Practical HV Cable Jointing and Terminations for Engineers

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 Presents

Practical

HV Cable Jointing and Terminations

for Engineers and Technicians

Revision 3.1

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 Table of Contents
1 Overview 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Need for high voltage cables 3
1.3 Advantages over overhead transmission lines 4
1.4 Disadvantages of cables in power transmission 5
1.5 Various types of high voltage cables 5
1.6 Need for cable jointing (splicing) 6
1.7 Need for termination kits 8
1.8 Summary 9

2 Constructional aspects of cables 11

2.1 Introduction 11
2.2 PVC insulated high voltage cables 12
2.3 Polyethylene insulated Cables 13
2.4 Cross- Linked Polyethylene (XLPE) Cables 14
2.5 Paper insulated lead sheathed cables (PILC) 20
2.6 Oil-filled cables 22
2.7 Application Areas 24
2.8 Good Installation practices 24
2.9 Summary 25

3 Cable connections in joints and terminations 27

3.1 Introduction 27
3.2 Types of connectors used in cables 28
3.3 Current Path 29
3.4 Methods of conductor connections 31
3.5 Contact resistance 40
3.6 Preferred methods in practice for different cable ratings 41
3.7 Galvanic Corrosion and use of Bimetals 41
3.8 Summary 42
4 Joints and terminations–theory 45
4.1 Basic Approach 45
4.2 Classification of joints 46
4.3 Pre-moulded (slip on) joints 50
4.4 Slip-on terminations 53
4.5 Cold shrink terminations 56
4.6 Heat shrinkable joints 60
4.7 Extrusion molded joints 61
4.8 Additional requirements for outdoor terminations 62
4.9 Reconstitution of cable properties 63
4.10 Connectivity for cable screen and armour 66
4.11 Mechanical protection of joint and terminations 66
4.12 Special joints 66
4.13 Summary 72

5 Stress control in cable joints and terminations 73

5.1 Stress gradients in cable joints and terminations 73
5.2 Areas requiring stress control 79
5.3 Terminations 80
5.4 Joints 81
5.5 Basics of stress control approach 81
5.6 Summary 86

6 Practical aspects of cable jointing and termination 87

6.1 Kits for joints and terminations 87
6.2 Shelf Life 92
6.3 Issues with prefabricated kits 93
6.4 Preparation of cable for termination and jointing 93
6.5 Connection and Reconstitution of cable properties 101
6.6 Continuity and grounding aspects 107
6.7 Sealing, Healthiness of joint/termination & Repairs 107
6.8 Installation aspects for cables and joints 110
6.9 Safety issues and access for repairs 111
6.10 Summary 113
7 Cable termination to equipment 115
7.1 Basics of equipment terminations 115
7.2 Termination to indoor switchgear 116
7.3 Termination to electrical machines 121
7.4 Termination of outdoor HV installation 123
7.5 Terminations to GIS installation 125
7.6 Importance of correct orientation of terminations 127
7.7 Summary 128

8 Standards and testing 131

8.1 International/National standards 131
8.2 Standards for high-voltage and extra high-voltage cables 132
8.3 Type tests 134
8.4 Routine tests 141
8.5 Field Tests 143
8.6 Limitations 144
8.7 Training and certification 144
8.8 Summary 146

9 Failures and analysis 147

9.1 Reasons for failures in high voltage cables 147
9.2 Documentation of work done 149
9.3 Documentation of failures 149
9.4 Analysis of failures 150
9.5 Predictive approach 153
9.6 Summary 160

10 New trends 161

10.1 Increasing use of underground cables 161
10.2 New technologies for very high capacities and voltages 165
10.3 EHV XLPE cable systems 167
10.4 High temperature superconductivity cables 168
10.5 Summary 174
Self Assessment quiz with answers 175

Appendices Technical papers 193

 1
Overview

In this introductory chapter, we will discuss the need for power transmission and
distribution through HV cables, their advantages and disadvantages compared to
overhead power line. We will discuss about the different types of high voltage
cables, the need for jointing/termination as well as various types of
jointing/termination kits that are available in the market.

Learning objectives
• Need for high voltage cables
• Advantages of using cables over overhead transmission lines
• Disadvantages of cables
• Various types of high voltage cables
• Need for cable jointing
• Need for termination
• Various types of jointing kits and termination kits

1.1 Introduction
Utility companies produce power from electrical generators also sometimes called
as alternators driven by prime movers. The prime movers that drive the generators
are steam turbines in the case of thermal and nuclear power plants, water wheels
and water turbines in the case of hydro power stations and wind turbines in the
case of windmill generating stations. The power thus produced needs to be
evacuated or sent to the users’ factories or houses for their use / consumption. This
is made possible by the use of overhead transmission lines or by the use of electric
cables, which connect the utility station and the users’ loads. Overhead
transmission lines comprise an open system of conductors made of steel and
aluminum or copper wires strung over porcelain or ceramic insulators. Figure 1.1
shows a typical high voltage overhead transmission line system terminating at a
substation.
2 Practical HV cable jointing and termination

Figure 1.1
Typical view of an overhead transmission line terminating at a substation

Electric cables comprise copper or aluminum wires with layers of insulating

materials over the conductors. Figure 1.2 shows a typical view of a high voltage
cable for 33kV application.
 Overview 3

Figure 1.2
Typical view of a 33kV, Cross-linked polyethylene cable

Overhead transmission lines cannot be installed at all applications due to reasons

attributable to environment, space requirement etc. Likewise, cables cannot be used
in all applications due to reasons attributable to voltage level, distance etc
Cable manufacturers produce cables in standard lengths ranging from 300m to
1000m. The above length depends on the type and unit weight (kg/m) of the cable
that is being manufactured. Hence, in case our requirement for cable exceeds such
standard length, we have to use an additional length of cable, to complete our
work. Here comes the need for joints. Cable joint as the name implies, join the tail
end of the first cable and the head end of the second cable. Cable companies
themselves or some other manufacturers who specialize only in joints offer
“jointing kits”. We have to use these kits whenever we need a joint.
Cables also need special kits for the purpose of their termination at sending end
and at receiving end. These are called as “termination kits”, which can be either
procured from the cable manufacturers or from specialized manufacturers of
jointing kits mentioned above, who also make the termination kits. Cables are to be
installed with care as per manufacturer’s recommendation and as per installation
codes as per their voltage class. Cables are also to be jointed and/or terminated by
skilled technicians who use standard jointing/termination kits.

1.2 Need for high voltage cables

Normally power produced by the generators at the utility stations vary from 6600V
to about 15000V depending the output rating. Thus, power produced at the above
voltage can be used at the same voltage level for consumers living in the same or
nearby locality by the use of a properly designed distribution system. For
4 Practical HV cable jointing and termination

consumers living in far off places or for consumers situated in a huge well spread
out factory such as an integrated iron and steel works, it is not economically
possible to make the above connections (called transmission of power) at the
generated voltage, due to increase in energy losses.
Transmissions at higher voltage say 33kV, 66kV, 110kV, 132kV, 220kV etc.
mitigate above drawback and bring down the energy loss levels significantly. In
order to achieve a higher transmission voltage level, the voltage level of the
generated power is to be stepped up or increased using step-up transformers. At the
consumer end, step-down transformers are used to bring back or change the voltage
to a lower value suitable for the consumer.
In addition, loads such as electric motors operate at higher voltages at higher
output ratings. In general, the following table gives the relation between motor
ratings in kW and their voltage level of operation.

Table 1.1
Motor output and commonly used voltage rating

Motor rating in kw Operating voltages in Volts

Up to 200kw 415V
Between 200 to 500kw 3300V
Between 500kw to 2500kw 6600V
Above 2500kw 11000V

From the above table it can be seen that large motors need power supply at
higher voltages and hence call for the use of high voltage cables. There are other
examples of loads, which would need operation at high voltage such as furnace
transformers, electrostatic precipitators in dust control systems etc.
Thus, we see that for the basic needs of power distribution inside a factory or for
transmitting to far off consumers, high voltage cables are needed.

1.3 Advantages over overhead transmission lines

In general, we can note that high voltage cables have the following advantages
over the overhead transmission lines:
• In crowded metros, overhead transmission lines occupy large area apart
from looking grotesque and posing safety problems. Requirement of large
area calls for land space as well as clearances around the conductors calling
for a power alley. This is becoming increasingly difficult to provide in
today’s crowded metropolitan cities and their satellite townships. In such
cases, high voltages cables offer the advantage of installation in cable
trenches or underground cable tunnels thus freeing valuable land space over
ground. The cables can also be buried directly in ground preferably routed
in the space provided along side the roads called as “berm”. Freeing of land
space has helped in the saving of cumbersome land acquisition procedures
and associated litigation issues.
• Ecological restrictions as well as very high real estate costs favor the
installation of high voltage cable systems. Sometimes, the objections
include visual pollution of an area of natural scenic beauty or a historic site
 Overview 5

by the incongruous transmission structures. Another problem is the high

electromagnetic interference associated with exposed electrical lines.
• In areas prone to atmospheric lighting discharges, the overhead
transmission lines would suffer frequent breakdown and cause power
outages. High voltage cables are not affected by the above atmospheric
discharges, as they are safe either buried in ground or routed inside a tunnel
or trench.
• Due to higher surge impedance, high voltage cables offer increased
protection from switching surges to various equipment mainly transformers
in installations such as outdoor switchyards.
• For power supply to small islands, it is possible to transmit power only
through underwater high voltage cables as overhead transmission lines are
ruled out in such applications.

1.4 Disadvantages of cables in power transmission

While we saw high voltage cables score over overhead transmission lines in a few
situations, they also suffer from a few disadvantages such as:
• Location of fault in a high voltage cable system is more difficult compared
to an overhead transmission line system.
• High voltage cable systems are expensive in voltage levels higher than
33kV when compared to overhead transmission line systems either for the
purpose of intra-plant distribution or for interplant transmission of power.
• High voltage cables of oil filled type call for monitoring and inspection
schedules, which need to be implemented strictly. In case of overhead
transmission lines, such schedules are less stringent and rectification, if
needed, is easier in comparison to the cable systems.
• Cable joints and terminations are expensive and call for a factory trained
and skilled technician for their installation. In comparison, jointing and
termination in overhead transmission line systems are straightforward and
simple.
• The joints and terminations in the high voltage cable system pose a cause
for worry to the maintenance personnel since the above are the weakest
links in the otherwise robust electrical system. This calls for constant
monitoring of the joints and terminations.
• Testing of high voltage cable systems is a time consuming process
compared to testing of overhead transmission line systems.
Thus, we can conclude that selection of transmission system needs an elaborate
study and choice of high voltage cables or overhead system shall be made
judiciously.

1.5 Various types of high voltage cables

We can classify high voltage cables broadly into different types based on the
insulation medium used. These are:
• Low pressure oil filled cables
• High pressure oil filled cables
• Paper insulated cables
• Cross linked polyethylene (XLPE) cables
6 Practical HV cable jointing and termination

Cables can also be classified according to the voltage grades, such as low voltage
cables, medium voltage cables, high voltage (HV) cables and extra high voltage
(EHV) cables, which in turn is decided by the system voltage where a cable is
used. In fact, the type of insulation discussed above is very much dependent on the
voltage grade of the cable. The voltage grade based classification can however vary
between different countries as no uniform classification is followed internationally.
In the forthcoming chapters, we would learn more about the construction and use
of these various cables. While MV and HV cables are very common in industrial
plant applications, use of EHV cables is almost restricted only to utilities and that
too in distribution circuits.
Power cables are also grouped according to the number of cores: such as single-
core, 2-core, 3-core and so on. Multi-core cables are commonly used only up to
MV levels. HV and EHV cables are always of single core type.

1.6 Need for cable jointing (splicing)

Cables are manufactured in standard lengths and delivered to the customers wound
on drums. The weight of the cable drums is substantial and a typical drum with
500m of 3cx240 sq. mm. XLPE insulated cables can weigh up to 7500 kg. This
introduces a bottleneck in terms of handling capacity at the cable factory. In
addition, large unwieldy drums would pose problems during transportation and
installation of the cables at site. Therefore, in order to install large lengths, one has
to go in for joints. Also in the case of cable failure in an existing installation, it
would be prudent to go in for removal of the damaged portion and replace this
section with a new length by jointing with the healthy portions of the cables.
Every user would like to install their cables without joints but due to inevitable
reasons explained above, cable joints become a necessity. In general, users feel that
a cable joint is a weak point in the distribution chain. On the contrary, jointing kit
manufacturers vouch that a properly made joint is as good as the original cable. In
addition, joints are required when two cables of dissimilar construction are to be
jointed. This happens when an expansion takes place in an existing factory.
Likewise, “T” joints are required in certain distribution schemes. Another type of
joint is the “branch Y joint which finds use in a few applications.
We can group the various types of joints broadly as:
• Straight through
• Branch Y joints
• T joints
• Transition joints
Depending on the type of insulation of the cable under use, there are further
variations in the above types. Also sometimes distinction is made on the location
where the joints are made, namely, indoor type or outdoor type. We can study the
various types of jointing kits in the forthcoming chapters.
Figure 1.3 shows typical cable joints.
 Overview 7

Figure 1.3
Various types of cable joints
8 Practical HV cable jointing and termination

1.7 Need for termination kits

Every cable, whether it is low-tension type or high-tension type, needs proper
termination so that a cable run can be connected to a piece of equipment, usually a
circuit breaker, a transformer, a motor and so on. There are basic requirements like
cable boot, cable lugs and consumables like insulation tapes, cable glands used for
low voltage cables etc. In the case of high voltage cables there are other accessories
related to sealing, stress control etc. These aspects would be discussed in detail in
the forthcoming chapters. In addition, basic types of termination kits vary with
respect to their location – indoor or outdoor.
Proper termination kits with proven test results are of great importance in order
to provide faultless terminations. An improperly made termination would result in
heating of the joint and eventual flashover and outage in the systems.
The manuals supplied with the kits do give a systematic procedure for going
ahead with the preparation and completion of the termination. Besides the manual,
some amount of hands-on training also needed to carry out a sound job.
Figure 1.4 shows a typical high voltage cable termination arrangement.

Figure 1.4
Typical HV cable termination

We can group the various types of termination kits broadly as:

• Indoor termination kits
• Outdoor termination kits (the arrangement shown in the figure above)
• End sealing kits
 Overview 9

The first two types explained above are for active terminations. The third type,
namely, end sealing kit, is used whenever cable ends are to be left without use for a
long time. We will study the various types of termination kits in later chapters.

1.8 Summary
High voltage cables play an important role in the power distribution in the modern
world. There is continuous improvement in material science, which brings about
better quality of the materials and accessories that go into the manufacture of
cables and the various jointing kits and termination kits.
Over a period, overhead transmission lines would be eliminated in our cities for
various reasons explained above and high voltage cables would replace them. Due
to ecological restrictions, all outdoor substations would be converted into compact
gas insulated indoor substations. In fact, all new substations would be indoor type
in future. High voltage cables would play a crucial role in such cases i.e., for
interconnections to and from indoor substations. Like cables, there is also a
continuous improvement in the field of cable accessories such as jointing and
termination kits. There are new composite type insulator designs, which have
greatly reduced weights and provide extra creepage distances. These insulators are
self-cleaning type with excellent properties in areas of fire resisting capability and
UV radiation resisting capability. Testing is an important area once the cables are
installed, jointed and terminated. Testing is crucial, as it would reveal the quality of
work done. We would be dwelling upon above aspects in detail in the later
chapters.
10 Practical HV cable jointing and termination

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