INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE

EEN-206: Power Transmission and Distribution

Lecture - 17

Chapter 3: Underground Cables

• Tutorial 5
Chapter 4: Line Parameters and Performance of Lines
Electrical Parameters of Cables

• Insulation resistance
• Cable inductance
• Cable capacitance
• Electrical stress inside insulation
– Grading of cable
• Capacitance grading
• Inter-sheath grading
• Dielectric losses and tan delta (loss tangent)
• Breakdowns in cable insulations (Solid Insulation)
Insulation Resistance
• Insulation resistance per unit length
 R
Rs  ln .m
dx 2 r
x
• Inductance per unit length
D
L  2 107 ln H/m
r'
D = separation distance between phase conductor
r’ =0.7788r (solid conductor use GMR for stranded
conductor)
r = radius of the conductor

• Capacitance of cable per unit length

q 2
C  F/m
V ln R
r
Electric Stress in The Cable
V
Ex 
R
x ln
r
• Maximum stress occurs at the surface of conductor R
V
Emax  r
R
r ln
r
• For minimum thickness of insulation

R R
ln    1 OR e
r r
• Stress at the surface of conductor
V
Emax 
r
Capacitance Grading (Ideal)
q
E (x)   k
2  x

Therefore the permittivity is

k1
 
x
 This is ideal condition for stress in a
cable.

 However, this cannot be realized in

practice since it requires infinite
number of dielectric materials with
varying permittivity

For XLPE with safety factor 2  In practice, this can be realized by

gmax =180/2 = 90 kV/cm two or three layers of the dielectric
materials.
Capacitance Grading (With Same Maximum Stress)

R
Layer 1 (ε1) Layer 2 (ε2) Layer 3 (ε3)
r < x < r1 r1 < x < r2 r2 < x < R
q q q
r2 E1 ( x )  E2 ( x )  E3 ( x) 
21 x 2 2 x 2 3 x
q q q
r1
Emax  Emax  Emax 
3  2 1 r 21r 2 2 r1 2 3r2
q q q
Emax   
21r 2 2 r1 2 3 r2
1r   2 r1   3 r2
E
 Since r < r1<r2 1   2   3
Emax
• Voltage across the cable insulation
r1 r2 R
V   E1 dx   E 2 dx   E 3 dx
r r1 r2
Emax1  Emax 2  Emax3  r r R
V  E max  r ln 1  r1 ln 2  r2 ln 
 r r1 r2 
Capacitance Grading (With Different Maximum Stress)

R Layer 1 (ε1) Layer 2 (ε2) Layer 3 (ε3)

r < x < r1 r1 < x < r2 r2 < x < R
r2
q q q
E1 ( x)  E2 ( x )  E3 ( x) 
21 x 2 2 x 2 3 x
r1
3  2 1 q q q
r Emax1  Emax 2  Emax 3 
21r 2 2 r1 2 3 r2
Emax1 21r  q Emax 2 2 2 r1  q Emax 3 2 3 r2  q

E max1 2 1r  E max 2 2 2 r1  E max 3 2 3 r2

E
Emax1 Emax3 E max1  1r  E max 2  2 r1  E max 3  3 r2
Emax2

• Since r < r1<r2 E max1 1  E max 2 2  E max 3 3

x • Therefore material having highest product of permittivity
Emax1  Emax2  Emax3 and dielectric strength should be kept near to the
conductor. The operating voltage of Cable is given by
Capacitance Grading (With Different Maximum Stress)

R Layer 1 (ε1) Layer 2 (ε2) Layer 3 (ε3)

r < x < r1 r1 < x < r2 r2 < x < R
r2
q q q
E1 ( x )  E2 ( x )  E3 ( x) 
r1 21 x 2 2 x 2 3 x
3  2 1 r

r1 r2 R
V   E1 dx   E 2 dx   E 3 dx
r r1 r2

q r1 q r q R
 ln  ln 2  ln
E
Emax1 Emax3 2 1 r 2 2 r1 2 3 r2
Emax2

q  1 r 1 r 1 R
V   ln 1  ln 2  ln 
2   1 r 2 r1  3 r2 
x
Capacitance Grading

εr = 2.2
εr = 4.4
εr = 4.4

εr = 6.6

Without grading With capacitance grading

 Intersheath Grading
R  Metal Sheaths having radii r1 and r2 are kept at
potential V1 and V2. using auxiliary transformer.
r2
V

V2 r1

V1  r

 Layer 1 Layer 2 Layer 3

0 
V  V2 V2  V1 V1
Emax  Emax  Emax 
r r R
E
r ln 1 r1 ln 2 r2 ln
Emax r r1 r2

x V  V2 V2  V1 V1
 
V r r R
Emax  Emax1  Emax 2  Emax3 r ln 1 r1 ln 2 r2 ln
R r r1 r2
r ln
r
Intersheath Grading

0 kV 0 kV

33 kV

66 kV

110 KV 110 KV

Without grading Intersheath grading

Grading of Cable
• Usually not used commercially because of the following reasons:

 Non-availability of materials with required varying permittivity materials

 There is change in permittivities of materials with time

 The life spans of the materials are different

 Damage of intersheath during cable laying

 Charging current through the intersheath can damage the cable due to
overheating
Dielectric Losses or Loss Tangent (tan δ)

I  Power loss in leakage resistance

V2 V 
Pl  V  
Rs  Rs 
V
C RS

IC IR  For small angle δ

  tan   sin   sin  90     cos 

 From phasor diagram

IC I
V IR V Rs V Rs V
IC 
XC    tan   V  C tan 
IC V XC V C Rs
V
IR 
RS
  Therefore, dielectric power loss:

Pd  V 2 C tan   V 2 C  W/km
IR V
Breakdowns in Cable Insulation
 Intrinsic Breakdown or puncture
• When an electric field is applied, electrons gain energy from the electric field and cross the forbidden energy gap from
the valence band to the conduction band.
• When this process is repeated, more and more electrons become available in the conduction band, eventually leading
to breakdown.
• Conduction electrons gain sufficient energy above a certain critical electric field and cause liberation of electrons from
the lattice atoms by collision.
 Thermal Breakdown
𝑑𝑇
 Equilibrium is reached when the heat used to raise the temperature of the dielectric, plus 𝐼 𝑅 = 𝑄 + 𝑄 + 𝑚𝐶
𝑑𝑡
the heat dissipated, equals the heat generated.
 Breakdown occurs when heat generated exceeds heat dissipated.

 Treeing
 When the breakdown occurs in the voids, electrons and positive ions are formed.
 They will have sufficient energy and when they reach the void surfaces they may
break the chemical bonds.
 Also, in each discharge there will be some heat dissipated in the cavities, and this will
carbonize the surface of the voids and will caused erosions of the material.
Sheath and Armor losses
HVDC Cables
• Current Carrying Capacity:

 There is no charging current (which will also decrease copper losses in cable).

 Only loss due to leakage current, and dielectric hysteresis loss will be zero.

 No voltage will be induced in sheath hence sheath losses due to induced current will be zero.

• Long distance AC transmission

 There is technical limitation on long distance AC transmission.

• Voltage Rating

 DC breakdown stress is more than corresponding AC, hence cables can be used for higher DC
voltages than AC.

 Or, for same voltage rating, DC cable can have smaller insulation thickness than AC cable.
Tutorial-5
 Ques-01
 A 33 kV, three-phase 50 Hz underground feeder 4.5 km long, uses three single core cables. Each cable has a
conductor radius 2.0 cm and a radial thickness of insulation is 0.8 cm. The relative permittivity of dielectric is
2.9. Calculate the following.
Hints and Explanations:
 Capacitance of the cable per phase. C= ∗ 4500
⁄
R
 Charging current per phase. I C  C VLN
r
2
V
 Total charging kVAR. Q 3  3 C VLN
LN 2

Xc

VLN
 Maximum stress in a cable Emax 
R
r ln
r
 Dielectric loss per phase if power factor of unloaded cable is 0.025.
Pd  3 V LN
2
C  W
Ques-02
 Test conducted on a three core belted cable for the measurement of capacitance yielded following results:
• Capacitance between the sheath and all the cores bunched together: 7.2 µF
• Capacitance between one conductor and the remaining conductors connected together to the sheath : 4.8 µF
• Calculate the charging kVAR if the system voltage is 11 kV, 50 Hz

Hints and Explanations:

C0  C1  3C2 1. Cx =3C1 C1 = Cx /3 C1

3C y Cx 2. Cy = 2C2+C1 C2 C2 3C2 C1
C0  
2 6 C1 3C2
Cy C1 C1
C C y Cx
Cx = 7.2 µF C2   1  C2
2 2 2 6 3C2 C1

Cy = 4.8 µF
2
VLN C0  C1  3C2
Q 3  3 C0 VLN
2

Xc
Ques-03
 Consider the safe working stress 100 kV/cm (rms) in a single core cable operated at 130 kV (rms). Find out
internal sheath radius.
(a) If the conductor diameter on the basis of current carrying capacity is 1.5 cm
(b) On the basis of most economic use of insulating material .

Hints and Explanations:

V
(a) Emax 
R
r ln
r

(b) R
e
r
V
Emax 
r
Ques-04
 Find the maximum working voltage of single core lead sheathed cable with the conductor of 2 cm diameter and
sheath of 6 cm inside diameter. Two insulating materials are used:
(a) Inner maximum working potential gradient is 60 kV/ cm and relative permittivity is 4.
(b) Outer maximum working potential gradient is 40 kV/ cm and relative permittivity is 3.

Hints and Explanations:

E max1  1r  E max 2  2 r1
𝑟
r
q 𝑅
Emax1 
21r 𝜖
q
 Emax11r 𝜖
2

q  1 r 1 R 
V   ln 1  ln 
2   1 r 2 r1 
Ques-05
• The safe electric stress of the insulating material of a single core cable is 40 kV/cm (rms). The conductor and
the sheath (inside) diameters are 1.5 cm and 6.7 cm respectively.
(b) If the lead tube of 0.1 cm thick and situated halfway between the conductor and the sheath . Find the safe
working voltage of the conductor if the lead tube acts as an inter-sheath.
(a) What would have been the working voltage if the inter-sheath was not there.

Hints and Explanations:

V  R 𝑟
(a) Emax  V  Emax  r ln 
R r
r ln  r r
r 𝑟
𝜖

 r R 𝑅 𝑅
(b) V  E max  r ln 1  r2 ln  t
 r r2 
Ques-06
 Three single core cables are used to carry power over 10 km from a three-phase 33 kV, 50 Hz system. The
conductor diameter, insulation thickness and relative permittivity of the insulations are 1 cm, 0.6 cm, and
2.25, respectively. Find the loss angle of the dielectric if the total dielectric loss is 3.7 kW.

Hints and Explanations:

Hints and Explanations:
 Capacitance of the cable per phase.
C= ⁄
*10000

 The loss angle of the dielectric.

Pd  3V LN
2
C 
Pd
  2
3V LN C
Line Parameters and
Performance of Lines
Line Parameters
• Resistance
• Inductance
• Capacitance
• Conductance

• Conductance is due to leakage over line insulators.

• Also, conductance is quite variable.
• Fortunately, the effect conductance is a negligible component of shunt admittance.

25
Types of Conductor
• Copper: Good conductor, durable, high scrap value,
tensile strength, but cost is high.
• Aluminum:
– Cheaper,
– lighter,
– but less conductive (requires large cross section
for same resistance)
– less tensile strength than copper
• Types of Aluminum conductors
– AAC (All Aluminum Conductor)
– AAAC (All Aluminum Alloy Conductor)
– ACSR (Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced)
– ACAR (Aluminum Conductor Alloy Reinforced)
– Expanded ACSR
Resistance
• The DC resistance of conductor at specified temperature is:
T l
R 
A
– ρT is the resistivity of the conductor at temperature T
– l is the length of the conductor in m
– A is the cross-sectional area of conductor in m2

• Temperature Dependence

Rt 2 (1   0T2 )
Rt  R0 (1   0T ) and 
Rt1 (1   0T1 )
• R0 is the resistance at 00C
• α0 is the temperature coefficient of the resistance of
conductor

27
Resistance of the Stranded Conductor

a l a l a 1.05  1000 
R   Ω/km
A ns As   d s2 
ns  
 4 
ACSR Conductor Data Sheets