Professional Documents
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J. B. Pegram
John B. Pegram Consulting Services
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
SUMMARIES BY COUNTRY
HOLLAND
The medium voltage ( M V ) distribution system (94 000 km) is
mostly 10 kV., PJLC (paper insulated lead covered) cable, all
installed in wet soil. Older PILC is now being replaced with
nearly moisture impervious 3 core, water blocked TRXLPE.
Single core longitudinally water blocked TRXLPE with a thick
MDPE (medium density PE) jacket is replacing failing early
1970's XLPE.
MV cable is TRXLPE with solid aluminum or water swellable
powder filled, stranded copper conductor and bonded insulation
shield. Water swellable conductive tape under the copper wire
neutrals or aluminum tape, provides longitudinal and radial
water tightness when required.
New cable designs and other equipment are tested and prequalified by KEW, which was started by the well organized
utilities in Holland in 1931. KEMA participates in cable and
equipment standards writing and the development of (W;very
low frequency) cable and accessory diagnostic testing.
Cable materials and processes have improved. The early XLPE
has been replaced. With the moisture impeMow PlLC and the
nearly water tight TRXLPE MV cables, Holland has a system
with a low projected failure rate.
INTRODUCTION
This paper summarizes the presentations of two panel sessions
on Worldwide DistributionCable Practices sponsored by the
E E E Insulated Conductors Committee (ICC), Subcommittee 13
on Transnational Activities. The first was presented at the IEEE
Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exposition held
in Los Angeles, California, USA. on 17 Septembeql996. [l]
The second at the IEEE Power Engineering Society Summer
Meeting held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the
Energietechnische Gesellschaft (ETG) of the Verband Deutscher
Elektrotechniker ( W E ) in Berlin, Germany, on 22 July, 1997.
[2] A larger audience within the cable industry was reached with
two panel sessions. A summary of 12 of those presentations is
given. The present paper is only intended to summarize the
material presented during the panel sessions. The panelists are
listed in the Acknowledgments.
CANADA
PILC in the urban networks is being replaced with jacketed
TRXLPE when repairs are no longer viable. Most of the MV
distribution system in rural and suburban areas is overhead with
a current trend to underground. Nearly all MV underground
cables in Canada have been jacketed; with a correspondingly
low failure rate. The mainly 15 kV system has been direct
buried and ploughed in. Ducts, always used in urban networks
are now being used in suburban locations and for commercial
and industrial customers.
TRXLPE has been increasingly used since the early 1980's,
usually jacketed. Water swellable tapes and powders are used
but the most frequent enhancement is filled conductor followed
by supersmooth conductor shield. Dry cure, true triple extrusion
and TRXLPE are specified in the Canadian Electricity
Association specification for MV UG distribution cable. ICE%
and AEIC specifications are also used. EPR's are not used for
M V distribution in Canada.
Overall even with the wide variety of geographical environments
across Canada, XLPE and TRXLPE MV UG (underground)
cable systems are performing well without the use of the
maximum number of enhancements.
SUMMARY
Engineers and others often need benchmarks to compare their
practices with those of others. Benchmarking may lead to the
recognition of others' practices that may make their system more
cost effective.
The two basic cable systems in use for insulated medium voltage
are PILC (paper insulation, fluid filled, lead covered) and
extruded dielectric cable (XLPE {crosslinked polyethylene}, a
TRXLPE (tree retardent XLPE} or an EPR {ethylene propylene
rubber}insulation). Of the extruded dielectric type, the basic
design is stranded conductor, conventional conductor shield,
strippable insulation shield, bare copper concentric neutral
wires, without ajacket. Incorporation of one or more
enhancements increases cost but provides a benefit. The basic
extruded dielectric cable construction and typical enhancements
are shown in Table I.
Usually the design chosen is a compromise, due to the economic
impact of initial and operating cost differences, the effects on
cable life of the operating environment and the utilities
experience with existing cable designs.
The design objective, in addition to meeting the utilities
reliability standards is obtaining planned cable life plus a safety
margin at the lowest total lifetime owning cost. In most cases it
is prudent to validate the technical decision with an assessment
of the total owning cost.
0-7803-5515-6/99/$10.00 0 1999 IEEE
R. Sa", Fellow, E E E
Electric Power Research Institute
Palo Alto, CA USA
SWITZERLAND
Medium voltage PILC, EPR and XLPE cables are installed in
ducts that are mainly dry.MV cables are more widely used than
bare MV overhead. EPR and XLPE share the MV market 50
% each. PILC use is declining. With 1200 utilities the service
voltage range is wide; 6 through 24 kV voltage class.
The various designs used incorporate only copper conductors,
EPR or XLPE insulation, strippable or fully bonded insulation
shield, various types of screens (neutrals), water swellable tapes
and a PE jacket. Of the enhancements available, filled strand
and supersmooth conductor shield, are infrequently used. The
insulation thicknesses used are less than those specified by IEC
(International Electrotechnical Commission) The increased
electrical stress has not caused problems over the past 20 years.
To maintain ampacity when PILC cables are replaced, three core
sector shaped copper conductor cables, using EPR insulation for
its flexibility, are used. The insulated and shielded cores are
combined and a screen applied overall, followed by an overall
jacket.
EPR cables are more expensive but are more flexible. They
continue to be used by utilities that have only EPR in their
network. LLDPE, MDPE, or HDPE are used for MV cable
jackets. PVC jackets are considered unacceptable
environmentally and politically.
Water swellable tapes are widely used with copper screen wires.
They have been replaced in some designs with longitudinal
copper or aluminum tape to give radial water tightness. Most
early XLPE cables have been replaced. Since then the newer
cable test limits were increased above the IEC 502
requirements. More cables were rejected but fewer cables have
failed.
Much of the duct for loaded cables is also encased in concrete
resulting in a higher maximum ampacity over direct buried
GERMANY
The original and current PILC is 10 kV. Earliest PE and XLPE
cables were jacketed with PVC (plasticized polyvinyl chloride).
The graphited shield on these caused premature failure and
cable replacement. Newer cables are 20 kV with bonded
insulation shield and clean XLPE insulation. Neither EPR nor
TRXLPE are used. The EPR is more expensive and TRXLPE
(water tree retardent) is not considered necessary as the cables
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KOREA
Underground distribution with ungrounded 6.6 kV line-to-line,
coded CV, XLPE insulated, PVC jacketed cable, started after
1973. MV distribution is 41% in Seoul rising to 65% by the late
1990s. For the country overall it is about 8%. All the MV
cables use enhancements to minimize moisture migration, but
are not completely moisture impervious.
CV type (6.6 and 22 kV ungrounded) is unshielded XLPE
with a PVC jacket. The CV cable is being replaced by
CNCV concentric neutral XLPE cable with copper conductor
and extruded (LDPE) shields. Water swellable tape is used
under (semiconductive) and over copper wire neutrals, under a
PVC jacket. Near substations and at risers CNCV-W cable
with filled strand, is used for added moisture protection. Zinc
oxide arresters are used at risers.
Both CNCV and CNCV-W operate at 22.9 kV and are
multigrounded. They are now the standard constructions.
The majority of the MV cable is installed in duct. Most duct is
sealed to make it watertight. Duct banks are concrete encased
and sand covered. No thermal backfill is used. Installed
underground MV totalled about 12 000 km in 1995. The cable
system is regularly inspected and tested. DC testing of aged
XLPE has stopped. A Murray loop tester, capacitor discharge
fault locator, pulse radar and sheath fault locator are used for
fault location.
Avoiding the use of unjacketed MV cable with graphited tape
shields, a later start with XLPE insulation, plus the more recent
use of water swellable tape (and some filled conductor),
provided earlier cables with acceptable life and recent cables
with a projected long life.
SWEDEN
PVC jacketed, tape shielcled XLPE cables started to replace
PILC 30 years ago. From the mid 1970s XLPE has dominated.
For the past 15 years MV distribution cable has been three core
longitudinally watertight aluminum conductors, triple extruded
XLPE with strippable or bonded insulation shields, a copper
wire screen and a PE sheath. Strippable insulation shield has
been used for 20 years. For special applications some radially
watertight cables are used. No failures have been reported for
cables made since 1980. Faults on cables made from 1975 - 80
are rare. No life extension methods are in use. Some techniques
for assessing installed cable condition are under investigation.
No, EPR or TRXLPE is used. Most MV cable is 10 kV voltage
class, 20 % being 20 kV. Dry curing of peroxide cables during
manufacture dominates. Silane (moisture cure) is also used.
For the past 15 years the MV distribution cables have been
virtually watertight. Long cable service life is expected.
AUSTRALIA
Most of the MV system is overhead. Of the total, 24 000 km
(6.4%) is underground, concentrated in the suburban towns and
city networks. PILC use has been protracted and the widespread
use of XLPE somewhat delayed (1975-76).
The deficiencies of early XLPE cables were avoided by using
conservative designs. Manufacturers benefited from other
countrys experiences. Extruded shields were always used and
coextruded. PVC sheath always used earlier, is now often
combined with PE, usually HDPE. Except for the extreme north,
cable environments are generally relatively dry and powerful
lightning is not frequent.
In 1991, new PILC cable installation was exceeded by XLPE
cable and the proportion of XLPE is increasing. PILC is nearly
all 11 kV with some 33 kV. Most of the XLPE is also 11 kV
with a trend to 22 kV.
Major 11 and 22 kV M V distribution cable designs (to IEC 502)
are stranded aluminum or copper with coextruded, clean,
smooth conductor shield, usually XLPE but not TRXLPE (some
EPR) insulation and a strippable insulation shield.
Semiconductive tape may be used between the conductor and the
conductor shield and over the insulation shield. Followed by a
metallic barrier tape, water blocking tape, metallic sheath (lead
alloy), with or without the most frequently used nylon 12 layer
insect (Termite) protection over the PVC, HDPE or dual PVC +
HDPE jacket. Other MV cables are 3 individual compact
aluminum conductors with XLPE insulation, triple extruded
conductor and insulation shields and individual copper wire
screens, jacketed.
For extra protection against moisture migration, semiconductive
water swellable tapes or laminated metallic tapes (usually
aluminum) are used. Filled or solid MV conductor is not
common.
Overall the use of coextruded shields and jackets on the earliest
(1975-76) XLPE cables and the incorporation of appropriate
JAPAN
The MV distribution system has, since the mid-l970s, used
XLPE insulation with extruded shields, 25 Yo overlapped copper
tape neutrals and PVC jacket, operating at 6.6 kV ungrounded;
3-phase, 3 wire or at 22 kV with low resistance grounding.
The current construction is compact copper, XLPE insulation
with extruded conductor shield and strippable insulation shield,
copper tape screen or neutral 25% overlapped and cloth tape
under the PVC jacket. The cables are usually installed triplexed
and in ducts.
The MV system is protected against short circuit faults,
overloads and ground faults. Facilities are patrolled and
inspected regularly. A hot line diagnostic device is used every
five to seven years to judge whether a cable should be replaced.
The device measures the earth current dc component, stray
current and defective cable dc current.
The MV cable system, moderately well protected against radial
moisture migration, is reported to meet service life expectations
using two enhancements, overlapped copper tape and PVC
jacket.
BRAZIL
The PILC originally used is gradually being replaced with EPR
or XLPE insulated cable (no TRXLPE to date). Only 3 YO,12
000 km, of the MV system is insulated and underground.
Overhead with lower costs than insulated cable gives better
financial returns, thus conversion to underground MV has been
quite slow.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to recognise the panellists who provided
the information on the countries included in this paper. From
Holland, E. Fred Steennis and Nico van Schaik, United States of
America and Canada, Lauri J. Hiivala; Germany, Horst H.
Blechschmidt; Swizerland,
F. Krahenbuhl and M. Laurent; Sweden, Bjom Dellby;
Australia, Hans A. Mayer and M. P. Garner, Korea, Song,
Byung Kwon and Bae, Sung Hwan; Japan, Mitsuhiro Aoyagi;
Brazil, Antonio Paul0 da Cunha; France, Alain Pinet; United
Kingdom, Michael S. Papadopulos.
REFERENCES
[l] Panel Session on Worldwide Distribution Cable Practices,
IEEE Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exposition,
Los Angeles, California, September 17, 1996.
[21 Panel Session on Worldwide Distribution Cable Practices,
IEEE Summer Power Meeting with the ETG of the W E , Berlin,
Germany, July 22, 1997
[ 3 ] W. Thue and B. S. Bemstein, Distribution Cable Research
Digest-2000, Brochure BR-110693, EPRI, 3412 Hillview
Avenue, Palo Alto, CA. 94304, USA. (limited availability)
UNITED KINGDOM
The extensive PILC system is slowly being converted to
extruded dielectric. Increased use of XLPE, TRXLPE and EPR
has been constrained by the high earth fault levels from
transformers that could only be handled economically by a
metallic (lead or aluminum) sheath as on PILC. When earth
fault levels were designed to be reduced it became economical
to use concentric neutral cables with copper wire shields.
PILC designs were improved to permit increased operating
temperatures. At 11 kV the MIND belted or screened
corrugated aluminum sheathed cables are now rated at 85 C and
are used extensively. Self-contained, low pressure, fluid filled
cable, rated at 90 OC, and the MDTD coded designs are used at
BIOGRAPHIES
John Pegram is the Principal of John B. Pegram Consulting
Services, in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. He is a Fellow of the
Institute of Materials, FIM.(UK) and has an Associateship of
the Plastics and Rubber Institute, APRI. (UK). He graduated
from South Bank (London) University; Chemistry (UK) (1959).
Is a Professional member of the Corporation of Chemists in the
Province of Quebec (P.Chim.) and a Chartered Chemist (C.
Chem.) in Ontario. Mr Pegram has written several papers and
has two Canadian patents.
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Basic Construction
Conductor
Aluminum, stranded
Copper, stranded
Conductor Shield
Conventionall extruded
Insulation
XLPE
An EPR
Insulation shield
Strippable
Table I
Basic Extruded Dielectric Cable Components and Enhancements
Enhancement
Blocked strand
Solid aluminum
Blocked strand
Smoother/ cleaner
Supersmooth (smoothed cleaner)
A TRXLPE
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