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Sheath Bonding Design

Guide for High Voltage
Cables
Solidly, single-point, and cross-bonded cable
systems designs are explained

Table of Contents 

Purpose of cable sheath

bonding

High-voltage power cables are provided with an

outer concentric conductor in the form of a
metal screen and/or a metal sheath which
surrounds the main conductor and insulation
layer. Metal screens and metal sheaths are
collectively referred to as the sheath. The sheath
also includes any metallic armour layer(s) in the
cable. The purposes of a cable metal sheath
include to provide fault current return path,
return path for the induced capacitive charge
currents, earth (zero touch voltage or
thereabouts) potential for human safety, and
moisture barrier for cable insulation.

For high-voltage cable circuits carrying more than

about 500 A, sheath bonding arrangements are
implemented to reduce (often significantly)
sheath current losses. Whilst the bonding
arrangements come with an additional cost for
equipment and maintenance, they will often
result in considerably smaller cable sizes to be
used for supplying the same load currents. The
metal sheath bonding arrangement selected for
high-voltage cable systems has the second
highest impact on cable current ratings, second
only to the external thermal resistance (the
installed environment) to the cables. High voltage
cable current ratings are calculated using the IEC
60287 Standard series.

A sheath bonding system is used for protecting

the insulation of various cable system
components during normal operation as well as
from transient overvoltage from lightning,
switching and fault surges. Moreover, the sheath
bonding arrangement is also important from a
safety point of view.

In this report we explain the following types:

solid bonding, single-point bonding, cross-
bonding, and impedance bonding.

Sectionized cross-bonding is the most common

special bonding arrangement for HV and EHV
transmission lines except if the line length is
short then single-point bonding is mostly used.

Refer to separate articles for earth continuity

conductor (ECC) design, sheath voltage limiter
(SVL) selection, and bonding lead selection.

Losses in the cable sheath

The magnetic field that is generated from the

current flow in the main conductors of cables
creates a “transformer” e!ect that induces a
current in the sheath. Due to these induced
currents in the sheath two types of losses can
occur: circulating current losses and eddy
current losses. The presence of current losses in
the sheath causes additional heating inside the
cable resulting in reduced current-carrying
capacity of the cables conductor.

The eddy currents circulate radially and

longitudinally of the cable sheaths; and are
generated on similar principles of skin and
proximity e!ects. The eddy currents are
generally of smaller magnitude compared with
circulating current and they are generated in the
cable sheath irrespective of the bonding system
of single core cables.

If circulating currents are present in the sheath

(depending on the sheath bonding arrangement)
their current magnitude is generally much
greater than that of the eddy currents.

Circulating currents occur in the sheath for solid

bonding of single core cables and multicore
cables where an individual sheath surrounds
each conductor core. For sheaths that are single-
point or cross-bonded there are no circulating
currents, however eddy current losses still occur.

Sheath bonding designs

This technical report explains the di!erent
sheath bonding configurations for high-voltage
cables used in transmission systems. This report
should assist engineers and stakeholders to
select the most suitable (meaning functional,
safe, and cost-e!ective) sheath bonding
arrangement for their high-voltage cable systems
projects.

Solid bonding
Method

With this bonding arrangement, the sheaths,

screens, and armour (if present) are solidly
earthed at both ends of the cable system (see
Figure 1). There may also be bonds at
intermediate points along the cable route (refer
to Figure 2), which ensure safety in case one of
the end bonding points get disconnected,
potentially resulting in excessive induced
voltages.

Figure 1. Solid bonded cable system

Figure 2. Solid bonding system with intermediate earthing

points

Application

Solid bonding is typically used for short lengths

with low current rating requirements, low and
medium-voltage cable systems (typically up to 66
kV), and submarine cables. Generally, this
method is not used for transmission systems due
to the relative advantages of other bonding
arrangements, such as lower losses.

Advantages

 Simple and low-cost solution.

 The magnetic field external to the cable is low
due to the opposing sheath current direction
concerning the conductor currents.
 Minimal maintenance is required.
 The sheath's voltage is considered at the
earth’s potential at every point.

Disadvantages

 The current flowing in the cable conductors will

induce circulating currents into the sheaths
which can be up to 80 % of the conductor
current.
 The heat generated through joule losses by the
circulating current flow will cause additional
heating which will de-rate the cable system and
result in larger cable sizes for solid bonding
arrangements.

Design Considerations

 Use two independent parallel earth bonding

leads at each bonding point (end or mid) to
reduce the likelihood of disconnection.
 Bonding leads at the earth points must be
capable of withstanding the fault currents.
 Depending on the length and other
parameters, intermediate earthing points may
be included.
 The magnitude of the circulating current is
independent of the circuit length.

Single-point bonding
Method

In a single-point bonded cable system the cable

sheaths of all three phases are solidly bonded
together and earthed at one point only whilst the
other end is isolated from ground (see Figure 3).
Note that this method is applicable to short-line
lengths. However, an alternative scheme that can
be applied to long line lengths is multiple single-
point bonding in which the three cable sheaths
are solidly bonded and grounded to an earth
continuity conductor (ECC) at one end of a
section and connected to ground through sheath
voltage limiters at the other end, done at
multiple locations along a route (see Figure 4).

Figure 3. Single-point bonded cable system

Figure 4. Sectionalised single-point bonded cable system

Application

Single-point bonded cable systems are in

common use for high-voltage transmission and
as an alternative to multi-point bonding. A single-
point bonded cable system is generally used in
substations when the cable route is relatively
short and where it is uneconomical to use the
cross-bonded method.

Advantages

 Single point bonding provides improved cable

current ratings since the induced circulating
current losses in the sheath are eliminated.
 Only one length of the cable is required which
makes single-point bonding an economical
solution.
 The current does not flow longitudinally along
the sheaths. This is because there is no
continuous closed-loop electrical path for the
sheath. Consequently, the sheath circulating
current losses are eliminated. (Note that the
sheath eddy losses will still be present).

Disadvantages

 This method causes voltage to rise along the

length of the cable and these voltages are
proportional to the conductor current and
cable length. For single-core cables this voltage
increases with the individual phase spacing.
 To reduce this voltage an ECC is installed that
runs parallel to the cables and this significantly
adds to the cost of the cable system
 Care must be taken to insulate the sheath at
the free end to avoid danger from the induced
voltages.

Design Considerations

In a single point bonded cable system a voltage is

induced on the sheath of the cable during
operation, progressively increasing with the
distance away from the earthed point. This
induced voltage reaches a maximum at the
farthest point away from the earthed end.
Therefore, the maximum cable section length is
governed by the permissible sheath standing
voltage allowed at the isolated end.

The induced voltage on the sheath must be

calculated to not exceed an acceptable touch
voltage limit for safety reasons. Most countries
have a national standard that governs the
maximum standing voltages allowed at power
frequencies, as this is an important issue,
particularly for maintenance workers, and these
voltage limits are typically in the range of 35-
400 V depending on the country and the
regulations applied.

At points farthest away from the earthed end,

the sheath must be e!ectively insulated from
earth for the life of the cable system. If the
anticipated surge voltage level is greater than
75% of the sheath insulator’s basic insulation
level (BIL), a sheath voltage limiter (SVL) should
always be utilised. The SVL is commonly
connected between the open-ended sheath and
the earth point to protect the cable sheath from
overvoltage during transients caused by
switching, lighting or faults.

An ECC is installed in parallel with the cables of a

single-point bonded system except where both
ends of the cable share a common earthing
system. The relative location of the ECC with
respect to the phase conductors should be
carefully considered and the ECC should be
transposed in the middle of the cable system.

Cross-bonding
Method

The cross-bonding cable system is a widely used

method for minimising the power loss over the
cable sheath. Cross-bonding method takes
advantage of vector summation of three phase
induced voltage 120 degrees out of phase with
each other. Thus, the resultant voltage will be
minimized close to zero which significantly
reduces the undesired current flow and losses
over the cable sheath. In this method sheaths
are sectionalized into minor sections and then
cross-connect to neutralize the voltage in three
successive minor sections as shown in Figure 5.
(The three minor sections together are referred
to as a major section).

Figure 5. Cross-bonded cables without transposition

It is recommended to transpose the cable

conductors as well to properly neutralize the
induced sheath voltages (see Figure 6). However,
there may be some practical constraints in
transposing large and heavy high-voltage cables.

Figure 6. Cross-bonded cables with transposition

Types

There are numerous variations of cross-bonding,

some of which are mentioned below:

Continuous Type of Cross-bonding

In continuous type of cross-bonded systems, the

sheaths are cross bonded at the end of each
minor section throughout the whole cable route
while the three sheaths are solidly bonded and
grounded only at the two ends of the route.

Sectionalized Cross-bonding

In this type of bonding, three consecutive minor

sections form a single major section. This is
repeated throughout the route length to make
multiple major sections in series. At the junction
of two major sections and at the ends of the
circuit, the sheaths are solidly bonded together
and earthed, while between two minor sections
sheaths are simply cross bonded using SVLs.

Direct Cross-bonding

In this type of cross-bonding the metallic sheaths

are transposed without SVL and consequently
any link boxes. The main advantage of this
scheme is that it is simple and easy to maintain
as it needs fewer accessories. The drawback of
this scheme is that the disconnection of the
sheath becomes di"cult due to the unavailability
of link boxes and in case of testing or fault
location, the bonding cable may need to be cut
instead of simple disconnection through a link
box.

Cross-bonding of Short Lines

Some circuits are long enough to raise the

sheath-induced voltage to an unacceptable level
but not so long to require proper cross-bonding
with three minor sections. If these circuits are
solidly bonded at both ends, then they will have
a high circulating current therefore the sheaths
are cross bonded with SVL at the middle location
making two minor sections. This method reduces
the circulating current in the sheath to some
level compared to solid bonding.

Cross-bonding in Tunnel Installations

In tunnel installations, cable joints and bonding

systems are easily accessible. Taking advantage
of this proximity of the cable joints, the SVLs are
connected across sheath sections with leads as
short as possible. Direct cross bonded is
generally used to connect the bonding leads to
the sheaths of di!erent phases.

Although in this arrangement the cross-bonding

leads do not carry surge current, these leads
must be sized to carry system short circuit
currents. Compared to regular cross-bonding
where the SVLs are connected in a star
arrangement, the SVL in tunnel installation is
connected in a delta arrangement. Due to higher
induced voltages during normal and transient
conditions, a higher-rated voltage for the SVL is
required in this type of installation.

Applications

For longer line lengths, or when sheath voltages

become excessive due to very high fault currents,
cross-bonding is generally preferred and is the
most widely used form of bonding.

Advantages

 Compared to single-point bonding, a cross-

bonded configuration has the advantage of not
being length limited.
 Circulating currents are significantly reduced,
resulting in lower sheath losses and higher
cable current ratings.
 Besides inhibiting sheath currents during the
normal balanced load operation, the sheaths
do form a continuous path from end to end of
the cable circuit and are grounded at both
ends. Therefore, during ground faults, sheath
currents can flow across the length, thus
eliminating the need for a separate ECC.
 In addition to the economy via eliminating the
ECC, the cable sheaths function more
e!ectively as screening conductors during
earth faults than a parallel ECC. Hence, the
voltages induced in parallel cables,
communication lines, pipelines, fences, etc., are
reduced during earth faults in a cross-bonded
system versus a similar single-point bonded
system.

Disadvantages

 Costly and complicated.

 Cross-bonding of sheaths significantly reduces
the circulating current in sheaths. However,
there is a challenge to ensure that all sections
are of the same length.

Design Considerations

For a cross-bonded configuration a minimum of

three minor sections are needed (except for
short lines as previously mentioned). Thus, cross-
bonding is not possible with cable circuits
comprised of only one or two lengths of cable.
For such circuits, single-point bonding would
have to be employed unless it were feasible to
reconfigure the circuit into three sections.
Moreover, in practice, there may be some
circulating currents present because the lengths
and cable spacings in each section may not be
exactly equal.

The length of each section and cable spacings

are limited by the induced voltage levels and the
voltage di!erences between the sheaths and the
earthing points.

For cross-bonded cable circuits the highest

sheath-to-earth voltages are caused by two-and
three-phase faults. If the cross-bonded cable
circuit is inserted in the middle of an overhead
line, single-phase faults produce the highest
sheath-to-earth voltages that increase with earth
impedances.

Impedance bonding
Method

In this technique of bonding scheme an

impedance, such as a reactor or a resistance, is
inserted into the sheath current path for the
purpose of limiting fault currents or load losses.
This impedance can consist of simple reactors or
devices such as saturable reactors and bonding
transformers.

In the transformer sheath bonding, both ends of

each cable sheath are electrically connected to a
three-phase sheath bonding transformer as
shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7. Impedance bonding via sheath bonding transformers

Application

Impedance bonding methods are generally

considered less satisfactory compared to other
methods. Therefore, they are not recommended
for general use. However, bonding transformers
can be economical in some isolated cases such
as when suitable balancing for cross-bonding is
impossible and single-point bonding is
unacceptable (for instance, no empty duct is
available for an ECC). Similarly, this method can
be used when a spare cable (a fourth cable for a
single circuit or a seventh cable for a double
circuit) is installed. In this case, reconnecting the
cross-bonding whenever the spare cable is
needed is a lengthy and complex operation,
whereas reconnecting of bonding transformers is
simple and straightforward.

Advantages

 The bonding transformer scheme is e!ective in

limiting induced sheath currents regardless of
whether the distances between cable vaults are
equal or unequal.

Disadvantages

 Additional vault space is required.

 The impedance devices are relatively expensive
since they must be designed to withstand fault
currents
 During normal operation, third harmonics can
be induced into the sheath, and these can
cause interference on nearby
telecommunication lines.
 Stray direct currents entering through the
grounding can cause saturation of the iron
cores and upset the operation of the reactors
or transformers.

Design Considerations

To provide ground connections, the impedance

devices are typically designed with centre taps or
grounding points. The sheath bonding
transformers must be designed so that they will
not saturate because of induced sheath voltages
produced by normal and short-term emergency
operating currents. The cable sheaths are also
connected to local ground using sheath voltage
limiters.

Conclusions

Sheath bonding is one of the most important

design aspects, requiring careful consideration,
for high voltage power cable transmission. Cable
sheath bonding serves a multitude of purposes
and has a significant impact on the overall cost of
the system and on the current rating of the
cables.

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