Cable Faults, Types, Causes and How to locate faults in Cables via different

Tests.
Introduction to Faults in Cables

When electrical energy is generated in the generations stations, it is

distributed to the different loads, i.e. cities, towns and villages for
consumption then. The process involves stepping up the voltage to
minimize the loss of energy in the form of heat. The stepped up
voltage is distributed to grid stations where it is stepped down for
distribution to the local transformers where it is finally stepped down
and distributed to the consumers.

Distribution of the electrical energy is done via electrical cables. The cables are either insulated or
uninsulated. The choice of using insulated or uninsulated (Overhead lines or Underground) cables
mostly come into play when energy is to be conveyed in the underground installation process.

Unlike the insulated cables, faults in uninsulated cables are easily detected as the most common fault
associated with such type of cable is cut and break in the cable or wire conductors.

In insulated cables especially the multicore cables, the faults are of different types and have many
causes.
Before we discuss how to locate these commonly met faults, lets see what the cable faults are and the
possible causes and locating of these faults.

Types of Cable Faults

Following are the types of Cable Faults Commonly Found In the underground Cables.

Open-Circuit Faults: Open circuit fault is a kind of fault that occurs as a result of the conductor
breaking or the conductor being pulled out of its joint. In such instances, there will be no flow
of current at all as the conductor is broken (conveyor of electric current).
Short-circuit or cross fault: This kind of fault occurs when the insulation between two cables or
between two multi-core cables gets damaged. In such instances, the current will not flow
through the main core which is connected to load but will flow directly from one cable to
another or from one core or multi-core cable to the other instead. The load will be short
circuited.
Ground or earth faults: This kind of faults occurs when the insulation of the cable gets damaged.
The current flowing through the faulty cable starts flowing from the core of the cable to earth or
the sheath (cable protector) of the cable. Current will not flow through the load then.

Causes of Cable Faults

Faults in cables are mostly caused by dampness in the paper insulation of cables. As a result, it may
damage the lead sheath which protecting the cable. Lead sheath can be damaged in many ways. Most of
them are the chemical action of soil on the lead when buried, mechanical damage and crystallization of
the lead through vibration.
How to Locate Faults in a Damaged Cable?

Before fixing any fault in cables, the fault has to be identified first. There are many ways to find the
cable faults which are discussed as follow;

Different Types of Tests to locate faults in cables.

1. Blavier Test (For a Single Cable Faults)

When a ground fault occurs in a single cable and there is no other cables (without faulty one), then
blavier test can be performed to locate the fault in a single cable.

In other words, in the absence of a sound cable to locate fault in the cable (to make a loop by
connecting both cable as we do in the Murray loop test), then measurement of the resistance from one
side or end is called blavier test.

In blavier test, resistance can be measured by two ways.

To insulate the far end of the cable

To ground (earthed) the far end of the cable as shown in the fig.

Ground fault of a single cable can be located using Blaviers test. In this kind of test, low voltage
supply, an ammeter and voltmeter are used in a bridge network. Resistance between one end of the
cable (Sending End) and earth is measured while Far End is isolated from the earth.

Suppose we know the total resistance of a single core cable (before the fault) which is R. And;

Fault to ground resistance = r

Resistance from the Far end to the cable fault = r1
Resistance from the testing end of the cable to the fault = r2

Now, we will connect and then disconnect the earth connection from the far end of the cable to measure two
resistances. These measurements can be done by a LT (Low tension) supply and a bridge network.

First of all, We will insulate the far end of the cable to determine the resistance between line to ground
which is;

R1 = r2 + r . (1)
Now, we will ground or earth the far end of the cable to find the resistance between line to ground
again.

But the total resistance (before occurring the fault) was

R = r1 + r2 .. (3)

Solving the above equations for r2 (fault location or distance), we get

The value of x = r2 is generally less than the value of R2. Therefore, we consider (-) instead of () in
the above equation.

Loop Tests to finding Cable faults

These kinds of tests are carried out on short circuit faults or earth fault in underground cables. Cable
faults can be easily located if a sound cable runs along with the grounded cables. Following are the
types of loop tests.

Murray loop Test

Varley loop Test.

2. Murray Loop Test

The connection on how a cable faults can be located using Murray loop test method is shown below.

Wheatstone bridges principle is used in murray loop test to find the cable faults. Ra and Rb are the
two ratio arms consisting of resistors. G is a galvanometer. The cable having fault (Rx) is connected to
the second cable (Sound cable Rc) through low resistance link at the far end. The Wheatstone bridge is
kept in balance by adjusting resistance of the ratio arms Ra and Rb until the galvanometer deflection is
zero.
where

l = length of a single cable (In meters of yards)

2l = total length of two cables
x = distance from the upper side to the fault

3. Varley Loop Test

This test is used to find the fault location in an underground cable by making one Wheatstone Bridge in
it and by comparing the resistance we shall find out the fault location instead of calculating it from the
known lengths of the cable. The necessary connection of the Varley loop test is shown in figure 4 and
5. The figure 4 shows that the circuit connection for finding the fault location when the ground fault
occurs and the figure 5 shows that the circuit connections for finding the fault location when the short
circuit fault occurs.
In this test, the faulty cable is connected with sound cable by a low resistance wire, because that
resistance should not affect the total resistance of the cable and it should be able to circulate the loop
current to the bridge circuits without loss. A single pole double through switch S is used in this
circuit. There would be a variable resistor which is used to balance the bridge circuit during the
working period.
If the switch S is in position 1, then we need to adjust the variable resistance R to balance the circuit.
Let us assume that the present R value as RS1. At this position, the expressions are as follows;

This expression gives the value of [R3 + RX], if the value of R1, R2 and RS1 are known.
If the switch S is in position 2, then again we need to adjust the variable resistance R to balance the
bridge circuit. Let us assume that the new R value as RS2. At this position, the expressions are as
follows;

By solving the equation (1) and (2),

Therefore, the unknown resistance RX is,

Varley Loop Test is valid only when the cable sections are uniform throughout the loop. The current
flowing through the cable would cause the temperature effect. Due to this temperature effect, the
resistance of the cable would change. Thus, we need to apply less current to this circuit to carry out the
experiment.
Fisher Loop Test
In this Fisher Loop Test, there must be two healthy sound cables which must have the same length and
same cross sectional area as the faulty cable. As per the Fig.6 and 7 circuit diagram, all the three cables
are connected by a low resistance wire.

In the Fig.6 circuit connection, the bridge connection is connected to ground. Now, the bridge arms are
RA, RB, RX and [RS1 + RY]. In the Fig.7 circuit connection, the bridge connection is connected to
Sound Cable 2. Now, the bridge arms are RA', RB', RS2 and [RX+ RY]. Here [RS1 = RS2]. Two
balancing are necessary as per the two different circuits. Let, for the first balance, the expressions are as
follows;

For the second balance, the expressions are as follows;

From the expression (1) and (2),

In this two circuits, if the bridge arm resistors are equal (or) if [(RA + RB) = (RA' + RB')], then the
expression (3) can be modified as,

So,when the resistance per unit length of the conductor is uniform in all conditions, then the fault
location LX is as follows;

Here L if the total length of the faulty cable. But practically, this is not possible. There would be
fractional changes in the bridge arms. Thus, the fault location LX is as follows;

This is about the working principle of Fisher Loop Test.