CABLE JOINTS, CABLE TERMINATIONS, CABLE GLANDS, CABLE CLEATS FEEDER PILLARS, FUSE LINKS, ARC FLASH, CABLE

ROLLERS, CUT-OUTS

11KV 33KV CABLE JOINTS & CABLE TERMINATIONS FURSE EARTHING

www.cablejoints.co.uk Thorne and Derrick UK Tel 0044 191 490 1547 Fax 0044 191 477 5371 Tel 0044 117 977 4647 Fax 0044 117 9775582

FirstStepstoReliability
XLPECablePreparation Controllingtheinitialinstallationcostsofanypowersystemiscriticaltooperatingcompanies andcontractorsalike.Systemmaintenanceandrepairarealsosubstantialfactorsinoverallcost. Itisimportantthatinstallationsarenotonlycompletedefficientlyandquickly,butalsodone correctly. Nomaterhowwellacableaccessoryisdesigned,itwillfailifthecableisnotproperlyprepared beforeinstallation.Herearesomeofthemorecommoncausesoffailureduetopoor workmanship. Damagetotheinsulationduringsemiconductivescreenremoval Thisisprobablythenumberonecauseofalljointandterminationfailures.Caremustbetaken whenremovingthesemiconductivescreen,anydamageornicktotheinsulationatthisstage willresultincreatinganunscreenedairvoid.Sincethedielectricstrengthofairislessthanthat oftheXLPEinsulation,theconcentrationofelectricalstressinthisareawillexceedthedielectric strengthofair.Theairwillionizecausingcoronadischargetooccur.Thesedischargesbombard thesurroundinginsulation100timesasecond,andwillresultincuttingthroughtheinsulation andultimatefailure. Damagetotheconductorduringinsulationremoval Bynottakingcareorusingincorrectmethods,conductorscan,quiteoften,benicked,this, particularlyinthecaseofaluminiumconductors,canresultinindividualstrandsbreakingfree, leadingtoaresistivehotspotaroundtheconnectorarea,causingthermalrunawayand eventualfailure. Contaminationoftheinsulationsurface Itisimportantthatthecableinsulationbefreefromallmoistureandcontamination.Common contaminatesinclude,mudontheoutsidesurfacesandsemiconductiveparticles,leftonthe surfaceoftheinsulation,aftertheconductivescreenhasbeenremoved.Ifthesecontaminants remainontheinsulationsurfacesbeingjointedorterminated,aconductivepathcanexist,and

thedifferenceinpotential,betweentheenergisedconductorandearthscreenwillcausecurrent toflowthroughthecontamination,resultinginerosionandultimatelybreakdown.Toavoidthis happening,allcaremustbetakentoensuretheinstallerkeepshishands,aswellashistools cleananddry.Furthertothis,theinsulationsurfacesshouldbecleanedpriortotheinstallation oftheaccessoryandprotectedfromfurthercontaminationuntiltheinstallationiscomplete. AccessoryInstallation Incorrectchoiceofaccessory Thismaysoundstrange,butdoyouknowthedifferencebetweenanindoorandoutdoor termination?Justbecausetheterminationistobeoutsidedoesntmeanyouneedanoutdoor type.IndoorkitsareforterminatingcablesthatwillnotbeconstantlyexposedwithdirectUV lightordirectlyexposedtotheelements.Asealedtakeoffchamberonthesideofatransformer requiresanindoortermination,despitethetransformerbeingoutside. Unfortunately,itisnotunusualforanoperatingcompanyorcontractor,tobealittleunsureof theactualcablespecificationpriortoarrivalorexposureonsite.Caremustbetakenbeforeand duringinstallationtoensuretheaccessoryprovided,suitsboththeapplicationrangeandcable type. Themajorityofaccessoriesarerangetakingmakingoneofthechoiceseasier,butthereis normallyadifferencerelatingtocableinsulation,numberofcoresandsystemvoltageetc.The useofakitdesignedfor11kV,XLPEinsulatedcable,willnotnormallyworkeffectivelyonan11kV paperinsulatedcable. Incorrectinstallationdimensionsorprocedures Unfortunately,thisoneusuallycomesdowntomaleego,theinstallernotwantingtoappear unfamiliarwith,orunsureofhowtheaccessoryisassembled.Hegoesblindlyonwithoutreading theinstallationinstructions,doingwhathethinksistherightthing.Weveallbeenthere,how manytimesdowestarttoassemblethatnewSwedishcabinet,onlytofindweshouldhavefitted thoseshelvesbeforefixingthetopanddoors. Allreputablemanufactureswillincludeaninstallationsheetwithinthekit,thisisnotbecause theywanttocontributetothedemiseoftherainforests,itistheonlywaytheyhaveoftelling theinstallerthekit,maynotbeexactlythesameasasimilarkitfromarivalmanufactureror eventhesamekitfromafewyearsago. Incorrectdimensionorprocedurescouldleadtomisplacedorevenomittedcomponents, resultinginpotentialbreakdown. Incorrectconnector/lugapplication Eachconnectormanufacturerwillrecommendaconnectorandthecorrectdieset,fora particularsizeandformatofconductor,mixingthetoolingandconnectormanufacturerscanin somecircumstancescauseproblems.Withthevariationsinphysicalsizeofthemodern conductors,itissometimesdifficulttoensurecompressionconnectorsareinstalledcorrectly. Theincreaseuseoftorqueshearconnectorsgoessomewaytoalleviatingthisproblem,butat acost.Mostmechanicalconnectorsarelargerindiameterthanthecompressionequivalent.Care

shouldbetakenwhensizingtheaccessory,toensuretheyfitwithintheaccessorymanufacturers recommendedparameters. SiteCleanliness Withoutexceptionallaccessoriesaretypetestedinnicewarmandcleanlaboratories, unfortunately,acoldandmuddybuildingsiteplaysnopartinthetypeapprovalprocess.Any contaminationwithintheassemblycouldhaveadetrimentaleffectonitsefficiencyand longevity. Dirtorgreaseonthehandsiseasilytransferredtoanytapesorcomponentsapplied,mudisone ofthosethingsthatnoamountofdegreasingsolventwillremove.Acommonmisconception whenusingheatshrinkableaccessoriesisanywaterpresentwilldisappearwhenthetubesare shrunkinplace.Unfortunately,weliveinatimewhentheraincontainsmorethanjustpure water,andonabuildingsite,theraincancarrywithitthingslikecementdustorcarbonparticles fromthatannoyingdumptruckthatkeepsdrivingby.Itistruethemoisturewillevaporateonce heated,butitwillleavebehindallofthepollutants. Keepingthejointareafreefromcluttercanpreventaccidentalandevenunnoticed contaminationoftheassembly,thiscanonlybeagoodthing,butmoreimportantly,youll probablyloosefewertools. Finally Mostaccessoriesfromreputablemanufacturerswillmeetandsurpassnormaloperating requirements.However,goodpreparationwillhelpalowerqualityaccessory,andpoor preparationwillhinderabetterproduct.Takecarewheninstallinganyaccessory,rememberthe costofaterminationorjointisafractionoftheworthofthetotalinstallation.Anysystemisonly asgoodastheweakestlink,ajointorterminationfailurecouldbringdownthewholesystem, withallthecoststhatentails.Afewextraminutesspentinthepreparationandinstallationof anyaccessorycouldsavethousandsinthelongterm. CABLE JOINTS, CABLE TERMINATIONS, CABLE GLANDS, CABLE CLEATS FEEDER PILLARS, FUSE LINKS, ARC FLASH, CABLE ROLLERS, CUT-OUTS
UNITE3CROWNWAYCROWNPARKINDUSTRIALESTATERUSHDENNORTHANTSNN106FD FURSE EARTHING www.cablejoints.co.uk TEL:+44(0)1933356758FAX:+44(0)1933413821E:info@shrinkpolymersystems.co.uk Thorne and Derrick UK WEB:www.shrinkpolymersystems.co.uk 0044 191 477 5371 Tel 0044 191 490 1547 Fax
Tel 0044 117 977 4647 Fax 0044 117 9775582

11KV 33KV CABLE JOINTS & CABLE TERMINATIONS