The fundamentals of shielded MV power cable

Lowell; Tucker, Gerry | Oct 01, 1996

MV power cables are perceived as commodities, but are all makes alike?Shielded, 90
[degrees] C (Type MV-90), medium-voltage(MV) power cane (5kV to 35kV) has long
been considered a commodity product, with little differentiation seen between competing
product offerings. Yes, the basic construction of this type of cable, as well as its physical
and electrical performance properties, are very similar

MV power cables are perceived as commodities, but are all makes alike?

Shielded, 90 [degrees] C (Type MV-90), medium-voltage(MV) power cane (5kV to

35kV) has long been considered a commodity product, with little differentiation
seen between competing product offerings. Yes, the basic construction of this type
of cable, as well as its physical and electrical performance properties, are very
similar from one make to another. However, you have a choice of insulations,
metallic shields, and jackets, all of which depend on the specific power system
requirements, installation rigors, service conditions, and/or environmental factors.

More importantly, you should realize the shielded Type MV power cable is a more
complex and sophisticated product than it's usually given credit for. It's
manufactured to meet stringent engineering standards and requires special
attention in terms of proper handling and installation.

Considering the widespread use of this type of cable in primary feeders in a wide
range

of large complexes and facilities as well as in utility applications, we think it's time that you
take a fresh look at Type MV power cable fundamentals. We believe it will be both timely
and extremely useful.

Key components

A Type MY-90 power cable consists of a current-carrying conductor;

semiconducting strand shield, insulation, semiconducting insulation shield,
metallic shield, and outer jacket.

Current-carrying conductor. As specified in NEC Art. 326, the conducting element

in Type MV power cable must be either copper or aluminum. Copper-clad
aluminum, while permitted, is rarely used. Copper is the preferred metal due to its
higher current-carrying capacity. Also, copper has greater tensile strength than
aluminum. In addition, aluminum requires a larger cross-sectional area than
copper. As a result, the metal takes up more space in trenches or raceways.

Conductors can be solid or stranded, and either bare or with a tin or lead-tin alloy
coating for additional corrosion protection. Type MV power cable can contain up to
four conductors and can be manufactured in a variety of configurations to provide
application flexibility.
Most Type MV power cables use annealed (soft drawn), stranded, Class B copper in
a single conductor configuration. Strand arrangements and configurations are
categorized by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) tables that
use designation letters (Class B, for example) to identify individual classes for the
size, number, and arrangement of conductor strands. Conductor sizes are governed
by two scale systems: AWG (American Wire Gauge) and CMA (circular mill area).

Insulation. The performance of Type MV power cable is a function of its dielectric

insulation, which is physically positioned directly over the strand shield. And, cable
insulation material properties are directly related to overall cable performance. As
such, the selection of insulation material is a direct function of the intended
application. The higher the cable voltage, the thicker the insulation required.

Insulations are available in three general material categories: Thermoplastic,

thermoset, and laminated. The most common insulation type is XLP (chemically
cross-linked polyethylene), which is a hard thermoset compound having excellent
properties and strong resistance to heat exposure within reasonable limits. XLP is
chemically cross-linked, meaning that it's vulcanized during the manufacturing
process, thus improving its mechanical properties.

A premium polymer compound, EPR (ethylene propylene rubber), is the next most
common insulation choice. While EPR is a specially compounded thermoset
material and does not quite have the dielectric properties of XLP, its nature does
provide excellent thermal protection, allowing it to withstand higher temperatures
with little effect on its physical properties.

XLP is harder than EPR and especially suitable for direct burial applications,
yielding less dielectric loss per mile. However, EPR is more flexible and can be
rated for higher ampacity when rated at 105 [degrees] C. (105 [degrees] C EPR, also
known as MV-105, has recently gained NEC recognition.)

Another insulation material is tree-retardant XLP containing special additives that

help resist the formation of "insulation trees." These are deterioration channels
that can develop in the cable's insulation.

Laminated insulations are less commonly used today for 5kV through 35kV cables
due to their poor resistance to moisture and difficulty in splicing and terminating.

Metallic shield. The ground-potential metallic shield is another important element

in Type MV power cable construction because it serves to protect both the cable
itself and the power system to which the cable is connected. It protects the cable
itself by confining the cable's dielectric field, as shown in Fig. 1, and providing
symmetrical radial distribution of voltage stress, as shown in Fig. 2. This limits the
stress concentration at any one insulation point. It also helps dissipate heat away
from the current-carrying conductor. The metallic shield can also protect the power
system by conducting any fault current to the ground.

In addition to the above information, the metallic shield reduces interference with
electronic equipment and also reduces the hazards of shock to anyone working with
the cable.
A metallic shield can be configured as either concentric copper wire applied
helically and closely spaced, spiral-wrapped copper metal tape with an overlap, or
corrugated copper wires embodied in a semi-conducting jacket (available in one
make of MV power cable). Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. A
concentric wire shielded cable is more flexible and has a tighter minimum bending
radius; however, the cable is more likely to suffer damage during installation if
allowable pulling tensions and/or sidewall pressures are exceeded. A tape shield
covers 100% of the insulation, resulting in greater physical protection for the cable.
It also has a higher short-circuit capacity, which can be adjusted in the design stage
to allow for even larger currents. The embedded corrugated wire metallic shield
also has a high short-circuit capacity and is used to strip the jacket away from the
insulation. As to shielding effectiveness, all work equally well. In fact, each
possesses features that make it the best choice under certain conditions.

Outer jacket. As the exterior element, the jacket covers the cable's insulation and
shield and protects them from the effects of moisture, chemicals, and mechanical
abuse.

Jackets are available in a number of different compounds specifically formulated to

withstand the physical abuse occurring during installation and from any
environmental conditions encountered during the cable's lifetime. Jacket types
include PVC (polyvinyl chloride), polyethylene, Neoprene[TM], Hypalon[TM], and
'thermoplastic CPE. (For certain applications, lead sheaths and interlocking or
corrugated armors are available for multiconductor cables.)

Many jacket properties, such as sunlight and flame-resistance, can be improved by

adding specific ingredients during the compounding process. As with insulation
choices, jacket selection depends on the circumstances of where and how a cable
will be used and on the prevailing exposure conditions, both during installation
and while in service.

SUGGESTED READING

EC&M articles:

"MV Cable Shielding In Coordination Study, A Must," January 1990 issue.

"The Basics of Conductor Areas," February 1993 issue.

"The Basics of Wire and Cable," June 1994 issue.

"The Basics of Cable Pulling - Parts 1 to 5," September 1994 through January 1995
issues