INTRODUCTION OF CABLES

Electrical power can be transmitted and distributed either by over head system or by
underground cables. The ground cables have several advantages such as rugged
construction, greater service reliability, increased safety, lesser chances of faults, low
maintenance cost, better appearance and lesser interference from external disturbance
like storms, lightening ice, trees, etc,. as compared to over head system. However their
major drawback is that they have greater installation cost end insulation problems at
high voltages compared with the equivalent overhead systems. Hence, cables are
mainly employed where it is impracticable to use overhead lines.
Earlier days underground cables were mainly uses in thickly populated areas and that
to these are limited for low and medium voltages only, but now-a-days due to
requirement even Extra High Voltages for longer distances.
The possibility of supply interruption due to lightning in cables is lesser but if a fault
occurs due to any reason it is not easily located. For long-distance power transmission,
cables can not be used to their large charging currents.
Underground Cables
Cables : The combination of conductor and its insulation is called Cable
Underground Cable : It is the combination of one (or) more conductors covered
with suitable insulation and surrounded by a protecting cover.

2. Requirements of Underground Cable

The underground cables must fulfil the following the requirements
1. The conductor used in the cables must be stranded tinned copper (or) aluminum.
Stranding conductors is mainly used for obtaining more flexibility.
2. The size of the conductor should be reasonable so that the cable carries desired
load current without over heating.
3. The cable must have proper thickness of insulation for obtaining proper safety and
reliability.
4. The cable must be provided with suitable mechanical protection so that it may
withstand for rough uses only.
5. The materials used in cables should have more stability with respect to chemical
and physical properties.

3. Properties of Insulation Material used for underground cables :

The operation of cable mainly depends on the characteristics of insulation materials.
Hence, it is very important to select proper insulating materials for underground
cables.
The following are the main requirements of the insulating materials used for
underground cables, namely.
1. High Insulation resistance to avoid leakage current.
2. High Dielectric Strength to avoid electrical breakdown of the cable.
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3. Good Mechanical properties i.e. good tenacity and elasticity in order to withstand
the mechanical handling.
4. Non-inflammable
5. Low coefficient of thermal expansion.
6. Low permittivity.
7. Capable of withstanding high rupturing voltages
8. The cost of the dielectric should be economical
9. Immune from acid and alkalies.
10. Non-hygroscopic : The dielectric material should not absorb moisture from the
air otherwise it will deteriorates the dielectric strength.
If the dielectric is Hygroscopic then it must be enclosed in a water tight covering
like lead sheath etc.
11. Capable of withstanding the operating temperatures from -18o C to 94o.
12. Low power factor.

4. Insulating Materials :
Most commonly used insulating materials in underground cables are
Impregnated Paper
Butyl Rubber
Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC)
Polythene
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Cross-linked Polyethylene (XLPE)

5. Comparison Between Overhead Lines and Underground Cables :

The electrical power can transmitted and distributed by over head system (or) by
underground
Cables the comparision between over head lines and under ground cables or follows
1. Initial Cost : For particular amount of power transferred at a given voltage the
underground cable system costs almost double the cost of over head system.
Hence underground system is more expensive.
2. Public Safety : Underground system is more safe than overhead system.
3. Maintenance Cost : maintenance cost underground system is very low in
comparision with overhead system.
4. Frequency of Faults (or) failures : Because the cables are laid in underground
hence the failure (or) failure faults are less as compared to overhead system.
5. Frequency of Accidents : The chances of accidents in underground system is very
low in comparision overhead system.
6. Appearances : underground cables system is good looking because no wiring is
visible as compared to over head lines.
7. Fault location and repairs : Fault location and repairs are difficult and expensive
in case of underground system as compared to the over head lines.
8. Jointing : jointing of underground cables is difficult as compared to over head
system.
9. Interference to communication Lines : In case of underground cablings systems
there is no interference to communication lines as compare to over head lines.
10. Working Voltage : The underground system can not be operated above 66 kv
because of insulation problems but over head system can be designed for
operation up to 765 kv (or) even higher.
11. Damage due to lighting and thunder storm : underground cabling system is free
from lighting and thunder storm as compared to over head system.
12. Voltage Drop : the voltage drop is low in case of underground system as
compared to overhead system
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13. Charging Current : because of less spacing between conductors in cables causing
much capacitance hence it has more charging current as compared to overhead
system.
14. Surge Effect : In underground system surge effect is smoothened down as surge
energy is absorbed by the sheath.
Comparison between overhead lines and underground cables.
S. No
Characteristics
1.
Initial Cost

Overhead lines
Less

Underground Cables
For the same power transfer its
cost its double as compared to

Public safety
Maintenance of cost
Occurances of faults
Frequency of accidents
Appearance

Less
More
More
More
Not good (because the

over head lines.

More
Less
Less
Very less
Good looking (because no wire

7.
8.

Identification of faults
Interference of

wire are crossing)

Easy
Affected

is visible)
Very difficult
No effect

9.
10.

communication lines
Voltage drop
Damage due to

More
Affected

Low
Free from lightning and thunder

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

lightning and thunder

11.
12.

storms

storms
Jointing of wires/cables Easy
Very difficult
Operating voltage
Used for any range i.e., Up to 132 kv

13.

Charging current

756 kv (or) even higher

Less

14.

Surge effect

More

More(spacing
conductors is less)
Less

6. Classification of Cables :
The cables are mainly classified in to different types according to

1. Number of conductors :
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between

(a) Single core

(b) Two core
(c) Three core
(d) Four core
2. Rating of voltage :
(a) Low voltage (L.W) cables for operating voltage upto 1000volts.
(b) High voltage (H.T) cables for operating voltage upto 11,000volts.
(c) Super tension (S.T) cables for operating voltage upto 33,000volts.
(d) Extra High tension (E.H.T) cables for operating voltage upto 66,000volts.

(e) Extra super voltage (E.S.V) cables for operating voltage upto 132Kv aboce

3. Nature of Application of Insulation and Lead Sheathing :

(a) Belted cable
(b) H - type
(c) S.L. type

(d) HSL type

Method of improving the dielectric stress:

(a) Solid type
(b) Oil filled type
(c) External oil pressure type
(d) Gas pressure type.

7. General Construction of Cables :

Figure shows the general construction of a 3-conductor cable. It mainly consists of
various parts. namely.
1. Core (or) Conductor
2. Insulation
3. Metallic Sheath
4. Bedding
5. Armouring
6. Serving

Cores (or) Conductors : a cable may consists of one or more than one core upon
the type of service and its use. The conductors are made of tinned copper (or)
aluminum and are usually standard for obtaining the flexibility in the cables.
Insulation : in cables generally each core is provided with a suitable thickness of
insulation and it is mainly dependence on the operating voltage.
The commonly used insulating materials are impregnated paper, vanished cambric
or rubber mineral compound.
Metallic Sheath : In order to protect the cable from moisture acids (or) alkalies
and gases in the soil and atmosphere, a metallic sheet of lead (or) aluminium is
provided over the insulation
Bedding : a layer of bedding is placed over the metallic sheath of a cable for the
purpose of protecting the metallic sheath from corrosion.
Armouring : Over the bedding, armouring is provided which consists of one (or)
two layers of galvanized steel wire (or) steel tape.
Its main purpose is to protect the cable from mechanical injuries.
Serving : In order to protect armouring from the atmospheric conditions, a layer
of fibrous material (like jute) is provided over the armouring is known as serving.

8. Specifications of Cables :
While selecting the underground power cables the following are the main
important factors to be specified, namely

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1. Voltage range upto which the cable is intended to use.

2. Number of cores
3. Current carrying capacity of cable.
a) Continuous current rating for L.T.Cable
b) Continous and short circuit current ratings in case of H.T.Cables.
4. Insulation compound used
5. Sheathing
6. Armouring
7. System on which the cable is used.
a) Earthed neutral
b) Unearthed neutral system.

9. Insulation Resistance of a Cable :

The cable is provided with a suitable thickness of insulation material in order to
prevent leakage current. The opposition offered by insulation to leakage current is
known as Insulation Resistance of a cable.
Consider a single-core cable of conductor radius r1 and internal
sheath radius r2.
Let l be the length of the cable

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 - be the resistivity of the insulation.

Let us consider a very small layer of insulation of thickness dx
at a radius x.
The length through which leakage current tends to flow is dx and the area of
cross section offered to this flow is 2 xl.

Insulation resistance offered by dx layer =

r2

r1

R=

dx
2 xl

r2
dx
r2 1

dx

log e x
2 x l l r1 x
2l
r1

Insulation resistance of the cable , R =

r
log e 2
2 l
r1

Hence, the insulation resistance of a cable is inversely proportional to its length.

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