CABLE AND LAYING

-B. Prasad
Chartered Engineer
amieclub@gmail.com
Cable cut view
 TYPE OF CABLE BASED ON CONSTRUCTION

Coaxial cable
Mineral-insulated copper-clad cable
Twinax cable
Flexible cables
Non-metallic sheathed cable (or nonmetallic building wire, NM, NM-B)[1]
Metallic sheathed cable (or armored cable, AC, or BX)[1]
Multicore cable (consist of more than one wire and is covered by cable
jacket)
Shielded cable
Single cable (from time to time this name is used for wire)
Twisted pair
Twisting cable
 Cable for electrical
PVC cable upto 3.3KV
XLPE cable upto 33KV
LT and HT ABC cable
Instrumentation cable
Concentric core cable
Flexible cable & wire
FR/FRLS/LSOH cable
Fire survival cable
Under water cable
 Elastomer
Trailing cable
Locomotive cables
Ship wiring cable
Wind mill cable/solar cable
Welding cable
Mining cable
LFH cable and wire
Fire survival cable
EPR, Silicon, EVA cables
 Telecom
PIJF cable
5-2400 pair
Indoor telephone cable
QUAD/PCM cable
Optical fibre cable
Armoured/duct/aerial
Torpedo cable
TOW cable
Composite cable
 Fiber-Optic Cable
Advantages:
It operate at high speeds

It has a large carrying capacity

The signals can be transmitted further without being strengthened.

It is immune to interference caused by electromagnetic noise such as

radios, motors, or other nearby cables.
It is cheaper to maintain.

You do not have to worry about grounding1 the cable.

Disadvantages:
The cable is more expensive than copper cables.

It is difficult to install.
Construction of cable
Construction of XLPE
Construction of EHV XLPE single core
XLPE has replaced conventional cable

High
Ampacity

Lower Lower Low

installation dielectric maintenan
cost loss ce cost

Longer
life
 Insulating material
PVC (Polyvinyl Thermoplastic
Chloride) Rubber (TPR)
PE (Polyethylene) Neoprene
XLPE (Cross-Linked (Polychloroprene)
Polyethylene) Styrene Butadiene
EPR (Ethylene Rubber (SBR)
Propylene Rubber) Silicone
LSF (Low smoke and Rubber
fume) Chlorosulfonated
Polytetrafluoroethylene Polyethylene (CSPE)
(PTFE)
 Junction bus
1. Electrical Junction Boxes
2. Wiring Junction Boxes
3. Electric Junction Boxes
4. Plastic Junction Boxes
5. Cable Junction Boxes
6. Plastic Electrical Junction
Boxes
7. Weather proof junction boxes
8. Flameproof junction boxes
 Cable lug
Material:
copper &
aluminium
Conductivity
:
Copper
99.7% iacs
Aluminium
61.2% iacs
(1050).
Cable lug ---contd
 Cable manufacturers
Name of manufacturer Brand
1. N.C cable industries National
2. Evershine Electric Works ECKO
3. Electric Cable Industries ECI
4. Paragon Cable Company paragon
5. Surya Power Limited ALCAB
6. National insulated cable co. NICCO
7. Indian cable company INCAB
8. Aluminium industries limited ALIND
9. R.K Electrical KALINGA
10. Polycab Industries POLYCAB
11. Plaza Cable PLAZA
12. Empire Cable Industries EMPIRE
13. Hovels cable HAVELL
14. Cable corporation of India CCI
15. Kei Industries Limited KEI
Historical progress of cable technology
Historical voltage development in country
Indian and international standard
Reduction in insulation thickness
 Metallic sheath

To protect against To prevent ingress

mechanical damage moisture

to provide
earthing for
protection

Function of metallic sheath

Lead sheath construction
 Electrical Resistivity
Material Resistivity (- Resistivity (-cm@20 deg.C)
cm@20 deg.C) 25

20
Copper 1.724
15

Aluminium 2.826 Resistivity (-

10 cm@20 deg.C)

Steel 13.8
5

Lead 21.4
0
Copper Aluminium Steel Lead
Density of material
3
Material density (gm/cm )

Copper 8.9

Aluminium 2.7

Steel 11.35

Lead 7.864
Importance of cable installation
A poor installation creates unreliable service
other agency my damage the cable.
Telephone cable, communication cable, water
line, gas pipe line may get affected
 Location of cabling
Laying direct in ground Cable trays and
In pipes, On surface of wall
Closed or Open ducts,
Step of cable installation
Route survey
Permission
Trial pits
Pipe laying
Material shifting, drum placement
Trenching cable laying
Bedding and tiling
Backfilling
Cable installation record
tagging
 Route survey
Type of surface like footpath, PCC, RCC, soil
type
Hazardous like tree roots, pillars, sever line,
drain, bus stop, water pipe, gas pipe
Cable root passing from private property
Cable root away from parallel running gas,
water pipe, communication cable etc
Road crossing, over bridge, drain crossing
 Trial pit
Along the
proposed cable
root.
Trial pit at the
interval of 15-20
meter
 Permission
Before starting the excavation permission to be
taken
Railways

Traffic police and defence

Forrest department

Communication and gas authority

Other service department if any

 Digging
To display Men
at work
Don't damage the
other cable
Least use of
pickaxe and
chisel
Correct Depth
depending upon
voltage grade
 Depth of cable

LT cable (1.1KV) 0.75 m

HT cable (11KV) 0.90 m
HT cable (33KV) 1.20 m
Sand - covered with 150 mm

Width of the trench - 350 mm minimum

Loop approximate -3 meter each side

 Minimum bending radius

Voltage PILC cable PVC & XLPE cable

rating
KV Single core Multicore Single core Multicore

Upto 1.1 20D 15D 15D 12D

1.1 to 11 20D 15D 15D 15D

Above 11 25D 20D 20D 15D

 Pipe laying
if cable crossing the road, gate, railway track,
water line
Type of pipe: GI, cemented, HDPE pipe

Ends to be sealed to avoid choking, clogging.

Standard depth of pipe: 1m across the road,

1.8 m across railway track.
Standard size of pipe: 1.5 times of cable

Spare pipe: for future expansion , Ends to be

sealed
 Bedding
Before and after cable laying and jointing work
is over a bedding of sieved earth or river bed
sand of 100 mm depth both below and above
the cable.
Keep distance between two cable in single
trench.
Avoid zig-zag
Cable under bed/on support
CABLE LAYING IN TRAY
Cable laying on rack
Tagging on cable
Use barricading tape
Cable handling
 Cable handling tools
Jack
Roller
Drum trailer
Crimping tool
 Cable installation record

Type of cable and its size

Voltage level

Cable no, drum no.

Date

Rout map, location of cable joint

Installation test record like IR value,

HV test if any
 Testing of cable installation

Insulation resistance test

High voltage test

Continuity test

Value
IR value : minimum 1M-ohm/KV

HV test value : minimum 1KV/KV +1

for 5 minutes
 Cable testing

Type test
Routine test

Pre-commissioning test

A) for new cable after installation

B) After repairing the breakdown
 Insulation resistance test

Before jointing and after jointing

S Voltage Test voltage Recorded
no. New installation Old installation IR value

1 upto1.1KV 500 V dc for 1 min. 1.0KV dc for 1 min. 50M

2 11KV 1.0KV dc for 1 min. 2.5KV dc for 1 min 200M

3 33KV 2.5KV dc for 1 min. 5.0 KV dc for 1 min. 500M

4 66KV 5.0 KV dc for 1 min. 5.0 KV dc for 1 min. 500M

 High voltage test value
Sr. Voltage level Test voltage Observed leakage
of the cable current (maximum)
under test
New Old New Old
installation installation installation installation
1 upto1.1KV 3KV 660V 0.5mA 2mA

2 11KV 18KV 6.5KV 0.5mA 2mA

3 33KV 60KV 19.5KV 0.5mA 2mA

4 66KV 115KV 38KV 0.5mA 2mA

 Cable testing at manufacturers works

a) Tensile Test (For Aluminium Conductor)

b) Wrapping Test (For Aluminium Conductor)
c) Annealing Test (For Copper Conductor)
d) Conductor Resistance Test
e) Test for thickness of Insulation & Sheath
f) High Voltage Test
g) Insulation Resistance Test
h) Tensile Strength & Elongation at break test for
Insulation and Sheath
I) Hot Set Test - (for XLPE Insulation only)
j) Partial Discharge test (for H.T. Screened cable)
 Cable short circuit

I = kA / t
SC

K= Constant

Al -- 0.094 (XLPE)

Cu -- 0.14382 (XLPE)
2
A - Cross Section Area (mm )

T- Time in seconds
 Earthing
Metal screen
(if any) and
armour of
cable to be
earthed.
All metal
pipes in which
cables have
been installed
need to be
earthed.
Corrosion Types Encountered With Power Cables

Anodic Corrosion (Stray DC

Currents)
Cathodic Corrosion
Galvanic Corrosion
Chemical Corrosion
AC Corrosion
Local Cell Corrosion
Other Forms of Corrosion
Voltage drop calculation

For DC and single phase AC two wire

systems
Voltage drop = (2xIxLxRxt)/1000
Where I = current in ampere
L = length of cable in meter (one conductor
only)
R = resistance of one conductor from table
t = temperature correction factor
 Voltage drop ----contd
For three phase AC systems
Voltage drop = (1.732xIxLxRxt)/1000

Note: formula is applied when power factor is

unity. Power factor to be considered in load and

reactance to be considered.
Note:
formula is applied when power factor is unity.

Power factor to be considered in load and

reactance to be considered.
Resistance
Voltage drop value in%
 Failure in cable
Internal and surface discharge may result failure of
the insulation.
Proper drying, due to low /bad quality of fluid.
Ingress of moisture and degradation of insulation.
Crack in the sheath, due to abnormal temperature,
electrical stress, mechanical tension.
Voids due to partial discharge.
Overheating, deformation, ionization etc.
NB: permitted size of voids in cable to be 22-25
micron.
 Root marker
Aluminium
Cast Iron Material
with Standard or
Custom design
Fibreglass
Reinforced Plastic
[FRP]
 Cable tape
Size:
Length: 5Y, 5m,
10Y, 10m, 20Y,
20m.
Width: 12mm,
15mm. 17mm,
18mm, 19mm,
25mm, 48mm,
50mm.
 Cable gland
Type of Cable
Gland Size
Entry Type/Thread
Specification of
application
Ingress Protection
required.
Material
Parts of gland
 Type of Gland
A1 and A2 Type Cable E1W Type Cable Gland
Gland Flange Type Cable
BW Type Cable Gland Gland
CW Type Cable Gland PG Type Cable Gland
Single Compression Marine Type Cable
Cable Gland Gland
Double Compression Metric Threaded Cable
Cable Gland Gland
Flameproof Cable Weather Proof Cable
Glands Glands
 Cable ties material
Nylon 66
Nylon 66 UV Stabilized
Nylon 66 Heat Stabilized
Polypropylene
Tefzel
DIN rail and terminal block
 De-rating factor
Thermal insulation factors Depth of laying
Ambient temperature Thermal resistivity
Group factor

Depth of laying 75 90 105 120 150 180

(cm)
Cable size < 25 1 0.99 0.98 0.97 0.96 0.95
sqmm
Cable size < 300 1 0.98 0.97 0.96 0.94 0.93
sqmm

Cable size 300 1 0.97 0.96 0.95 0.92 0.91

sqmm
 Busbar
Material :
Aluminium

Copper

Technical specification
Rating Current:3200Amp.

System:415Vac, TPN,

50Hz.
Fault Level:50KA. For 1

Sec.
Operation Temp:40 C

rise over 45 C ambient

 Cable entry
Indoor application:Top and bottom both
Outdoor application: Only bottom
 Conduit Fittings & Accessories

Construction: Galvanized
steel, helically wound,
Flexible Conduit System.
Temp: -50 C to +200 C
Features: Highly Flexible
and mechanical strength
IP: IP4
ACT FAST AND INITIATE FIRST

----
THANK
YOU