Single Core Cable

Screen Bonding
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 Overview
„ Introduction
„ Cable screens, induced voltages and currents in the screen
„ Three core cable
„ Single core cable
„ Different bonding methods for single core cables
„ Solidly bonded single-core cable system
„ Specially bonded single-core cable systems
„ Single-point-bonding system
„ Split single-point-bonding system
„ Cross-bonding system

„ Case studies - CDEGSTM

„ Desktop study – induced voltage in cable screen for 1 km long 33 kV cable
„ Practical example – 27 km 33 kV cable

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 Cable screens
„ Cable screen types
„ Copper tape
„ Copper or aluminium wire

„ Purpose of cable screen

„ To control the electric field stress in the cable insulation
„ Cable neutral and fault current return path
„ Shielding for electromagnetic radiation
– if the screen is earthed at two ends
„ Enclosing dangerous high voltage with earth potential for safety
„ Some cables do not have ‘screens’
„ Normally cable screens need to be bonded to earth at both ends
„ Provide low impedance fault current return path
„ Provide neutral point for the circuit
„ Provide shielding of electromagnetic field
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 Induced voltage and circulating
current in cable screen
„ Electromagnetic coupling between the core and screen

„ If the cable screen is single point bonded, no electrical continuity,

the mmf generates a voltage

„ If the cable screen is bonded at both ends, the mmf will cause a
circulating current to flow if there is electrical continuity.

„ The circulating current produces an opposing magnetic field

Circulating current
Opposite current direction
Core
Screen V
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 Induced voltage and circulating
current in cable screen
„ Steady state induced standing voltage limit for safety
„ No internationally agreed limit
„ Different countries or utilities have different limit or practice (IEEE
Std575-1988 Appendix C).
„ In the order of 65-150 V, some utility allow for 300-400 V during emergency
load
„ Some countries only specify voltage limit at exposed metal, some specify a fix
limit that any point along the screen can not exceed
„ No much evidence to substantiate those limits
„ Engineering Recommendation C55/4
„ 65 V for system voltage up to and including 132 kV
„ 150 V for system voltage 275 kV and 400 kV

„ Suitable bonding method should be employed to meet the

standing voltage limit and keep circulating current to an
acceptable level
„ Induced voltage and circulating current in the cable screen can
be studied in CDEGSTM in detail
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 Three-core cables
„ Well balanced magnetic field from three phases

„ Induced voltages from three phases sum to zero along the entire length of the
cable
„ Cable screen should be earthed at both ends

„ Screen bonding method for three-core cable is not considered further

„ virtually zero induced voltage or circulating current under steady state operation

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 Single-core cable
„ For HV application, typically for 11 kV and above

„ Single-core cables negate the use of ferromagnetic material for

screen, sheath and armouring

„ Induced voltage is mainly contributed by the core currents in its

own phase and other two phases
„ If cables are laid in a compact and symmetrical formation, induced
voltage in the screen can be minimized
„ A suitable screen bonding method should be used for single-core
cables to prevent
„ Excessive circulating current
„ High induced standing voltage

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 Single core cable bonding methods

„ Different bonding methods for single core cable

„ Solidly bonded single-core cable system

„ Specially bonded single-core cable systems

„ Single-point-bonding system

„ Split single-point-bonding system

„ Cross-bonding system

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 Solidly bonded single-core cable
system
„ Simple
„ Cable screen is bonded to earth grids at both ends (via link box)
„ Most common method
„ Significant circulating current in the screen
„ Proportional to the core current and cable length
„ de-rates cable
„ Could lay cable in compact trefoil formation if permissible
„ Suitable for route length of tens of meters

R R

Y Y

B B

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 Solidly bonded single-core cable
system
„ Very small standing voltage in the order of several volts

„ The magnitude of the induced voltage and current will be

quantified in the case study later
Magnitude
Standing Voltage Plot

0V Length

R R

Y Y

B B

0V
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 Solidly bonded single-core cable
system
„ Advantages
„ Minimum material required - most economical if heating is not an issue
„ Provides path for fault current, minimizing earth return current and
EGVR at cable destination
„ Does not require screen voltage limiter (SVL)
„ Less electromagnetic radiation
„ Disadvantages
„ Provides path for circulating current
„ Heating effects in cable screen, greater losses
„ Cable therefore might need to be de-rated or larger cable required
„ Transfers voltages between sites when there is an EGVR at one site
„ Can lay cables in trefoil formation to reduce screen losses
„ Normally applies to short cable section of tens of metres long
„ Circulating current is proportional to the length of the cable and the
magnitude of the load current
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 Single-point-bonded system
„ Cable screen solidly earthed at one end only
„ Open circuit in cable screen, no circulating current
„ Zero volt at the earthed end, standing voltage at the unearthed end
„ Optional PVC insulated earth continuity conductor required to provide path for fault
current, if returning from earth is undesirable, such as in a coal mine
„ SVL installed at the unearthed end to protect the cable insulation during fault
conditions
„ Transposition of earth continuity conductor at the mid point of the section
„ Reduce circulating current in the continuity conductor

R R

Y Y
SVL installed at
unearthed end
B B

Earth continuity
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 Single-point-bonded system
„ Induced voltage proportional to the length of the cable and the current carried in the cable
„ Zero volt with respect to the earth grid voltage at the earthed end, standing voltage at the unearthed end
„ No circulating current in the screen
„ Circulating current in the earth-continuity conductor is not significant, as magnetic field from phases are
partially balanced
„ The magnitude of the standing voltage is depended on the magnitude of the current flows in the core,
much higher if there is an earth fault

Induced Voltage Plot

0V Length

R R

Y Y

B B

0V Mitton Consulting Limited

 Single-point-bonded system
Standing voltage at the unearthed end with normal operating
conditions

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 Single-point-bonded system
Standing voltage at the unearthed end during earth fault condition
„ Voltage at the unearthed end during an earth fault consists of
two voltage components
„ Induced voltage due to fault current in the core
„ EGVR of the source site (assuming the screen is single point bonded at
the source site)
„ The voltage due to induction can reach 700 V/km
„ For a 1 kA actual fault current
„ With 0.05 Ω earth grid impedance at the source
„ Screen single point bonded at the source only
„ Cable in flat formation with 150 mm separation
„ High voltage appears on the unearthed end can cause arcing and
damage outer PVC sheath
„ The voltage on the screen during a fault also depends on the
earthing condition

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 Link box with SVL and cable sectional joint

„ Protect the outer PVC sheath

„ Minimizing the joint surge impedance

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 Single-point-bonded system
„ Advantage
„ No circulating current
„ No heating in the cable screen
„ Economical
„ Disadvantage
„ Standing voltage at the un-earthed end
„ Requires SVL if standing voltage during fault is excessive
„ Requires additional earth continuity conductor for fault current if earth
returned current is undesirable
„ Higher magnetic fields around the cable compared to solidly bonded
system
„ Standing voltage on the cable screen is proportional to the length
of the cable and the magnitude of current in the core
„ Typically suitable for cable sections less than 500 m, or one drum
length
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 Split single-point-bonded system
„ Variation of single-point-bonding
„ Also called double length single-point-bonding system
„ Cable screen continuity is interrupted at the midpoint and SVLs need to be
fitted at each side of the isolation joint
„ Other requirements are identical to single-point-bonding system
„ SVLs
„ Earth continuity conductor
„ Transposition of earth continuity conductor

R R

Y Y

B B

0V Mitton Consulting Limited

 Split single-point-bonded system
„ Effectively two sections of single-point-bonding
„ No circulating current
„ Zero volt at the earthed ends, standing voltage at the
sectionalising joint
Induced Voltage Plot

0V Length

R R

Y Y

B B

0V Mitton Consulting Limited

 Split single-point-bonded system
„ Advantages
„ No circulating current in the screen
„ No heating effect in the cable screen
„ Suitable for longer cable section compared to single-point-bonding
system and solidly bonded single-core system
„ Economical
„ Disadvantages
„ Standing voltage exists at the screen and sectionalising insulation joint
„ Requires SVL to protect the un-earthed end
„ Requires separate earth continuity conductor for zero sequence current
„ Not suitable for cable sections over 1000 m
„ Suitable for 300~1000 m long cable sections, double the length
of single-point-bonding system

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 Cross-bonded cable system
„ Ultimate bonding method
„ Consists of one or more major sections and three minor sections in each major section
„ Summing up induced voltage in sectionalised screen from each phase resulting in neutralisation of
induced voltages in three consecutive minor sections
„ Normally one drum length (500 m approx) per minor section
„ Sectionalising position and cable jointing position should be coincident
„ Solidly earthed at major section joints
„ Transpose cable core to balance the magnitude of induced voltages to be summed up
„ Link box should be used at every sectionalising joint
„ balanced impedance in all phases

R R

Earthing
resistance not Y Y
shown in the plot

B B

Major section
Minor section Minor section Minor section
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 Cross-bonded cable system
what if cable cores not transposed
„ Other than cross-bonding the screen, why transpose
the cables core?
„ If core not transposed, not well neutralised resulting in some
circulating currents
„ Cable should be transposed and the screen needs to be cross
bonded at each sectionalising joint position for optimal
neutralisation
Inner screen,
smaller induced
voltage

R R

Earthing Y Y
resistance not
shown in the plot

B B

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 Cable bonded system
sectional joint link box diagram

Major section Minor section

joint bay joint bay

R R

Y Y

B B
Joints with
sectionalising
insulation Joints with
Lockable link box sectionalising
insulation
Earthing Cross bonding
resistance is not
connections Screen voltage
shown in the plot
limiter

Joint bay Joint bay

earthing system earthing system

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 Cross-bonded cable system
„ Induced voltage magnitude profile along the screen of a major section in the cross-
bonding cable system
„ Virtually zero circulating current
„ Virtually zero volt to the remote earth at the solidly earthed ends
„ Standing voltage at the minor section joints
Induced Voltage Magnitude Plot

Minor section 1 Minor section 2 Minor section 3

1
~0.867

Length

Major section

R R
Earthing
resistance is not
shown in the plot
Y Y

B B

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 Cross-bonded cable system
Interpretation of induced voltage magnitude plot by phasor

„ The induced voltage magnitude profile along the three

sections can also be interpreted by induced voltage
phasor

Induced Voltage Induced Voltage

Magnitude Plot Phasor
1
~0.867

Section 3 Section 2

Section 1

Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Length 0V Reference

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 Cross-bonded cable system
„ In order to obtain optimal result, two ‘crosses’ exist
„ Transposition of cable core – crossing cable core at each section
„ Cross bond the cable screens – effectively no transposition of screen
„ Cross bonding of cable screen
„ Cancellation of induced voltage in the screen at every major section joint
„ Transposition of cables
„ Ensure voltages to be summed up have similar magnitude
„ Greater standing voltage at the screen of the outer cable
„ Standing voltages exist at screen and majority of section joints
cable and joints must be installed as an insulated screen system

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 Cross-bonded cable system
„ Advantage
„ No earth-continuity conductor
„ Electrical continuity of screen for fault current
„ Virtually zero circulating current in the screen
„ Standing voltage in the screen is controlled
„ Technically superior than other methods
„ Suitable for long distance cable network
„ Disadvantage
„ Technically complicated
„ More expensive
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 Increased cable current carrying capacity
Solidly-bonded Vs specially bonded cable system

„ Specially bonded cable system effectively reduces circulating current in the

screens
„ Current carrying capacity of specially bonded cable is increased
„ Example – 33 kV 630 mm2 cable, 28% more load for cross bonding

Conditions based on IEC 60287:

XLPE cable
Rated Voltage 10-70 kV
Copper Conductor 65o C
25 or 35 mm2 screen
Flat formation, one group only
Laying depth 1.0m
Distance between cable 70mm
Ground temperature 20o C
Ground thermal resistivity 1.0 km/W

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 Case studies – with CDEGSTM
„ Three bonding arrangements:
„ Cable screens earthed at both ends (flat and trefoil formation)
„ Cable screens earthed at one end only (flat formation)
„ Cable screens cross bonded and earthed at both ends (flat formation)
„ The cable configurations and operating conditions were as follows:
„ 100 Ω-m soil resistivity, 5 Ω earth grid impedance
„ Cable: 33 kV single core XLPE cable, 150 mm2 copper, with 0.3 mm copper tape screen
„ Circuit configuration:
„ Flat @ 150 mm centres, 1 m deep
„ Trefoil @ compact formation, 1 m deep (For solidly bonded case only)
„ Cable length: 1 km
„ Operating current: 100 A steady state per phase

1m 1m

0.150m

0.015m

0.017 m

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 Solidly bonded single-core cable
system – flat formation
„ Circulating currents cause earth grid voltage rise at two ends
„ Voltage magnitude is plotted with respect to remote earth
„ Less than 1 V induced at the termination
„ 19~24 A circulating currents in the screen
SINGLE COMPUTATION SINGLE COMPUTATION
LEGEND
LEGEND

30
GRND_Rscreen: Bus/Line 4.
GRND_Rscreen: Bus/Line 4.
GRND_Yscreen: Bus/Line 5.
GRND_Yscreen: Bus/Line 5.
0.60 GRND_Bscreen: Bus/Line 6.
GRND_Bscreen: Bus/Line 6.
Section Current Magnitude (Amps)
Shunt Potential Magnitude (Volts)

20
0.45

0.30

10

0.15

0
0.00
0 15 30 45 60
0 15 30 45 60 RunID:Flat 2 Point Term.:Source
RunID:Flat 2 Point Term.:Source

Section Number Section Number

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 Solidly bonded single-core cable
system – trefoil formation
„ Virtually zero volt in the screen
„ 9 A circulating currents in the screen (24 A for flat formation)
„ Compact trefoil formation reduces circulating current, but does
not facilitate heat dissipation
SINGLE COMPUTATION SINGLE COMPUTATION
LEGEND
LEGEND

0.15 10

GRND_Rscreen: Bus/Line 4. GRND_Rscreen: Bus/Line 4.

GRND_Yscreen: Bus/Line 5. GRND_Yscreen: Bus/Line 5.
GRND_Bscreen: Bus/Line 6. GRND_Bscreen: Bus/Line 6.

Section Current Magnitude (Amps)

Shunt Potential Magnitude (Volts)

0.10

0.05

0.00 0
0 15 30 45 60 0 15 30 45 60
RunID:trefoil 2 Po Term.:Source
RunID:trefoil 2 Po Term.:Source

Section Number Section Number

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 Single-point-bonded system
steady state condition
„ Screen
„ Only leakage current flows
„ No circulating current
„ 18 V standing voltage at the un-earthed end
„ Earth conductor
„ Insignificant standing voltage along the insulated earth-continuity conductor
„ Insignificant circulating current due to transposition
„ very low standing voltage at the solidly earthed end
„ due to minor circulating current in the earth continuity conductor
conductor flow into earth grid
SINGLE COMPUTATION SINGLE COMPUTATION
LEGEND LEGEND

20 2.0
GRND_Rscreen: Bus/Line 4. GRND_Rscreen: Bus/Line 4.
GRND_Yscreen: Bus/Line 5. GRND_Yscreen: Bus/Line 5.
This voltage GRND_Bscreen: Bus/Line 6.
GRND_Earth : Bus/Line 7.
GRND_Bscreen: Bus/Line 6.
GRND_Earth : Bus/Line 7.
Section Current Magnitude (Amps)

depends on
Shunt Potential Magnitude (Volts)

15 1.5

the capacity
current and
the 10 1.0

resistance of
the earth grid
5 0.5

0 0.0
0 15 30 45 60 0 15 30 45 60
RunID:Flat 1 Point Term.:Source RunID:Flat 1 Point Term.:Source

Section Number Section Number

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 Single-point-bonded system
fault condition – high EGVR at source
„ 1000 A earth return current, 5Ω earth grid at the source site
„ Screen only bonded at the source
„ The voltage at the screen is dominated by the EGVR of the faulted site due to relatively high
earth grid impedance of the site (5 Ω)
„ 5 kV above remote earth potential
„ Voltage due to induction is only a small proportion

SINGLE COMPUTATION LEGEND

6000
GRND_Rscreen: Bus/Line 4.
GRND_Yscreen: Bus/Line 5.
GRND_Bscreen: Bus/Line 6.
Shunt Potential Magnitude (Volts)

4500

3000

1500

0
0 15 30 45 60
RunID:Flat 1 Point Term.:Source

Section Number
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 Single-point-bonding system
fault condition –low EGVR at source
„ 1000 A actual fault current, 0.05Ω earth grid at the source site
„ Screen only bonded at the source
„ The voltage at the screen is dominated by the induced voltage
„ Approximately 700 V/km

SINGLE COMPUTATION LEGEND

800
Rscreen : Bus/Line 4.
Yscreen : Bus/Line 5.
Bscreen : Bus/Line 6.
Shunt Potential Magnitude (Volts)

600

This voltage
400
depends on the
resistance of the
earth grid and the
200 actual fault current

0
0 15 30 45 60
RunID:Flat 1 Point Term.:Source

Section Number

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 Cross-bonding cable system
cable core transposed
„ Virtually zero volt at earthed ends with respect to remote earth

„ About 6 V standing voltage at minor section joint

„ Virtually no circulating current

SINGLE COMPUTATION LEGEND

6.0
GRND_Rscreen: Bus/Line 4.
GRND_Yscreen: Bus/Line 5.
GRND_Bscreen: Bus/Line 6.
Shunt Potential Magnitude (Volts)

4.5

3.0

1.5

0.0
0 50 100 150 200
RunID:Flat 2 Point Term.:Source

Section Number
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 Cross-bonding cable system
cable core not transposed
„ Asymmetric voltage profile along the screens as expected
„ 0.7 V appears at the termination joints, with respect to remote earth
„ Approximately 0.5 A circulating current
„ Cable core should be transposed to eliminate imbalance

SINGLE COMPUTATION LEGEND

Induced voltage on
outer cable screen
GRND_Rscreen: Bus/Line 4.
GRND_Yscreen: Bus/Line 5.
This voltage 6.0 GRND_Bscreen: Bus/Line 6.

depends on
Shunt Potential Magnitude (Volts)

the current
4.5
imbalance and
the resistance
of the earth 3.0
Induced voltage on
grid middle cable screen
1.5

0.0
0 50 100 150 200
RunID:Flat 2 Point Term.:Source

Section Number

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 Summary - 1
„ Solidly-bonded cable system
„ Inexpensive and simple
„ Suitable for short length of cable sections, tens of meters
„ Trefoil formation of cables can reduce circulating current (60 % reduction for the
case study given)
„ Single-point-bonding cable system
„ Relatively inexpensive and simple
„ Suitable for cable sections where screen heating could be significant
„ Generally for sections less than 500 m or one drum length
„ Split single-point-bonding cable system
„ Relatively inexpensive and simple
„ Double the length of single-point-bonding cable system, 300~500 m
„ Cross-bonding cable system
„ Technically complicated and financially expensive
„ Suitable for long cable sections where induced voltage and screen heating are of
concern
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 Summary - 2
„ When to use different type of screen bonding method?
„ Should look at options on a case to case basis
„ Meet the induced voltage limit (65 V for system voltage up to 110 kV, 150 V
otherwise
„ Consider the circulating current and therefore heating effect
„ Financial consideration
„ Specially bonded system is more complex and costly
„ SVL
„ Link box
„ Joint bay
„ Earth-continuity conductor
„ Fully insulated system
„ Only provide specially bonded system when circulating current is
excessive or standing voltage is unacceptable
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