POWER Engineers, Inc.

Transmission Cable System Design Energypetrol

Thermal Design of Underground Cables

Basic Principles

Cable System Thermal Design

Current rating dependent on:
amount of heat generated transmission effectiveness of heat to cable surface and dissipation to surrounding environment maximum allowable conductor temperatures

Cable Design

Cable System Thermal Design

Cable System Thermal Design

External thermal resistance (T4) is the most influential parameter in cable ampacity.

Soil Thermal Performance

Soil and backfill thermal performance is critical in determining cable rating
For given transmission line, native soil samples should be tested every 150 meters for both in-situ (existing conditions) and also dry-out values
The thermal resistivity testing is normally performed during geotechnical investigation and soil survey

A controlled backfill design could be developed depending on the results of the thermal tests Earth ambient temperature readings should also be measured if possible, which is a key factor in heat flow

Electrical Design
Reasons for grounding/bonding
Limit sheath voltages Reduce or eliminate sheath losses Maintain a continuous ground path to permit fault-current return and adequate lightning and switching surge protection

Splice Design
Sectionalized Joint
Sheath Interrupt

Sheath Bonding/Grounding Leads

Splice Design
Sectionalized Joint
Sheath Interrupt

Sheath Bonding/Grounding Leads

Solid Bonding (Multi Point Bonding)

Simplest solution to dealing with induced sheath voltages, and most common bonding method used for underground distribution circuits (but not common on transmission) Induced voltages creates current flow in the sheath (circulating currents) which may not be inappropriate for high ampacity applications Equipment ground connection design may also be affected due to high circulating current

Splice Design
Straight Joint

Sheath Bonding/Grounding Lead

Solid Bonding
I2R Circulating Currents in Sheaths

Solid Bonding

Single Point Bonding (Open Point Bonding)

Eliminates circulating currents, resulting in higher ampacity Creates voltage rise (standing voltage) at the ungrounded (unearthed) end of the sheath Requires an appropriately sized ground continuity conductor (GCC) to carry the fault current (under short circuit conditions) Geometric placement of GCC is important factor for managing sheath voltage rise during fault Typically used on shorter lengths

Single Point Bonding

No I2R Circulating Currents in Sheaths

Single Point Bonding

Cross Bonding
No circulating currents when cross bonding is balanced Requires dividing the circuit into groups of three minor sections, to bond and ground all three sheaths at the ends of the triad without significant current flow since the closing voltage will generally approach zero Standing voltages still occur at the sheath end of each minor section GCC is not required if cable sheath is sized to carry fault currents

Cross Bonding

Cross Bonding
Total voltage over sheath is zero

Hybrid Bonding

Electrical Design
Special bonding versus solid bonding

Link Boxes
Grounding Link Box

Links (removable)

Ground connection

Sheath bonding leads

Link Box
Link Box with Sheath Voltage Limiters (SVLs)

SVLs

Sheath bonding leads Ground connection

Sheath Voltage Limiters

Limit transient overvoltages that might damage the cable jacket or shield interruption within the splice At each splice, interrupted shield gaps experience unacceptably high transient voltages during circuit switching and lightning strikes, and must be protected by connecting across them suitably rated SVLs Voltage sensitive and short the insulated gap to limit the magnitude of the transient voltage. When the transient has passed, the SVL returns to high resistance and effectively becomes an open-circuit

SVL Sizing

Grounding
Ground continuity conductor
Sized to carry current back to the ground connections at a termination At least one end of the cable shield conductor and ground conductor must always be connected to ground, or these conductors will rise to an appreciable voltage, damaging the cable and forming a serious safety risk to personnel

Below grade connections should be exothermic welded connections or irreversible compression Above grade connections can be bolted Independent ground connections should be made at terminal structures for GCC, link boxes, and lightning arresters

Cable System Design Conclusions

Thermal circuit and cable rating is heavily contingent upon native earth environment Bonding design needs to take into consideration the:
Cable rating System operation during transient conditions Safety