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ShieldingOfPowerCables|EEP

ShieldingOfPowerCables
Mediumandhighvoltagepowercables,incircuitsover2000volts,usuallyhavea
shieldlayerofcopperoraluminumtapeorconductingpolymer.Ifanunshielded
insulatedcableisincontactwithearthoragroundedobject,theelectrostaticfield
aroundtheconductorwillbeconcentratedatthecontactpoint,resultingincorona
discharge,andeventualdestructionoftheinsulation.
Aswell,leakagecurrentand capacitivecurrent throughtheinsulationpresentsa
dangerofelectricalshock.Thegroundedshieldequalizeselectricalstressaround
theconductor,divertsanyleakagecurrenttoground.Besuretoapplystressrelief/
conesattheshieldends,especiallyforcablesoperatingatmorethan2Kvtoearth.

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Shieldsonpowercablesareconnectedtoearthgroundateachshieldendandat
splicesforredundancytopreventshockeventhoughinducedcurrentwillflowinthe
SHARE
shield.Thiscurrentwillproducelossesandheatingandwillreducethemaximum
currentratingofthecircuit.Testsshowthathavingabaregroundingconductoradjacenttotheinsulatedwireswill

conductthefaultcurrenttoearthquicker.Onhighcurrentcircuitstheshieldsmightbeconnectedonlyatoneend.

Onverylonghighvoltagecircuits,theshieldmaybebrokenintoseveralsectionssincealongshieldrunmayriseto
dangerousvoltagesduringacircuitfault.However,theshockhazardofhavingonlyoneendoftheshieldgrounded

mustbeevaluatedfortherisk!

Shieldingofanelectricpowercableisaccomplishedbysurroundingtheassemblyorinsulationwithagrounded,
conductingmedium.Thisconfinesthedielectricfieldtotheinsideofthisshield.
Twodistincttypesofshieldsareused:
Metallic
Nonmetallic

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Thepurposesoftheinsulationshieldareto:
Obtainsymmetricalradialstressdistributionwithhtheinsulation.
Eliminatetangentialandlongitudinalstressesonthesurfaceoftheinsulation.
Excludefromthedielectricfieldthosematerialssuchasbraids,tapes,andfillersthatarenotintendedas
insulation.
Protectthecablesfrominducedordirectavervoltages.Shieldsdothisbymakingthesurgeimpedanceuniform
alongthelengthofthecableandbyhelpingtoattenuatesurgepotentials.

ConductorShielding
PaperInsulatedCable

Incablesratedover2,000volts,aconductorshieldisrequiredbyindusby
standards.Thepurposeofthesemiconducting,alsocalledscreening,
materialovertheconductoristoprovideasmoothcylinderratherthanthe
relativelyroughsurfaceofastrandedconductorinordertoreducethe
stressconcentrationattheinterfacewiththeinsulation.Conductorshielding
hasbeenusedforcableswithbothlaminarandextrudedinsulations.
Thematerialsusedareeithersemiconductingmaterialsoronesthathavea
highdielectricconstantandareknownasstresscontrolmaterials.Both
servethesamefunctionofstressreduction.
Conductorshieldsforpaperinsulatedcablesareeithercarbonblack
tapesormetallizedpapertapes.Theconductorshieldmgmaterialswere
originallymadeofsemiconductingtapesthatwerehelicallywrappedover
theconductor.Presentstandardsstillpermitsuchatapeoverthe
conductor.Thisisdone,especiallyonlargeconductors,inordertoholdthe
strandstogetherfirmlyduringtheapplicationoftheextruded
semiconductingmaterialthatisnowrequiredformediumvoltagecables.
Experiencewithcablesthatonlyhadasemiconductingtapewasnot
satisfactory,sotheindustrychangedtheirrequirementstocallforan

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extrudedlayerovertheconductor.
Inextrudedcables,thislayerisnowextrudeddirectlyovertheconductor
andisbondedtotheinsulationlayerthatisappliedoverthisstressrelief
layer.Itisextremelyimportantthattherebenovoidsorextraneous
materialbetweenthosetwolayers.
Presentdayextrudedlayersarenotonlyclean(freefromundesirable
impurities)butareverysmoothandround.Thishasgreatlyreducedthe
formationofwatertressthatcouldoriginatefromirregularsurfaces.By
extrudingthetwolayersatthesametime,theconductorshieldandthe
insulationarecuredatthesametime.Thisprovidestheinseparablebond
thatminimizesthechancesoftheformationofavoidatthecritical
interface.Forcompatibilityreasons,theextrudedshieldinglayerisusually
madefromthesameorasimilarpolymerastheinsulation.Specialcarbon
blackisusedtomakethelayerovertheconductorsemiconductingto
providethenecessaryconductivity.Industrystandardsrequirethatthe
conductorsemiconductingmaterialhaveamaximumresistivityof1,000
meterohms.Thosestandardsalsorequirethatthismaterialpassalong
timestabilitytestforresistivityattheemergencyoperatingtemperature
leveltoinsurethatthelayerremainsconductiveandhenceprovidesalong
cablelife.
Awaterimperviousmaterialcanbeincorporatedaspartoftheconductor
shieldtopreventradialmoisturetransmission.Thislayerconsistsofathin
layerofaluminumorleadsandwichedbetweensemiconductingmaterial.A
similarlaminatemaybeusedforaninsulationshieldforthesamereason.
Thereisnodefinitivestandardthatdescribestheclassofextrudableshieldingmaterialsknownassupersmooth,
superclean.Itisnotusuallypracticaltouseamanufacturerstradenameorproductnumbertodescribeany
material.Thetermsupersmooth,supercleanistheonlywayatthiswritingtodescribeaclassofmaterialthat
providesahigherqualitycablethananearlierversion.Thisisonlyanacademicissuesincetheoldertypeof
materialsarenolongerusedformediumvoltagecableconstructionbyknownsuppliers.Thepointisthatthese
newermaterialshavetremendouslyimprovedcableperformanceinlaboratoryevaluations.
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InsulationShieldingForMediumVoltageCables
Theinsulationshieldforamediumvoltagecableismadeupoftwocomponents:
Semiconductingorstressrelieflayer
Metalliclayeroftapeortap,drainwires,concentricneutralwires,orametaltube.
Theymustfunctionasaunitforacabletoachievealongservicelife

StressReliefLayer
Thepolymerlayerusedwithexbudedcableshasreplacedthetapesshieldsthatwereusedmanyyearsago.This
extrudedlayeriscalledtheextrudedinsulationshieldorscreen.Itspropertiesandcompatibilityrequirementsare
similartotheconductorshieldpreviouslydescribedexceptthatstandardsrequirethatthevolumeresistivityof
thisexternallayerbelimitedto500meterohms.
Thenonmetalliclayerisdirectlyovertheinsulationandthevoltagestressatthatinterfaceislowerthanatthe
conductorshieldinterface..Thisouterlayerisnotrequiredtobebondedforcablesratedupto35kV.Atvoltages
abovethat,itisstronglyrecommendedthatthislayerbebondedtotheinsulation.
Sincemostuserswantthislayertobeeasilyremovable,theAssociationofEdisonIlluminatingCompanies
(AEIC)hasestablishedstriptensionlimits.Presentlytheselimitsarethata1/2inchwidestripcutparalleltothe
conductorpeeloffwithaminimumof6poundsandaminimumof24poundsofforcethatisata90angletothe
insulationsurface.

MetallicShield
Themetallicportionoftheinsulationshieldorscreenisnecessarytoprovidealowresistancepathforcharging
currenttoflowtoground.Itisimportanttorealizethattheextrudedshieldmaterialswillnotsurviveasustained
currentflowofmorethanafewmilliamperes.Thesematerialsarecapableofhandingthesmallamountsofcharging
current,butcannottolerateunbalancedorfaultcurrents.
Themetalliccomponentofthe insulationshield systemmustbeabletoaccommodatethesehighercurrents.Onthe
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otherhand,anexcessiveamountofmetalintheshieldofasingleconductorcableiscostlyintwoways.First,
additionalmetalovertheamountthatisactuallyrequiredincreasestheinitialcostofthecable.Secondly,thegreater
themetalcomponentoftheinsulationshield,thehighertheshieldlossesthatresulthmtheflowofcurrentinthe
centralconductor.
Asufficientamountofmetalmustbeprovidedinthecabledesigntoensurethatthecablewillactivatethebackup
protectionintheeventofanycablefaultoverthelifeofthatcable.Thereisalsotheconcernforshieldlosses.

Itthereforebecomesessentialthat:
Thetypeofcircuitinterruptingequipmenttobeanalyzed.Whatisthedesignandoperationalsettingof
thehse,recloser,orcircuitbreaker?
Whatfaultcurrentwillthecableencounteroveritslife?
Whatshieldlossescanbetolerated?Howmanytimesistheshieldtobegrounded?Willtherebe
shieldbreakstopreventcirculatingcurrents?

ConcentricNeutralCables
Whenconcentricneutralcablesarespecified,theconcentricneutralsmustbemanufacturedinaccordancewithICEA
standards.ThesewiresmustmeetASTMB3foruncoatedwiresorB33forcoatedwires.
Thesewiresareapplieddirectlyoverthenonmetallicinsulationshieldwithalayofnotlessthansixormorethanten
timesthediameterovertheconcentricwires.

ShieldingOfLowVoltageCables

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Shieldingoflowvoltagecablesisgenerallyrequiredwhereinductive
interferencecanbeaproblem.Innumerouscommunication,
instrumentation,andcontrolcableapplications,smallelectricalsignals
maybetransmittedonthecableconductorandamplifiedatthereceiving
end.Unwantedsignals(noise)duetoinductiveinterferencecan
beaslargeasthedesiredsignal.Thiscanresultinfalsesignalsoraudible
noisethatcaneffectvoicecommunications.
Acrosstheentirefrequencyspectrum,itisnecessarytoseparate
disturbancesintoelectricfieldeffectsandmagneticfieldeffects.

ElectricFields
Electricfieldeffectsarethosewhichareafunctionofthecapacitivecouplingormutualcapacitancebetweenthe
circuits.Shieldingcanbeeffectedbyacontinuousmetalshieldtoisolatethedisturbedcircuitfiomthedisturbing
circuit.
Evensemiconductingextrusionsortapessupplementedbyagroundeddminwirecanservesomeshieldingfunction
forelectricfieldeffects.

MagneticFields
Magneticfieldeffectsaretheresultofamagneticfieldcouplingbetweencircuits.Thisisabitmorecomplexthanfor
electricaleffects.
Atrelativelylowfrequencies,theenergyemittedfromthesourceistreatedasradiation.Thisincreaseswiththe
squareofthefrequency.Thiselectromagneticradiationcancausedislxrbancesatconsiderabledistanceandwill
penetrateanyopeningsintheshielding.Thiscanoccurwithbraidshieldsortapesthatarenotoverlapped.The
typeofmetalusedintheshieldalsocaneffecttheamountofdisturbance.
Anymetallicshieldmaterial,asopposedtomagneticmetals,willprovidesomeshieldduetotheeddycurrentsthat
aresetupinthemetallicshieldbytheimpingingfield.Theseeddycurrentstendtoneutralizethedisturbingfield.
Nonmetallic,semiconductingshieldingisnoteffectiveformagneticeffects.Ingeneral,themosteffectiveshieldingis
acompletesteelconduit,butthisisnotalwayspractical.
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Theeffectivenessofashieldiscalledtheshieldingfactorandisgivenas:

SF=Inducedvoltageinshieldcircuit/Inductedvoltageinunshieldedcircuit

Testcircuitstomeaswetheeffectivenessofvariousshieldingdesignsagainstelectricalfieldeffectsandmagnetic
fieldeffectshavebeenreportedbyGoodingandSlade.

SOURCE:LawrenceJ.KellyandCarlC.Landinger,Wikipedia

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AboutAuthor//

Edvard Csanyi
EdvardElectricalengineer,programmerandfounderofEEP.HighlyspecializedfordesignofLVhighpowerbusbar
trunking(<6300A)inpowersubstations,buildingsandindustryfascilities.DesigningofLV/MV
switchgears.ProfessionalinAutoCADprogrammingandwebdesign.PresentonGoogle+

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