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IEEE P1793/D1

Guide for Planning and Designing Transition


Facilities between Overhead and Underground
Transmission Lines

1. Overview
The overhead to underground transition facilities of a hybrid overhead/underground transmission line must
be carefully planned and designed. The purpose of this guide is to provide general recommendation of the
factors that need to be considered in the planning and design of the transition facility. This guide assumes
that the decision to install an underground section has already been determined and this guide is intended to
provide guidance in the selection and installation of the appropriate transition facility. Although this guide
is primarily intended for use on transmission class underground cable circuits (69 kV and higher), some of
the information presented herein can be applied to distribution class electric power cable systems as well.

1.1 Introduction
Underground cable s ections ar e s ometimes n ecessary in o verhead t ransmission l ines. A n und erground
segment may be needed to avoid environmentally sensitive areas, to cross obstacles such as rivers or major
highways, to cross airport runway safety zones, or to permit other land uses that would not be feasible with
overhead l ines. W hen a n und erground s egment i s a dded to a n o verhead tr ansmission line, a transition
facility is required. The transition facility must provide a means to terminate the overhead transmission line,
terminate the underground cable, and accommodate any ancillary systems associated with the underground
cable. Underground cables have electrical and operating characteristics, which are different from those of
overhead lines, and which can affect the design of transition facilities. Underground transitions facilities are
needed for short underground sections (dips), which might be measured in the hundreds to thousands of
feet. T ransition facilities are also requires for longer underground segments, which are measured in miles.
The length of the underground segment can affect the transition facility design. Overhead to underground
transition facilities have p lanning, s iting, d esign, a nd c onstruction c onsiderations t hat must be evaluated
beginning in the initial stages of a transmission line project.

1.2 The Scope of the Guide


This gui de p resents factors to be considered in the p lanning a nd d esign o f tr ansition f acilities b etween
overhead and underground transmission lines. These include the system implications of a hybrid installation
as they relate to the transition facility.
While this document focuses on transmission lines only, some of the considerations listed in this guide are
common to both transmission and distribution installations.

1.3 The Purpose of the Guide


The purpose of this guide is to list and describe typical factors that should be considered in the planning and
designing of transition f acilities between overhead and underground transmission lin es. Some of t hese
Copyright 2009 IEEE. All rights reserved.
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IEEE P1793/D1

factors r elate to th e in stallation, o peration a nd m aintenance o f th e tr ansmission s ystem. This gui de is


intended to be comprehensive, but may not be all inclusive.

2.0 Planning
Transition f acilities f or o verhead to u nderground tr ansmission lin es can b e as s imple as an o verhead l ine
dead-end p ole, w ith f acilities f or a ttaching a tr ansmission c able, o r they can b e as ex tensive as a l arge
transition s tation. Because o f t he el ectrical ch aracteristics of underground transmission cable, an
underground system may often trigger the need for installation of additional equipment in order to deal with
voltage c ontrol, th ermal r ating issues, switching r equirements, and o ther factors. Often, these factors may
trigger t he ne ed f or a tr ansition s tation. Planning i s n eeded t o car efully co nsider an d establish various
electrical system and cable system requirements. Such factors include the following:

Type of u nderground c able system to b e in stalled: extruded dielectric, high-pressure f luid-filled


pipe-type (HPFF), high-pressure gas-filled pipe-type (HPGF) or self-contained fluid-filled (SCFF)

Requiring multiple cables to match an overhead line for either capacity or reliability

Switching requirements/switching equipment between the overhead and underground lines

Need for reactive compensation (shunt reactors) for the underground cable

Future capacity upgrades (for example, overhead line re-conductoring)

For pipe-type cables, the need for a p ressurizing plant with its power supply, alarm, control, and
monitoring requirements, and possibly circulation equipment and forced cooling equipment

For self-contained liquid-filled cables, the need for pressurizing equipment.

Ability to repair underground cable failures while leaving the overhead line and/or other cables in
service.

For self-contained and extruded cables, t he facilities r equired for b onding and grounding of the
cable s ystem. Pipe t ype ca bles w ould also have b onding r equirements as w ell as cat hodic
protection requirements.

Once the necessary components have been identified, the layout of the transition site or s tructure can b e
determined to provide an efficient design that incorporates site selection, community/environmental impact,
safety, construction, maintenance and physical constraint considerations. This document will discuss factors
to consider for either type of transition.

2.1 Site Selection


When planning for an underground to overhead transmission line transition, be it a single transition pole or
a more complex transition station, one must consider several issues relating to the siting of the structure or
station. Some of the issues to be considered are:

Community, Environmental and Permitting Considerations

Physical Site Considerations

Economic Considerations

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2.1.1 Community/Environmental Impact Considerations


A primary consideration when siting an underground to overhead transmission facility is to be aware of, and
to the extent possible, avoid activity in or near the following types of environmentally sensitive areas.

Wetland ar eas Wetlands p rovide h abitat f or m any p lant a nd w ildlife s pecies in a ddition to
providing a method for replenishing the earths reserve of fresh water. There are three
characteristics that define a wetland, 1) s tanding w ater, 2) aq uatic v egetation an d 3 ) h ydric (or
hydraulic) soils. If any of these three characteristics ex ist, t hen t here i s a h igh p otential f or a
wetland. T hese types of areas are federally protected, and m ay b e protected o n state and local
levels. Various permits are required if a wetland is to be disturbed.

Archeological sites Construction activity in and around known archeological sites is regulated by
a State H istorical P reservation O fficer ( SHPO). If the SHPO kno ws o f o r s uspects t hat a n
archeological site exists at or near the site o f th e p lanned f acility, f urther in vestigation m ay b e
required. An archeologist may need to b e en gaged t o d eal w ith t he p rocess o f w orking i n o r
around these sites.

Land Contamination sites Pollutants that have contaminated land generally come from industrial
processes an d s torage f acilities. D uring s ite s election, each site should be screened for the
potential o f h aving c ontaminated s oils. L ikely areas i nclude ex isting o r ab andoned i ndustrial
developments or land adjacent to these developments. A lso, land adjacent to commercial marine
activities and railroads has a high potential to contain contaminated soils. If a transition facility is
to be sited in an area with contaminated soils, permits may be required, and special construction
techniques m ay b e n ecessary f or w orker p rotection, cab le s ystem protection, and long term
maintenance.

Public Lands Siting o f high voltage transition structures or stations on public lands require the
application of all the necessary permits and certificates including acquiring a right-of-way permit
to cross the lands. There exist federal and state environmental compliance regulations that must be
met prior to c onstruction. I t m ay b e necessary to prepare specific environmental studies which
must accompany the application to obtain regulatory approval from the appropriate jurisdiction. In
some cases, s pecial l egislative ap proval at t he l ocal, s tate, o r f ederal l evel m ay b e r equired t o
obtain permission to construct on public land.

Community Impacts There are a n umber of community issues to be considered in siting a transition
facility. These include:

Noise: Noise sources a t transition f acilities can include s hunt reactors, p ressurizing a nd c ooling
equipment ( for pipe type cables), switching noise, and co rona discharge related noise. Standard
noise evaluating techniques f or s ubstations can b e u sed t o ev aluate r eactor an d p ressurizing
plant/cooling plant n oise. S witching no ise t ends t o b e ve ry i nfrequent, a nd i s ge nerally no t a
significant siting issue. Corona is a luminous discharge that emanates from energized high voltage
electrical accessories and conductors due to ionization of the surrounding air. Corona is caused by
a voltage gradient that exceeds the breakdown strength of air. Corona discharge generates audible
noise (AN), radio interference (RI) and to a lesser extent television interference (TVI). Selection of
appropriate hardware f or t he o perating voltage w ill g enerally r educe o r el iminate co rona
discharges. It may be necessary to evaluate the anticipated audible noise levels and the potential to
interfere with communication signals d uring the design of hi gh voltage transition structures and
transition stations.

Aesthetics: A transition facility may have the appearance of a single transmission pole or tower, or
it may look like a substation. In siting a transition facility, viewscapes may need to be evaluated to
try to assess a nd/or reduce v isual i mpact. S creening, s uch as p lantings o r ar chitectural f eatures
(walls, fences, etc) may be required. It may not b e possible to f ully s creen a tr ansition f acility,
since the overhead line and dead-end tower must have appropriate electrical clearances from any
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screening. D epending o n t he vo ltage o f t he l ine, t he he ight o f the dead-end structures w ithin a


transition s tation can r each i n ex cess o f 1 00 f t V isual s creening should be evaluated for both
effectiveness, and for long term electrical clearance issues (particularly for plantings).

Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMF) Overhead lines generate both electric and magnetic fields.
Underground lines generate only magnetic fields, since the electric field is contained by the cable
shielding. A t a n o verhead t o und erground tr ansition f acility, e lectric f ields will primarily be
generated from the overhead lines and exposed buswork, if any. Magnetic fields will be generated
by the overhead lines, the underground cables, and by auxiliary equipment, such as shunt reactors.
Because o f t he co mplex g eometry at a t ransition s tructure, m agnetic f ield cal culations can be
complex. Techniques used to evaluate E MF at substations may b e necessary to evaluate E MF at
transition facilities. EMF may be a significant factor in the regulatory and environmental process
for site selection. There are no federal standards in the United States on EMF exposure; however,
some states have adopted standards and guidelines. Local jurisdictions may have restrictions on
EMF levels on the siting o f p ower lines near schools, d aycare centers, children p laygrounds and
residential a reas. T he I nternational C ommission o n N on-Ionizing R adiation ( ICNIRP) ha s
published vo luntary gui delines f or E MF O ccupational E xposure a nd t hese vo luntary gui delines
have b een ad opted by the World Health Organization. A nd t he A merican C onference o f
Governmental I ndustrial H ygienists ( ACGIH) h as p ublished o ccupational th reshold lim it v alues
for 60-Hz EMF. Compliance with the restrictions of local jurisdictions, the ICNIRP guidelines or
ACGIH thresholds may be a necessary part of the siting process.

Other Community Issues: There may b e o ther c ommunity is sues th at c ould a ffect th e s iting o f a
transition f acility. These may be possible to identify during the siting studies, or they may ar ise
during the licensing of the line and/or the transition facility.

Wildlife I mpacts - Construction activity may take place i n an d ar ound t he h abitat o f p rotected
animals and/or p lants. During site selection, each s ite s hould b e ex amined t o d etermine if a ny
protected an imal or pl ant is in th e a rea. I t would t hen b e n ecessary t o ev aluate t he impact that
initial construction a nd th e f inal in stallation w ould have o n t hose a nimals and/or p lants. A f ull
determination must be made in order to properly design the facility. For example, nesting stands or
wildlife guards may need t o b e i ncorporated in to th e tr ansition facility. T here m ay b e s easonal
restrictions on when construction can occur, to reduce effects on wildlife. In most ar eas, a s tate
agency like the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, or a local preservation society is in place and
can be a resource in help determining the potential wildlife impact.

If these types of areas cannot be avoided, then additional costs and time will be required for permitting, for
mitigation activity at the time of construction and for future maintenance activities.
2.1.2 Physical Considerations
When an underground line and transition terminal is planned, the following physical constraints need to be
considered:

Topography

A flat area is needed around the structure to allow for initial installation and future maintenance. The
size of the required flat area is determined by the ultimate configuration of the transition site. I f a flat
area is unavailable, the area will need to be graded to provide a suitable area.

Geological impacts

The soil should be evaluated for suitability for installation o f r oads a nd f oundations. F requently, t he
dead en d s tructure f or t he o verhead l ine h as t he m ost s ignificant f oundation r equirements, so t his
structure should be evaluated against local soil conditions. Unsuitable soils may trigger additional civil
construction requirements (piles, larger foundations, cuts/fills, etc). T o the extent possible, areas with
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water i ssues (wetlands, m arshes, f lood p lain, e tc.) should be a voided for b oth e nvironmental a nd
construction r easons. A reas d esignated as h igh s eismic zones w ould r equire s pecialized en gineering
and construction techniques, and should be avoided to the extent possible.

Land Use

Depending on the type of transition facility (individual transition structures or a transition station) the
land use requirements w ill be different. In the c ase of individual monopole riser, the transition will
typically be done within the same overall width as the balance of the overhead right of way.
A transition s tation equipped w ith multiple cables p er p hase, shunt r eactors, s witching eq uipment, a
control h ouse, an d p ossibly p ressurizing eq uipment ( for p ipe t ype cab les), w ill represent a more
significant land use. A transition station might occupy up to 4 or more acres of land.
Land u se is sues o ften f all u nder lo cal z oning r egulations. T he p roponent of a transition station site
might have to demonstrate consistency with zoning requirements, or obtain variances.

Access

Regardless o f w hether a m onopole o r a t ransition s tation i s r equired, u nderground l ines need to be


constructed in areas that have access f or t rucks, t railers, an d o ther eq uipment u sed t o s upport t he
duct/pipe, manhole, and cable installation. Unrestricted access to the transition site is essential both for
initial construction, a nd f or o ngoing o peration a nd maintenance. F or monopole tr ansition s tructures,
the access should be such to allow a line truck to drive up to the pole to facilitate the disconnection of
jumpers, and to allow for cable installation equipment to get to the pole for the event of a cable failure.
If the transition site is larger, the access should be such to allow large equipment to be transported to
the site. T his r equires construction of access roads at suitable grades for the passage of construction
vehicles. Within a f enced transition station, sufficient room should be created to allow cable reels and
reel handling equipment to get to the cable pulling location, both originally, and for future repairs. If
shunt reactors are required, then the transition station needs to be located where very large trucks can
access t he s ite t o deliver and replace the reactors in the event o f a f ailure. This requires e ither the
construction of a road or location of the transition station close to a road.
Tree growth in the vicinity of the transition station needs to be controlled, both to p revent b ranches
from contacting the overhead line, and to prevent roots from interfering with the underground lines.

Interactions with adjacent facilities (telecommunication, railroads, pipe lines, highways,)

Whenever an el ectric u nderground l ine i s i nstalled, ef fect o n o ther ad jacent f acilities n eed t o b e
considered. The most o bvious ef fect i s t he p otential in duced c urrent o n p arallel c ommunication
facilities (telecommunication and railroad communications) due to the magnetic field generated by the
electric l ine. I f t he el ectric l ine cr osses p erpendicular, there is essentially no influence to
communication circuits. If a line runs p arallel to a c ommunication c ircuit f or a s ubstantial d istance,
discussion should be made with the owner of t he f acility t o d etermine t he ad equacy o f t he cab le
shielding on th e cable. T ypically, th e communication c ircuit is adequately shielded so no impact is
expected.
Another concern is the ef fect o n o ther m etallic p ipe l ines. T hese t ypes of p ipes ty pically a re
cathodically p rotected. HPFF an d H PGF s ystems ar e al so cathodically protected and an evaluation
should be made to determine the type of cathodic protection systems being used and determine if any
stray currents are expected that could jeopardize either cathodic protections system. Also, paralleling a
steel pipe and the effect the generated magnetic field would have on the cathodic protection should be
considered.

Future Extensions
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Another factor to c onsider in d esigning a tr ansition f acility is whether t here is a future possibility of
having to underground more of the overhead l ine a nd e xtend t he und erground p ortion. If th is
possibility exists, a manhole or other splicing area should be considered. This is best located near the
base of the transition structure. The purpose of this splicing area is to provide a convenient location to
extend the underground line. I f a manhole or splice pit is not originally installed and the underground
line has to be extended in the future, it would be necessary to install a manhole or splice pit around the
cable pipe, duct bank, or buried cable section. Great care is needed to prevent damaging the cable pipe,
conduit and cable during this operation. Once the manhole or splicing chamber is in place, the cable
would then be cut at this location a nd new c able installed. T he o ther o ption would be to remove the
cable back to t he n ext m anhole p rior t o an y ex cavation. This is ty pically m ore c ostly, a nd w ould
typically require a more extended cable outage during the cutover.

Distribution Underbuild

Distribution underbuild (consisting of overhead distribution lines underbuilt on the same structures as
overhead tr ansmission lin es) a dd a n a dditional le vel o f c omplexity to transition stations, both from
clearance issues on the overhead line side, and for the amount of additional equipment required at the
transition f acility. I n g eneral, tr ansitions with d istribution u nderbuild should be avoided to the extent
possible. Given that the distribution transition will likely be substantially smaller than the transmission
facility, it may be possible to transition the distribution line a short distance away from the transmission
line dead-end, possibly reducing electrical clearance issues and simplifying the transition station.

Monopole Transition Structure Height Limitations

While th ere is n o h eight r estriction f or e xtruded d ielectric or H PGF cab le systems, it is important to
keep the mounting height of the terminations as low as possible, to facilitate an easier installation. For
HPFF and SCFF, because of hydraulic p ressure lim itations, it is im portant to k eep th e te rmination
mounting heights as short as possible. In addition, if the area is not fenced it is important to make sure
the NESC electrical clearances are achieved.
Monopole Transition Structure Placement Limitation
Many of the same issues f or p lacement o f o verhead l ine s tructures ( avoid p lacement n ear r oad
intersections or driveways, p lace aw ay f rom t raffic, et c.), ap ply t o t he p lacement o f a m onopole
transition structures.
2.1.3 Economics
A thorough evaluation of the total project cost should be considered in determining the best-valued
installation for either an overhead or underground transmission line. A large cost associated with a hybrid
overhead/underground line is the cost of the transition facility.
Overhead to underground transition facilities can vary widely in their size and complexity, thus ultimately
influencing the cost of the underground project. The transition facility can vary from a single monopole,
with no fenced in area, to a mini-substation that is from 2-4 acres in size, complete with: terminal structures,
cable terminations, station class arresters, circuit breakers, disconnect switches, shunt reactors,
interconnecting bus work, CCVTs, CTs, PTs, an overhead line terminal, relays, and control equipment,
station batteries, battery chargers, back-up power supplies and a control house for the various
communication devices.
A single monopole could accommodate multiple circuits to transition from overhead to underground.
However, depending on the utilities operating procedures, it may not allow a portion of the circuit to remain
in-service while another portion of the circuit is taken out of service to be repaired or for other
considerations. If the utility desires this type of flexibility, a larger, more substation facility is required.

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In addition to the components within the transition facility, the facility will also require: foundations for all
the equipment, a station ground grid, fencing, lighting, landscaping, etc. The size and complexity (and cost)
of the transition station is dependent upon:

Voltage rating

Physical location

Number of cables or circuits coming into the transition station

Number of overhead lines leaving the transition station

How will the circuit(s) be used if one line is out of service

How much remote control is desired

Is switching required

Major cost items to consider for a transition facility, but not limited to, are the following
Cost of total installation versus benefits of the installation.

Cost of the right-of-way

Digging co sts i n co ntaminated l and an d w etland areas should include the cost of r emoving and
transporting the contaminant to an acceptable land site.

Cost f or landscaping and pos sible irrigation r equirements, r epaving costs of roads, parking lots,
and related items.

Cost of yearly maintenance.

Cost of system interruption in case of failure and cost of time for restoration.

Review alternate solutions that might cost more initially, but would offer cost savings in total owning costs.
2.2 System Impacts
Since an u nderground cab le system has s ignificantly d ifferent el ectrical ch aracteristics, s pecial
consideration needs to be taken when planning to connect an underground line to an overhead line. Some of
these considerations are as follows.

Reliability vs Availability

Cable Rating

Electrical Characteristics

Protection and Control

Effect on Switching Devices

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2.2.1 Reliability vs Availability


Reliability is defined as the number of times a particular transmission line is lost over a year period of time,
while A vailability is d efined a s th e d uration o f time th at a tr ansmission lin e is out o f service o ver a y ear
period of time due to a fault or other problem on the transmission line. While an underground line typically
has a h igher r eliability than an o verhead l ine ( fewer o utages), it typically has a lo wer a vailability (longer
outage duration). It takes a significant amount of time, to place an underground line back into service after
an electrical failure. Typical repair times for underground transmission lines can be extensive, ranging from
weeks to months depending on the fault location, the availability of personnel and spare materials. With
extruded dielectric or SCFF cable systems, s ome of this outage time can b e reduced if a fourth cable is
installed a s a n in -place energized spare. T his increases the co st and c omplexity of t he i nstallation. The
transition facility must be set up to a llow c onnection f rom th e f ourth c able to a ny o f th e o ther c able
positions.
Since the power transfer capability of an underground cable is usually lower than that of an overhead line,
the cable alternative may need two circuits, or two cables per phase, to provide the required power transfer.
Multiple cables per phase will increase the size and complexity of the transition facility. Electrical issues,
particularly cab le ch arging ef fects, will b e i ncreased with e ach a dditional c able in stalled. O n th e positive
side, in addition to providing higher ratings, multiple cables per phase have the possibility of increasing the
overall availability of the cable system. If one line fails, the remaining line can typically carry 60 percent or
more of the total design power transfer for the time it takes to repair t he f ailed line. T here are several
considerations, however:

If the line trips electrically, the operator will need to determine if the trip was due to a fault in the
overhead line section, in which case the entire line can generally be returned to service relatively
quickly. Relaying as described in Section 2.2.4.1, can help with this determination. If the fault is
in one of the underground cables, the entire line must remain out of service until the failed cable is
identified, disconnected, and grounded. This can take anywhere from very little time to a day or
longer, depending on the level of fault detection equipment and switching equipment present at the
transition s tation. If the transitions ar e in r emote areas, separation of the faulted cable from the
system and restoration times for the un-faulted cable can be longer still.

Once r epairs ar e u nderway on t he f aulted cab le, r epair cr ews n eed t o co ntend w ith i nduced
voltages from the energized cable. This may extend repair times.

System planners and/or system operators should evaluate whether power flows would exceed the
thermal rating of a single cable of a two cable set.

In t he cas e o f o verhead transmission lines that m ay b e cap able o f car rying s everal t housand
amperes, multiple cab les may be r equired t o pr ovide full power t ransfer along with th e r equired
reliability. T his c an require a r ight-of-way 6 0 f eet or w ider t o a llow w orking r oom f or t he
individual lines and to reduce mutual heating between cables, which can de-rate the underground
lines. In addition, transition stations will be large, or multiple transition structures will be required.

2.2.2 Cable Rating


While an o verhead l ine co nductor i s d esigned and rated f or t he ex pected em ergency co ndition, an
underground line conductor is typically selected on the normal continuous expected load. T he reason for
this is that an underground cable has the capability of operating at a higher temperature for short durations
of time without damaging the cable. T his is called the thermal capacitance of the cable. It is important to
specify the no rmal maximum c ontinuous l oad f or t he l ine a nd the maximum short term emergency rating
and duration in or der to pr operly s ize t he cab le. Cable rating issues c an a ffect tr ansition f acility d esign
primarily i f m ultiple cab les ar e r equired f or each o verhead l ine, an d if cable spacing issues (to reduce
multiple heating) affect structure spacing. Riser conduits at transition stations may require evaluation, and
possible venting, so that cable risers dont limit the overall circuit rating.
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2.2.3 Electrical Characteristics


The electrical characteristics of cables are significantly different than similar capacity overhead lines. A
brief discussion of some of these differences is included below.
2.2.3.1 Surge Impedance
Overhead lines of longer lengths may have limits on capacity for one of three reasons:

Thermal constraints (usually related to sag).

Voltage s tability lim its w here the voltage drops significantly over t he l ength o f l onger l ines,
making power transfer from one end to the other difficult. T his is most often an issue with lines
that are 80-320km.

Surge impedance loading limits where phase shift between one end of a l ine and the other is too
great for the s ystems at either en d to r emain s ynchronized. This is g enerally an issue for lines
longer than 320km.
Surge Impedance:

Z SURGE =

L
[Ohms]
C
2

V
Surge Impedance Loading Limit (SIL): SIL = Line to Line [ MVA ]
Z SURGE
Cables are always thermally limited because cables generally have ten times the surge impedance loading
limit of a comparable overhead line, and cable circuit lengths are generally short, mostly because of cost but
also because the charging current limits the allowable line length.
As a general characteristic, overhead lines have m uch h igher s eries i nductance an d m uch l ower s hunt
capacitance than underground cables. As a result, the positive sequence surge impedance of a cable is much
lower t han t hat o f a n o verhead line. W hen inserting a s ection o f cab le into an overhead system, the user
must consider that the cable particularly in a n etworked power system may carry greater load than the
overhead line because the cable has lower positive sequence impedance. This phenomenon is sometimes
referred to as load hogging.
Loadflow analysis may determine that an underground cable will experience unacceptable load hogging
based o n t he r elative i mpedance o f t he cable to other parallel o verhead l ines. I n t his cas e, it m ight b e
necessary to incorporate additional equipment at the transition station to better balance cable loading to the
rest of the transmission system. This equipment could include series reactors or phase shifting transformers.
Should either of these elements be required, the transition station will have to become larger to
accommodate this equipment and the associated accessories
2.2.3.2 Cable Capacitance and Reactive Compensation
Since overhead lines are largely inductive while underground cables are essentially distributed capacitors,
the overhead lines generally consume reactive VARS while cables generate reactive vars. These
characteristics can i mpact t he voltage o n a t ransmission s ystem an d u ltimately af fect p ower flow. High
voltage cab le s ections i n an o verhead ci rcuit m ay r equire s hunt reactive compensation to mitigate t he
voltage e ffects o n th e tr ansmission s ystem d ue to th e capacitive V ARS from the cab le. Reactive
compensation can take the form of air insulated reactor coils at lower voltages, or oil immersed reactor coils
at higher voltages. If r eactive compensation is needed, the overhead to underground transition c annot b e

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done on a monopole, and a transition station will be required. Reactors, the electrical connections to them,
and the maintenance space around them can add significantly to the transition station size.
In an overhead line that may have capacitor banks at the terminal stations, , inserting a cab le section may
mean that the capacitor banks are no longer necessary, or must be switched out during light loading periods.
Capacitive effects from underground cables become more pronounced as line length increases. Capacitive
effects also are much more p ronounced at h igher t ransmission o perating v oltages. I n ad dition t o t he
possibility that shunt reactors may be required at transition facilities, cable charging current affects the type
of switches that can b e installed a t tr ansition stations. Switches carry an interrupting r ation for cap acitive
current, which may be significantly lower th an o ther in terrupting r atings. I f a tr ansition f acility will h ave
switching capability, it is important for the user to evaluate all the switching requirements (load pickup or
load dropping, making or b reaking p arallels, i nterrupting c harging c urrent, an d p erhaps ev en f ault
interrupting), and ensure that adequate switch capability is specified.
2.2.3.3 Short Circuit Currents
Short ci rcuit cap abilities o f cab les m ust b e car efully co nsidered i n t he cab le design; particularly f or
extruded d ielectric an d s elf-contained f luid-filled c ables. T he pipe of a pi pe-type cab le g enerally h as
significant fault current carrying capacity, although pipe gr ounding must b e c onfigured c arefully t o a llow
the fault current to reach ground. The fault current capability of a transmission cable is normally evaluated
for the case of a single-line-to-ground fault, where the fault current passes through one of the cable phase
conductors an d may r eturn t hrough t he cab le metallic s hield o r s heath. Many utilities c onservatively use
cable shield/sheath designs that allow for 15-30 cycles in the event that primary protection fails to operate
and s econdary p rotection must cl ear t he f ault. A diabatic co nditions ar e usually assumed when sizing the
shield/sheath cross sectional area.
A cable in a hybrid circuit may increase the fault current levels further out on the line because of the lower
zero sequence impedance for cab le than overhead lines. Consequentially, distance relays may have to be
adjusted to consider a section of cable inserted into an overhead circuit.
The tr ansition s tructures w ill ty pically r equire p rovisions f or attaching link boxes, polarization cells or
isolator s urge p rotectors (IS P) (for cat hodically p rotected cab le s ystems), cab le s hield an d ar rester
downleads, and other bonding and grounding facilities. The transition site may also be where an anode bed
would b e in stalled f or c athodically p rotected s ystems, w hich c an a ffect th e transition site footprint. In
addition, adequate shield connections to g round a t the transition f acility, and adequate b uried gr ounding
conductors to establish low ground resistance and low step/touch potential issues, should be evaluated.
2.2.3.5 Overvoltage and Insulation Coordination
As w ith a ny tr ansmission s ystem, th e effects o f o vervoltage on the t ransmission s ystem n eed t o b e
addressed. Overvoltage on any transmission s ystem c an b e c aused b y l ightning, s witching a nd s ystem
instability. Insulation C oordination S tudies should b e p erformed to d etermine the c orrect insulation and
protection level for h ybrid o verhead an d u nderground t ransmission l ines. T he m ost ef fective w ay o f
limiting overvoltages on the underground line is to install properly sized arresters at each end of the cable.
Transition facilities should have accommodations for surge arresters close to each cable termination. This
can be accomplished with the installation of suitable brackets on monopole transitions, or be incorporated in
the termination support structure in transition stations.
2.2.4 Effect on protection and control
An underground segment in an overhead transmission line can cause a n umber of difficulties that must be
addressed when d esigning a t ransmission l ine r elay p rotection an d control system. Depending on system
requirements, the transition station could be as simple as a single pole used to connect the overhead line to
the u nderground cab le o r as co mplicated as a substation with circuit breakers, shunt reactors, protective
relaying, AC and DC power supplies and communication facilities. Each transition station design provides
its own relaying concerns.
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Some of the main points to consider concerning protection and control of hybrid transmission lines include
the following:

Variations i n t he o verall l ine i mpedance cau sed b y h aving o ne o r more parallel cab les o ut o f
service for maintenance while the remaining cable(s) and overhead portions remain in service.

Impedance mismatch between the overhead and underground sections.

Shunt reactors, if located at transition station, must have protection installed locally, requiring all
normal system redundancy (e.g. dual AC and DC systems).

Fault d etection a nd/or lo cation e quipment a t the tr ansition station may be needed to determine if
the fault is in the cable section to enable or prohibit automatic reclosing.

System studies may determine that it is desirable to remove one of the parallel cables from service
during light load periods to reducing line charging. S witching devices (circuit breakers or circuit
switchers) would be required for this capability.

If there is automatic reclosing installed on the line, the trapped charge on the cable portions must
be discharged to a safe level prior to re-energization.

2.2.4.1 Relaying concerns


There are various protective relay types used for the protection of transmission lines. These can range from
simple o vercurrent r elays to d istance o r d ifferential r elays w ith c ommunication b etween s ubstations.
Overcurrent relays are generally used on lower voltage systems not requiring high speed fault clearing. On
high voltage transmission systems, high speed clearing is desirable, and requires a protection system with a
communication channel(s). O ne co mmon f orm o f co mmunication ch annel i s p ower l ine car rier. W ith
power l ine car rier, a h igh f requency s ignal is coupled onto the tr ansmission lin e a nd tr ansmitted ( or
received) at the substation. P ower line carrier is sensitive to the characteristic impedance of the line, and
any changes in the characteristic impedance along t he l ine. T he o verhead a nd und erground portions of a
combination o verhead/underground l ine h ave d ifferent ch aracteristic i mpedances, w hich would cause a
power line carrier signal to have wave reflections and signal loss. Thus, power line carrier communication
is n ot r ecommended f or a hybrid transmission line. O ther f orms o f c ommunication f or lin e r elaying
purposes must be considered, such as audio tone, microwave or fiber optics.
System studies may indicate that under light load periods, it is desirable to remove a parallel cable on a
combination overhead/underground line from service to reduce line charging. When the cable section is
removed from service, the overall line impedance between substations will change. The impedance change
needs t o b e acco unted f or i f d istance t ype r elays ar e b eing u sed t o p rotect the line. M onitoring of th e
number of cables in service at the transition stations, with communication to the remote (substation) ends,
can allow for the appropriate relay settings to be employed.
The preferred relaying scheme f or an u nderground l ine i s a cu rrent d ifferential s cheme, w hich r elies o n
monitoring the incoming and outgoing current on the line.
When a t ransmission l ine i s a ll und erground c able f rom s ubstation t o substation, shunt reactors, when
required, are installed at those substations and protected similar to a transformer. If system studies indicate
that shunt reactors need to be installed a t a tr ansition s tation, p rotective r elaying w ill a lso n eed to b e
installed, along with all the a ncillary e quipment n eeded to s upport a p rotective system. T he an cillary
equipment may include relay and control enclosure, AC & DC systems with appropriate backup, SCADA
RTU as well as either local circuit breaker(s) or remote tripping at the substation.
System protection issues may be addressed with equipment located at the remote substation ends of a hybrid
overhead/underground system, or it may be necessary to install protective equipment at the actual transition
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facility. In that case, it is often necessary to have a co ntrol house, with associated climate control, AC and
DC power supplies, and communication equipment located at the transition station.
2.2.4.2 Restoration/Reclosing
Overhead t ransmission lin es u sually e mploy a utomatic r eclosing to r estore a lin e after a fault. With
combination ov erhead/underground l ines, o ne ne eds t o e nsure t hat t he f ault is not in the underground
portion of the line prior to permitting reclosing. R elaying and instrument transformers can be installed at
the transition station to detect if the fault is in the underground portion of the line and send a signal to the
remote substations to permit or prohibit reclosing. H owever, due to the possibility for trapped charge to
remain on the cable, es pecially for extra high voltage cable systems, special in terrupting d evices may b e
needed to discharge the cable to a safe level prior to permitting a reclose to occur. There are different issues
associated w ith r estoration s witching f or f luid/paper in sulated c ables ( HPFF, H PGF, and SC FF) a nd
extruded dielectric cables. Regardless of the type of cable system, it is strongly recommended that adequate
protective equipment be installed to p revent r eclosing into a c able fault. T ransition facilities may have to
contain C Ts, P Ts, co mmunication eq uipment, an d other protective equipment to a llow d ifferentiation
between overhead and underground faults.
It is recommended that the cable manufacturer be contacted and operating guidelines be set up in advance to
have these on hand to cover different reclosing situations and outage time.
Pipe Type Cables:
If the fault is in th e p ipe c able s ection a nd th e initial fault a rc d id no t b urn a ho le t hrough t he p ipe wall
thickness initially, there is a much greater risk that this could occur on a reclosure. Pipe-type cable systems
operate at a n ominal 2 00 p sig i nternal p ressure an d an i nstantaneous l eak will occur if th e p ipe is
compromised. In a HPFF system, a leak could require a costly environmental cleanup. If the initial fault arc
did burn through the pipe, a reclosure could ignite a fire. In a HPGF system, there is no fluid leak but the
loss of nitrogen could allow ground water to enter through the hole in the pipe, resulting in cable damage
and p ossibly e xtending t he outage duration. Reclosing m ay al so d amage ad ditional p hases, ex tending
restoration time.
If an outage of a hybrid overhead/pipe type cable system is caused by a fault on the overhead section and
the circuit outage time is one hour or less, no special precautions or procedures are needed for the HPFF or
HPGF system when re-energizing the circuit. For prolonged circuit outages, it may be necessary to vent the
terminators (potheads) on H PFF s ystems an d al so r e-establish th e o riginal n ominal 2 00 p sig s ystem
pressures on both HPFF and HPGF systems prior to re-energizing the circuit. This could take several days.
A discussion on the repair of a faulted or damaged pipe type cable system is provided in a later section.
Extruded Cables:
If the fault is in the underground section and the initial fault arc did not melt the cable to the conduit in the
case of a duct system installation or damage the adjacent cables if the cables are touching (ie: cable installed
direct buried in a t refoil arrangement), there is a m uch greater risk that this could occur on a r eclosure. If
the cab le i s m elted to the inside of the c onduit, it m ay b e d ifficult or im possible to r emove th e f aulted
section of cable and replace it with a spare cable. If the cable is installed with the cables touching, reclosing
may also damage additional phases, extending restoration time. If the initial cable fault was in a splice in a
manhole or splicing vault, a reclosure has the potential to damage adjacent cables, causing more damage,
and e xtending t he o utage. A d iscussion o n t he r epair o f a f aulted o r d amaged extruded cable system i s
provided in a later section
Installed Spare Cable for Extruded Dielectric Cable Systems
In some cases for extruded dielectric cable systems or self-contained fluid-filled cable systems, a spare
cable is installed and terminated to reduce the chance of prolonged system outages. A spare cable is
installed for one or more of the following reasons.
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1.
2.
3.
4.

IEEE P1793/D1

The circuit is of particular importance for system reliability


The circuit is a radial feed where there is limited ability to serve the load by other means.
Replacement of a failed cable will require an unusually long period of time
The economic consequences of circuit down time are high

Close attention must be given to placement of the spare cable terminations to minimize connection time to
any of the three cable system phases. The spare cable is usually energized from one end to minimize
switchover time and to gain assurance that the spare cable is in good operating condition. In some cases the
spare cable is connected in parallel with one of the three normal service cables; however, this is uncommon
because it creates an unbalance in the phase impedances and may result in circulating currents. A spare
cable will be in a different relative position to the normal cable geometry. This can affect cancellation for
cross bonded shield systems, making the cross bonding less effective, This should be evaluated for cross
bonded systems.
Because of cable charging issues, the installation of a spare cable is generally not recommended for extra
high voltage cable systems or very long underground segments.
Manhole/Takeup Loop for Extruded Dielectric Cable Systems
For direct buried transmission cables, slack cable is sometimes installed for all three cable phases in the
immediate vicinity of the cable termination structure. This allows for the re-termination of the cables if
there is a termination failure or damage to the above ground portion of the cable. Re-termination is
accomplished by excavating the slack loop and drawing the slack out until there is enough undamaged cable
available at the structure. The transition facility layout must be done in such a manner that there are no
obstructions in the area where the cable relocation would occur.
Another approach to cable termination replacement is to install a splice pit or pull-through manholes within
several hundred feet of the cable terminations. In this case, the repair plan is to cut the cable of the failed
termination in the pull-through vault, pull in a short replacement cable, install a splice in the pull-through
vault, and terminate the newly installed length of cable. This approach is sometimes used for systems
installed in conduit, or for direct buried cables when there is no room for the slack cable lengths close to the
cable terminations support structures.
2.2.4.3 Faults
A fault on an underground line typically has long repair times. The repair times are about one to two weeks
for extruded cab les up to and including 138kV, two weeks to a month or more for higher voltages, and a
month or more for a HPFF or HPGF system. Repair times are dependent on the following.

Ability to find the fault

Physical constraints at the fault location

Extent of repairs required

Availability of spare parts

Availability of experienced repair personnel

In d eveloping a t ransition s tation o r m onopole s tructure, th e a bility to r epair f aulted c ables should be
considered. Clearances to parallel transmission cables on the same or adjacent structures and clearance to
the o verhead l ines s hould b e ev aluated f or t erminal cab le p ulls a nd f or in stallation o f terminations. The
designer should consider that during installation of the porcelain or polymer insulator of a termination, the
height of the insulator plus an allowance for the crane boom and lifting cables must be added to the finished
height of the termination,
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If adequate clearance is not provided for cable repairs, it may be necessary to switch out additional lines,
perhaps at a t ime w hen t hey ar e n eeded m ost b ecause o f f ailure o f t he f irst l ine. T his co uld r esult i n
transmission system restrictions, loss of load, or perhaps delay cable repairs to a lower load time of year.
2.2.5 Effect on switching devices
An important d esign c onsideration for t ransitioning b etween o verhead a nd und erground is the decision of
whether a s witching device is needed to disconnect the underground circuit from the o verhead line. T he
following factors should be considered.

Voltage

Length of line/charging current

Space availability

Operational Issues

In-service switching of multiple cables per phase

Structure design

Switch design

All this issues must be addressed to be able to design a suitable disconnecting means.
One of the main concerns in selecting the disconnect means is the ability of the method selected to deal with
the charging current of the underground line.
A common method used for disconnecting a short underground circuit from the overhead line is the removal
of the jumper. T he main advantage is that the transition can be accommodated on a s ingle pole structure
with a compact design. Disadvantages include the need for a line outage, and that it requires a construction
crew to go to the site and physically remove the jumper.
Where the underground line is longer and thereby has a higher charging current, a disconnect switch may be
needed. It is im portant to c onfirm th at the cable charging c urrent does n ot exceed t he i nterrupting
capability o f t he d isconnecting d evice. Cable charging current is almost p urely cap acitive, s o t he
capacitive switching r ating o f t he d evice m ust b e ex amined. T he m ain d isadvantage o f d isconnect
switches is the need for additional space on a structure or an additional structure and land.
If a d isconnect s witch i s u nable t o h andle the c harging c urrent, t hen more s ophisticated d isconnecting
means, such as circuit breakers or circuit switchers, would need to be used.
If the switches at transition facilities will be used to make or break parallels (for multiple cable per phase
installations), o r to d rop o r p ick u p lo ad, th e c apability o f th e s witching d evice m ust b e examined f or
suitability for these applications, as well as for charging current capability.

3. Design
Before the design or selection of a transition facility can begin, a comprehensive design criterion should be
developed. This design criterion should consist of the following:

Maintenance requirements
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Operation requirements.

Cable System Type (Extruded Dielectric, HPFF, HPGF, SCFF)

Reliability Requirements (installed fourth cable)

Cable System Requirements (voltage, multiple circuits, multiple cable per phase, etc)

Once this criterion has been established, the decision of whether a single structure transition or a transition
station can be made. If switching is required to isolate the o verhead from the underground, a transition
station is recommended. Single shaft structures are not currently being used for installations over 230kV.

3.1 Single Pole Structure Layout/Design


The following is a list of items to consider in the design of a single shaft transition structure.
3.1.1 Structure Layout
Design o f t he o verhead t ransmission tr ansition s tructure s hould provide t he proper el ectrical clearances
defined in the latest version of the National Electric Safety Code (NESC). These clearances should address
the el ectrical cl earance from t he c onductors, j umper loops, equipment, an d o ther en ergized p arts t o t he
surfaces of the supporting structures and to the certain spaces that shall be designated for climbing and /or
working on the structures. D esignated c limbing a nd w orking s paces a re i ntended t o p rovide f or s afely
performing maintenance o n energized overhead conductors using hot-line tools. The n eed to p roviding
hot-line climbing and working areas may be reviewed on the transition structure type and the associated
clearances m ay b e w aived w here l ine co nfiguration a nd in stalled e quipment o n th e s tructure w ould n ot
permit or where the structure will not be climbed or maintained with the line energized.
If a monopole structure will be u sed f or a t ransition b etween a s ingle o verhead l ine an d t wo s ets o f
underground cab les p er p hase, t he u ser may want t he ab ility t o o perate t he l ine with o ne s et of cables in
service while repairs are being performed on the second set of cables. Typically, the overhead line would be
attached to the t ower w ith t he p hases ar ranged v ertically. E ach cab le ci rcuit w ould b e t erminated o n
opposite sides of the monopole structure with removable connections from the overhead line to each cable
termination. In d esigning t he monopole s tructure, c areful evaluation of electrical clearances is required to
determine whether the cab le r epairs can b e p erformed safely. As a p ractical matter, this type o f d esign is
only achievable a t lower tr ansmission v oltages, and e ven a t the lo wer transmission v oltages, a transition
station may be more suitable.
If a monopole structure will be used in conjunction with an installed spare fourth cable, the structure must
be arranged so that the termination from the fourth phase can be electrically connected to any of the three
overhead line p ositions. T his is typically accomplished by terminating the active phases on the sides of
the m onopole, an d t erminating t he s pare cab le o n t he back o f t he p ole ( opposite t he o verhead l ine
attachment) an d near the h eight o f th e lo west a ctive te rmination. V ertical b us or ope n w ire on s tandoff
insulators is installed up the pole from the spare termination, allowing installation of jumpers to any of the
three o verhead p hases. Note: A cable s heath b onding s ystem u tilizing single point bonding or m ultiple
single p oint b onding with a n energized spare cable will eliminate the need to modify the SVL grounding
system if the need arises to use the spare cable as a power conductor occurs. This configuration will result
in a small de-rating of the cab le ampacity when co mpared t o cr oss-bonding s ystem without a n e nergized
spare cable. If cross bonding is required with an energized spare, the spare cable will not be as balanced as
with the active cables and will negatively affect cable ampacity ratings. Cross bonding will create the need
to reconfigure link b oxes in order to place the spare phase in service and remove the faulted cable. An
engineering evaluation should be completed no matter which sheath bonding method is chosen to determine
the impact of an energized spare cable with regards to the voltage rise at the open end or floating end and to
evaluate the spare phase capacitance contribution to the system.

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3.1.2 Structural Loadings


Structure should be designed for all local wind, ice, seismic, and code loads. Structure loads should include
all typical attachments for a m onopole ty pe s tructure w ith c onductors, s tatic w ires, a nd in sulators. In
addition, the structure should be designed for the additional weight and transverse loads due to:

Cables

Shrouds/cable guards if installed (to protect cables at groundline)

Terminations

Surge Arresters

Link Boxes

Donut-type Current Transformers

Special d esign an d de tailing s hould be de veloped for a s tructure i n w hich t he cables pass through the
structure base plate or structure foundation, such as accessibility to the cable f or construction and future
maintenance, cable clamping, installation requirements, etc.
Support arms should be de signed for a ll l ocal wind, i ce, s eismic, a nd c ode l oads on a rm a nd e quipment.
Design consideration should be given to possible personnel on arms and of possible weight of cable being
suspended from arms during installation.
The at tachment p late f or t he t erminations s hould h ave an o pen s ide. V ertical s teel m embers may be
required below support arms to support cables.
3.1.3 Types of Structures
As with overhead line structures, various types of structures can and have been used for the transition pole:
self-supporting steel, guyed direct-embedded steel, guyed wood, guyed laminated, etc. T he most common
is self-supporting steel. A self-supporting steel structure eliminates the potential clearance issue that would
exist if th e s tructure h ad to b e g uyed. S ince s teel typically lasts a lo ng time, it eliminates th e potential
problem of having to replace a wood pole after a few years due to normal deterioration. In a true overhead
to underground transition facility, the structure will almost always serve as a dead-end for the overhead line.
Occasionally, this structure may be a tangent structure, for example if the underground line is a tap to a new
load.
Structure m aterial ch oices n eed t o b e car efully ev aluated. W ood poles for transmission-class cab le
installations should generally be discouraged for transition poles due to potential maintenance issues (pole
replacement due to decay). Concrete and steel poles are considered more suitable for transition poles due to
their anticipated longevity. If steel poles are utilized, consideration must be given to joining multiple piece
poles. Both slip fit and bolted flange joint are commonly used, but with cables being installed on terminal
poles extra attention must be given to ensure there is no movement of the joint. Slip fit poles should have a
method for locking the joint to prevent movement (a through bolt is usually sufficient). In addition, with a
flanged joint, special attention needs to be made for the flange, when running the cable on the outside of the
pole.
3.1.4 Structure Grounding
Grounding of the transition facility should follow the utilitys appropriate grounding standard.

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Typical structure grounds may consist of a single rod, or may involve multiple rods, grillages, foundations,
counterpoise, potential control rings, etc. Selection of a grounding method is a function of:
(1) Transmission line structure
The resistivity of the transition structure is dependent on the material used. As discussed in Section 3.1.3,
the most common structure is s elf s upporting s teel. T his s tructure h as a lo wer r esistivity th an a w ood
structure.
Wood pol es m ay r equire s upplemental grounding that w ould b e c onsistent a nd i n c ompliance w ith t he
National Electrical Safety Code, ANSI/IEEE Standard C2. A separate ground conductor should be installed
on the wood poles to provide bonding to surge arresters, link boxes and terminations.
(2) Soil resistivity conditions
Soil resistivity should be measured at the location of the transmission structure. The resistivity of the soil
varies with depth, type and concentration of materials, moisture content and temperature. If the existing soil
conditions ha ve a high resistivity, s upplemental grounding may b e required to provide an adequate fault
path. H igher r esistivity w ill c reate a h igher g round p otential d uring a bnormal c onditions, r esulting in
possible insulator or equipment flashover.
(3) Required ground resistance
The s tructure gr ounding s hould p rovide a r esistance t hat i s sufficiently low enough to keep ground
potentials to acceptable levels during abnormal c onditions. T he u tilities s tandard g rounding p rocedure
should be consulted to determine the appropriate level of resistance desired for each location.
(4) Need to control earth surface potentials.
During a bnormal c onditions l ike l ightning s trokes a nd p hase-to-ground faults, very hi gh magnitude, s hort
duration currents will flow within the grounding network. P art, or all, of this current will flow through the
structure ground. This will cause a momentary voltage to appear on the structure ground that is a function
of t he c urrent m agnitude a nd t he s tructure gr ound r esistance. T his vo ltage o ften referred t o as G round
Potential Rise (GPR) is of special interest with respect to earth surface potentials.
Earth Surface Potentials GPR effects include the presence of earth surface potentials between the structure
ground and remote earth. This creates the possibility of exposure to step and touch potentials for persons in
the vicinity of the structure at this specific instant. If the transition structure is located in an area accessible
to th e g eneral p ublic, a dditional g rounding s tudies m ay b e r equired t o as sess t he ef fectiveness o f t he
structure ground in controlling earth surface potential.
It may be necessary to install a supplemental grounding system at the transmission structure (interconnected
ground rods, ground grids or mats, etc.) to reduce the tower to ground resistance, and to keep step and touch
potentials to acceptable limits.
Supplemental G rounding Direct-embedded s teel s tructures a nd s tructures w ith d rilled-pier f oundations
where t he f oundations s teel r einforcing b ars are electrically b onded to th e s tructure g enerally c onstitute
effective and acceptable ground. A separate ground conductor provided for bonding of cable accessories
such as arresters, link b oxes and t erminations is recommended o n the structure and this separate ground
conductor should be bonded to the structure ground and the parallel ground continuity conductor. Should a
separate ground conductor not be installed on steel structures and bonding is performed directly to the metal
pole, it is recommended that bonds be installed across the interface of multiple piece steel poles.
Additional Precautions

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Gas Pipelines If there are adjacent buried pipelines near the transition pole, additional precautions may be
warranted. The pipeline owner may have requirements for minimal separation distance between structure
grounds and the pipeline. In general, bonding between the structure and the pipeline is usually prohibited.
Coordination of cable shield grounding with structure grounding Chris G.
STRUCTURE SHIELDING 3.1.5 Extruded Dielectric Installations
There are two ways that are commonly utilized to install underground cable on a steel pole.

Install the cable inside the pole

Install the cable on the outside of the pole

3.1.5.1 Cable Installed Inside the Pole:


Installation of the cable inside of the pole provides complete protection from external damage, but is a more
costly installation than installing the cable on the outside of the pole because of the following:

Requires a larger diameter pole and foundation to allow internal access.

Requires special foundation design.

More difficult to install cable.

3.1.5.2 Cable Installed Outside the Pole:


Installation of the cable outside of the pole is less costly than installing cable inside of the pole because of
the following:

Ease of installation and restoration.

Smaller diameter pole and foundation.

Lower pole and foundation costs.

The cable should be supported o n t he o utside o f t he p ole b y n on m agnetic cab le cl amps. Since lower
sections of the cable may be susceptible to possible external damage, provisions should be made to protect
the cab le at t he l ower s egment o f t he p ole (approximately 8 10 f rom gr ound l evel). T his c an b e
accomplished by non magnetic conduits or a metallic shroud covering all three phases. Plastic conduits are
not recommended since they could be susceptible to UV rays and deteriorate over time.
In case of multiple risers, the individual conduits are usually supported by pipe straps and by pipe supports.
The r isers should b e p laced o n the side of the supporting structure away from vehicular traffic, whenever
practical. Caution should be exercised to insure that only non-magnetic materials are used for riser conduits
and hardware where single phases are installed in each riser. Riser cables should be supported at the upper
end of the conduit by a cab le grip. I n addition, a l ower cable support may be installed at the duct mouth.
An ad ditional i ntermediate cab le s upport m ay b e r equired i f el evation differences exceed grip holding
capacities or cable design parameters. T he design of the cable terminations may also dictate the type and
amount of support that is required for a particular installation.
If a cable shroud is used to protect all three phases, the shroud should not extend to the base of the structure,
where it will block off air entering the bottom of the shroud. The top and bottom of the cable shroud should
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be designed to allow air to flow through the shroud, in a chimney effect. It is recommended that the shroud
end several inches above the base of the structure. A wire mesh or other similar material shall be installed
between the top of the foundation and bottom of the shroud, to prevent nesting in this area.

3.1.6 Pipe-type installations


In general, only one end of a pipe-type line can be installed using a transition pole. The other end, whether
HPFF or HPGF, is generally installed in fenced-in transition stations because of the accessory requirements
described in Section 3.5.3.
Several p ipe-type cab le l ines h ave t ransition p oles at o ne en d, r esembling ex truded-dielectric tr ansition
poles in appearance and simplicity. Two basic designs are employed:

The transition from carbon-steel line pipe containing the three phases to stainless-steel riser pipes
for the three individual phases, can be made below ground using a spreader head (steel sleeve that
makes th e transition in pipes) or a below-ground t rifurcating j oint. T he s tainless-steel p ipes ar e
then run up the transition pole to the individual te rminations a nd the c ompleted installation very
closely resembles that used for extruded-dielectric cables.

The carbon-steel line pipe is b rought above ground through a 90 degree sweep, the spreaderhead is placed above ground, and the stainless steel riser pipes are routed to the terminations.

3.2 Transition Site Design


3.2.1 Site Layout
The layout of the site is predicated on the amount of equipment that is needed, such as disconnect switches,
reactors, breakers, control house, etc. The design of this station is similar to a switching station. The utility
should us their normal design specifications and standards.
3.2.2 Structure Design
When designing the transition structure the following items should be considered.

Structure s hould b e d esigned f or a ll lo cal w ind, ic e, s eismic, a nd c ode l oads on arm and
equipment.

Design consideration should be given to p ossible p ersonnel on arms, forces associated w ith the
cable pulling and of possible weight of cable being suspended from arms during installation.

The at tachment p late f or t he te rminations s hould h ave a n o pen s ide to eliminate potential
circulating c urrents in the steel and standoff insulators should be installed to isolate cable sheath
voltages or pipe voltages from the grounded structure.

Vertical steel members may be required below support arms to support cables.

If metal conduits are required to protect the cable up the pole or for pulling purposes at the sweep
at the base of t he p ole, t hese co nduits s hould b e n on-magnetic c onduit. Mat erials s uch as
aluminum and stainless steel are suitable non-magnetic conduits. Steel conduit should not be used
unless all the cables are installed together in the c onduit. I f a n individual c able is installed in a
steel conduit, circulating c urrents w ill r esult, u ltimately r esulting in a dditional h eating a nd a
reduction in the current carrying capacity of the circuit.
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If a spare (fourth) phase cable is installed, the transition structure must be designed to accomodate
the fourth cable, including the associated termination and arrester. Additionally, the transition must
accommodate buswork or other means to allow the spare phase to be connected to any of the other
three phases. On a monopole transition, the spare p hase i s t ypically t erminated at t he s ame
elevation as t he lowest n ormal p hase, but o n t he b ack s ide o f t he p ole f rom t he o verhead l ine.
Conductors, on suitable standoff insulators, are installed vertically on the pole, to the height of the
highest termination, allowing the spare phase to be connected to any of the other phase conductors
through the use of suitable jumpers. For a transition station, the spare phase is terminated in a
location s uch t hat any of the three normal p hase locations can be reached by the installation of
buswork and jumpers.

If two cables per phase are required for either rating or reliability purposes, consideration should
be given as to whether the unfaulted cable can remain in service while the faulted cable is repaired.
If the unfaulted cable is to remain in service, electrical clearance for a terminal cable pull and for
termination i nstallation s hould b e ev aluated. I n m ost cas es, t he n ecessary cl earance will not be
achievable on a monopole, and a transition station w ould b e r equired. E ven w ith a tr ansition
station, electrical clearances to o ther cab le t erminations, o verhead l ines, a nd s tation b uswork
should be evaluated.

3.2.3 Interrupting Devices


Depending o n t he o perational p ractices o f a u tility, i nterrupting d evices o r d isconnecting d evices may be
needed. These would be as follows.

Disconnect Switches Disconnect switches are used to provide a visible disconnect or in the event
of multiple cables per phase allow the utility to take a set of cables out of service but still operate
the other cables.

Circuit S witchers If s witching i s n ecessary at an o verhead t o und erground t ransition, and a


disconnect switch does not h ave the required interrupting capability to s witch out a cable under
load, and/or to break parallel load between cables, and/or to break cable charging current, a Circuit
Switcher may provide the necessary interrupting capability. A circuit switcher typically is
constructed lik e a n a ir in sulated s witch, b ut it is e quipped with interrupting devices to break the
current and extinguish the resulting arc. Circuit switchers have short-circuit interrupting capability
also. Circuit Switcher manufacturers should be consulted for interrupting capability and available
voltage r atings. C ircuit S witchers typically r equire a s eparate m ounting s tructure, a nd they may
also require an AC or DC power supply and communication equipment.

Circuit Breakers Depending on the amount of fault current, a circuit breaker may be needed to
isolate the underground lines. Pre-insertion Resistors may be needed.

Grounding S witches A transmission c able is e ssentially a distributed cap acitor. W hen a


transmission c able is d e-energized, a t rapped ch arge r emains on t he cab le. W hen operating
personnel apply safety grounds to a cab le after it has been de-energized, significant sparking can
occur. W ith l ong c ables o r hi gher vo ltage c ables, t his s parking c an a pproach unne rving, and
potentially unsafe, levels. In these cases, a grounding switch may be necessary. A grounding switch
is a n ormally open switch connected between the line and station ground. Once a cab le has been
de-energized, the grounding switch is closed to safely d ischarge t he cab le. I n m any cas es, a
grounding switch is installed only on one end of a cable system. T he operating procedure would
require closing the grounding switches first, then applying portable grounds to the other cable end.
If a cable system terminates into Gas I nsulated S witchgear ( GIS), a g rounding s witch s hould b e
incorporated into the first gas zone beyond the cab le t o al low for cable g rounding. Grounding
switches are sometimes i ncorporated i nto p rotective r elaying s chemes. A fter a m ixed
overhead/underground s ystem is interrupted d ue t o a n o verhead l ine f ault, a gr ounding s witch
might be closed to remove trapped ch arge o n the cable, and then opened pr ior to r eclosing th e
overhead line.
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3.2.4

IEEE P1793/D1

Grounding

Since a transition station is similar to a s ubstation, the g rounding o f th e equipment w ithin the tr ansition
stations would follow the utilities standard grounding procedure for substations.
Supplemental Grounding A separate ground conductor provided for bonding of cable accessories such as
arresters, link boxes and terminations is recommended on the structure and this separate ground conductor
should be bonded to the station ground and the parallel ground continuity conductor.

3.3 Other Design Considerations


In addition to the design of the transition structures, the following items should also be considered.
3.3.1 Arrester and Termination Material
The following safety issue should be considered when cable terminations and surge protection devices are
installed on transition structures outside and in substation environments.
Cable terminations ( potheads) an d s urge p rotection ( arresters) ar e av ailable w ith b oth p orcelain an d
composite ho usings f or e xtruded-dielectric cables, w hereas p ipe-type cab les u se o nly p orcelain.
Termination and arresters with porcelain h ousings h ave b een k nown to f ail v iolently a nd th is f ailure will
spray the ground adjacent to the structure with porcelain fragments. T hese fragments (much like shrapnel)
may d amage ad jacent accessories; p roperty a nd p otentially s eriously in jure in dividuals in the im mediate
vicinity of the structure.
Terminations an d ar resters f or extruded-dielectric cab les ar e al so av ailable w ith co mposite h ousings.
Composite h ousing m ay f ail b ut th e f ailure i s l ess v iolent w hen co mpared t o p orcelain an d s hould b e
considered for transition structures in and outside of substations for the safety of the general public.
Some utilities have installed protective covers around porcelain terminators, especially when in stalled o n
transition structures. T hese c overs a re installed to p rotect the te rminator from being hit from a projectile
and to p rotect th e p ublic by c ontaining t he p orcelain f ragments in the e vent th e te rminator explodes.
Depending on the spacing between the terminator and the arrester, these protective covers are designed to
encapsulate each terminator or the combination terminator and arrester. T hese covers are commonly made
out of fiberglass.
Placement of Arresters and number of arresters on a structure? Jay Williams.
3.3.2 Cable Support
Extruded cables installed when transitioning from overhead to underground, generally outdoors and in air,
frequently require a s ystem o f cl amps o r cl eats t o s upport t he cab les. T he cab le s upport s ystem i s
principally a r igid s ystem s uch th at lo ngitudinal o r la teral m ovement is not permitted. It is extremely
critical to restrain cable lo ngitudinal a nd la teral m ovement where the cab le en ters t he t ermination o n
transition structures.
For extruded cables, clamps or cleats are typically manufactured of plastic or non-magnetic metals such as
aluminum alloys or to a le sser e xtent non-magnetic g rade s tainless s teel. W hen m etallic cl amps ar e
employed, as a rule, liners are used such as elastomeric materials. These liners are used to prevent damage
or deformation to the cable insulation, designed to accommodate limited thermal expansion and provide the
required restraint. Cable clamps or cleats may also be designed to provide thermal expansion by using bolts
with spring washers.

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Clamps or cleats typically installed on substation riser structures or riser poles and/or structures are spaced
every 3 t o 6 f eet. T he s pacing i s a f unction o f t he cab le d iameter, bending s tiffness, weight a nd t ype o f
metallic s hield o r s heathing s ystem. T he p rimary sources for s upply o f cl amps o r cl eats ar e the cab le
manufacturers. Cable manufactures t ypically h ave a co mplete l ine o f cl amps o r cl eats f or t heir cab le
constructions, which are designed to accommodate a range of diameters, and weights. Cable manufacturers
will also provide recommendations for spacing of the clamps or cleats on their product.
The transitioning structure should also be designed to accommodate the cable clamp or cleat selected for the
project. B ased on the clamp design a steel structure or riser pole may require fangs or pre-drilled holes to
fasten the clamps to the structure. T he fang locations or the pre-drilled holes will be spaced based on the
frequency of units necessary to restrain the cables.
Note that the stainless-steel r iser p ipes for p ipe-type cab les must b e very securely attached to a transition
pole to prevent thermal movement and vibration that could create a leak in the termination seals.
3.3.3 Ladder Clips
Some utilities still want the ability to climb any structure, so may require ladder clips to be installed.
3.3.4 Fiber-optic boxes
In most installations, the utilities have gone to installing OPGW on their overhead lines. Because of this, a
transition o f th e f iber-optic cab le al so n eeds t o b e m ade. T his i s done t hrough a f iber-optic s plice box
mounted on the structure.
Temperature Monitoring boxes On cable installations where temperature monitoring or dynamic rating of
cables i s b eing p erformed w ith f iber o ptics, a separate fiber-optic s plice box m ay be r equired by
communication p ersonnel. It may b e n ecessary t o plan for a lo cation of this splice box on t he t ransition
structure.
3.3.5 Link Boxes
The most common method of grounding the cable in a transition station or transition structure is through a
link box mounted to the structure.
3.3.6 Pipe-type Considerations
The most common and practical arrangement is to use a trifurcating joint inside a manhole located as
close as possible to the transition structure.
Three very short cab le l engths ar e p ulled, o ne i nto each o f t hree n on-magnetic s tainless s teel riser p ipes.
The terminators (potheads) are then in stalled a t th e to p end f irst. The te mporary n ight cap bolted t o the
trifurcating r educer at t he l ower en d i nside t he m anhole is then removed and the 3 1 /C cab le s plices
completed.
The manhole is not an absolute necessity. The trifurcating joint can be direct buried but the necessity for
maintaining d ry c onditions a nd lo w humidity d uring c able splicing operations is usually accomplished
best using a permanent manhole.
Other arrangements such as an above ground spreader head or pull through trifurcator (no cable splice) are
also possible and sometimes used depending on the circuit configuration and transition structure design.
3.3.7 Current Transformer Design
In many of the installations the underground segment of cable is only a portion of the overall circuit, with
the protection of the cable, from a breaker or other device, is often some distance away and at the end of an
overhead section. In some installation, the utilities want to have additional data on the performance and
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functionality of the underground portion of the circuit only. In addition if the cable seems to have a
potential problem then a quick determination and trip of the circuit may potentially save the whole circuit.
One method of detection is to install CTs on the cable and measure and track the readings. The CTs
should be mounted as close to the termination/transition as possible and can often be designed directly in
the termination support. The output of the CT is them routed to a central control box or termination point
and then to a central operating system to determine overall actions. Often on larger systems a dual CT
system can be installed to further provide protection to the system. The CTs should be installed on all
phases of the circuit.
3.3.6 Additional Mechanical Protection
When d esigning the structure, the ar ea in which the structure is to be installed must be considered. Often
additional p rotection for the c able a nd the structure must be considered when completing the design. T he
structures n eed th is p rotection f rom p reventing o r d eterring in dividuals f rom th e o utside g etting to the
structure and damaging the structure o r harming themselves. M any installations will be fenced o ff, b ut in
other areas, more stringent barriers such as co ncrete p osts, o r steel structures ar e r equired, such as in the
case when the structure is close to a r oad or in a p arking lot where it could be hit by a v ehicle. Also note
that proper signage, color and location of markings needs to be taken into consideration when completing
the final design.
Additional guards on the cable, such as a cable shield or shroud may be considered in areas where the cable
may be exposed. Wildlife guards and deterrents (Guard Owls) should also be considered in the final design.
3.3.6 Overhead Interface:
When designing the interface between the overhead line and the underground cable terminations,
consideration should be given to the ampacity o f the j umpers, the ai r gaps b etween energized co nductors
and surfaces of poles and ar ms, insulation s trength of jumper s truts an d t erminations, working clearance
between circuits for structures with more than one circuit.
The ampacity of the jumpers should be equal to or greater than the ampacity of the of the underground cable
circuit. The ampacity of the jumpers is calculated using IEEE Standard 738 with ambient air temperature,
wind speed, conductor resistance and the utilitys maximum allowable conductor temperature. The
allowable conductor temperature should take into account the maximum temperature of the terminal lug of
the cable terminations as specified by the manufacturer. At h igher o perating v oltages, 3 45kV an d ab ove,
bundled conductors are specified to reduce audible noise generated by the conductor surface gradient. The
conductor size and bundle diameter is typically the same as the overhead line.
The air gap between energized conductors or hardware and the surface of poles and arms is the greater of
the clearances specified by the National Electric Code and the air gap equivalent to the insulators used on
the structure. Also consider clearance to climb p oles an d ar ms an d t o w ork w ith t he ci rcuit o r ci rcuits
energized. If more than one ci rcuit is on t he s ame s tructure, design t he s pacing to allow for work to be
performed on one circuit with the other in service.
Phase orientation should be designed to match phases o n t he o verhead a nd und erground c ircuits o n b oth
ends of the underground circuit. W hen using an installed cable as a s pare cable, orientation and design of
the structure should be such that the spare cable can be easily connected to replace a failed cable.

3.4

Structure Installation

The te rminal s tructure a nd its f oundation s hould b e d esigned to act together as a s tructural uni t. T he
installation of the structure will vary slightly depending on the type of foundation it is setting on. Utmost
care should be taken during the installation of the structure so that it is done in a safe and accurate manner.
The i nstaller n eeds t o h ave t he p roper eq uipment o f ad equate s ize so as to not damage the individual
structural components, the protective coating of the s tructure, a nd p lace it in th e c orrect o rientation
Copyright 2009 IEEE. All rights reserved.
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according to the manufacturers and owners design. The use of slings may be necessary to properly lift and
handle the structure. The structure needs to be erected plum and the use of cambering in the design should
be discouraged. A ll bolts should be properly torqued and installed in accordance with the manufacturers
design. T he structure should be grounded soon after it is set to prevent lightning damage. I f a reinforced
concrete foundation is used to support the structure, the structure should not be set on the foundation until at
least 7 days after the concrete has been placed and the concrete strength requirements for that period have
been met.

3.5

Cable Installation

3.5.1

Pipe-type

For m ost p ipe ty pe in stallations, cable r eels are ty pically p ositioned a t th e t ermination s tructure a nd the
cables are pulled into the above ground risers toward an adjacent splicing vault or pit. However, different
methods are to be considered w hen s ingle p ole s tructures ar e u tilized, b ecause o f t he i ncreasingly l arge
vertical height of each riser and large separations between the cable terminations. One installation approach
is to position the reel or reels at the nearest splicing location or spreaderhead, and make single conductor
pulls toward each termination using a heavy duty bull lin e. T he tr ansition la yout a nd d esign m ay also
shorten the length of the installation due to cable and pulling limitations.
3.5.2

Installation of Extruded Cable

Installation of the cable onto a termination structure is often governed by the type of structure and right-ofway constraints. Consideration must be given to location of a crane, manlift, payout reel, winch, and cables.
Since the location is a transition station, safe distance from energized conductors must be maintained, or if
possible, a scheduled outage can be taken on the circuit. Whatever installation method is used, it is advised
that t he cab le m anufacturer h as r eviewed t he p rocedure an d i s in agreement. It is important to always
protect the cable from abrasion no matter what method is used.
Transition s tations a re g enerally preferred f or e ase o f in itial c ircuit in stallation, a nd f or o peration a nd
maintenance of the circuit. T he overhead circuit and underground circuit reside on independent structures
connected electrically with flexible j umpers. T he l ower h eight o f t he cab le termination s tructure h elps
greatly in the logistics of the cable installation. U sually, the payout reel is located in the transition station
and the cable is pulled to the first splice location. A sufficient a mount o f c able is le ft a t the te rmination
structure to be lifted later. I f arrestors are already installed on the termination structure and connected to
the o verhead ci rcuit, t hey m ust b e ei ther d isconnected o r m oved to provide safe clearance for the
termination craftsmen.
Constrained r ight-of-way poses more challenges. L imited space may r equire a b ond p ull method to r aise
the cable onto the transition structure. T his involves lashing (bonding) the winch line to the outside of the
cable and attaching a crane to the cable pulling eye. In a simultaneous action, the cable is pulled toward the
transition structure with the winch, the lashing is cut at the base of the structure, and the cable is lifted by
the cr ane. T his method r elies o n friction o f the o uter lashings against the cab le j acket and relatively low
cable pulling tension. It is necessary for the bond pull to have a pull through manhole or splice box near the
transition structure so a sufficient length of cable can be accessed to lash the pull rope to. Figures 1 thru 3
show a bond pull.
Up to this point, the cable installations are raised and clamped to the outside of the transition structure. In
some lo cations, th e c ables h ave b een in stalled in side th e tu bular tr ansition pole. The only portion of the
cable that is e xposed to th e o utside is w here it e xits th e p ole a nd is s ecured a t th e te rmination a rm.
Installation would be in two independent procedures. First, the cable is pulled a sufficient distance past the
transition structure to allow enough cable to be pulled to the termination arm level. S econd, the pull rope
from the winch is threaded through rigging at the termination arm level and down through the interior of the
pole. The cable is pulled into place with the winch on the ground. A crane may be required to hold the
cable while it i s cl amped t o t he ar m. C onsideration must b e g iven t o t he cl amping s tresses o n t he cab le
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when this type of installation is chosen since long unsupported lengths of the cable will remain inside the
structure. The cable manufacturer must be in agreement with the clamping scheme.

3.6

Accessories Installation

3.6.1

Pipe Type

Pipe-type cab les h ave m ore ex tensive acces sory r equirements t han d o ex truded-dielectric cab le s ystems.
Since most of these accessories are installed at the terminal ends, pipe-type cable transition sites are more
complex. Requirements are:

Pressurizing Plants. High-pressure fluid-filled lines r equire p ressurizing p lants to maintain f luid
pressure i n t he t ypical r ange of 200-300 p sig ( the h igher p ressures r equired t o acco mmodate
elevation changes on the line). T he plants require a distribution power supply and contain pumps,
alarms, controls, monitoring equipment, a reservoir tank that can be 5,000 to 20,000 gallons, and
sometimes h as a s elf-contained moat to c ontain f luid in e vent of leakage. The p lant is typically
3.5m wide, 3.5m tall, and 10-15m long. I t is usually delivered as a factory-assembled and tested
unit in an enclosure resembling an outdoor refrigeration house. B ecause a H PFF cable must b e
de-energized if pressure is lost, utilities in urban areas typically have a pressurizing plant at each
end in case there is catastrophic failure of a plant. T his is not generally done in a short d ip of
underground cable in a long line.

HPGF cables require a n itrogen cab inet w ith al arms a nd s ometimes r emote m onitoring. T wo
cylinders of nitrogen and a r egulator are typically in the cabinet to allow workers to clear a lowpressure alarm. No power supply is required.

Both HPFF and HPGF lines require a cat hodic protection system to maintain a small negative dc
voltage o n t he l ine t o p revent co rrosion i n ev ent o f damage to the corrosion coating. Most
cathodic protection uses an impressed-current system, i n which a n a c-powered r ectifier p rovides
the dc voltage. Therefore, even a HPGF system requires a power supply at one end of the line. It
is p ossible to a pply a p assive c orrosion p rotection s ystem u sing s acrificial a nodes; this has been
done, especially in remote areas where ac s ervice i s n ot av ailable. R eplacing t he an odes i s
difficult, however.

The pipe must be isolated from ground for the cathodic protection system to be effective, but the
pipe must be solidly grounded for ac fault currents. Utilities therefore install a polarization cell, or
its solid-state equivalent, at each end of the line. T hese devices block the dc cathodic protection
current but readily pass ac fault current.

Many cab le p ipes h ave t emperature monitoring with t hermocouples, an d cat hodic protection test
stations, but these are minor additions to the transition site.

3.6.2

Extruded

The two common ways o f in stalling a n e xtruded d ielectric te rminator o n a tr ansition s tructure a re o n th e
ground or in the air.
Some manufacturers prefer installing the terminations on the ground. The cable is laid on it side and all the
work is done from the ground. O ne of the advantages of this method is that no special safety equipment is
needed.
Installing the terminations in the air requires either scaffolding or a man-lift. B oth methods require safety
equipment and harnesses for the workers in the air.

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3.7

Commissioning

3.7.1

Pipe-type

IEEE P1793/D1

The normal practice after completion is to perform a 15 minute DC Hi Pot Installation Acceptance Test per
the provisions of Section 14 in the latest edition of the AEIC CS2 pipe type cable specification. The system
must have been under 200 psig normal operating pressure for a minimum of 24 h ours prior to performing
this DC Hi Pot Test.
Where a n e xisting line is b eing c ut into a nd sectionalized for a transition station, then the existing
old c ables ( not th e n ew s hort in stalled c able le ngths a t th e tr ansition s tructure) w ill d ictate th e
allowable DC test voltage and test time.
In lieu of a D C Hi Pot Test, a 2 4 hour soak test at normal operating voltage can be considered if mutually
agreeable to the owner and cable manufacturer.
3.7.2

Extruded Dielectric

The most common practice after completion is to perform a jacket integrity test and a 24 hour soak test at
normal operating voltage. This only insures that no significant damage to the cable system has been made.
While a DC Hi Pot T est is c ommon f or p ipe-type cab le s ystems, i t i s n ot r ecommended f or ex truded
dielectric cab les. R ecently, an AC H i P ot T est w ith p artial d ischarge ( PD) measurements h as b ecome
available for te sting e xtruded d ielectric. The P D m easurement p rovides d iagnostics o n t he cab le and
accessories and helps determine if there are any potential problems with the cable or accessories.

3.6
3.6.1

Operational/Maintenance Considerations
Pipe-type

The terminators (potheads) should be visually inspected for broken skirts and signs of oil leakage or
weepage. Bare plate insulators should be checked for any signs of arc-over or degradation.
Any protective coverings on riser pipes should be inspected to be sure they are intact, especially at ground
level and in any clamped areas.
Cathodic protection rectifiers, polarization cells or solid state devices, plus their electrical bonding
connections should be visually examined.
If a pressurization unit (gas or oil) is located at the transition station, then the unit should be visually
examined and tested p er t he p rocedures an d s chedules i n t he p ressurization u nit manufacturer's
maintenance manual.
After completion of repairs a DC Hi-pot test can be performed on pipe-type cable systems after it has been
refilled with fluid (HPFF) or nitrogen (HPGF) and pressurized to the nominal 200 psig operating pressure
for a minimum of 24 hours. A safe DC Hi-pot test voltage for pipe type cable systems is to take the normal
AC system line to ground voltage and multiply it by 1.1 (10% overvoltage) and 2.4 (AC to DC test voltage
conversion factor). For example, on a 138 k V c ircuit t his works out t o be 210 k V D C which s hould be
applied for five minutes to each of the three phases separately.

3.6.2

Extruded

Transition stations with extruded dielectric cables do not require a l arge amount of maintenance, but they
are n ot maintenance f ree. General operation and maintenance o f an overhead t o und erground t ransition
Copyright 2009 IEEE. All rights reserved.
This is an unapproved IEEE Standards Draft, subject to change.

32

Last saved by DJohnson March 23, 2010

IEEE P1793/D1

facility which is equipped with extruded dielectric cable would be similar to operation and maintenance for
a transmission substation. Many utilities have inspection and maintenance regimens for substation facilities
that call for periodic visual a nd o perational inspections o f station e quipment. T his p eriod can r ange from
monthly to quarterly, or perhaps longer or shorter, depending on th e criticality of the circuit, and on the
utilities operating experience. More detailed O&M is typically performed at longer time intervals, or based
on metrics (such as number of operations for a circuit breaker).
If a tr ansition f acility is e quipped w ith s ubstation type equipment ( circuit b reakers, s witches, protective
relaying equipment, etc), the utilities normal maintenance practices should be followed for this equipment.
Solid dielectric transmission cable equipment at the transition site would include the riser cable, the cable
terminations, surge arresters, cable clamping equipment, and cable bonding equipment (link boxes, or other
shield grounding means). There may also be air core or oil immersed shunt reactors to compensate for cable
charging.
For a s olid d ielectric tr ansmission c able, routine maintenance would typically b e d one as p art o f t he
substation inspection, and would typically b e d one with th e c ables in s ervice ( observing n ecessary s afety
clearances from energized equipment). Routine inspections would include:

Cable: Perform visual inspection of exposed cable and clamps to determine that the cable is well
supported, and that the clamps are not damaging the cable.

Terminations: T erminations s hould be v isually inspected f or broken skirts (if porcelain) and for
other ex ternal d amage. Severely contaminated o r t racking t erminations s hould b e s cheduled f or
cleaning or r epairs. M ost t ransmission cl ass cab le t erminations a re liq uid f illed. T erminations
should be visually inspected to make sure that the internal seals have remained intact, and that the
termination is not leaking. A leaking termination is s ubject to p ossible f ailure, a nd s hould b e
promptly removed from service for repairs.
Most transmission class terminations are mounted on baseplate insulators to allow for single point
bonding or cross bonding. These baseplate insulators should be inspected for cracks or other signs
of distress.

Surge Arresters: Surge arresters should be visually inspected for damaged housings and other signs
of distress.

Bonding Equipment: Bonding equipment should be inspected for general condition, and for signs
of excessive heating or other problems. A clamp-on ammeter can be placed on the bonding leads to
determine that shield currents are at expected l evels, an d t hat an y s pecial b onding s ystems ar e
intact at the transition station.

Shunt Reactors: Air Core Shunt reactors should receive a visual inspection for disrupted windings,
burn m arks, o r o ther s igns o f d istress. O il im mersed r eactors s hould b e in spected in a similar
manner to a station transformer. This could in clude p eriodic e lectrical te sting, a nd c ould also
include analysis of oil samples for water or combustible gases.

Transition T owers If a tr ansition f acility is a s ingle p ole s tructure, t ree/vegetation c onditions


should be evaluated for electrical clearances.

Cathodic P rotection Although not a s p revalent o n s olid d ielectric c ables a s w ith p ipe ty pe,
sometimes s olid dielectric cab les ar e cat hodically p rotected. R outine maintenance would i nclude
rectifier inspection to determine proper operation (checking to see that output current and voltages
are w ithin ex pected r anges), an d i nspection o f p olarization cel ls o r s olid state is olators f or
condition. Refer to pipe type cable operation and maintenance for additional details.

Copyright 2009 IEEE. All rights reserved.


This is an unapproved IEEE Standards Draft, subject to change.

33

Last saved by DJohnson March 23, 2010

IEEE P1793/D1

For extruded cable, DC testing is not recommended and should not be done since this would result
in cable damage. After the repair of an extruded dielectric cable, the circuit should be initially
energized at rated voltage with no load for a period of at least 24 hours.

For either pipe type or ex truded cab les, i t i s s trongly r ecommended t hat t he o riginal cab le
manufacturer be contacted and consulted with on this matter during the one to two week or longer
repair process.

For a overhead system it is normal p ractice t o r eclose o n t he f ault as t he f aults ar e g enerally


transient. For an underground system, the faults are generally permanent. If a f ault occurs on the
hybrid circuit, it requires further consideration on what actions to take such as:
o

Is the fault on the overhead or underground section

If the fault is in the underground section, the extruded cable will be further damaged

Is t he s ystem p rotection c apable o f id entifying th e f ault a nd if in th e o verhead s ection


automatically reclosing

Bibliography - past contributors

Copyright 2009 IEEE. All rights reserved.


This is an unapproved IEEE Standards Draft, subject to change.

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