CABLES - PART 1

Review of Power Cable Theory

CABLES - PART 2
Cable Preparation & Failure Causes

Electrical Markets Division

RLG, August, 2004

CABLES - PART 1

Electrical Markets Division

Gene Olson & Bob Goodman - 2000

CABLE CONFIGURATIONS
Single Conductor

Three Conductor

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SHIELDED POWER CABLE

COMPONENTS
1. Conductor
2. Strand Shield
3. Insulation
4. & 5. Insulation Shield
(4) Semi-conducting Layer
(5) Metallic Shield

6. Jacket

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COMMON
1/C INDUSTRIAL CABLES
Tape Shielded
Wire Shielded
UniShield
PILC
UniShield is a registered trademark of BICC Cables

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COMMON
1/C UTILITY CABLES

Concentric Neutral (CN)

Jacketed Concentric Neutral (JCN)

Longitudinally Corrugated (LC)

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COMMON
3/C INDUSTRIAL CABLES

Interlocked Armor
or
C-L-X

PILC

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CONDUCTOR
Intended for Carrying the Current
COPPER
Widely used for industrial applications
Many years of reliable service
Highly conductive

ALUMINUM

Widely used for utility applications

Lighter weight than copper
Surface forms insulating oxide
Coefficient of expansion greater than copper

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CONDUCTORS

Concentric
Stranded

Flexible

Compact Round
(90% of Concentric)
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Compressed
( 97% of Concentric )

Solid

CONDUCTORS

Compact
Sector

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Segmental

Annular

STRAND SHIELD
(or conductor shield)
SEMI-CONDUCTING LAYER
Acts as aFaraday Cage to shield the insulation
from air surrounding the conductor strands
NO SHIELD
Partial Discharges (Corona)

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SHIELDED
Strand Shield (Semi-Con)

CORONA TREES
(XLPE Cable Insulation)

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INSULATION
Intended to contain the Voltage
Insulation
Insul.
Type

Operating
Temperature

Emergency
Temperature

PILC

80oC

95oC

XLPE

90oC

130oC

EPR

90oC

130oC

EPR*

105oC

140oC

*Note: MV105 Cable

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INSULATION
Emergency Temperature
EMERGENCY OPERATION
. . . applicable for 1500 hours cumulative
during the life of the cable . . .

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SYSTEM OPERATING VOLTAGE

15 kV Rated Example
14.4 kV Phase-to-phase
14.4 kV

14.4 kV

8.3 kV
Phase-to-ground

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8.3 kV

8.3 kV

STANDARD VOLTAGE RATINGS

(Phase-to-Phase)

Medium
Voltage

2.5
5.0
8.7
15.0
25.0
34.5
46.0
69.0

kV
kV
kV
kV
kV
kV
kV
kV

92.0
115.0
138.0
161.0
196.0
230.0
287.5
345.0

kV
kV
kV
kV
kV
kV
kV
kV

Note: Medium Voltage Range = 2001 V - 34.5 kV

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TYPICAL SYSTEMS

WYE (or STAR)

100 %
Insulation Level

(Formerly Grounded
System)
A

DELTA
133%
Insulation Level

(Formerly Ungrounded
System)
C
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INSULATION LEVELS
Selection of cable insulation level shall be made on the
basis of the applicable phase-to-phase Voltage and
general system category.

The system protection will clear ground faults:

100% Level - within 1 minute
133% Level - not to exceed 1 hour
173% Level - time is indefinite

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INSULATION
Non-shielded Cable
Electric
Flux Lines

Grounded
Conduit

High Stress
Concentration
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Corona

INSULATION
Shielded Cable
Semi-Conductor
&
Metallic Shield

Even Field
Distribution

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INSULATION
Field Plot
EQUIPOTENTIAL LINES
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%

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INSULATION
Electric Field Distribution
ELECTRIC FLUX LINES
EQUIPOTENTIAL LINES
Equipotential
Line
Flux
Line

90O

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INSULATION SHIELD
Semi-Con
Semi-con

It is intended to:
Shield the Insulation from
the air that is between the
insulation and metallic shield

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INSULATION SHIELD
Metallic Shield
FUNCTIONS
1.

Metallic Shield

To confine the dielectric field within the cable

2. To obtain symmetrical radial distribution of

Voltage stress within the dielectric
3. To limit radio interference
4. To reduce the hazard of shock
5. To provide return for short circuit current
in the event of a cable failure
6. For concentric neutral cables, to provide a
neutral return path

THE SHIELD MUST BE GROUNDED !

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BEDDING TAPE or FILLERS

Intended to add mechanical strength to the cable
Bedding Tape (cut-off & discard)

Filler (cut-off & discard)

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JACKET
(Sheath)
Jacket
Intended to provide physical
protection and keep moisture
out of the cable
Common Types
Rubber (e.g. Neoprene)
Thermoplastic (e.g. PVC)
Lead

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SPLICING & TERMINATING

What Cable Information Do I Need?

?
Voltage Class (and insulation level)? _______________

Conductor Size (and Copper or Aluminum)? _________

Cable Type (type of shield, armor, 3/C, etc.)?_________
Location (indoor, outdoor, manhole, pole, etc.)? ______
Other? (e.g. conductor: stranded, compact, solid, etc.)?__
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