Measuring Current on Underground Cables | SensorLink Corporation Page 1 of 4

Measuring Current on
SEARCH Underground Cables
SensorNote 110: Operation notes for safety
December 2016 (1)
and productivity
January 2017 (1)

June 2017 (1)

September 2017 (4)

February 2018 (1) Is the SensorLink® Ampstik® able to measure a shielded

cable?
Yes, the SensorLink Ampstik can measure the sum of the currents
on a shielded cable. When there is current on both the conductor
and the shield, the total depends on the direction of current flow
of both the conductor and the shield. In the below example, with
100 A load on the conductor, and 3 A load on the concentric
neutral, the total Amps measured is 97 Amps.
Note: Current on the concentric is typically generated by
unbalanced load.

Where is the best place to accurately measure an

underground cable?
On an underground system, the best place to measure current is
above where the concentric neutral is tied to ground on the
elbow.

http://sensorlink.com/articles/measuring-current-underground-cables 12/3/2018
Measuring Current on Underground Cables | SensorLink Corporation Page 2 of 4

Does the Bleed Wire have an in|uence on the measurement?

There is very little influence onto the bleed wire and has little
influence on the measurement. The Bleed Wire is in place to
discharge capacitive voltage from the semi-con on the elbow. The
elbow would be in failure mode with any significant current on
this wire.

Related Product Line

Ampstik® >
Ampstik® Plus >

RELATED PRODUCTS

http://sensorlink.com/articles/measuring-current-underground-cables 12/3/2018
Measuring Current on Underground Cables | SensorLink Corporation Page 3 of 4

High Voltage, Single High Voltage, Multiple

Reading Ammeter Reading Ammeter

High Voltage, Single High Voltage, Multiple

Reading Ammeter Reading Ammeter

High Voltage, Single High Voltage, Multiple

Reading Ammeter Reading Ammeter

http://sensorlink.com/articles/measuring-current-underground-cables 12/3/2018