6/19/2015

Understandingundergroundelectrictransmissioncables|EEP

UnderstandingUndergroundElectricTransmissionCables

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UndergroundXLPEcableslefttoright:345kV,138kV,69kV,anddistribution

Undergroundcables
havedifferenttechnicalrequirementsthanoverheadlinesandhavedifferentenvironmental

impacts.Duetotheirdifferentphysical,environmental,andconstructionneeds,undergroundtransmissiongenerally
costsmoreandmaybemorecomplicatedtoconstructthanoverheadlines.

Thedesignandconstructionofunderground transmissionlines differfromoverheadlinesbecauseoftwosignificant

technicalchallengesthatneedtobeovercome.Theseare:

1. Providingsufficientinsulationsothatcablescanbewithininchesofgroundedmaterial.
2. Dissipatingtheheatproducedduringtheoperationoftheelectricalcables.Thefirstunderground
transmissionlinewasa132kVlineconstructedin1927.Thecablewasfluidfilledandpaper
insulated.Thefluidwasnecessarytodissipatetheheat.
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Therearetwomaintypesofundergroundtransmissionlinescurrentlyinuse.Onetypeisconstructedinapipewith
fluidorgaspumpedorcirculatedthroughandaroundthecableinordertomanageheatandinsulatethecables.The
othertypeisasoliddielectriccablewhichrequiresnofluidsorgasandisamorerecenttechnologicaladvancement.
Thecommontypesofundergroundcableconstructioninclude:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Highpressure,fluidfilledpipe(HPFF)
Highpressure,gasfilledpipe(HPGF)
Selfcontainedfluidfilled(SCFF)
Solidcable,crosslinkedpolyethylene(XLPE)

HighPressure,FluidFilledPipeTypeCable
Ahighpressure,fluidfilled(HPFF)pipetypeofundergroundtransmissionline,consistsofasteelpipethatcontains
threehighvoltageconductors.Eachconductorismadeof copperoraluminuminsulatedwithhighquality,oil
impregnatedkraftpaperinsulationandcoveredwithmetalshielding(usuallylead)andskidwires(forprotection
duringconstruction).
Insidesteelpipes,threeconductorsaresurroundedbyadielectricoilwhichismaintainedat200poundspersquare
inch(psi).Thisfluidactsasaninsulatoranddoesnotconductelectricity.Thepressurizeddielectricfluidprevents
electricaldischargesintheconductorsinsulation.Anelectricaldischargecancausethelinetofail.Thefluidalso
transfersheatawayfromtheconductors.Thefluidisusuallystaticandremovesheatbyconduction.Insome
situationsthefluidispumpedthroughthepipeandcooledthroughtheuseofaheatexchanger.Cableswithpumped
fluidsrequireabovegroundpumpingstations,usuallylocatedwithinsubstations.
Thepumpingstationsmonitorthepressureandtemperatureofthefluid.Thereisaradiatortypedevicethatmoves
theheatfromtheundergroundcablestotheatmosphere.Theoilisalsomonitoredforanydegradationortrouble
withthecablematerials.Theoutersteelpipeprotectstheconductorsfrommechanicaldamage,waterinfiltration,and
minimizesthepotentialforoilleaks.Thepipeisprotectedfromthechemicalandelectricalenvironmentofthesoilby
meansofacoatingandcathodicprotection.
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ProblemsassociatedwithHPFFpipetypeundergroundtransmissionlinesincludemaintenanceissuesandpossible
contaminationofsurroundingsoilsandgroundwaterduetoleakingoil.

HighPressure,GasFilledPipeTypeCable
Thehighpressure,gasfilled(HPGF)pipetypeofundergroundtransmissionlineisavariationoftheHPFFpipe
type,describedabove.Insteadofa dielectric oil,pressurizednitrogengasisusedtoinsulatetheconductors.
Nitrogengasislesseffectivethandielectricfluidsatsuppressingelectricaldischargesandcooling.
Tocompensateforthis,theconductorsinsulationisabout20percentthickerthantheinsulationinfluidfilledpipes.

Figure1HPFForHPGFPipeTypeCrossSection

Thickerinsulationandawarmerpipereducetheamountofcurrentthelinecansafelyandefficientlycarry.Incaseof
aleakorbreakinthecablesystem,thenitrogengasiseasiertodealwiththanthedielectricoilinthesurrounding
environment.
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SelfContained,FluidFilledPipeType
Theselfcontained,fluidfilled(SCFF)pipetypeofundergroundtransmissionisoftenusedforunderwater
transmissionconstruction.Theconductorsarehollowandfilledwithaninsulatingfluidthatispressurizedto25to50
psi.Inaddition,thethreecablesareindependentofeachother.Theyarenotplacedtogetherinapipe.
Eachcableconsistsofafluidfilledconductorinsulatedwithhighqualitykraftpaperandprotectedbyaleadbronze
oraluminumsheathanda plasticjacket.
Thefluidreducesthechanceofelectricaldischargeandlinefailure.Thesheathhelpspressurizetheconductorsfluid
andtheplasticjacketkeepsthewaterout.Thistypeofconstructionreducestheriskofatotalfailure,butthe
constructioncostsaremuchhigherthanthesinglepipeusedtoconstructtheHPFForHPGFsystems.

SolidCable,CrossLinkedPolyethylene
Thecrosslinkedpolyethylene(XLPE)undergroundtransmissionlineisoftencalledsoliddielectriccable.Thesolid
dielectricmaterialreplacesthepressurizedliquidorgasofthepipetypecables.XLPEcablehasbecomethe
nationalstandardforundergroundelectrictransmissionlineslessthan200kV.

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Figure3XLPECableCrossSection

Thereislessmaintenancewiththesolidcable,butimpendinginsulationfailuresaremuchmoredifficulttomonitor
anddetect.ThediameteroftheXLPEcablesincreasewithvoltage.Eachtransmissionlinerequiresthreeseparate
cables,similartothethreeconductorsrequiredforabovegroundtransmissionlines.Theyarenothousedtogetherin
apipe,butaresetinconcreteductsorburiedsidebyside.Eachcableconsistsofacopperoraluminumconductor
andasemiconductingshieldatitscore.
Acrosslinkedpolyethyleneinsulationsurroundsthecore.Theoutercoveringofthecableconsistsofametallic
sheathandaplasticjacket.
For345kVXLPEconstruction,twosetsofthreecables(sixcables)arenecessaryforanumberofreasons,primarily
sothatthecapacityoftheundergroundsystemmatchesthecapacityoftheoverheadline.Thisdesignaidsinlimiting
thescopeofanycablefailureandshortensrestorationtimeinanemergencysituation.
Mostundergroundtransmissionrequiresincreaseddowntimefortherepairofoperatingproblemsormaintenance
issuescomparedtooverheadlines.Thedoublesetsofcablesallowsforthereroutingofthepowerthroughthe
backupcableset,reducingthedowntimebutincreasestheconstructionfootprintoftheline.

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AboutAuthor//

Bipul Raman
BipulRamanBipulRaman(@BipulRaman),agraduateinElectricalEngineeringhad
presentedtworesearchpapersinNationalConferences.Hehasovertakenandsuccessfully
completedaprojecttodesignanAutomatedCBTestRigforLightCombatAircraftatAircraft
ResearchandDesignCenter(HAL).Apartfromthis,hehasdoneseveralprojectsatNTPC
andGridSubstation.NotonlylimitedtoElectricalEngineering,Heisalsoverymuch
passionateinSoftwareDevelopment.Hehascontributedfewofhiscodeto'Codeplex'(a
MicrosoftOpenSourcesoftwarehostingwebsite).Visithiscompleteprofileat
http://bipul.in/about

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