MNC-CIRED Asia Pacific Conference on MV Power Cable Technologies
RELIABLE UNDERGROUNDING OF ELECTRICITY SUPPLY IN ASIA
Ken. W. BARBER & Hilary MARAZZATO
Olex Australia Pty Ltd
kbarber@olex.com.au & hmarazza@olex.com.au
ABSTRACT Selecting the best cable and installation
conditions taking account of the environment and customer
needs, is a key challenge for cable designers and utility asset
managers.
In South East Asia there has been a ready acceptance of
XLPE for Power Distribution and Transmission cables but the
‘in-service’ performance has not been without problems.
With the increasing demands by consumers for a better
environment and much greater system reliability of supply,
utilities throughout the region are grappling with the
inevitable increase in demand for undergrounding and the
need to improve the overall performance of this expensive
asset. The challenge is how to do this in the most cost
effective manner but avoid the mistakes made with some
underground installations having limited service life.
This paper proposes to outline a number of issues and
solutions in this regard with particular emphasis on the South
East Asian region where the performance of underground
cable systems is currently under review.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In the past, the higher costs for underground services and the
restrictions on the use of overhead lines, limited demand for
underground power cables. The rapid growth in
infrastructure throughout South East Asia has been the
catalyst for change. During the past twenty (20) years there
has been major use of XLPE insulated underground cable.
However, despite having had the advantage of learning from
the mistakes made in the USA in the 60’s and 70’s, and the
access to modern plants and materials, performance has in
some cases, been less than expected.
2.0 FACTORS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE OF
CABLES IN SERVICE
There are four main factors affecting performance of
underground cables, they are:-
• Design, materials and processes
• Testing and Quality Control
• Installation and accessories
• Service conditions
In the following sections it is proposed to address these issues
and make recommendations for improved underground cable
performance.
3.0 DESIGN, MATERIAL AND PROCESS ISSUES
3.1 Cable Design Insulated power cables are constructed
with 3 basic components.
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3.1.1 Conductors are required to carry the “Current” and
hence these are Copper or Aluminium. In most cases
conductors are stranded but for LV distribution, solid
aluminium sector shaped conductors are often used. The
question of whether these conductors need to be “water-
blocked” will be addressed in this paper. The choice of
copper or aluminium depends on the economics of the system
and connections required.
3.1.2 Insulation is required to maintain the “Voltage” and
today the predominant material for nearly all Distribution and
Transmission voltages is XLPE. We will discuss the type of
XLPE available. For Medium and High Voltage cables the
insulation is sandwiched between layers of semi-conductive
material to avoid ionisation and premature breakdown of the
insulation under the influence of electrical stress.
3.1.3 Protection is required for the “Environment” and
operation of the cable. This includes the provision of screens
to carry earth fault currents and “sheathing” or “jacketing” to
protect the cable during installation and service under various
operating conditions and environments.
3.2 XLPE Cables
After the introduction of XLPE cables in the USA, there
were very serious problems with cable failures in the late
1960’s and early 1970’s. Whilst some were due to
incompatible semi-conductive materials and lack of triple
extrusion, most were due to water ingress, and treeing in
steam cured XLPE. Because XLPE cables were not
introduced into Australasia and South East Asia region until
the late 1970’s, we were very fortunate to be able to learn
from problems encountered in the USA and cable experts
visiting from the USA are often surprised to learn of the good
performance of the underground XLPE cables in this region
[10,11].
Most cable manufactured
in the region has been
produced on dry cure cable
manufacturing facilities
using highly effective cable
designs incorporating high
performance cable sheaths.
The excellent electrical
Typical state-of-the-art performance of XLPE is the
Catenary Continuous reason it is now used
Vulcanisation (CCV) Line almost exclusively for the
insulation of all LV, HV
and EHV distribution and transmission cables. However,
whilst XLPE has far better resistance to moisture permeation
than Paper insulation or PVC, moisture can affect long term
performance of XLPE
MNC-CIRED Asia Pacific Conference on MV Power Cable Technologies
under the influence of high electrical stress so the overall
features in the cable design are vitally important.
3.3 Description of moisture mode of failure
We all know that Paper/Oil insulation must be kept dry, but
many people initially felt that special precautions were not
necessary for XLPE insulation.
The very first XLPE cables were produced on Steam Cure
CV (Continuous Vulcanisation) lines where moisture
saturated the insulation due to the temperature and pressure
of the steam (~200 degC, 200 psi). Pressure is required when
cross-linking polyethylene
with dicumyl peroxide to
prevent void formation due
to the formation of volatile
cross-linking by-products.
While steam was an
obvious provider of both
temperature and pressure,
the saturation of the insulation actually created “micro voids”.
The level of moisture in the insulation of cables made by this
process can be up to 3,000 ppm. Many of these early cables
are now showing signs of water trees. For at least the last 25
years, all of the XLPE insulated cables produced in South
East Asia and Australasia have been processed in a manner
(called ‘Dry Cure’) that ensures that the maximum possible
water absorption is less than 200 ppm. Very few of these
cables have significant water treeing unless water has been
allowed to enter into the conductor.
The subject of water treeing, electrical treeing and subsequent
breakdown is a complex subject , but it can be briefly stated
that under the influence of electrical stress and the water
absorbed by the insulation, water trees can grow. Whilst as
water trees they may not cause breakdown, in cases where
there is a high stress point or a space charge developed during
DC testing, such trees may develop into electrical trees which
subsequently cause premature breakdown.
3.4 Modes of protection/prevention
There are several modes of preventing the water and moisture
penetrating into the cable and travelling within it along the
length. There are also alternative cable materials that may be
used. In each case, different measures may be used to protect
the cable.
3.4.1 Prevention of water getting into the cable-“Radial
Protection”
To prevent water permeating through the cable sheath into
the cable, the most obvious design technique is the inclusion
of a metal sheath on the cable. The metal sheath provides an
impervious barrier to entry and provides an extremely dry
cable for the entire life. Metal sheaths are expensive so are
usually only provided for Transmission, Sub-transmission or
Submarine cables.
In the absence of the metal barrier, there are plastic sheath
options but these exhibit significantly different properties.
The most common plastic material in sheathing of cables is
the PVC, but this material allows too much permeation of
moisture into the cable. The High Density Polythene (HDPE)
material, chosen by almost all the ESI companies in Australia,
6-8 September 05
is significantly better than the PVC, tests showing a moisture
level found after days in water with PVC is only achieved
with HDPE after many years [1].
Nevertheless, moisture vapour does eventually penetrate into
cables, so it is recommended that moisture swellable tapes be
used under the sheath. These water-blocking tapes are often
made out of a one-layer non-woven carrier, a layer of
swellable powder and a water-soluble binder. All the
swelling powder is bound into the tape thereby reducing the
risk of airborne dust.
Only when under the influence of moisture, does the water-
soluble binder release the water-blocking powder. In this way
the super-absorbent material is free to swell and move into
voids and interstices of the cable extremely quickly.
Different grades of swellable powders have different degrees
of response to water, affected by the time taken for the
material to swell and hence block the passage of water.
For power cables, it is important to know that the high
viscosity gel ensures that water-blocking characteristics are
retained during temperature cycling and that for these tapes,
when used in conjunction with extruded metal sheaths at high
temperature and pressure, the water-blocking characteristics
are retained.
3.4.2 Preventing the water running along the length of the
cable – ‘Longitudinal Protection’
Regardless of the measures taken in the manufacture of the
cable, it is not uncommon to find that water has been allowed
to enter the cable during installation. This either occurs by
accident, whereby the pulling end of a cable has been
damaged, or by the more common circumstance where the
cable end is simply allowed to rest on site, in the trench, in
ducts, in water, without being capped.
Of course, the best way to protect the cable from moisture is
to prevent its ingress but there may be occasions when the
cable is damaged by external means or a joint fails in service
and then water enters the cable at that point. Once the water
has penetrated the cable, the easiest path is for the water to
travel along the cable. Spaces are present in the area of the
screen wires, in the middle of multicore cables, within the
fillers of multicore cables or even down the conductor.
The most effective prevention is by filling up those spaces
used by the water and some cables are made with solid fillers
completely filling all voids. It is common practice in the
USA to also fill any voids in the conductor between the wires.
This practice of using solid fillers has not been adopted
elsewhere as it is quite expensive and typically means a
significant increase in cost. The use of solid blocking
materials in conductors also makes conventional connection
methods difficult to use.
The lower cost alternative is to use the water swellable tapes,
which will fill the spaces when the water is present and they
then prevent the longitudinal progress of any further water.
MNC-CIRED Asia Pacific Conference on MV Power Cable Technologies
This typically only adds 2 - 10% to the cable cost. The
measures have been successful in effectively blocking tears in
the sheaths of cables and limiting any water ingress to the
immediate area around the tear [2]. Using swellable tapes,
yarns or powder to fill conductors is also now widely
accepted. However, in this context it is important to consider
the impact of such materials on the type of accessories and
method of installation of same.
Another alternative is to adopt solid conductors in place of
stranded conductors.
In the case of single core cables, the application of water
swellable tapes in the screen area is very effective and does
achieve a total cable "block". Even with cables using a
corrugated sheath, they can be blocked using current fast
acting swellable materials.
For three core cables, it has been
found that the water swellable tapes
applied at the area of the screens
does not limit the progress of water
along the cable as well as it does for
the single core designs, so more
material is often required.
3.4.3 Use an insulation material that is not affected by
moisture / water
The alternative approach to the problem is to use an insulation
system that is not as significantly affected by water trees, so
that electrical trees do not form. The early alternative
material was the EPR. Due to its opacity, for many years it
was thought that water tree growth was not present. More
critical and advanced methods of analysis show that the water
trees do exist [3,4,5].
Due to the inherent presence of fillers in the material, it was
found that the water tree was not allowed to progress through
the material, once it had reached the interface to such fillers.
The ingredients therefore acted as limiting constraints on the
growth of the water trees. More modern developments in
material technology have resulted in the development of Tree
Retardant XLPE, TR-XLPE. This material uses a similar
technique as the EPR, in that targeted and effective
ingredients are added to the basic XLPE to act as limiting
constraints to the growth of the water trees.
The examination and analysis of 'tree growth' is far more
easily done within the transparent XLPE. The extra
ingredients have been optimised and perfected so they are
now effective in the control of water tree growth. Papers,
which describe the advantages of TR-XLPE, include some
interesting comparisons to EPR and 'normal' XLPE [6].
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The most recent information from the USA is that the TR-
XLPE has improved to the point that the selection of EPR has
been limited to applications where cable flexibility is
essential/desirable. An example of such an instance, is where
load-break disconnectors are used and the flexibility of the
cable provides an advantage for the disconnection. The
economics of TR-XLPE versus EPR show that the TR-XLPE
is a lower cost material. Our information is that the EPR
usage has decreased in the last five years in favour of the TR-
XLPE.
It must however be appreciated that putting any fillers or
additives, such as those required for tree retardancy, into an
insulation is similar to adding a contaminant. Therefore,
whilst the stresses adopted in the design of Medium Voltage
cables (6 - 40 kV) enable the use of materials such as TR-
XLPE or EPR, these insulation materials may not be suitable
for the high stresses required for cables rated for higher
voltages. This is also why those manufacturers experienced
in making HV and EHV Cables with Super clean XLPE,
continue to supply good quality MV Cables without using
TR-XLPE.
3.5 Solutions for various cable types
3.5.1 Low Voltage Cables
Cables designed to function at voltage levels up to 1000 V,
have insulation thicknesses that are well above those required
for purely electrical function. The thicknesses are in fact
increased to provide adequate levels of mechanical robustness
and protection. Given these circumstances, the voltage
stresses in the insulation are very small and inadequate to
promote the growth of water trees that lead to electrical
failure of the cable. Thus, no protection is required from the
effects of water or moisture.
The design life of these cables is 40 years, and the cables are
expected to last much longer when they are installed in
protected areas. The main cause of failure of such cables is
mechanical damage and localised failure.
3.5.2 Distribution Cables
The electrical stresses in cables designed for operation in
excess of 5kV is sufficient to promote water tree growth.
Tests on cable samples of 6.35/11kV cables that are known to
have had water for some years in the area of the screen wires,
show a number of water trees present in the insulation,
however, in all cases the water trees are small and do not yet
present a threat to the electrical stability of the cable. In other
words the stresses are such that electrical trees do not develop
unless there is a localised cause of high electrical stresses.
Tests on 12.7/22kV cables that had failed electrically have
revealed an abundance of water trees. These cables were
buried in very wet environments for 10 years to 15 years.
After 17-19 years in service, the cables had failed electrically.
DC testing was a regular occurrence as part of maintenance
procedures and space charges left by such testing may have
been a significant factor in the failure. Mostly, such cables
have been produced by the steam curing process, but it can be
MNC-CIRED Asia Pacific Conference on MV Power Cable Technologies
taken that electrical stress at this working voltage is sufficient
to develop electrical trees.
3.5.3 Cable Life
It is commonly accepted that these XLPE cables are designed
for a 40-year life. Provided adverse water and moisture
conditions do not impact on the cable, such a life can be
reasonably expected. In the case of providing an estimate of
cable life where water and moisture adverse conditions may
present themselves, then the cable without any protection has
a life expectancy of 15-25 years.
When water swellable tapes are used in the region of the
screens, then a greater life expectancy of 20-30 years can be
applied. By the use of insulation materials that resist water
tree growth, i.e. by the use of TR-XLPE, then life expectancy
can be further increased to 30-35 years. The combination of
the TR-XLPE plus water swellable tapes increases life
expectancy to 35-40 years.
The more secure design option for the cable is to add a metal
moisture barrier such as a Lead Sheath. This option, XLPE
protected by a Lead Sheath, has a life expectancy of 60 years.
3.5.4 Sub-Transmission & Transmission Cables
It is clear that at voltages of 33kV and above, the voltage
stress on the insulation is quite sufficient to induce the water
tree and electrical tree growth. Actual electrical failures for
cables rated 33-275kV have not been seen where
water/moisture protection is specified for such cables.
At 33kV there is a wide divergence of opinion as to the net
commercial benefits of adopting the expensive metal sheathed
designs. As an example, in South Australia 33kV cables have
water swellable tapes in the screen area whereas similar cable
circuits installed in Queensland use Lead Sheathed cable. On
the other hand, most cable at 33kV and below in New
Zealand, are made with the use of TR-XLPE, whereas 33kV
Cables in Malaysia are provided with an Aluminium moisture
barrier tape.
With the advances in XLPE
material technology it is
possible to design and
manufacture distribution
cables with thinner wall
thicknesses, and consequently
higher stresses, than those
specified in the current
Standards. Currently, it is difficult to take advantage of the
possible savings for distribution cables because it is not
always possible to produce low cost joints and terminations
which operate reliably with such reduced wall thickness. On
the other hand, for cables rated for 66kV and above, where
more sophisticated joints and terminations are used, and
installation is performed by higher skilled staff, it is possible
to take advantage of reduced wall thicknesses and
consequently, high stresses.
Nearly all 66 kV cables in Australia are supplied with lead
sheaths. In some countries a moisture barrier of polythene
laminated Aluminium tape is adopted. This has proved very
6-8 September 05
satisfactory for moisture protection in telecommunication
cables and for some distribution cables but its performance on
HV & EHV cables may be questioned, particularly where
these cables are installed directly in the ground or in conduits
or pipes.
In such cases, there are already reports of extensive water
trees in 132kV cables installed some 15-20 years ago using
that type of protection. Naturally there may be many causes,
but a conservative approach is to specify welded sheaths
rather than relying on overlapped tape, unless cables are
installed in dry situations such as tunnels.
In the early days it was not possible to reliably weld
aluminium, copper and stainless steels so there was a
preference to specify seamless or extruded aluminium
sheaths. However, because it has
been found that there are many
cases where these extruded
Aluminium Sheathed cables were
badly corroded, they are often not
specified. Nowadays, with high
quality welding technology,
welded corrugated sheaths are
much more superior having the
advantage that stronger, more
corrosion resistant materials, can
be adopted. Corrugated stainless steel
and copper are popular for the new
environmentally friendly EHV
transmission cables [7,8]. Welded
Aluminium sheathed cables are being
used extensively in China,
particularly when cables are installed
in cable ways and tunnels. The
welding process is more suited to the
design of XLPE Cable as the process
avoids the high temperatures which are unavoidable with the
extrusion process which was originally developed for Paper
Oil Cables. For transmission cable, the more secure design
option therefore, is to add a metal moisture barrier such as
extruded lead sheath or a welded sheath to ensure a life
expectancy of 50-60 years.
4.0 TESTING & QUALITY CONTROL
Strict Quality Assurance procedures are an essential part of
the manufacture of MV, HV and EHV Cables. The slightest
contamination, defect or process damage can have a
significant effect on the performance of XLPE cables. In the
case of Paper Insulated Cable, any defects in the quality of
materials or processing, is often mitigated by the oil. Whilst
not understating the importance of ‘in-process’ Quality
Control and the use of Inspection and Test plans at all stages,
one should not under estimate the value of the final test and
we are fortunate today to have very advanced testing
equipment, which when used in a screened room
environment, can detect very minor defects.
MNC-CIRED Asia Pacific Conference on MV Power Cable Technologies
4.1 H.V. Testing
In accordance with National and International Standards,
every length of cable must be subjected to HV AC Testing
and the test levels specified in the IEC (60502 and 60840)
have recently been upgraded. Some manufacturers in Japan,
Australia and Europe, have their own internal Standards with
higher test levels based on design stress levels. HV AC
Testing is a very effective means of determining if a cable is
defect free, but only if the test voltage is of a sufficient level
depending on the design stress of the cable.
4.2 Partial Discharge Testing
Partial Discharge levels and test procedures in IEC Standards
should be considered the minimum requirement, based on the
variability of testing conditions. Some manufacturers
measure P.D. over the full HV Test range and reject any cable
with the slightest indication of P.D. Cables which are tested
to higher standards rarely fail in service.
During routine testing, due to the wall thickness of MV and
HV Cable being higher than the minimum for design stresses
of XLPE, most defects are detected by P.D. rather than by HV
failure. As an example, a small cut or contaminate on the
surface of an MV cable will not cause HV failure but can be
detected as a few P.D. and the position located. In practice,
the majority of P.D. defects found during production testing
of MV cable, are related to damage during handling and
processing.
5.0 CABLE INSTALLATION AND SELECTION OF
ACCESSORIES
In 1993, the Electric Power Research Institute in the USA set
as a goal the lowering of the cost of undergrounding both
transmission and distribution cables. The target was a 50%
reduction in cost by the year 2000. This target has been
easily achieved with the ratio of overhead to underground
cost, which was typically 1:20 some 10-12 years ago, now
more often less than 1:5. In fact, at the Institute of Electrical
and Electronic Engineers’ Winter Meeting in Singapore
several years ago there was a lively debate on the cost of
undergrounding compared to overhead lines. Views from
around the world varied with representatives from the United
Kingdom suggesting 16 to 20 times and those from
Scandinavia suggesting it was closer to two times. Clearly the
ratio is dependent on the voltage level, the power
transmission requirement and length of line, thus it is vital to
consider all factors when making such an assessment. In
most cases, because of the slower time/temperature response
of underground cables, it is not necessary to rate
underground line at the same full continuous rating as
overhead line.
5.1 Undergrounding now more cost-effective
So what are the factors which are driving down the cost of
underground cabling? First, cable costs have reduced in real
terms with the development of cheaper high quality materials,
faster processing and reduced insulation thickness. Typically
cable costs made up 50% of the cost for transmission cable
projects and 25% of distribution projects. Today, the key
factors are construction methods coupled with system design
6-8 September 05
including online temperature monitoring and site facilitation.
Overall costs are reducing with the growing emphasis on
“trench-less” technology, circuit optimisation, improved
backfills, mechanised laying/handling and shared services.
Utilities are increasingly constructing underground common
service tunnels or trenches as a means to address growing
demand for underground cable infrastructure services.
5.2 Installation methods
Using direct buried cables provides the lowest cost and best
possible ratings. In many countries, particularly in Asia, the
restriction on access to roads is such that the only way that
cables can be installed is to first install plastic pipes
(nowadays Polythene for environmental reasons) during the
night so that cables can be pulled in once a section length is
completed. Even in Australia and New Zealand where access
to roads is not as difficult, the high cost of traffic management
which is required when a trench is left open often makes the
cost of installing pipe an attractive solution even though a
larger size and thus more expensive cable has to be selected.
It is also sometimes argued that by installing pipe or conduit,
a cheaper, less reliable cable design can be adopted as the
cable can be easily replaced in the event of failure. If cables
are installed in conduits, the conduits may be filled with water
for much of the time and at other times the air space in the
conduit reduces the current rating. In some countries the
conduits are filled with special slurry to restore the rating to
that closer to the direct buried situation but that process is
nowadays not favoured as it introduces many other problems.
Overall, it is suggested that it is generally better to select the
correct cable design for the environment and install correctly
to obtain and exceed the cable design life.
5.3 Selection of Accessories and their Installation
It is found that the weakest link in a circuit is always the
accessory and installation.
The design materials and manufacture of accessories is
essentially different to the cable. Accessories are designed
for compatibility with the cable but care must be taken in the
preparation and fitting so that adequate training is essential.
After installation one needs to consider the appropriateness of
testing the circuit. An example is the previous practice of
using a DC test, where such a test is totally incapable of
reproducing the same field in the accessory and the cable as
an AC voltage produces, and leads to undesirable space
charges being left at the accessory/cable interface, which may
cause damage when the circuit is later energised with A.C.
Most circuit failures initially occur at accessories. These
failed accessories may then allow water to enter the cable
which may promote failure to the cable after new accessories
are fitted.
6.0 SERVICE CONDITIONS WHICH REDUCE CABLE
LIFE
6.1 Voltage surges
As with any electrical insulation, life expectancy is reduced
when the insulation is subjected to ‘over voltage’, in the form
of surges and impulses. It is recommended that appropriate
protection devices be installed and the nature and frequency
MNC-CIRED Asia Pacific Conference on MV Power Cable Technologies
of all such occurrences should be monitored and recorded, so
that protective measures can be installed.
6.2 Excess operating temperatures
Cables are designed for a maximum operating temperature of
90°C with limited overload periods as defined in the relevant
Standard. Changes in the environment, for example, depth of
cover, adjacent services and micro biological effects in the
soil, can increase operating temperatures and thus reduce
cable life. The circuit protection system also needs to ensure
adequate protection from excess current loading. The nature
of frequency of all such occurrences should be monitored and
recorded.
To protect the investment and ensure the life of the cable,
continuous monitoring of all key circuits using DTS should be
adopted whenever the reliability of these circuits is a critical
issue [9,12].
6.3 Adverse environmental conditions
Environmental conditions can adversely affect the conditions
for the cable. As mentioned above, microbiological effects
from fungus and bacteria can induce increases in soil
temperature thus affecting the temperature of the cable and
causing unseen overloads. Increases in the thermal
conductivity of the soil must be monitored and recorded.
6.4 Poor installation practices
The lifetime of cables is very much dependant on the cable
being installed correctly. Supervision/management and
adverse installation conditions may cause the cable to be
damaged, over tensioned, twisted, bending radii exceeded,
excessive sidewall pressure induced, over compaction of
backfill and other life threatening factors.
6.5 Compatibility of design for cable and accessories
Poor co-ordination of designs will result in incorrect or
incompatible accessories, fixing methods, stresses induced by
mechanical vibration, thermal movement and lack of
compensation for seismic conditions.
Although the materials used are selected to ensure their long
term resistance to UV and environmental stress cracking, it is
essential that correct methods of fixing and environmental
assessment be undertaken to ensure the materials are not
subjected to unforseen or unexpected stresses in service.
7.0 CONCLUSION
XLPE insulated cables have only been in existence for a
relatively short time, so a guaranteed lifetime is difficult to
assign without a clear knowledge of operating conditions. As
indicated above, defining an end of life for such cable
systems is subject to many factors and questions. Most of
these questions do not have a definitive answer, but we
certainly can say that technology has greatly improved since
the early XLPE insulated cables, and the problems these early
cables began to exhibit after 20 years or so in service have
been addressed. New designs will not experience such
problems. Ultimately, cable lifetime will be determined by a
6-8 September 05
combination of cable design and system design features,
installation methods and the myriad of operating
circumstances that the system is exposed to throughout its
lifetime, as well as the criteria used for defining end of life.
Overloading (overheating), over voltage, ground or support
movement, vibration, mechanical abuse/damage, water
immersion etc., will all have a deleterious effect, which will
possibly be cumulative and may, depending on severity, cause
immediate failure in one extreme, or an imperceptible
shortening of life on the other.
We would confidently predict cable lifetimes of at least 40
years for any modern XLPE insulated cable, and would
suggest that 60 years is not an unreasonable expectation if the
cables are correctly designed, installed and operated. This is
particularly so for those cable designs utilising water blocking
measures or where there is a welded or extruded corrosion
resistant moisture barrier.
Condition monitoring by DTS and the adoption of other
condition monitoring technologies as they become available,
are recommended as they will help ensure maximum lifetime
is achieved.
Cable manufacturer’s today are often able to offer a complete
service in terms of cable and accessory supply, system design,
project management, installation and on-line remote
monitoring all focused on providing long term performance of
the cable system, and are keen to provide recommendations
for any specific installation. In the attached Appendix 1, we
have listed some of the many questions that may need to be
addressed in selecting the best cable design for a project [13].
REFERENCES
[1] Guerts, Steennis, Poorts, Meijer, Kema Netherlands,
“Water diffusion through sheaths and its effects on
cable constructions”, JICABLE, Versailles, 1995.
[2] Barber, Olex Australia, “Underground MV Cable
Design”, Workshop 19, D2000, Sydney, November
1997.
[3] Katz, Walker, Cable Technology Laboratories, New
Jersey, “Evaluation of service aged EPR cables”,
International Wire and Cable Symposium
Proceedings, 1994.
[4] Xu, Gorton, University of Conneticut, “The
chemical composition of water trees in EPR cable
insulation”, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and
Electrical Insulation, Volume 1 No:1, 1994.
[5] Uematsu, Iwata, Irie, Fujii, The Furukawa Electric
Co., Japan “Bow-tie-tree in EPR cables after
accelerated water treeing test”, IEEE Transactions
on Power Delivery, Volume 7 No:4, 1992.
MNC-CIRED Asia Pacific Conference on MV Power Cable Technologies
[6] Caronia, Furno, Pong, Szaniszlo, Union Carbide
Corp, New Jersey, “Advances in TR- XLPE
insulation", IEEE Transmission and Distribution
Conference, New Orleans, 1999
[7] Barber, Olex Australia, “Moisture Barrier
Protection Screening & Armouring for HV & EHV
Cable”, presented at IPEC, Singapore 1993.
[8] Barber, Olex Australia, ‘Environmentally friendly
HV transmission systems”, 11th CEPSI
Conference, Malaysia 1996.
[9] Barber, Olex Australia, “New Technology in
Transmission Networks provides greater capacity
with better system reliability”, presented at
AESIEAP CEO’s Conference, Cebu, Philippines,
1999.
[10] Barber, Olex Australia, “Undergrounding
Transmission and Distribution Lines”
Australian Power Transmission & Distribution
Magazine, 2002.
[11] Barber, Marazzato, Olex Australia, “Designs &
Reliability of Underground Cables and
Systems” Australian Power Transmission &
Distribution Magazine, 2003.
[12] Barber, Barnewall, Olex Australia, “Condition
Monitoring” Australian Power Transmission &
Distribution Magazine, April 2003.
[13] Barber, Olex Australia, “The Challenge for
Undergrounding Electricity Supply” Pacific
Power Association, Fiji August 2004.
6-8 September 05
Ken Barber, General Manager –Engineering and
International Sales - Olex Australia
Ken Barber has been directly involved
in the cable sector for almost 40 years,
having worked in the United Kingdom,
India, Malaysia and Australia. He has
been responsible for Olex Cables’
development program in the past 28
years, including EHV cable
manufacture/installation. He has been
actively involved in the preparation of
cable standards for most of that time
and since 1984 has been Chairman of the Australian
Standards Committee for Insulated cables. Ken has for many
years, been a member of various international organizations
supporting the cable industry and is currently the Australian
representative on CIGRE Study Committee B1 - High
Voltage Cables and company representative on other
organizations such as AESIEAP.
He can be contacted at kbarber@olex.com.au
Hilary Marazzato, Engineering Manager - Cable Design
and Applications – Olex Australia
Hilary started with Olex Cables in
1979 within the Technical
Department, and has held a range of
positions in the Technical and
Engineering functions, including
software development, production
process development, management of the Electrical Test
facilities, and supervision of the QA functions. He has also
held the positions of Logistics Manager and Customer
Services Manager. During the 1990's, Hilary was the
Engineering Manager for Energy Cables with responsibility
to manage product design and development. Since 1998,
Hilary has had the responsibility for Cable Design and
Applications.
Throughout this time Hilary has been involved with
Standards Australia in the preparation of cable standards for
high voltage and industrial/mining cables and is the
Australian member of the IEC Working Group for power
cables.
Hilary is author of several papers covering high voltage cable
design and applications, both for underground and for aerial
installations.
Hilary is an Electrical Engineer who has also completed a
Graduate Diploma in Manufacturing Management and an
MBA with RMIT.
MNC-CIRED Asia Pacific Conference on MV Power Cable Technologies 6-8 September 05

APPENDIX 1.
(Issues should be discussed at a cable workshop or project review)

Review of specific cable and accessory designs to achieve better performance

1. Waterblocking of Conductors

Question: Should conductors for underground cables be water-blocked to avoid water travelling
along the cable?

Problem appears to be at the time of installation when the cable is cut but appropriate end caps are not
fitted. Also, if a cable fault occurs due to damage or failure of a joint. This is a serious problem in
tropical areas. This has not been of concern to Supply Authorities in the past because appropriate work
practices have insisted on cables having special mastic filled heat shrink caps applied, however problems
are occurring with increasing use of contractors, or poorly trained staff. Similar problems have occurred
in the USA which has lead to significant demand for water-blocking of underground cables in that
country. This applies to both copper and aluminium conductors.

Issues:-
(a) What is the extent of the problem, or likelihood, of water in conductors?
(b) Effect on cable cost of inclusion of water-blocking.
(c) Effect on jointing, termination, accessories, changed work practices.
(d) What are the problems with solid conductors?

2. Cable Design – Single or Three Core

Question: Should cables be single core or 3-core?

There is an increasing emphasis on reducing costs of cable for underground distribution. In the USA where
circuit isolation is carried out using load break elbows and padmount equipment, single core cables are
standard practice, however, this is not standard practice in this region.

Single core cables can be cost-effective where impedance earthed systems are used which require relatively small
screens sizes so that the cost for three core cables is economical. This is also true for large conductor sized cables.
Single core cables are more easily water-blocked.

For 11kV systems, trend is to 3-phase cables. At higher voltages and higher fault levels, this issue of
circulatory current in large screens of single core cable is a significant factor. The subject therefore of 3-core vs
single core is an important issue.

Issues:-
(a) For LV cables, what is the best design – Stranded or solid conductor?
(b) Where should 3 core cables be specified – 11-33kV?
(c) Is there a need to use filler materials to make 3-core cables circular?

3. Direct-Buried or In-Conduit Systems

Question: Which is best system, direct-buried or in-conduit and what is the impact on cable design?

Should one adopt direct-buried or an in-conduit system? In-conduit systems might enable simpler, low
cost cable designs to be used. In many densely populated cities conduit systems are the only appropriate
form of cabling, as it is impossible to take advantage of longer drum lengths with direct-buried systems.
Due to frequent presence of water in ducts, perhaps it becomes necessary to apply water barriers into the
cable.
On the other hand, there is an increasing interest in direct-burying using modern installation methods.
MNC-CIRED Asia Pacific Conference on MV Power Cable Technologies 6-8 September 05

Issues:-
(a) Appropriate designs of cable for the particular method of installation.
(b) Cost difference in cables for the different applications, e.g. tough cables for direct-buried and lighter
cables for in-conduit applications.
(c) Possibility of lower design performance suitable for direct ploughing in or long lengths of cable for
rural Electrification.
(d) Experience with cables used with direct plough or directional boring.
(f) What is the effect of water in conduits?
(g) Would it be better to apply water barriers in cable to be installed in conduits?

4. Cable Accessories

Question: What factors need to be considered when selecting cable accessories?

With increasing variation in cable designs, accessories need to accommodate these changes. Examples are
transition from conventional paper cables to XLPE cables and from various designs of XLPE cable
including transition from Copper to Aluminium. In particular, cases where two different installation
techniques are used, e.g., connection of submarine to land cables, EPR to XLPE, 3-core to single core.

Issues:-
(a) Experience with performance of cable accessories in harsh operating environments common in Asia
and Australia (i.e. UV, humidity and rainfall, temperature, high water tables, airborne pollution).
(b) Transition jointing
(c) Performance testing
(d) Connector design
(e) Water blocking at joints

5. Tree-Retardant Polymeric Insulation

Question: Should tree-retardant XLPE or EPR be specified for cable insulation?

With the high degree of concern that has been experienced with water-treeing in some parts of the world, in
particular, the USA, there is a trend in specifications to call up either tree-retardant XLPE or EPR. What
are the various merits of specifying tree-retardant XLPE compared with standard XLPE for medium
voltage underground cables? There are economic and technical issues in respect of these insulants.
Experience in New Zealand, using TR-XLPE in single and three core cable, shows no detrimental effects
nor special precautions necessary.

Issues:-
(a) Application of these materials at this time.
(b) Field experience
(c) Cost impact of these materials ?

6. Design of Cables for Wet Environments

Question: What type of sheathing and/or other protection should be applied to cable where ground
conditions are known to be wet?

In many parts of this region cables are being installed on reclaimed land with a high water table or in flood
prone areas. There are concerns about the poor performance of cables sheathed only with PVC. The use of
water swellable tapes under the sheath and replacement of PVC by Polyethylene is now more common.
Should metallic moisture barriers be used for MV cables and what is the practical performance of PVC and
Polyethylene sheathed cables in these environments?

Issues:-
(a) What are the current practices in the region for cabling in these environments?
(b) Are there any clear trends from international experience?
MNC-CIRED Asia Pacific Conference on MV Power Cable Technologies 6-8 September 05

7. Armouring

Question: Is metallic armouring required for MV cable in other than submarine applications?

Past practice was to armour all MV cables and this was done to protect the lead sheath of paper insulated
cables during installation and provide protection from damage predominantly by persons with hand held
equipment.

With the introduction of mechanical plant, many authorities do not now specify armouring for underground cables.
This practice is not, however, uniform throughout the region.

Issues:-
(a) Cases where armouring is still required
(b) Type of armouring now considered appropriate for various applications where armouring is essential
(c) Use of armouring a screening medium

8. Field Testing

Question: Should D.C. be used for testing of polymeric MV cables after installation?

There is now considerable concern about the possible damage caused to otherwise sound polymeric cable by D.C.
testing. Research has shown that space charges caused by D.C. testing may induce cable and accessory failures.

Issues:-
(a) What test methods should be used for testing MV cable after installation or after specific service life?
(b) Practical experience with D.C. testing
(c) Are any diagnostic testing solutions for assessing cables currently in service?

9. Cable Identification

Question: How can cables be identified and traced to identify manufacturing records?

There is a greater interest in having available, complete details for cables for purposes of traceability.

Issues:-
(a) Cable identification is provided either on the cable;
(b) On the cable drum
(c) How information can be retained for future reference

10. Combined Communication and Power Cables

Question: Can, or should, optical fibres be included in power cables?

With the greater trend for deregulation there are calls for inclusion of optical fibre cables within power cables.
Previously such trends were avoided due to difficulties with jointing of optical fibre cables at places where the power
cables are jointed. There are now possible solutions which may make the inclusion of optical fibre cables in power
cables attractive so that single cable may be attractive.

Issues:-
(a) What are typical applications?
(b) Experience to date