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Underground Cable Systems

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Abbreviations

Breakdown:

Permanent failure through insulation.

Cable system:

Cable with installed accessories.

CCV:

Catenary continuous vulcanization extrusion line for extruded dielectrics.

Cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE):

A thermoset unfilled polymer used as electrical insulation in cables.

Diagnostic test:

A field test made during the operating life of a cable system. It is intended to determine the presence, likelihood of future failure and, for some tests, locate degraded regions that may cause future cable and accessory failure.

Dielectric loss:

An assessment of the electric energy lost per cycle. A poorly performing cable system tends to lose more energy per AC cycle. Measurements can be made for selected voltages or over a period of time at a fixed voltage. The stability of the loss, the variation with voltage and absolute loss are used to estimate the condition. Data can be derived from time-based (if sufficient time is taken) or frequency-based test methods.

Electrical trees:

Permanent dendritic growths, consisting of nonsolid or carbonized micro-channels, that can occur at stress enhancements such as protrusions, contaminants, voids, or water trees subjected to electrical stress. The insulation is damaged irreversibly at the site of an electrical tree.

Ethylene propylene rubber (EPR):

A type of thermoset-filled polymer used as electrical insulation in cables and accessories. There are several different formulations of EPR and they have different characteristics. For purposes here, the term also encompasses ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM).

Extra high voltage (EHV):

Cable systems within the voltage range 161–500 kV, though more often between 220 kV and 345 kV. Also referred to as transmission class, though usually has higher design stress levels than HV.

Extruded dielectrics:

Insulation such as EPR, HMWPE, PE, WTRXLPE, XLPE, etc., applied using an extrusion process.

Filled insulation:

Extruded insulations where a filler (carbon black or clay) has been incorporated to modify the inherent properties of the base polymer. This class includes all types of EPR, Vulkene, etc.

High pressure fluid filled (pipe type or HPOF):

paper insulated and installed in trefoil in steel pressure pipes and impregnated with high-pressure nondegradable fluid which is maintained at high pressures by pumping plants – common in USA at HV & EHV.

High voltage (HV):

Cable systems within the voltage range from 46–161 kV, though more often between 66 kV and 138 kV. Also referred to as transmission class, though usually has lower design stress levels than EHV.

Jacket:

An extruded outer polymeric covering for cables designed to protect the cable core and the metallic shielding (wires, tapes, or foils).

Joint:

A device to join two or more sections of power cable together. A joint includes a connector to secure the cable conductor and a stress controlling/insulating body to manage the electrical stress.

Laminated dielectrics:

Insulation formed in layers typically from tapes of either cellulose paper or polypropylene or a combination of the two. Examples are the PILC (paper-insulated lead-covered) and MIND (mass-impregnated non-draining) cable designs.

Mass impregnated non-draining Cable (MIND):

A cable design using paper insulation impregnated with a thick compound such that the compound does not leak out when the lead is breached.

Maximum electrical stress:

The highest level of stress also corresponds to the highest probability of instantaneous failure or, equivalently, the highest rate of electrical aging.

MDCV:

Mitsubishi Dainichi continuous vulcanization, often called long land die, extrusion line for XLPE, typically for HV & EHV.

Mean or average electrical stress:

This is most important if the most serious defects are uniformly located throughout the bulk of the insulation.

Medium voltage (MV):

Cable systems within the voltage range from 6 kV to 46 kV, though more frequently between 15 kV and 35 kV. Also referred to as distribution class.

Metallic shield:

A concentric neutral surrounding the cable core. The shield provides (to some degree) mechanical protection, a current return path, and, in some cases, a hermetic seal (essential for impregnated cables).

Minimum electrical stress:

This is most important if cable system reliability is determined by the performance of accessories or if the electrical design or installation method of accessories degrades cable performance.

Paper insulated lead covered (PILC):

A cable design using paper insulation impregnated with a fluid and encased in lead to prevent the fluid from leaking out of the insulation.

Partial discharge:

A low voltage (mV or μV) signal resulting from the breakdown of gas enclosed in a dielectric cavity. The signals travel down the cable system and may be detected at the end, thereby enabling location.

PE-based:

Extruded insulations that do not have an incorporated filler (carbon black or clay). This class includes all types of HMWPE, PE, WTRXLPE, XLPE, etc.

Polyethylene (PE):

A polymer used as electrical insulation in cables.

Power frequency:

A substantially sinusoidal waveform of constant amplitude with an alternating frequency in the range of 49–61 Hz.

Self-contained fluid filled (FF or LPOF or PILC):

Paper or paper polypropylene laminated (PPL) insulated with individual metal sheaths and impregnated with a dielectric fluid. Where used these are common in land cable applications. This type of cable is one of the first to be installed in the 1890s.

Shielded cable:

A cable in which an insulated conductor is encapsulated in a conducting “cylinder” that is connected to ground.

Space charge:

Quasi-permanent injected charge that is trapped within the insulation of a cable system. This charge is sufficient to modify the applied AC and impulse voltage stresses.

Splice:

A joint.

Tan δ (TD):

The tangent of the phase angle between the voltage waveform and the resulting current waveform.

Termination:

A device that manages the electric stress at the end of a cable circuit, while sealing the cable from the external environment and providing a means to access the cable conductor. Devices referred to as elbows or potheads are types of terminations.

VCV:

Vertical continuous vulcanization extrusion line for XLPE, typically for HV & EHV

Water tree retardant cross-linked polyethylene (WTRXLPE):

A thermoset polymer used as electrical insulation in cables that is designed to retard water tree growth.

Water trees:

Dendritic pattern of electro-oxidation that can occur at stress enhancements such as protrusions, contaminants, or voids in polymeric materials subjected to electrical stress and moisture. Within the water tree the insulation is degraded due to chemical modification in the presence of moisture.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Electric Energy Test Research and Application Centre (NEETRAC), NEETRAC Campus, 5351 Kennedy Road, 30297, Forest Park, GA, USA

    Yamille Del Valle, Nigel Hampton, Josh Perkel & Caryn Riley

Authors
  1. Yamille Del Valle
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  2. Nigel Hampton
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  3. Josh Perkel
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  4. Caryn Riley
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. RAMTECH LIMITED, Larkspur, CA, USA

    Robert A. Meyers

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Valle, Y.D., Hampton, N., Perkel, J., Riley, C. (2012). Underground Cable Systems . In: Meyers, R.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0851-3_758

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