CHAPTER No.

4
Electrical Wires and Cables

4.1 Basic construction of cables

Definition: A cable used for the transmission and distribution of
electrical energy is called electrical power cable.
Power cable consists two or more electrical conductors join with
an over sheath.
It is used for the transmission of extra high voltages in a place
where overhead lines are impracticable to use like, the sea,
airfield crossing, etc.
But underground cable is more costly as compared to aerial cable
for the same voltage which is one of the main draws back of
electrical power cable.
Construction of Cable

The power cable mainly consists of three main components,

namely, conductor, dielectric, and sheath.

The conductor in the cable provides the conducting path for the
current.

The insulation or dielectric withstands the service voltage and

isolates the conductor with other objects.

The sheath does not allow the moistures to enter and protects the
cables from all external influences like chemical or
electrochemical attack, fire, etc.
The main components of electrical power cables are explained
below in details.

Conductor
Coppers and aluminum wires are used as a conductor material in
cables because of their high electrical conductivity.

Solid or number of bare wires made of either copper or aluminum

are used to make a power cable.

For a conductor having more than three wires, the wire is

arranged around a center wire such that there are six in the first
layer, twelve in the second, eighteen in the third, and so on.

The number of wires in the conductors are 7, 19, 37, 61, 91, etc.,

The size of the conductor is represented by 7/A, 19/B, 37/C, etc.,

in which first figures represent the number of strands and the
 second figure A, B, C, etc., represents the diameters in cm or mm
of the individual wire of the conductors.

Insulation
The most commonly used dielectric in power cables is
impregnated paper, butyl rubber, polyvinyl chloride cable,
polyethylene, cross-linked polyethylene.

Paper insulated cables are mostly preferred because their current

carrying capacity is high, generally reliable and having a long life.

The dielectric compound used for the cable should have following
properties.

 The insulator must have high insulation resistance.

 It should have high dielectric strength so that it does not allow the
leakage current to pass through it.
 The material must have good mechanical strength.
 The dielectric material should be capable of operating at high
temperature.
 It should have low thermal resistance.
 It should have a low power factor.

The cables used for submarine and damp soil should use
synthetic dielectrics like polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, etc.

Inner Sheath
It is used for protecting the cable from moistures which would
affect the insulation.

Cable sheath is made up of lead alloy, and these strengths

withstand the internal pressures of the pressurized cables. The
material used for inner sheath should be nonmagnetic material.
The aluminum sheath is also used in a power cable because it is
cheaper, smaller in weight and high mechanical strength than the
lead sheath.

Protective Covering
Lead sheath cables when directly laid down on the ground are
damaged by corrosion and electrolyte.

For protecting the cables against corrosion layers of fibrous

material like paper, hessian, etc., or polyvinyl chloride is used.

Layers of fibrous material spread with the waterproof compound

to the outside of the electrical cable are called serving.

Armouring:

Armouring is the process in which layers of galvanized steel wires

or two layers of metal tape are applied over sheath for protecting
it from mechanical damage.

The steel wires are normally used for armouring because it has
high longitudinal strength.

Armouring is also used for earthing the cable.

When the fault occurs in the cable (due to insulation failure) the
fault current flows through the armour and get earthed.

OverSheath
It gives the mechanical strength to the cables. It protects the
cable from overall damage like moisture, corrosion, dirt, dust, etc.
The thermosetting or thermoplastic material is used for making
over the sheath.
4.2 Types and their classification
Electrical cable classification can be done in two ways
according to
 on the basis of insulating material used in their manufacture,
 on the basis of voltage for which they are manufactured.

Electrical Cable Classification According to Voltage

However, the method of electrical cable classification on the

basis of voltage more common, according to which they can be
divided into the following categories:

 Low-tension cables — up to 1000 V

 High-tension cables — up to 11000 V
 Super-tension cables — from 22 kV to 33 kV
 Extra high-tension cables — from 33 kV to 66 kV
 Extra super voltage cables — beyond 132 kV

A cable may have one or more than one core depending upon the
type of service for which it is intended. It may be

(i) single-core
(ii) two-core
(iii) three-core
(iv) four-core etc.

For a 3-phase service, either 3-single-core cables or three-core

cable can be used depending upon the operating voltage and
load demand.
The classification of Underground cables can be done on the
basis of several criteria. Various aspects are taken into account
while classification and these include:

1. Number of conductors in the cable

2. Voltage rating of the cable
3. Construction of cable
4. Type and thickness of insulation used
5. Installation and Laying of the cables
Classification Based Upon Number Of Conductors In The
Cable
1. Single core cable
2. Three core cable

Typically, an Underground cable has either one, three or four

cores. These cables are of course, constructed accordingly.
Classification Based Upon Voltage Rating Of The Cable
1. Low tension cables: These have a maximum voltage
handling capacity of 1000 V (1 kV)
2. High tension cables: These have a maximum voltage
handling capacity of 11 kV.
3. Super tension cables: These have a maximum voltage
handling capacity of 33 kV.
4. Extra high tension cables: These have a maximum voltage
handling capacity of 66 kV.
5. Extra super voltage cables: These are used for applications
with voltage requirement above 132 kV.
Classification Based Upon Insulation Of The Cable
Various insulating materials used in cable construction are
Rubber, Paper, PVC, XLPE (Cross linked Polyethene) etc.
Such classification is based upon operating temperature
limitations.
Following are some insulating materials used and their maximum
operating temperatures.

Max. operating
Insulation material
temperature

PVC TYPE A 75°C

PVC TYPE B 85°C

PVC TYPE C 85°C

XLPE 90°C

RUBBER 90°C

RUBBER – EPR IE-2, EPR IE-3, EPR IE-4,

150°C
SILICON IE-5

Classification Based Upon Installation And Laying Of The

Cable
 Direct Buried: As the name suggests, the conductors are
buried underground in a trench without additional accessories.
 Sometimes cooling pipes are added if required. Once the
cables are installed, there’s no visible sign above the ground.
 Trough: Concrete troughs are dug and cables are installed in
them. They’re visible on the surface. Maintenance is easier.
 Tunnels: Sometimes, tunnels are dug up for this purpose.
Such construction is mainly employed if a river needs to be
crossed or if the intended power distribution is to a major city.
Maintenance and future expansion is easier, but initial cost is
higher.
 Gas Insulated Lines: This is a relatively new technology. For
cables operating at higher voltages and currents, and
handling high power, such gas insulated line construction is
safer. It is being employed nowadays for advanced projects.

4.3 Rating/grading
The process of achieving uniform electrostatic stress in the
dielectric of cables is known as grading of cables.
It has already been shown that electrostatic stress in a single core
cable has a maximum value (gmax) at the conductor surface and
goes on decreasing as we move towards the sheath.
The maximum voltage that can be safely applied to a cable
depends upon gmax i.e., electrostatic stress at the conductor
surface.
For safe working of a cable having homogeneous dielectric, the
strength of dielectric must be more than gmax.
Grading of a cable is nothing but the process of achieving
uniform electrostatic stress in the dielectric of cable.
This is achieved by making potential gradient equal throughout
the dielectric layer. It can be done in two ways –
(i) capacitance grading and (ii) intersheath grading.

AC cables are designed to be suitable for specific design

voltages, which is called the "Voltage Grade" (or "Voltage
Designation", "Voltage Class" or "Voltage Rating") of the cable.
The voltage grade is commonly expressed in the following form:
U0/U
Where
U0 is the power frequency voltage between phase and earth (V
rms)
U is the power frequency voltage between two phase conductors
(V rms)
For example, some standard IEC voltage grades are 0.6/1kV,
1.9/3.3kV, 3.8/6.6kV, 6.35/11kV, 12.7/22kV, 19/33kV, etc.
For standard insulated cables, U is always higher than U0
because as shown in Figure 1, the measurement of U is across
two layers of insulation (one per phase conductor), whereas the
measurement of U0 is only across one layer of insulation to
earth.
The manufacturer designs the cable (i.e. insulation, bedding,
sheaths, etc) for the specified voltage grade.

A cable can therefore be operated at voltages that do not exceed

the voltage grade, e.g. a 0.6/1kV cable can be operated for any
phase-to-earth and phase-to-phase voltages not exceeding 0.6kV
and 1kV respectively.

You may notice that LV cables are mainly specified to 0.6/1kV

cables even though they are operated are much lower voltages
(e.g. 240/415V, 220/380V, etc). This is due to the fact that the
mechanical requirements of the insulation thickness are greater
than the electrical requirements.

4.4 Standard notation

4 Core 16mm2 600/1000V Cu/PVC/SWA/PVC
Below is the explanation of the above referred notation of the
cable

 No. of Cores
 Cross sectional area of the conductor
 Voltage grade
 Conductor material
 Insulation Material
 Amouring type
 Sheath material
4.5 Cable Tray
A cable tray system is used to support insulated electrical
cables used for power distribution, control, and communication.
Cable trays are used as an alternative to open wiring or electrical
conduit systems, and are commonly used for cable management
in commercial and industrial construction.
They are especially useful in situations where changes to a wiring
system are anticipated, since new cables can be installed by
laying them in the tray, instead of pulling them through a pipe.
Cable Tray Supporting System

1.1. Perforated Angle

2.2. Perforated c chanel
3.3. Threading Rod
4.4. Unistrut cantilever
5.5. Wall mounted supports
6.6. Roof hanging supports
7.7. Floor mounted support system

4.6 Transmission of power

Electric power transmission is the bulk movement of electrical
energy from a generating site, such as a power plant, to
an electrical substation.
The interconnected lines which facilitate this movement are
known as a transmission network.
This is distinct from the local wiring between high-voltage
substations and customers, which is typically referred to
as electric power distribution.
 Power Transmission
Cables

Towers and types of cables

What we call a power line is the route used by transmission

cables and towers. Towers support different kinds of cables.

1. Conductors

Conductors transmit electric power. Most high-voltage conductors

used by Hydro-Québec are made of aluminum with a steel core
that gives the cable its required strength.
these conductors are bare: the air around them provides
insulation.

Each conductor is stranded, meaning it consists of several wires

twisted together. This makes a conductor more flexible and more
exposed to air, a feature that helps cool the conductor and
therefore increase its conductivity.
 Conductor bundle
A conductor bundle is a series of two, three or four conductors
always kept apart by spacers.

Alternating current, which is generated by power stations and

transmitted on high-voltage cables, is made up of three parts, or
phases. High-voltage towers carry three conductor bundles, one
per current phase.

Bundled conductors are used on high-voltage power lines to help

reduce energy losses (due to the corona effect), audible noise
and radio interference.

As a result, they improve the power transmission process.

2. Ground wire
Ground wires protect the line against lightning.

3. Guys
Guy wires are anchor cables which ensure the mechanical
strength of the support structure.

4.7 Inspection/test of cables etc.

1. Visual and Mechanical Inspection

1. Compare cable data with drawings and specifications.

2. Inspect exposed sections of cables for physical damage and
correct connection in accordance with single-line diagram.
3. Verify tightness of accessible bolted electrical connections by
calibrated torque-wrench method in accordance with
manufacturer’s published data
4. Inspect compression-applied connectors for correct cable
match and indentation.
5. Inspect for correct identification and arrangements.
6. Inspect jacket insulation and condition.

2. Electrical Tests

1. Perform resistance measurements through bolted connections

with low-resistance ohmmeter.
2. Perform insulation-resistance test on each conductor with
respect to ground and adjacent conductors. Applied potential
shall be 500 volts DC for 300 volt rated cable and 1000
volts DC for 600 volt rated cable. Test duration shall be one
minute.
3. Perform continuity tests to ensure correct cable connection.
4. Verify uniform resistance of parallel conductors.