UNDER GROUND CABLES

REQUIREMENTS
 Conductors should be tinned stranded copper of
high conductivity.
 Conductor size should be such that the cable
carries the desired load current without
overheating.
 Cable should have proper thickness of insulation
in order to give high degree of safety and
reliability.
 Cable must be provided with suitable mechanical
protection.
 Materials used in manufacture of cables should
be such that there is complete chemical and
physical stability throughout.
CONSTRUCTION:
 Cores or Conductors
Depending upon the type of service – one or more
Made of tinned Copper or Aluminium
Stranded to provide flexibility
 Insulation

Thickness of insulation depends upon the voltage

to be withstood by the cable
Impregnated paper, Varnished Cambric or
Rubber mineral compound
 Metallic Sheath

To protect the cable from moisture, gases or other

damaging liquids in soil and atmosphere
Lead or Aluminium is provided over the
insulation
 Bedding
To protect the metallic sheath against corrosion
and from mechanical injury due to armouring,
A fibrous material like jute
 Armouring

To protect the cable from mechanical injury while

laying and during the course of handling
One or two layers of galvanised steel wire or steel
tape
 Serving

To protect armouring from atmospheric

conditions
A layer of fibrous material similar to bedding
CLASSIFICATION OF CABLES
 Low Tension Cables – upto 1000 V
 High Tension Cables – upto 11 kV

 Super Tension Cables – from 22 kV to 33 kV

 Extra High Tension Cables – from 33 kV to 66 kV

 Extra Super Voltage Cables – beyond 132 kV

SINGLE CORE LOW TENSION CABLE
3 CORE CABLE
INSULATION RESISTANCE OF A SINGLE CORE CABLE
r1 = conductor radius
r2 = internal sheath radius

r1

r2
x

dx

dx
Insulation resistance of the layer dx ρ
2πxl
Insulation resistance of the whole cable

dx ρ dx ρ r
R  ρ   R  log
r2 r2
2

2πxl 2πl x 2πl r

r1 r1 e

1
CAPACITANCE OF A SINGLE CORE CABLE
d/2 = conductor radius
D/2 = internal sheath radius
Q = Charge per metre axial length
d/2
e = permittivity of insulation
D/2 material between core and lead
x P sheath

dx

Consider axial length = 1 metre

Surface area of this cylinder  2πxl  2πx m
2

Electric flux density at point P on the considered cylinder,

Q
D  C/m 2

2πx
x
Electric field intensity at point P,

D Q Q
E   x
V/m
ε 2πxε 2πxε ε
x

0 r

The work done in moving a unit positive charge from point P through a
distance dx in the direction of electric field is E dx
x

Hence the work done in moving the a unit positive charge from
conductor to sheath, which is the potential difference V between
conductor and sheath
Q
V   E dx  
D/2 D/2

dx
2 πxε ε
d/2 x d/2

0 r

Q D
V log
2πε ε d
e

0 r
Capacitance of the cable
Q ε
C   10 F/mr 9

V 41.4log D/d 10
DIELECTRIC STRESS IN A SINGLE CORE CABLE
Under operating conditions, the insulation of the cable is subjected to
electrostatic forces. This is known as dielectric stress.
 d/2

D/2

Electric field intensity at point x metres from the centre of the cable,

Q
E  V/m
2πxε ε x
x

0 r

By definition, electric field intensity is equal to potential gradient.

Therefore, potential gradient g at a point x metres from the centre of
the cable

g E x
 Q
g V/m
2πxε ε x 0 r

The potential difference V between conductor and sheath

Q D
V log volts
2πε ε d
e

0 r

or

2πε ε V
Q 0 r

D
log
d
e

Substituting the value of Q in g

V
g V/m
D
x log
d
e
The potential gradient varies inversely as the distance x.
Therefore the potential gradient will be maximum when x is
minimum, ie., when x = d/2 or at the surface of the conductor.
On the other hand, potential gradient will be minimum at x = D/2 or
at sheath surface.

Putting x = d/2
2V
g  V/m
max
D
d log
d
e

Putting x = D/2

2V
g  V/m
min
D
D log
d
e
GRADING OF CABLES
The process of achieving uniform electrostatic stress in the
dielectric of cables is known as grading of cables.
The electrostatic stress has a maximum value at the
conductor surface and goes on decreasing towards the
sheath.
The maximum voltage that can be safely applied to a cable
depends upon gmax.
To achieve stress in such a way that its value is increased
in the outer layers of dielectric, is known as grading of
cables

 Capacitance Grading

 Intersheath Grading
CAPACITANCE GRADING
The process of achieving uniformity in the dielectric stress by using
layers of different dielectrics is known as capacitance grading.
 Assume three dielectrics of outer diameter d1, d2,
and D, and of relative permittivity e1, e2, and e3
respectively.
 If e1 > e2 > e3, and the three dielectrics are worked
at same maximum stress, then
1 1 1
 
ed ed ed
1 2 1 3 2

or

ed  ed  ed
1 2 1 3 2
 Potential difference across the inner layer

Q
V   gdx  
d1 /2 d1 /2

dx
2πε ε x
1 d/2 d/2

0 r

Q d
V log 1

2πε ε
1 e

d 0 r

g d
V  d log max 1

2
1 e

d
 g d
V  d log max 2

2
2 1 e

d 1

g D
V  d log max

2
3 2 e

d 2

Total potential between core and earthed sheath

VV V V 1 2 3

g  d d D
V max

d log d  d log d  d log d 

1 2

2  
e 1 e 2 e

1 2
INTERSHEATH GRADING
 A homogeneous dielectric is divided into various
layers by placing metallic intersheaths between
the core and lead sheath.
 The intersheaths are held at suitable potentials
which are in between the core potential and earth
potential.

Maximum stress between core and intersheath 1

V
g  1
V/m
1max
d d
log 1

2 d
e
 V
g  2
V/m
2max
d d
1
log 2

2 d
e

V
g  3
V/m
3max
d D
log
2

2 d
e

Since the dielectric is homogeneous, the maximum stress in each layer

is the same.

g g g g
1max 2max 3max max