is achieved by back filling fluid into the existing cable.

[0023] In one embodiment the conductor is surrounded by a single self-healing insulative sheath. In another embodiment the conductor is surrounded by a conventional sheath with a self-healing fluid disposed between the conductor and the sheath. In another embodiment the conductor is surrounded by a self-healing sheath and a further external dielectric sheath. In another embodiment the conductor is surrounded by a first conventional sheath coaxially disposed within a second conventional sheath where a self-healing fluid is disposed between the first conventional sheath and second conventional sheath.

[0024] Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment 200 with more than one conductor in which conductors 220 and 222 are separated and insulated from each other and outside grounds by one or more insulative layers 212, 208, and 204 along with self-healing layers such as 216, 214, 210, 206, and 202 as shown. Embodiment 200 includes a radiofrequency containment and/or surface protection layer 202. In certain applications a semiconductor substance or DLC can be included in one or more layers such as 202, 206, 210, 214, and/or 216 as shown to normalize the voltage gradient and/or provide a corona shield as described in US Patent 4,584,431 and US Patent 8,525,032 incorporated herein by reference.

[0025] In other embodiments the cable includes multiple conductors that are coaxially oriented with each other. The conductors are separated from each other one or more than one self-healing insulative sheath. The conductors and self-healing insulative sheath may be further surrounded by one or more than one dielectric sheath.

[0026] Termination of the embodiments disclosed may be provided by moldings that seal and contain the self-healing substances against loss in service. Figure 3 shows an embodiment 300 for this purpose in which two layers 304 and 308 contain and are provided with self-healing substance in zones such as 306 and/or 307 as shown. Thermoset or thermoplastic molding 312 seals the assembly of conductive spade 314 and conductor assembly 302 within the insulative layers shown. Embodiment 300 includes an optional radiofrequency containment and/or surface protection layer 310.

[0027] In one embodiment the cable comprises an electrical conductor; in another embodiment the cable comprises an optical conductor; in yet another embodiment the cable comprises a fluid conductor. In one embodiment the cable comprises a metal conductor made of, for example, copper or aluminum. In one embodiment the cable comprises a carbon-based conductor made of, for example, graphene or graphite fibers. In yet another embodiment the cable comprises one or more than one optical fiber. The inventive self- healing cable of the invention may be particularly useful in situations where arc-over fault may not be a primary concern but cable fatigue and/or physical damage is still a concern that is overcome by the self-healing process.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the cable includes graphene fibers as a conductor.

An embodiment for producing high electrical conductivity graphene and/or graphite fibers is by partial combustion of a hydrocarbon feedstock such as methane in an atmosphere that has depleted oxygen and deposition of the incomplete combustion residue of various allotropes of carbon on a nickel or nickel plated rotating drum. The resulting mixture of deposited allotropes is further treated or expletively etched in a heated hydrogen atmosphere to remove carbon that has not been provided or otherwise self-organized as graphene or graphite tubes and fibers.

[0029] Such hydrogen treatment can include ionized hydrogen that is produced by heating and or by application of an electrical bias on a hydrogen supply that impinges the allotrope mixture to remove low conductivity material and thus enrich the high conductivity material. The remaining higher conductivity allotropes can be further organized by stretch orientation and shaping into a fiber bundle that may be stabilized by re-heating within a carbon donor atmosphere such as methane, ethane, propane, or butane. In some embodiments a polymer and/or hydrocarbon liquid crystal pitch of the type typically utilized to produce carbon fiber is utilized as a filler between fibers and the resulting composite is heated to de-hydrogenate the polymer and/or pitch to produce a stiffer composite with similarly high electrical conductivity.

[0030] In another embodiment fused transition metals such as iron, cobalt, or nickel are utilized as a solvent within which carbon is dissolved to provide a continuously pregnant solution. In other embodiments lower temperature solvents are utilized to dissolve carbon for production of pregnant solutions. Cooling or otherwise precipitating organized carbon structures that grow from nucleating catalysts or by seeds of the desired structure produces the desired fibers for high conductivity cable manufacture. Such solutions source carbon fiber production including nanotubes that grow from graphene tubes.

[0031] Equations 1 and 2 generally shows processes for hydrocarbon donors including methane.

HEAT + C_xH_y -» XC + 0.5Y H₂ Equation 1

HEAT + CH₄ -» C + 2H₂ Equation 2

[0032] Sources of carbon for this purpose include particles or other precipitate forms that are produced by dehydrogenation of a carbon donor such as butane, propane, ethane, and/or methane and/or direct addition of such paraffinic substances such as methane for production of pregnant solutions as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0033] FIGURE 4 illustrates a flow chart of one embodiment of the process.

STEP 1 : Purify a carbon donor such as methane from natural gas.

STEP 2: Utilize the carbon donor to produce pregnant solution with a suitable solvent.

STEP 3: Adjust the temperature and/or pressure of the pregnant solution of carbon dissolved in the selected solvent for the purpose of controlled precipitation of the carbon.

STEP 4: Nucleate by catalytic or epitaxial influence carbon precipitate as a self- organized fiber that is withdrawn from the pregnant solution.

STEP 5: Add carbon as needed to maintain the pregnant solution for continued production of self-organized fiber.

[0034] Another embodiment for growing self-organized carbon including structures such as high electrical conductivity nanotubes, filaments, and fibers provides deposits of carbon to a proton exchange membrane such as a pressure and/or electrically biased membrane assembly. Such an illustrative arrangement consists of an anode, a membrane for selectively transporting hydrogen, and a cathode for producing diatomic hydrogen gas. A suitable anode may include small nucleation sites of one or more selections of transition metals such as iron, cobalt, copper, manganese and/or nickel and the hydrogen transport membrane can be selected from various substances including perovskites such as SrCe03 and other oxides that selectively transport hydrogen away from carbon produced by processes such as shown in Equations 1 and 2. Carbon donor gases heated to temperatures such as 500°C to 1500°C or higher supply hydrogen that is removed and delivered to the cathode by the membrane (e.g., perovskite-type compounds). Enhanced proton conductivity can be provided with membranes such as doped SrCe03, CaZr03, BaCe03 and/or SrZr03. Suitable dopants include yttrium, ytterbium, europium, samarium, neodymium, and gadolinium.

[0035] Hydrogen separation by such oxide ceramics can be further enhanced by an increased pressure gradient and/or by application of an electrical bias. In embodiments that apply, for example, a DC bias or galvanic drive in the hydrogen separation process, the hydrogen can permeate from a lower hydrogen pressure on one side of the membrane to a higher hydrogen partial pressure on the other side of membrane.

[0036] Catalysts may be utilized at a reaction surface to influence surface exchange reactions such as various steps or the processes of Equations 1 or 2, and the hydrogen permeation can be enhanced by coating the membrane with a surface catalyst to reduce the activation energy for the surface exchange reactions. In particular embodiments, the selected anode material can further serve as a favorable catalyst. Representative anodes for galvanic hydrogen pumps include porous conductive films such as Cu, Fe, Ni, Ag, Pt, Mo, Nb, Ta, W, and Ni/BCY porous layer.

[0037] Gas mixtures may be provided in the anode and cathode zones can include steam or be humidified with water vapor to improve the proton conductivity of the electrolyte and suppress its electronic conductivity.

[0038] The hydrogen separation rate increases as the applied current is increased.

Depending upon factors such as reactant pressure and temperature, dopant selection, membrane thickness, and humidity, the applied galvanic voltage gradients can have values in a representative range of from about 0.2 VDC to about 20 VDC, which are sufficient to produce and deliver higher pressure hydrogen such as 700Bar (10,300PSI) over the pressure at the anode. Such net galvanic voltage gradients may be produced by much higher voltage AC or DC electricity delivered to the reactor heater assembly for purposes such as heat addition to the endothermic reactions shown. [0039] Thus various mixtures of reactants and self-organized carbon products such as conductive fiber in the anode zone can be separated to provide pressurized H₂ delivery at the cathode zone. Such hydrogen pressurization driven by an applied external voltage can move hydrogen from a suitably pressurized gas such as methane or another hydrocarbon to higher pressure for delivery for denser storage and/or transport.

[0040] Figure 5 schematically illustrates an embodiment system 400 for growing conductive filaments 408. Process reactor 400 utilizes controller 406 to adjust the temperature and pressure of a carbon donor gas feedstock such as methane that is supplied through conduit 402. Process reactor 400 is surrounded by optional insulative layer 416. Temperature can be adaptively adjusted by a suitable energy conversion by one or more transfers such as radiative, or heat produced by resistive or inductive element 404 to be below, near, or above the dissociation temperature of the selected hydrocarbon. Cathode 414 and anode 410 along with the proton membrane 412 assembly is further heated by energy conversion such as resistive, inductive energy conversion according to the voltage applied between the anode and the cathode through a gradient across the proton membrane 412 for the purpose of adaptively dissociating the carbon donor and depositing the filaments 408. Further control of these deposits started from anode 410 is provided by one or more energy sources 422 and/or 424 such as radiation at selected frequencies which may be uniform across the field of growing filaments or small beams that are used to concentrate radiation on any of the growing filaments 408.

[0041] Detection of amorphous carbon deposition by suitable sensors such as one or more optical sensors 426 is correlated as may be indicated by control of temperature, pressure and/or generation of heat at the interface of the crystalline filament with the gas feedstock. Amorphous carbon can be removed by regenerative addition of a product such as hydrogen 418 as a diatomic gas and/or in more energized form such as atomic or ionized hydrogen to react with amorphous or other objectionable allotropes by reforming a removal substance such as methane which can then regeneratively contribute carbon to the desired allotrope growth.

[0042] Hydrogen produced as the carbon donor dissociates is conducted across proton membrane 412 to accomplish separation and/or pressurization as provided according to control by 406 of the galvanic impetus applied from the anode to the cathode through membrane 412. Conduit 420 is used to collect the products or outcomes of the reactor.

[0043] The resulting self-healing conductive cable product including embodiments with lighter weight and more conductive carbon filaments is less energy intensive to produce than copper conductors and conventionally insulated electrical cable. Such improvements enable much greater value for carbon than using it as a fuel constituent and enable the world's growing population to have electric appliances and vehicles without shortages of copper.

[0044] Having now fully described the subject cables and methods it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the same can be performed within equivalent ranges of conditions, formulations and other parameters without affecting their scope or any embodiment thereof. All cited patents, patent applications and publications are fully incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0045] The compositions and methods described herein will be better understood with reference to the following non-limiting example

EXAMPLE 1

[0046] The following example is meant to be illustrative and prophetic only. A self- healing composite cable with three thermoplastic fluoropolymer layers and self-healing fluoro-liquid impregnation of the core and between layers with 2.7 mm (0.106") outside diameter is tested and repeatedly succeeds without arc-over failure at up to 100 KV. This compares to 5.0 mm (0.20") diameter conventional high voltage cable with multilayers of insulation by polyolefin and polysilicone that fails in initial testing at about 82 KV.

[0047] While the present inventions have been illustrated and described in many embodiments of varying scope, it should be understood that such disclosures have been presented by way of example only and are not limiting - variations may be made within the spirit and scope of the inventions. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the inventions set forth in the appended claims not be limited by any specific wording in the foregoing description and above-described exemplary embodiments.

Claims

What is Claimed:

1. A cable comprising:

a conductor and

a first sheath comprised of a self-healing composition surrounding said conductor.

2. A cable of claim where said conductor is metal-based.

3. A cable of claim where said conductor is carbon-based.

4. A cable of claim where said conductor comprises graphene.

5. A cable of claim where said first sheath comprises flurorosilicone.

6. A cable of claim where said first sheath comprises flurorocarbon.

7. A cable of claim where said first sheath comprises silicone.

8. A cable of claim where said first sheath comprises fluorochlorocarbon.

9. A cable of claim where said first sheath comprises polyetherimide.

10. A cable of claim where said first sheath comprises xylene.

11. A cable of claim where said first sheath comprises poly-para-heterocyclic

xylene.

12. A cable of claim where said first sheath comprises polyimide.

13. A cable of claim where said conductor comprises metal.

14. A cable of claim where said conductor comprises copper

15. A cable of claim where said conductor comprises aluminum.

16. A cable of claim where said conductor is an electrical conductor.

17. A cable of claim where said conductor is an optical conductor.

18. A cable of claim where said conductor comprises conductive filaments.

19. A cable of claim further comprising a second sheath surrounding said first

sheath.

20. A cable of claim 19 where said second sheath comprises thermoplastic fluoropolymer.

21. A cable of claim 19 where said conductor is metal-based.

22. A cable of claim 19 where said conductor is carbon-based.

23. A cable of claim 19 where said conductor comprises graphene.

24. A cable of claim 19 where said first sheath comprises flurorosilicone.

25. A cable of claim 19 where said first sheath comprises flurorocarbon.

26. A cable of claim 19 where said first sheath comprises silicone.

27. A cable of claim 19 where said first sheath comprises fluorochlorocarbon.

28. A cable of claim 19 where said first sheath comprises polyetherimide.

29. A cable of claim 19 where said first sheath comprises xylene.

30. A cable of claim 19 where said first sheath comprises poly-para-heterocyclic xylene.

31. A cable of claim 19 where said first sheath comprises polyimide.

32. A cable of claim 19 where said conductor comprises metal.

33. A cable of claim 19 where said conductor comprises copper

34. A cable of claim 19 where said conductor comprises aluminum.

35. A cable of claim 19 where said conductor is an electrical conductor.

36. A cable of claim 19 where said conductor is an optical conductor.

37. A cable of claim 19 where said conductor comprises conductive filaments.

38. A cable of claim 19 further comprising third sheath comprised of a self-healin composition surrounding said second sheath.

39. A cable of claim 16 that withstands at least 100 KV without arc-over failure.

40. A cable of claim 35 that withstands at least 100 KV without arc-over failure.

41. A cable comprising: a conductor;

a first sheath surrounding said conductor;

a second sheath surrounding said first sheath; and

a self-healing fluid disposed between said first sheath and said second sheath.

42. A cable of claim 41 where said conductor comprises metal.

43. A cable of claim 41 where said conductor comprises copper

44. A cable of claim 41 where said conductor comprises aluminum.

45. A cable of claim 41 where said conductor is an electrical conductor.

46. A cable of claim 41 where said conductor is an optical conductor.

47. A cable of claim 41 where said conductor comprises conductive filaments.

48. A cable of claim 45 that withstands at least 100 KV without arc-over failure.

49. A cable of claim 41 where said self-healing fluid comprises tetrachloromethane.

50. A cable of claim 41 where said self-healing fluid comprises

fluorotrichloromethane.

51. A cable of claim 41 where said self-healing fluid comprises

difluorodichloromethane.

52. A cable of claim 41 where said self-healing fluid comprises silicon carbide

tetrafluoride.

53. A cable of claim 41 where said self-healing fluid comprises a thixotropic material.

54. A cable comprising:

a conductor;

a first sheath surrounding said conductor; and

a self-healing fluid disposed between said conductor and said first sheath.

55. A cable of claim 54 where said conductor comprises metal.

56. A cable of claim 54 where said conductor comprises copper.

57. A cable of claim 54 where said conductor comprises aluminum.

58. A cable of claim 54 where said conductor is an electrical conductor.

59. A cable of claim 54 where said conductor is an optical conductor.

60. A cable of claim 54 where said conductor comprises conductive filaments.

61. A cable of claim 58 that withstands at least 100 KV without arc-over failure.

62. A cable of claim 54 where said self-healing fluid comprises tetrachloromethane.

63. A cable of claim 54 where said self-healing fluid comprises

fluorotrichloromethane.

64. A cable of claim 54 where said self-healing fluid comprises

difluorodichloromethane.

65. A cable of claim 54 where said self-healing fluid comprises silicon carbide

tetrafluoride.

66. A cable of claim 54 where said self-healing fluid comprises a thixotropic material.

67. A cable of claim 54 further comprising a second sheath surrounding said first sheath.

68. A cable of claim 67 further comprising a self-healing fluid disposed between said first sheath and said second sheath.

69. A cable comprising:

a conductor;

a first sheath surrounding said conductor;

a second sheath surrounding said first sheath; and

a gap between said first sheath and said second sheath sized to receive a self- healing fluid.

70. A cable of claim 69 further comprising a self-healing fluid port.

71. A cable of claim 69 where said conductor comprises metal.

72. A cable of claim 69 where said conductor comprises copper

73. A cable of claim 69 where said conductor comprises aluminum.

74. A cable of claim 69 where said conductor is an electrical conductor.

75. A cable of claim 69 where said conductor is an optical conductor.

76. A cable of claim 69 where said gap is sized to receive a thixotropic material.

77. A cable comprising:

a conductor;

a first sheath surrounding said conductor; and

a gap between said conductor and said first sheath sized to receive a self-healing fluid.

78. A cable of claim 77 further comprising a self-healing fluid port.

79. A method of making a cable comprising co-extrusion of a conductor and a first sheath comprised of a self-healing composition surrounding said conductor.

80. A method of claim 79 where said conductor comprises metal.

81. A method of claim 79 where said conductor comprises graphene.

82. A method of making a self-healing cable comprising filling a gap between a

conductor and a first sheath surrounding said conductor with a self-healing fluid.

83. A cable of claim 82 where said self-healing fluid comprises tetrachloromethane.

84. A cable of claim 82 where said self-healing fluid comprises

fluorotrichloromethane.

85. A cable of claim 82 where said self-healing fluid comprises

difluorodichloromethane.

86. A cable of claim 82 where said self-healing fluid comprises silicon carbide

tetrafluoride.

87. A cable of claim 82 where said self-healing fluid comprises a thixotropic material.

88. A method of making a self-healing cable comprising filling a gap between a first sheath surrounding a conductor and a second sheath surrounding said first sheath with a self-healing fluid.

89. A cable of claim 88 where said self-healing fluid comprises tetrachloromethane.

90. A cable of claim 88 where said self-healing fluid comprises

fluorotrichloromethane.

91. A cable of claim 88 where said self-healing fluid comprises

difluorodichloromethane.

92. A cable of claim 88 where said self-healing fluid comprises silicon carbide

tetrafluoride.

93. A cable of claim 88 where said self-healing fluid comprises a thixotropic material.