Generalconsiderationswhenchoosingpowercable

General considerations when choosing power cable (photo credit: guanlite.com)

CopperorAluminium?
Thousandsofcabletypesareusedthroughouttheworld.Theyarefoundinapplicationsranging
fromfibreopticlinksfordataand telecommunicationpurposesthroughtoEHVunderground
powertransmissionat275kVorhigher.

Certaindesignprinciplesarecommontopowercables,whethertheyareusedinthe
industrialsectororbytheelectricitysupplyindustry.Formanycabletypesthe
conductorsmaybeofcopperoraluminium.

Theinitialdecisionmadebyapurchaserwillbebasedonprice,weight,cablediameter,
availability,theexpertiseofthejointersavailable,cableflexibilityandtheriskoftheft.

Whattochoose?
Onceadecisionhasbeenmade,however,thattypeofconductorwillgenerallythenberetained
bythatuser,withoutbeinginfluencedbytheregularchangesinrelativepricewhicharisefromthe
volatilemetalsmarket.

Formostpowercablestheformofconductorwillbesolid
aluminium,strandedaluminium,solidcopper(forsmall
wiringsizes)orstrandedcopper,althoughthechoicemay
belimitedincertaincablestandards.
Solidconductorsprovideforeasierfittingofconnectorsandsettingofthecoresatjointsand
terminations.Cableswithstrandedconductorsareeasiertoinstallbecauseoftheirgreater
flexibility,andforsomeindustrialapplicationsahighlyflexibleconductorisnecessary.
Wherecableroutelengthsarerelativelyshort,amulticorecableisgenerallycheaperandmore
convenienttoinstallthansinglecorecable.

Singlecorecablesaresometimesusedincircuitswherehighloadcurrentsrequirethe
useoflargeconductorsizes,between500mm2and1200mm2.

Inthesecircumstances,theparallelconnectionoftwoormoremulticorecableswouldbe
necessaryinordertoachievetherequiredratingandthispresentsinstallationdifficulties,
especiallyatterminationboxes.

Singlecorecable
Singlecorecablemightalsobepreferredwhereductsizesaresmall,wherelongercablerunsare
neededbetweenjointbaysorwherejointingandterminationrequirementsdictatetheiruse.

Itissometimespreferabletouse3corecableinthemain
partoftheroutelength,andtousesinglecorecableto
entertherestrictedspaceofaterminationbox.
Inthiscase,atransitionfromone cabletypetotheotherisachievedusingtrifurcatingjoints
whicharepositionedseveralmetresfromtheterminationbox.

Armouredcables
Armouredcablesareavailableforapplicationswheretherigoursofinstallationaresevereand
whereahighdegreeofexternalprotectionagainstimpactduringserviceisrequired.
SteelWireArmour(SWA)cablesarecommonlyavailablealthoughSteelTapeArmour(STA)
cablesarealsoavailable.Generally,SWAispreferredbecauseitenablesthecabletobedrawn
intoaninstallationusingapullingstockingwhichgripstheoutsideoftheoversheathandtransfers
allthepullingtensiontotheSWA.ThiscannotnormallybedonewithSTAcablesbecauseofthe
riskofdislocatingthearmourtapesduringthepull.
GlandingarrangementsforSWAaresimplerandtheyallowfullusageofitsexcellentearthfault
capability.InSTA,theearthfaultcapabilityismuchreducedandtheretentionofthiscapabilityat
glandsismoredifficult.Theprotectionofferedagainstarangeofreallifeimpactsissimilarforthe
twotypes.