DHA Suffa University, Karachi

Department of Electrical Engineering

EE-458 Electrical Power Transmission

Underground Cables

Rooh Ul Amin Shaikh

 Underground Cables
An underground cable essentially consists of one or more conductors covered with suitable insulation and surrounded by a
protecting cover.
A particular type of cable will depend upon the working voltage and service requirements. A cable must fulfil the following
necessary requirements.

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 Construction of Underground Cables
1. Core or Conductors: A cable may have one or more conductors depending upon the service requirement. Conductors are
of tinned copper or aluminum and are usually stranded.
2. Insulation: The layer of thickness depends upon the working voltage to be withstood by the cable. (Impregnated paper,
Rubber, PVC ,Varnished Cambric, etc)
3. Metallic Sheath: Of lead or aluminum to protect from gas, moisture and other damaging liquids (acids, alkalis)
4. Bedding: To protect metallic sheath against corrosion and from mechanical damage as a result of armouring (Fibrous
material like Jute or Hessian Tape)
5. Armouring: Provided over bedding; consists of one or two layers of galvanized steel wire or steel tape. To protect from
mechanical breakdown while laying and during the course of handling
6. Serving: To protect armoring from atmospheric conditions.

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 Insulating Materials for Underground Cables
Satisfactory operation of cable depends to a great extent upon the characteristics of the insulation used. The insulating
materials used should have the following properties.

High Insulation Resistance

High Dielectric Strength
High Mechanical Strength
Non-hygroscopic
Resistant to chemical reactions
Non-Inflammable
Low-cost

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 Insulating Materials for Underground Cables
The insulation materials used are: (1) rubber and rubberlike compounds, (2) varnished cambric, and (3) oil-impregnated paper

• Rubber is used in cables rated 600 V−35 kV, whereas polyethylene (PE), propylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are
used in cables rated 600 V−138 kV. The high-moisture resistance of rubber makes it ideal for submarine cables.
• Varnished cambric is used in cables rated 600 V−28 kV.
• Oil-impregnated paper is used in solid-type cables up to 69 kV and in pressurized cables up to 345 kV.

• In the solid-type cables, the pressure within the oil-impregnated cable is not raised above atmospheric pressure.
• In the pressurized cables, the pressure is kept above atmospheric pressure either by gas in gas pressure cables or by oil in
oil-filled cables.
• Impregnated paper is used for higher voltages because of its low dielectric losses and lower cost. Cables used for 59 kV and
below are either (1) low pressure, not over 15 psi, or (2) medium pressure, not over 45 psi. High-pressure cables, up to 200
psi, installed pipes are not economical for voltages of 69 kV and below.

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 Insulation for Underground Cables

Insulation shields help to:

(1) confine the electric field within the cable

(2) protect cable better from induced potentials
(3) limit electromagnetic or electrostatic interference
(4) equalize voltage stress within the insulation, minimizing surface discharges
(5) and reduce shock hazard (when properly grounded)

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 Underground Cables for 3 Phase Service
1. Belted Cables

 Generally used for three-phase low voltage operation, up to 5 kV, or with addition of conductor and belt shielding, in the
10-15 kV range.
 Total insulation is applied over partially insulated conductors in form of an insulating belt.
 Design is generally more economical than shielded construction, the electrical field produced by three-phase ac voltage is
asymmetrical (Risk of paper insulation breakdown due to resulting leakage current and consequent heating)
 Usage restricted to voltages below 15 kV.

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 2. Screened Cables ( H-Type)

 Each core is insulated by layer of impregnated paper, which is then covered with a metallic screen (perforated aluminum
foil)
 Core are placed so that metallic screens of the three make contact with each, over which is wrapped a conducting belt
(copper woven fiber tape)
 No insulating belt; lead sheath, bedding, armouring, serving as usual.
 Most commonly and universally used for three-phase applications at the 5-46 kV range.
 Three-conductor cables in sizes up to 1 k-cmil are standard
 For larger sizes, if overall size and weights are important factors, single-conductor cables should be preferred
 It confines the electric stress to the primary insulation (causing dielectric losses to be reduced)

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 2. Screened Cables ( S-L Type)

 Basically H-Type cable but the screen round each core is covered with its own lead sheath.
 No overall lead sheath; armouring and serving as usual.
 Two main advantages over H-Type cables: (1) separate lead sheaths minimize the core-to-core breakdown, and (2) bending
of cables becomes easy due to elimination of overall lead sheath
 Voltage limit up to 66 kV; unreliable beyond due to presence of voids (insulation failure)
 Three lead sheaths are much thinner than single sheath of H-type cable, therefore calls for greater care in manufacturing

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 3. Pressure Cables
All pressure type cables are used for operating voltages above 66 kV (no voids due to presence of pressurized fluid)

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 3. Pressure Cables ( Oil Filled)

 Can be used for higher voltages (66 kV up to 230 kV)

 Are of three types: (1) Single core conductor channel (2) Single core sheath channel (3) Three core filler space channel
 Have three main advantages: (1) ionization and formation of voids are eliminated, (2) allowable temperature range and
dielectric strength are increased, and (3) In case of leakage, the defect in the lead sheath is immediately indicated and
possibility of earth faults occurring is reduced.
 High initial cost and complex laying system.

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 3. Pressure Cables ( Gas Filled)

 Underlying principle for the usage of gas filled cables is to subject the cable to a sufficiently high pressure to eliminate the
possible set up of ionization inside a void.
 Increased pressure produces radial compression which tends to close any voids.
 Such cables can carry more load current and operate at higher voltages than a normal cable
 Pipe filled with dry nitrogen at 12-15 atm.
 Nitrogen also helps in quenching any flame.
 Overall cost is very high; Maintenance cost less.

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Recommended voltage ranges for various paper-insulated cables. (Courtesy of Okonite Company, Ramsey, NJ, USA)

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 Underground Cable Installation Techniques
Number of ways to install underground cables:

(1). Direct burial in the soil, as shown in Figure (a). The cable is laid in a trench that is usually dug by machine.
(2). In ducts or pipes with concrete sheath, as shown in Figure (b). For secondary network systems, duct lines may
have 6–12 ducts.
(3). Wherever possible, in tunnels built for other purposes, for example, sewer lines, water mains, gas pipes, and
duct lines for telephone and telegraph cables.

Fig.(b)
Fig.(a)
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 Insulation Resistance of Single-Conductor Cables
Insulating material protecting the cable conductor must have suitable thickness to prevent leakage current flow through it.
The path of leakage current is radial to the insulation.

The opposition offered by the insulation to leakage current is known as insulation resistance. It must be very high for suitable
operation.

Consider a cross section of single conductor cable with conductor of radius r and internal sheath radius R, having a length of l -
meters.
Considering a very small layer of insulation thickness dx at a radius x. The length through which leakage current tends to flow is
dx and the X-sectional area offered to this flow is 2𝜋xl.

Then, the incremental insulation resistance of the cylindrical element in the radial direction is

…Eq.1

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Therefore, the total insulation resistance between the conductor and the lead sheath is

or …Eq.2

Eq. 2 indicates that insulation resistance is inversely proportional to the length of the cable.

Note: An increase in insulation thickness increases the disruptive critical voltage of the insulation but does
not give a proportional decrease in voltage gradient at the conductor surface. Therefore, it does not permit
a proportional increase in voltage rating.

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Practical version of equation.2 provided by Okonite Company, USA is : …Eq.3

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NUMERICAL 1: A single core cable has a conductor diameter of 1cm and insulation thickness of 0.4cm. If the
specific resistance of insulation is 5× 1014 Ω − cm, calculate the insulation resistance for a 2 km length of cable.

NUMERICAL 2: A 250 kcmil, single-conductor, synthetic rubber, belted cable has a conductor diameter of 0.575
in. and an inside diameter of sheath of 1.235 in. The cable has a length of 6000 ft and is going to be used at 60 Hz
and 115 kV. Calculate the following: (a) Total insulation resistance in megohms at 60°F (b) Power loss due to
leakage current flowing through insulation resistance

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 Electric Stress in a Single-Core Cable
Cross section of a single-conductor cable shown below. Assume the length of the cable is 1 m.
Let the charge on the conductor surface be q coulomb per meter of length.
Assume that the cable has a perfectly homogeneous dielectric and perfect symmetry between conductor and insulation.

Therefore, according to Coulomb’s law, the electric flux density at a radius of x is …Eq.4

Then electric field/potential gradient/electric stress or so-called dielectric stress E at radius x is …Eq.5

If the potential gradient at radius x is dV/dx, the potential difference V between conductor and lead sheath is

OR

…Eq.6

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 Therefore, …Eq.7

Dielectric strength is the maximum voltage that a dielectric can stand in a uniform field before it breaks down.

It represents the permissible voltage gradient through the dielectric.

Maximum stress in a cable usually occurs at the surface of the conductor, while the minimum stress occurs at
the outer surface of the insulation.

Average stress is the amount of voltage across the insulation material divided by the
thickness of the insulation

…Eq.8

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 Capacitance of Single Conductor Cable
Assume that the potential difference is V between the conductor and the lead sheath of the single conductor

Let the charges on the conductor and sheath be +q and –q C/m of length.

…Eq.9

Since, C = Q/V ; We have: …Eq.10

While,

Therefore, …Eq.11

*K is the dielectric constant of cable insulation

OR

…Eq.12

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Capacitance of Single Conductor Cable
…Eq.13

…Eq.14

…Eq.15

…Eq.16

…Eq.17

…Eq.18

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 DIELECTRIC CONSTANT OF CABLE INSULATION
The dielectric constant of any material is defined as the ratio of the capacitance of a condenser with the material as a dielectric
to the capacitance of a similar condenser with air as the dielectric

The higher the permittivity, the more the material tends to reduce any field set up in it. Since the dielectric material reduces
the field by becoming polarised

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 DIELECTRIC POWER FACTOR & DIELECTRIC LOSS

…Eq.19

The dielectric power factor represents loss, and therefore, an attempt to reduce it should be made. Conversely, an attempt
should be made to increase the supply power factor toward unity.

When an ac V(L-N) voltage is applied across the effective cable capacitance C, the power loss in the dielectric, Pdl, is

…Eq.20

This is larger than the dielectric power loss if the applied voltage is dc.
These losses depend on voltage, frequency, and the state of the cable dielectric. Therefore, the test has to be made at rated
voltage and frequency for a given cable.
For a balanced three-phase circuit, the dielectric loss at rated voltage and temperature is
…Eq.21

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 Phasor Diagram of Cable Dielectric

The cosine of the angle Φd is the power factor of the dielectric, which provides a useful measure of the quality of the cable
dielectric. The power factor of an impregnated paper dielectric is very small, approximately 0.003.

Here, cos Φd should be held very small under all operating conditions

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 Charging Current in Underground Cables
The charging current and the capacitance are relatively greater for insulated cables than in OH circuits because of closer
spacing and the higher dielectric constant of the insulation of the cable.

Charging Current, → → → …Eq.22

OR, …Eq.23

At 60 Hz, …Eq.24

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NUMERICAL 3: A single-conductor belted cable of 5 km long has a conductor diameter of 2 cm and an inside
diameter of lead sheath of 5 cm. The cable is used at 24.9 kV line-to-neutral voltage and 60 Hz frequency.
Calculate the following:
(a) Maximum and minimum values of electric stress
(b) Optimum value of conductor radius that results in smallest (minimum) value of maximum stress.

NUMERICAL 4: A single core cable for use on 11 kV, 50 Hz system has a conductor area of 0.6645 𝑐𝑚2 and
internal diameter of sheath is 2.18 cm. The permittivity of the dielectric used in the cables is 3.5. Find (i)
maximum and minimum electrostatic stress in the cable (ii) capacitance of the cable per km of length (iii) charging
current

NUMERICAL 5: Calculate the capacitance and charging current of a single core cable used on a 3-phase, 66 kV
system. The cable is 1 km long having a diameter of 10 cm and an impregnated paper insulation of thickness 7 cm.
The relative permittivity of the insulation may be taken as 4 and the supply at 50 Hz.

NUMERICAL 6: Find the most economical size of a single-core cable working on a 132-kV, 3 phase system, if a
dielectric stress of 60 kV/cm can be allowed.
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NUMERICAL 7 : A single-conductor belted cable has a conductor diameter of 0.814 in., inside diameter of
sheath of 2.442 in., and a length of 3.5 mi. The cable is to be operated at 60 Hz and 7.2 kV. The dielectric constant
is 3.5, the power factor of the dielectric on open circuit at a rated frequency and temperature is 0.03, and the
dielectric resistivity of the insulation is 1.3× 107 MΩ-cm. Calculate the following:
(a) Maximum electric stress occurring in cable dielectric
(b) Capacitance of cable
(c) Charging current of cable
(d) Insulation resistance
(e) Power loss due to leakage current flowing through insulation resistance
(f) Total dielectric loss
(g) Dielectric hysteresis loss

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 Capacitance of Three Conductor Belted Cable
Two insulation thicknesses need to be considered in belted cables: (1) the conductor insulation of thickness T and (2) the belt
insulation of thickness t. (Fig.1)

In the three-conductor belted cable, there are capacitances of Cc between conductors and capacitances of Cs between each
conductor and the sheath (Fig.2)

Fig.1 29
Fig.2
The arrangement of the capacitors, representing these capacitances per-unit length, is equivalent to a delta system connected
in parallel with a wye system (Fig.3)

Fig.3

Further, the delta system, representing the capacitances Cc, can be represented by an equivalent wye system of capacitance C1
(Fig.4).In the delta system, the capacitance between, say, conductors 1 and 2 is:

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Fig.4
In a wye system, Since the delta and wye systems are equivalent, the capacitance between the conductors must be the
same:
Or …Eq.25

For equivalent delta and wye systems, the line current through the capacitor:

OR

All Cs capacitors are in wye connection with respect to sheath, and all C1 capacitors are in wye connection and in parallel with
the first wye system of capacitors.

The effective capacitance of each conductor to ground neutral is therefore: …Eq.26

In general, however, since the conductors are not surrounded by isotropic homogeneous insulation of one known permittivity,
the Cc and Cs are not easily calculated and are generally obtained by measurements. The tests are performed at the working
voltage, frequency, and temperature.

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 …Eq.27

NUMERICAL 8: A three-conductor belted cable 4 mi long is used as a three-phase underground feeder and
connected to a 13.8 kV, 60 Hz substation bus. The load, at the receiving end, draws 30 A at 0.85 lagging power
factor. The capacitance between any two conductors is measured to be 0.45 μF/mi. Ignoring the power loss due to
leakage current and also the line voltage drop, calculate the following:
(a) Charging current of feeder
(b) Sending-end current
(c) Sending-end power factor
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Loop Tests for Fault Location in Underground Cables
MURRAY LOOP TEST:
1. Earth Fault

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2. Short Circuit Fault

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VARREY LOOP TEST:
1. Earth Fault

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VARREY LOOP TEST:
1. Short Circuit Fault

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