2011-39011

10 May 2014

ENG 10 C-5R

Draft No. 2
Introduction

Today, electricity has been a major necessity for people

for it gives energy to almost all devices that make their works
easier. But before electricity could be consumed to power a
load or a certain device, it needs to travel long distances
through the utilization of electrical power systems. Electrical
Power Systems consists of mainly of generating stations,
transmission

lines

and

distribution

systems.

From

the

generating stations, different types of energy are converted to

electrical energy (high voltage) and then transported to the
distribution systems through the transmission lines, where
the voltages to be delivered to the consumers by the
distribution companies are lowered. There are two designs for
distribution systems, one is the Overhead Distribution System
(ODS) and the other is the Underground Distribution System
(UDS).

Each

of

these

has

its

own

advantages

and

disadvantages.
In the earlier century, ODS has been commonly used by
distribution

companies.

It

is

reliable,

low-cost,

easily

maintained and is an established method to transport bulk

electricity across long distances. ODS are the lowest-cost
method transmitting electrical power because most of the
insulation is provided by air. The disadvantage is that ODS is
more prone and subjected to interruptions due to natural
causes such as lightning and storms and other failure due to
short circuits and line breakage. It is also unpleasant to the
eye especially to urban areas. Moreover, the voltage drop in
ODS is considerably high. This puts the use of UDS into
consideration.
In UDS, power lines are buried directly in the ground.

Discusses historical
developments
regarding the
topic.

Because it is underground, it promotes safety in subjected

area; also, it is less subjected to damage from weather
conditions and other physical causes. The downside to this is
that UDSystems are far more expensive than ODSystems. Its
maintenance

is

also

hard

since

direct

access

to

the

underground transmission lines is not available disabling

hands-on inspection. Therefore, it is necessary to come up
with design for the transmission lines that will facilitate more
efficient energy transmission, and at the same time, will not
deteriorate easily.
Description and Rationale of the Problem
Due to the need to transform overhead transmission
lines to underground transmission lines, for the efficiency of
electrical transmission and convenience, considerations were
made on how underground distribution lines will be more
efficient in terms of electrical transmission and how it can be
designed to be more economical.
The efficiency of electrical transmission depends on the
physical and electrical properties of the transmission lines
used. These physical and electrical properties depend on the
insulating

and

conducting

materials

composing

the

transmission cable.
PILC consist of a stranded copper conductor, oilimpregnated kraft-paper tapes helically wound over the
conductor, copper shielding tapes, and an extruded layer of
lead. This material is the widely used type of transmission
cables in most underground distribution systems. But paper is
highly susceptible to deterioration from moisture for it
hygroscopic and it tends to absorb moisture from air. Due to
this, there aroused a need to provide a better material that
can resist such deterioration. And among the numerous types
of transmission lines that can be used, Cross Linked
Polyethylene (XLPE) insulated cable is the most probable

Contains
background
information and
assumptions of the
field of study.
Provides reason/
justification for the
study as well as the
structure to be
followed in
conducting the
study.

candidate.
To determine if XLPE insulated cables are truly an
effective alternative for PILC cables, the physical and
electrical properties of the materials used for the cables
would be compared. This will show the advantages of using
XLPE cables as transmission lines in underground electrical
distribution systems.
The Research Problem
The research problem for this study will be:
Is Cross Linked Polyethylene (XLPE) insulated cable an

The research
problem is clearly
stated.

appropriate replacement for Paper-Insulated Lead Covered

cable as a material for the transmission lines of underground
distribution systems?
1.
2.
3.
4.

Research problem
is in question form.

To verify this, the following questions will be asked:

What are the characteristics of an ideal underground
transmission cable?
What are the physical and electrical properties of the
insulation material of XLPE and PILC cables?
How do PILC cables differ from XLPE cables in terms of its
physical and electrical properties?
What are the advantages of using XLPE cables instead of
PILC cables?

Objectives of the Study

This study mainly aims to evaluate Cross Linked
Polyethylene (XLPE) Insulated cables as substitute for PaperInsulated Lead Covered cables for the efficiency of electrical
transmission of underground distribution systems.
The specific objectives of this study are:
1. To

define

the

characteristics

of

an

ideal

underground transmission cables.

2. To identify the physical and electrical properties of
the insulation materials of XLPE and PILC cables
such as polymers, chemical compositions, dielectric
losses,

molecular

structures,

fibre

structures,

crystallinities, thermal expansion, cross linkings and

degradations.

Objectives are
specific and
attainable, realistic
and time-bound.
Can provide
answers to the
research problems.

3. To

compare

the

said

electrical

and

physical

properties of XLPE and PILC cables.

4. To analyse the comparison between XLPE and PILC
cables.
5. To present the advantage of using XPLE insulated
cables as an alternative for PILC cables.
Importance of the Study
The lack of direct access to the transmission lines of
underground distribution systems makes the maintenance of

Basis of
comparison is
stated.

the system a challenge. Visual examinations cannot be made

in case a failure or a problem in the system occurs. Also,
fixing or replacing these damaged transmission lines would

Importance of
study is stated.

take a considerable amount of time because it needs to be

excavated first from the ground.
Therefore, to avoid these problems, the distribution
system should be designed to last for a long period of time for
which maintenance will not be required to be done regularly.
The distribution systems transmission line should have an
insulating layer that can withstand aging and immediate
deterioration caused by the earthly substances surrounding it.
To be able to know whether a certain material can withstand
the said troubles, it is important to know the properties of the
insulating and conducting materials used for the cables in the
transmission lines.
The comparison between XLPE and the commonly used
PILC cables will present the advantages, as well as the
disadvantages

of

using

each

of

these

cable

types

as

underground transmission lines. Through this, it can be

evaluated whether the replacement of PILC cables with XLPE
insulated cables would be more efficient in the transmission
of electrical power and more economical in a way that regular
maintenance will be required.
Limits of the Study
There are many types of cables that can be used as

Limits are clarified

transmission lines for underground distribution systems but

this study will focus on the comparison of Cross Linked
Polyethylene (XLPE) insulated cable and Paper Insulated Lead
Covered (PILC) cables. The electrical and physical properties

There is a
justification on why
some factors are
not considered.

of the materials used will be discussed such as its polymers,

chemical

compositions,

dielectric

losses,

molecular

structures, fibre structures, crystallinities, thermal expansion,

cross

linkings

and

degradations.

The

process

of

manufacturing the cables will not be considered since it is

only the said properties that will be compared. The analysis
will be limited to the data acquired from the medium-voltage
cable segments of a particular company.
Definition of Terms
Paper Insulated Lead Covered (PILC) Cables
Paper insulated cables are one of the oldest types of
insulation readily available from natural resources used for
power

cables.

Even,

throughout

the twentieth

century,

majority of the primary cables of large distribution systems of

the world were PILC cables (Bernstein and Thue, 1999). This
type of insulation uses paper impregnated with a dielectric
fluid.
The advantages of PILC cables are: lack of sensitivity to
DC Testing and has better known history of reliability
(Bernstein, 1999). Moreover, PILC cables are used for
carrying large power (Ray, 2007). On the other hand,
disadvantages

are

that

paper

ishighly

susceptible

to

deterioration from moisture for it hygroscopic and it tends to

absorb moisture from air. Due to this, insulation must be
sealed using special jointing methods to avoid contact with air
as well as sheathed with a material that is water resistant,
such as lead. Because of this difficulty as well as weight of the
cable, the use of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and XLPE insulated
cables became widespread when they were developed (Ray,
2007).

Clear and precise

definitions.
Sources are cited.

Cross-Linked Polyethylene (XLPE) Cables

Polyethylene is a hydrocarbon polymer also known as
polyolefins. Its different polyethylene chains can be linked
together and this process is called crosslinking. Crosslinking
allows stability at elevated temperatures be maintained
(Bernstein, 1999). With the introduction of Polyethylene, in
1941, extruded dielectric cables were developed such as
Cross-Linked Polyethylene (XLPE) Cables (Zuidema et al.,
2011).
Advantages of XLPE include low dielectric constant,
low dielectric loss, low power factor, high dielectric stress,
excellent moisture resistance and extremely low moisture
vapor transmission. The dielectric loss factor is about one
decimal power lower than that of paper insulated cables. The
mutual capacitance of XLPE cables is also lower due to its
dielectric constant, thus reducing charging currents and
earth-leakage currents in the networks. It also has reduced
susceptibility to water treeing (Bernstein, 1999).
Cable Ampacity
According to Kelly and Landinger (1999), the term
ampacity was used by William Del Mar in the early 1960s
to pertain to Current Carrying capacity. Eventually the term
Ampacity was published by AIEE/IPCEA and used in
general. It is stated in PEC (Article 1.1) that Ampacity is the
current, in amperes, that a conductor can carry continuously
under conditions of use without exceeding the temperature
rating. This means in a cable, there is a certain maximum
amount of current the conductor can carry, given the
environment and time, without experiencing immediate or
progressive deterioration.

References:
Ampacity.

(n.d.).

In

Tooling

University.

Retreived

May

7,

2014

from

http://www.toolingu.com/definition-550240-36008-ampacity.html.
Dielectric Loss. (n.d.). In Tooling University. Retreived May 7, 2014 from
http://www.toolingu.com/definition-550240-36008-ampacity.html.
Electrical Engineering Portal. (2011). Comparison Of Cable Insulating Materials.
Retrieved

May

2,

2014

from

http://electrical-engineering-

portal.com/comparison-of-cable-insulating-materials
Electrotechnik: A Magazine for Electrical Engineering. (n.d.). A comparison of
Overhead and Underground Transmission. Retrieved May 2, 2014 from
http://www.electrotechnik.net/2011/11/comparison-of-overhead-andunderground.html
Filomenaa, A.D., Resener M., Salimc R.H., and Bretas, A.S. (2009). Fault location
for

underground

distribution

feeders:

An

extended

impedance-based

formulation with capacitive current compensation. Electrical Power and

Energy Systems 31 (2009) 489496. doi:10.1016/j.ijepes.2009.03.026
Distribution system [Def. 1]. (n.d.) In McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and
Technical

Terms,

6th

edition.

Retreived

May

7,

2014

from

http://www.answers.com/topic/distribution-system-electricity
Tri-state. (n.d). Overhead vs. Underground. Retrieved May 2, 2014 from
http://www.sjbenergyconnect.com/documents/Overhead_Underground_TS_general_090702.pdf
Balaska T.A. & Landinger C.C. (1999). Basic Dielectric Theory of Cable. In W. A.
Thue (Ed.), Electrical Power Cable Engineering. New York: Marcel Dekker,
Inc.