Cables for 3 phase service

Belted Cables

Screened cable
H- type

Solid Type cables

Pressurized cables
1. Oil filled cables

 Gas pressure cable

Insulation resistance of single core cable

The path of leakage current is radial through insulation For satisfactory operation, insulation resistance should be very high. r1 conductor radius r2 internal sheath radius l l length of the cable resistivity of the insualtion

 Consider a small layer of insulation thickness dx at a radius x Length through leakage current tends to flow is dx The area of cross section offered to this flow is 2xl

Capacitance of a single core cable

Cable can be considered as two long co axial cylinder Inner cylinder conductor Outer cylinder lead sheath at earth potential Consider conductor diameter is d Inner sheath diameter is D Charge per metre axial length of the cable be Q coulombs permittivity of the insulation material between core and lead sheath.

 Consider a cylinderof radius x metres and axial length one metre. The surface area of this cylinder is 2x *1=2x m2

Dielectric stress in a single core cable

Under operating conditions, the insulation of a cable is subjected to electrostatic forces. This is known as dielectric stress. The dielectric stress at any point is the potential gradient at that point. Core diameter d Internal sheath diameter D The electric field intensity at apoint x metres from the centre of the cable is

 The electric field intensity at apoint x metres from the centre of the cable is

potential difference between Conductor and sheath is

 Potential gradient varies inversely as the distance x. Potential gradient is maximum when x is min. When x=d/2 or at the surface of the conductor Potential gradient will be minimum when x is max. When x=D/2 or at the sheath surface

Grading of cables
The process of achieving uniform electrostatic stress in the dielectric of cables is known as grading of cables. Unequal stress distribution in a cable is undesirable for the following reasons. 1. Insulation of greater thickness is required which increases the cable size. 2. It may lead to the breakdown of insulation. Two methods of grading are
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. Homogeneous dielectric is replaced by a composite dielectric. The composite dielectric consists of various layers of different dielectrics in such a manner that relative permittivity of any layer is inversely proportional to its distance from the centre. Two or three layers of dielectric are used in the decreasing order of permittivity The dielectric of highest permittivity being used near the core.

 Three dielectrics of outer diameter d1, d2 and D and the relative permittivity 1 , 2 ,and 3 respectively 1 > 2 > 3 and three dielectrics are worked at the same maximum stress.

 Potential difference across the inner layer is

Intersheath grading
In this method of grading, a homogeneous dielectric is used, but it is divided into various layers by placing metallic intersheaths between the core and lead sheath. d cable core diameter D outer lead sheath diameter Two intersheath diameter d1 and d2 V1 voltage between core and intersheath 1 V2 voltage between intersheath 1 and intersheath 2 V3 voltage between intersheath 2 and outer lead sheath