Ducab Powerplus™

Ducab
Powerplus™
Medium Vo l t a g e
Cable Systems

Contents

SECTION PAGE

1. About Ducab 1

2. Introduction 2

3. Ducab’s New HV Cables Facility 3-5

4. Testing and Quality 6- 9

5. Cable Selection 10 - 13

6. Cable Data 14 - 67

Cable Data Look-up Table 16 - 17

7. Technical Data and Rating Factors 68 - 75

8. Ducab Connect Components & Accessories 76 - 93

9. Drum Handling Instructions 94 - 95

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About Ducab
Ducab, (Dubai Cable Company (Pvt) Ltd.), is the leading
manufacturer of electric cables in the Middle East. Established in
1979, the company is owned by the Governments of Dubai and
Abu Dhabi (35 % each) and the BICC Group (30%).
Ducab produces Ducab Powerplus™ medium voltage
cables up to 33 kV, and plans to extend to 132 kV during 2000.
The Ducab product range also covers low voltage power cables,
control and auxiliary cables, wiring cables, as well as lead
sheathed cables for the oil, gas and petrochemical industry, and
Ducab Smokemaster™ Low Smoke and Fume cables for
projects where safety is paramount.
Ducab’s aim is to produce electric cables of the highest
quality and provide customer service that is unequalled in the
Gulf region. Quality and customer service are two of the main
obsessions of Ducab. Access to the leading edge technology in
processing, manufacturing, engineering and in materials,
available from the BICC Group, gives Ducab the ability to
maintain the highest standards of quality.

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I n t ro d u c t i o n
his brochure contains technical information covering the
T Ducab Powerplus™ range of XLPE insulated medium
voltage cables rated up to U0/U = 18/30kV i.e., equivalent to
33kV rating of the BritishStandards. The applicable standards
are IEC 60502-2 and BS 6622. The latter part of this publication
provides details of suitable cable joints and accessories so that
a complete medium voltage cable system can be designed and
purchased.
The Ducab Powerplus™ cable range includes copper
and aluminium conductors in a range of voltages with a choice
of single or three core armoured and unarmoured, a range of
sheathing, screening, taping and armouring options. To locate
particular voltages and cable designs and eliminate errors a
look-up guide has been included (see pages 16 & 17). This acts
as a guide to the cable data for the Ducab Powerplus™ range
of cables set out in pages 14 - 67.
Technical Data is covered in pages 68 - 75 whilst cable
components and accessories are set out in pages 76 - 93, and
include a full range of joints, terminations, glands, connectors
and fixings which are available ex stock from Ducab Connect.
Cable handling instructions appear in pages 94 - 95.
The cable designs in this brochure are to IEC 60502-2 and
in most parts to BS 6622. Ducab can however also supply a
range of alternative designs to meet more specialised customer
needs including water blocking, Ducab Smokemaster™ to
BS 7835 and enhanced fire performance. Alternative sheathing
materials and colours can also be manufactured along with
cables to individual customer specifications.

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The Most Advanced High Vo l t a g e

Cable Manufacturing Facility
in The Middle East

The design of Ducab's new High Voltage cables facility, opened in 1999, draws on the experience of the BICC Group and the new
manufacturing plant comprises a new Nextrom completely dry nitrogen curing and cooling line, as well as new wire-drawing, stranding,
laying up, taping and armouring, and sheathing equipment.

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Superior Product Quality

t h rough Advanced Te c h n o l o g y

Material Handling
To ensure a very high degree of cleanliness, Ducab
uses only ultra-clean insulation materials and has
installed a material handling system that provides a
completely sealed path from the container in which
the material is received from the supplier to the
extruder. The features include:
• Gravity feed: The material is directly delivered
from the supplier's box to the extruder
• Clean box system to ensure materials are
completely contamination free
• State-of-the-art pellet inspection system which
rejects contamination - one of the only lines in the
world to have this extra feature

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State of the Art Core

Insulating Process
Ducab’s new facility incorporates
• CDCC - Completely dry curing and cooling technology.
• Triple head extrusion to ensure smooth and uniform
interface between the insulation and screen layers
• X- ray measurement of the thickness and concentricity of
each extruded layer.
• Inline inspection of product quality .
• Advanced line control and process support systems
ensuring real time control of over 50 parameters
on the line
• Cure prediction programme using the latest computer
software to optimise the curing process.

Ducab HV Product Advantages

• Minimal risk of water treeing and premature cable failure.
• Long service life and discharge free insulation.
• Superior insulation/screen interface.
• Precision control of product dimensions.

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Te s t i n g

The Most Advanced Testing Facility for HV Cables

In addition to massive investment in world class production facilities for
high voltage cables, Ducab recognises the critical importance of cable
testing and has installed a new, state-of-the-art, testing facility.
All cables are electrically tested as per specified requirements in
accordance with IEC 60502 and other international standards. The new HV
facility, supplied by Haefely of Switzerland, can supply much higher
voltages than the standard norm of 4 times the rated voltage, for cables up
to 33kV.
To screen out electric interference from the factory, Ducab has installed
an electrostatically screened room in which discharge and other testing is
carried out. The new testing facility includes:
* A new 250 kV/5MVA resonance test set.
* A dedicated, separate power supply.
* Different terminating facilities.
* Partial discharge testing equipment, giving results normally less than
1 pico-Coulomb, the lowest levels achieved anywhere in the world.
Ducab supports its designs with short and long term testing and cables
are subjected to tests that simulate actual environmental conditions. For
example, accelerated ageing of cable is achieved by applying a cyclic
voltage, at several times the rated voltage at elevated temperatures.

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Quality

Ducab
W h e re Quality is a Way of Life
The definition of quality in Ducab goes far beyond the conformance of product to specified
requirements. Ducab is committed to providing the customer with total quality excellence of product and
service that fully meets expectations and is superior in value to that which can be obtained elsewhere.
Since its inception, Ducab has an unrivaled reputation for quality in the region. For many years the
company has worked to raise quality awareness in Dubai and throughout the Gulf. The company’s Quality
Management System was certified to ISO 9002 in 1993 and upgraded in 1995 to the new, more stringent
ISO 9001 : 1994 standard. Ducab was the first cable company in the Middle East to achieve this distinction.
In 1997, Ducab became the first manufacturing company in the Middle East to obtain the ISO 14001
environmental certification.
Ducab is also the only cable manufacturer in the Middle East to obtain product type approval of a range
of low voltage cables to British Standards by BASEC (The BritishApprovals Service for Cables). This
approval is only awarded to manufacturers who meet the requirements of BS ENISO 9000 Quality
Management Standard and certified by BASEC.

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Quality Assurance
Ducab’s quality management system is certified for conformance to ISO 9001 Standard by BASEC, a reputed UKAS
accredited certification body specialising in the cable industry.
Ducab’s medium voltage cables have been accepted as world class following the type testing and certification of
several products by the KEMAHigh Voltage Laboratory in the Netherlands. Type testing included the requirements of the
IEC 60502-2 standard and some of the stringent provisions of BS 6622: 1999 standard. 11kV and 33kV cables tested by
KEMA consistently exhibited discharge-free characteristics. These cables also withstood Basic Impulse Levels of 95kV
and 195kV respectively as against 75kV and 175kV specified in IEC 60502-2.
Ducab’s high voltage test facility includes modern, highly sensitive partial discharge test equipment, situated in a fully
screened room. For materials and in-process cable tests, well-equipped laboratories, manned by experienced and trained
personnel are available. A separate cable fire test facility exists for IEC 332 Pt. 3, smoke density and other tests.
Ducab’s excellence in quality was recognised when the company was awarded the Dubai Quality Award, in the very
first year of its inception, in 1994, and by Ducab winning the award again in 1998. In 1997, the Gulf Excellence Award was
presented toDucab and at the presentation ceremony, Ducab was referred to as “The University of Quality
Improvement in the Gulf Region” .

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Cable Selection
It is essential that any design of a cable system selected for a particular project or a distribution system is suitable for its
intended use. Choice needs to be based on a range of factors including installation specifications, local regulations and the
required performance characteristics, some of which are shown below:
• normal current load
• maximum fault current and its duration under fault conditions
• voltage grade
• subsoil conditions for underground installations e.g., presence of water, soil temperature and thermal resistivity,
possible attack of rodents, termites etc.
• cable fire performance requirements
• compatibility with an existing distribution system
In the tables in the next section, cable constructions and performance features correspond to IEC 60502-2 Standard and
Ducab’s in-house quality norms.

Cable Design and Construction

CONDUCTORS
The conductors of all Ducab’s HVand MV cables, both copper and aluminium, with the exception of very large sizes of
800sq mm and above, are all HCC + ™ design.
These are highly compacted and concentric conductors and offer the following advantages:
* Smaller overall size
* Smoother conductor/conducting screen interface
Conductors of 800 sq mm and above, are plain stranded and wrapped with penetration resistant semi-conductive tape prior
to passage through the triple extrusion line.
All conductors comply with the requirements of IEC 228, Class 2.
CONDUCTOR SCREEN
This is a layer of crosslinkable semi-conducting compound extruded directly over the conductor during the XLPE insulation
extrusion.
INSULATION
All Ducab’s MV and HV cables feature DFI ™ XLPEinsulation which is virtually discharge free, ensuring a long and trouble-
free service life.
The insulation is extruded and dry cured to meet the requirements of the standards and/or customer specification. A high
degree of concentricity is assured through the use of x-ray monitoring device during extrusion. The XLPEinsulation is capable
of operation continuously at 90˚C.
INSULATION S CREEN
This is a layer of cross-linkable semi-conducting compound extruded directly over the insulation at the same time when
the conductor screen and XLPE insulation are extruded. This semi-conducting screen is cold strippable but fully bonded
screens may be provided, if specified.

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Cable Selection
METALLIC S CREEN
The metallic screen can be a helically applied copper tape or a number of copper wires applied with a lay or a combination
of tape and wires applied over the semi-conducting screen. The metallic screen provides the earth fault current path and it is of
a cross section designed as per customer’s performance specification.
In case of three core cables, phase identification tapes (red/yellow/blue) are generally longitudinally applied under the
metallic screen.
LAYING UP

In the case of three core cables, the three cores identified as red, yellow and blue are laid up together with polypropylene
string fillers at the interstices between the three cores. A binder e.g., polyester tape is wrapped round the assembly to form a
compact circular cable during this process.
B EDDING SHEATH
Black polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or Polyethylene (PE) Compound is extruded over the laid up 3 core cable or on the screened
single core cables.
ARMOURING
This process is not applicable if an unarmoured cable is specified. If armour is required, then following variations are
possible:
• Single Core Cables:
Aluminium armour wires applied all round the cable with a lay.
• Three Core Cables:
a) Galvanised Steel Wires applied all round the cable with a lay.
b) Galvanised Steel Tapes applied helically to provide coverage all round the cable.
OVERSHEATH
This is an extruded layer of black PVC (Type ST2) or PE (Type ST 3 or ST7) as required by customer specification. The
oversheath has an embossed legend in two or more lines appropriate for the cable.
SPECIAL FEATURES
The cable as a whole or its specific cores or other design elements can vary in a number of ways to meet specific customer
needs. The following are some examples, and by no means an exhaustive list of special features possible:
• Longitudinal and radial water blocking of conductors, cores or complete cable.
• Extra water-tree retardant XLPE insulation
• Lead sheath construction
• PVC oversheath with:
a) reduced flame propagation (RP) and low HCL(LHCL) emission properties
b) anti-termite properties
• Ducab Smokemaster™ Low Smoke and Fume construction using zero-halogen bedding and oversheath
• Oversheath of red colour with sulphide-resistant and/or UV resistant properties
• Graphite coated oversheath
• Embossed legend as per customer specification
• Metre length marking

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Cable Data
The following data sheets cover a range of cables based on the IEC Specification 60502-2. Cables to other
specifications and with special features such as lead sheaths, water swelling fillers, water blocking tapes and graphite
coatings can also be supplied.

For all cables the maximum conductor operating temperature is 90˚C and the limiting conductor temperature after short
circuit is 250˚C.

To locate a cable of a specific voltage rating and design, please refer to the look-up table on pages 16 & 17.

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 Look-up Ta b l e Ducab Powerplus™
Single Core Aluminium Wire
Copper Armoured Steel Wire
Three Core
Steel Tape
3.6/6(7.2kV)
Single Core Aluminium Wire
Aluminium Armoured Steel Wire
Three Core
Steel Tape

Single Core Aluminium Wire

Copper Armoured Steel Wire
Three Core Steel Tape
6/10(12kV)
Single Core Aluminium Wire
Aluminium Armoured Steel Wire
Three Core Steel Tape

Single Core Aluminium Wire

Copper Armoured Steel Wire
Three Core
Steel Tape

8.7/15(17.5kV)
Single Core Aluminium Wire
Aluminium Armoured Three Core Steel Wire
Steel Tape

Single Core Aluminium Wire

Copper Armoured Three Core Steel Wire
Steel Tape

12/20(24kV) Single Core Aluminium Wire

Aluminium Armoured Steel Wire
Three Core
Steel Tape

Single Core Aluminium Wire

Copper Armoured Steel Wire
Three Core
Steel Tape

18/30(36kV)
Single Core Aluminium Wire
Aluminium Armoured Three Core Steel Wire
Steel Tape

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Page 20 Single Core Page 18
Page 21 Unarmoured Three Core Page 19
Page 22

Page 45 Single Core Page 43

Page 46 Unarmoured Three Core Page 44
Page 47

Page 25 Single Core Page 23

Page 26 Unarmoured Three Core Page 24
Page 27

Page 50 Single Core Page 48

Page 51 Unarmoured Three Core Page 49
Page 52

Page 30 Single Core Page 28

Page 31 Unarmoured Three Core Page 29
Page 32

Page 55 Single Core Page 53

Page 56 Unarmoured Three Core Page 54
Page 57

Page 35 Single Core Page 33

Page 36 Unarmoured Three Core Page 34
Page 37

Page 60 Single Core Page 58

Page 61 Unarmoured Three Core Page 59
Page 62

Page 40 Single Core Page 38

Page 41 Unarmoured Three Core Page 39
Page 42

Page 65 Single Core Page 63

Page 66 Unarmoured Three Core Page 64
Page 67

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