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Cable fault is referring to something that occurs current cant flow
smoothly. It is because open circuit or short circuit that means the
current flow is high value.
INTRODUCTION
CABLE FAULTS
Most faults are caused by dampness in the paper insulation of the
cable due to porous or otherwise damaged lead sheath. The
causes of damage to the lead sheath are: crystallization of the lead
through vibration; chemical action on the lead when buried in the
earth and insufficiently protected; and mechanical damage.
Main equipment to determine cable fault is ohmmeter. Beside
that, a few test can be done to determine cable faults such as:
1. Continuity Test
2. Insulation Resistance Test
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The faults which are most likely to occur in the cables are:-
1. Ground or Earth Faults (Break-down of cable insulation)
When the insulation of the cable gets damaged, the current starts flowing
from core to earth or to cable sheath.
2. Short Circuit Faults
When the insulation between two cables or between two cores of a multi-
core cable gets damaged, the current starts flowing from one cable to
another cable or from one core to another core of a multi-core cable
directly (without passing through load)
3. Open Circuit Faults
When the conductor of a cable is broken or joint is pulled out there is no
current in the cable.
TYPES OF CABLE FAULTS
PROCEDURE TO FIND CABLE FAULT
To find the cable faults, it has four steps, that is:-
1. Testing
a. Continuity Test open circuit faults
b. Insulation Test short circuit faults
2. Locating cable fault test from terminal cables
To find length of faults from testing station
3. Confirmation fault point test
To find actual location faults
4. Repair the fault
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CABLE FAULTS TEST
Continuity Test
Continuity test is to checking open circuit of cable faults. Usually, this
test uses a bell and battery or multimeter. This test is dividing to two
types, that is:
1. Short alignment
2. Long alignment
Short Alignment
Using a bell and battery. This test is used for conduit types. For testing CC
1
cables, a connection is jointed between C and C
1
through a bell and battery. If
a bell ringing, the cable in continues condition, and the cable is marked with
C
1
, if the bell not ringing, the cable is not in continues condition. For A and B
cable, the same method is used to test cable condition.
Figure 7.1: Short alignment for Continuity Test
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Figure 7.2: Long alignment for Continuity Test
Long Alignment
Figure 7.2, the method is suitable to use for long cable. For
cable A, B and C, choose a pair of cable, for example cable A
and B will be connected with tester while the end of the same
cable with short circuit. If the test shows an open circuit, the
end of the cable will change with another pair and the circuit
will test again.
If a low reading is detected, so the cables are label with A
1
or
B
1
. Then, connect one of the cables with another cable for
example cable A and B, and test with the same method. If
reading is low, so cable A and C will detect and right. Thus,
the cable will label clearly. The same method can be done for
another cable in the same alignment.
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Insulation resistance is resistance that measured in ohm units
between live part of equipment and earth for installation.
Resistance will measured through insulation that covered
conductor.
Insulation Resistance Test
Used to test short circuit and thickness of insulator. One of the
equipment to short circuit test is insulator resistance tester. In this
test, a few tests on installation must be made before connect to
supply.
Insulation Resistance Test
Earth Installation test
The test is made with all fuses stay at their place. The main switch must
be switch off. Switch off all lamps and test it by separately. Insulation
that measured to the earth must less than 1M and range for the
equipment made in difference must less than 0.5M to the earth and
0.5M between polar and phase.
Voltage test
Need to test the voltage that used for Insulation resistance test. If the
used voltage is DC voltage, it must less than two times normally DC
voltage and if the used voltage is AC voltage, it must less than two times
normal Vrms; but not more than 500v for medium voltage circuit.
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Figure 7.3: Insulation resistance test for
finish installation
Figure 7.3 shown connections
for insulation resistance to
earth testing 2 wires installation
that finish with other lamp and
feel off other equipment.
Both of the cable to main
switch twist together and
connected to line terminal at
ohmmeter. Earth terminal for
ohmmeter connect to user
earthing.
The terminals for two way
switches must be connected
together for a few times.
Figure 4: Insulation Resistance Testing of Electric Kettle
Heating equipment shall be tested
separately, and Figure 4 shows an
example of tests made on the
electric kettle.
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Figure 7.5: Testing between conductors for 2 cables of single installation
Testing between two conductor.
Connect to pole or phase supply
and between conductors to other
pole or phase supply. Insulation
resistance must be less than
1M.
Figure 7.5 is an example of
insulation resistance test between
conductors.
Murray loop test, Varley loop test and Pulse Echo test are simple
and basic method to localize cable fault testing. This method used
basic equipment that obtained easily.
These tests are performed for the location of either an earth fault or
short circuit fault in underground cable. In these tests the
resistance of fault does not affect the results obtained except when
the resistance of fault is very high.
There are two loop tests usually used and are known as Murray
Loop and Varley Loop Test. These tests emply the principle of
Wheatstone bridge.
LOCALIZATION CABLE FAULT TEST
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The connection diagrams to locate earth fault and short circuit fault
by Murray loop test method are shown in Figure 7.6 respectively. As
already said Wheatstone bridge principle is used in these tests. P
and Q are two ratio arms consisting of step resistors or slide wire, G
is a galvanometer, E is a battery and S
1
is a battery key.
In this method, a sound cable is connected to a faulty cable for find
actual happen fault. Figure 7.6 is connection method of Murray Loop
Test.
Murray Loop Test
Figure 7.6: Murray Loop Test Circuit.
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Procedures:
End of the faulty cable (assume F is a location fault) was connected
with a sound cable from F to b location test through D connector.
At location test, end of cable a connected to b through a
galvanometer and S
1
switch. Bridge is balanced by adjusting the
resistances of ratio arms P and Q until the galvanometer indicates
zero.
Assume the sound and faulty cable have same cross-section and
lenght, thereby r /m is same.
In balanced condition of bridge:
If L be known, so Lx can be calculate, that is distance of cable
fault from test station.
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If L and r of sound and faulty cable is not same, so the formula
above will be change. Assume

r = resistance/lenght unit of sound cable

L = length of sound cable
Example:
Murray loop is a variation of the Wheatstone bridge is used to determine
the location of the shorted two wires between them.
(i) Refer to the diagram below, show the following equation when
equilibrium.
(ii) Calculate the distance of fault from a test station where the balance is
found when L
1
= 50km, L
2
= 100km, R
1
= 3.3 / m, R
2
= 10 /m, A/B =
8/1
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In this test also a sound cable is required in addtion to the existing cable. The
circuit diagrams to determine the location of ground fault and short circuit
fault by method of Varley loop tests are shown Figure below,
Varley Loop Test
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When the switch is in position (a), S is adjusted so that the bridge
resistors in a balanced situation. Suppose that in a balanced situation is
found S = S1.
When the switch is in position (b), S is adjusted so that the bridge
resistors in a balanced situation. Suppose that in a balanced situation
is found S = S2
Solve equation (1) and (2)
Example:
For cable fault test using Varley loop, when the switch is placed in position
1, the variable resistance, S is adjusted to a value of 50 to achieve a
balance bridge. When the switch is placed at 2, equilibrium occurs when S
is 35. Find the distance fault location from the source if the cable is 25km
long, given fault cable resistance is 15/km, P = Q = 150 and 200 .
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Cable line in underground has a coating act as absorption or
moisture blocker into insulator cable or main cable conductor.
This moisture or underground water will make problem because
the water usually acided and grounded cable will be fault.
Pulse Echo Test is to find fault cable in grounded coating cable
with identified the location that directly detect with ground.
PULSE ECHO TEST
Procedure:
Connect a battery at end to end faulty cable. (The current will flow
along conductor to location fault, from location fault to earth and
then from earth to other terminals battery. Current can be imaging
like it flowing out from location fault to surround ways.)
Put voltmeter probe at two points such as in Figure 7.10. Positive
or negative value will be obtained, it depend on flowing current in
ground that fault happen.
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Move the voltmeter along the cable until the value of current
change ways. the point that the current changes the way shown
actual location faulty happen.