C2C

October 2017

CABLES TO CUSTOMERS
www.rpgcables.com Volume 8, Issue 5

From the President’s Desk

Dear Friends,
At KEC, we believe in sustained growth in all aspects of our business, not only in
terms of production and quality but also in the way we improve the lives of people
within the company and around us. In this issue of the newsletter, I am happy to
share some key highlights from the last quarter, around these initiatives.
Our ascent in the EHV segment has continued over the last three months. As a
testimony to our our capabilities,
capabilities, we
we have
have received
receivedproduct
productapprovals
approvalsfromfrommajor
majorutilities such as Haryana
Vidyut (66
utilities kV),asNBPDCL
such HaryanaPatna (LV,(66
Vidyut 11 kV),
kV &NBPDCL
33 kV) and PTCUL
Patna (LV,Uttarakhand
11 kV & 33 (220 kV). Moreover, our factories
kV) and
in Vadodara
PTCUL and Mysore
Uttarakhand (220 were audited
kV). Our andinapproved
ascent the EHV by Accionahas
segment Energy, a leading
continued overSpanish EPC company. In
addition,
the our team
last three in Vadodara
months from thesehasorder
won wins.
three Moreover,
awards in the
ourQuality Circle
factories Forum of India. Presently, we are
in Vadodara
working
and on developing
Mysore were audited new
andproducts
approvedthatbywill caterEnergy,
Acciona to the aRailways
leading segment,
Spanish EPCand will begin commercial
productionInsoon.
company. addition, our team in Vadodara has won three awards in the Quality
Circle Forum of India. Presently, we are working on developing new products that
Working with the people around our facilities, and ensuring an enabling life for them, is a constant theme
will cater to the Railways segment, and will begin commercial production soon.
for all KEC and RPG businesses. We recently conducted over 40 eye camps, for over 4000 people, under the
ambit of Project Netranjali, an RPG initiative for Vision-Care. All three Cable plants conducted eye care
camps for the community, including school students. Free spectacles were distributed and further referrals
were established for the needy, at the camps.
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce Vinod Kumar, our new Head of Sales & Marketing. Vinod
has a rich experience of managing product sales and will soon be engaging with you to bring a stronger
sense of partnership and provide critical support to all our customers.
The festival season is upon us and we have already begun celebrating the festival of lights. I wish all the
prosperity and happiness for you, your company and employees and your families. Happy Diwali!

Best Regards,
Rakesh Amol
President - Cables & Infrastructure

Next Page: Read about Sheath Bonding for EHV & HV Cables Pg 1
 Sheath Bonding for EHV & HV Cables
L arge investment costs, generally associated
with the installation of underground transmission
circuits, typically mandate optimising cable
operation from the standpoint of efficiency and
power throughput capacity. With the popularity
of single core cables and the use of low loss, high
dielectric-strength XLPE insulating material and
extruded cable jackets and their application at
sub-transmission and transmission voltages, there
is significant interest in the use of single core
cables and the problems of the induced voltages
and currents associated with their use.
In this edition of the C2C Newsletter, we present
the most popular special shield/sheath-bonding
systems, which are being used on Extra High
Voltage (EHV) single-conductor shielded power
cables, particularly as applied to three-phase
systems operating at 66 kV and above, with the
cable neutral grounded directly or as part of a
special bonding system.
Although special bonding has been used
predominantly in the past on EHV cable systems,
more recent attention to shield and sheath losses
on distribution class cables has prompted users to
consider special bonding on HV class cable
systems as well.
Sheath Bonding for Cables
Single core EHV/HV power cables employ a
coaxial design essentially consisting of a metallic
center conductor surrounded by insulation and an
outer metallic shield or sheath (outer conductor).
Semiconducting layers are provided at the
interface between the conductor and the
insulation, and between the insulation and the
metallic shield or sheath to provide a smooth
electrical interface for the insulation, and thus
establish a uniform electrical stress pattern within
the insulation. Cable core conductors are normally
comprised of aluminum or copper wires in
compacted circular or segmental circular as per
the cable size.
The magnetic field resulting from current flow
through the core conductor couples the metallic
shield/sheath and any other adjacent conductors.
If the shield is also part of a continuous closed
loop electric path, transformer action induces a
current flow in the coupled shield/sheath and
other adjacent conductors. Resistive losses due to
the circulating currents in the shield then
contribute to the temperature rise of the cable,
limiting the amount of current that can be carried
by the cable and reducing cable efficiency.
Conversely, if the electric path is interrupted
through use of special bonding techniques, the
shield/sheath circulating currents will be reduced
or eliminated resulting in greater loading
capability for the cable but at the disadvantage of
developing a rise in shield/sheath voltage.
Consequently, special bonding and grounding
arrangements have been developed to limit the
magnitude of sheath voltages and to minimize the
flow of circulating currents.
To assure proper performance of specially bonded
systems, the jacket’s electrical integrity should be
checked as part of factory testing and upon
installation. To ensure that an adequate ground is
available for field testing of the cable jacket in the
field, the outer surface of the jacket is either
coated during manufacture with a graphite
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coating or alternatively a semiconducting layer is
extruded overall during manufacture.
With heavier loads on single conductor cable
circuits, shield circulating current losses resulting
from multipoint solidly bonded and grounded
systems can be excessive for the intended
application.
To mitigate these losses, alternative shield
grounding methods are available, and these are
collectively referred to as special bonding
techniques. Because long circuits and high
currents tend to be more common on
transmission class (EHV) circuits, special bonding
techniques tend to be more applicable on these
types of circuit. However, special bonding
techniques can be applied on distribution circuits
(HV) when operating conditions dictate a
reduction in circuit losses.
Special sheath bonding or grounding arrangement
must perform the following functions;
• Reduce or eliminate sheath losses
• Limit sheath induced voltage
Types of Sheath Bonding Arrangements:
Typically, three types of bonding arrangements
are followed for bonding/earthing of sheath of
EHV/ HV cables, as under;
Single Point Bonding
In this system, the sheaths at one termination are
earthed and are insulated from ground and fitted
with Sheath Voltage Limiter (SVL) at the other
termination.
Since there is no closed sheath circuit, current
does not normally flow longitudinally along the
sheath, resulting in no sheath circulating current
losses and higher current ratings. Sheath induced
t Pg 3
voltage appears at the open cable sheath end,
where Sheath Voltage Limiter must be required to
protect voltage rise & outer sheath under
transient conditions.
In this method, it may also be necessary to
provide a return circuit for the induced currents
through an earth continuity conductor that allows
balancing the electrical potential at both ends of
the circuit, avoiding constant flowing of the
currents by the sheaths during normal operation
of the power line.
This arrangement is recommended for higher
conductor cross section, but for smaller route
lengths. The induced voltage at the open end,
which is proportional to cable length, limits the
route length. The induced voltage at the open end
is usually limited to maximum 65V.
The length can however be doubled with Mid-
Point Bonding with sheath solidly earthed at
middle point and insulated from ground and fitted
with Sheath Voltage Limiter (SVL) at both the
termination ends.
IEEE 575 guidelines to be followed for calculation
of induced voltage under different installation
configurations of cables.
Both End Bonding
This is the simplest method of sheath bonding.
The sheath/ screen is earthed at both the
termination ends. There is no sheath Voltage at
the termination ends, therefore no need for any
 SVL etc., however, there will be circulating
current in the sheath/screen, which will result in
heat and sheath losses. This arrangement is
preferable for small routes and lower cables sizes
– usually up to 630 sqmm.
Cross Bonding
The Single Point Bonding and Mid-Point bonding
is suitable for relatively smaller route length, and
for a longer route length, Cross Bonding is used. In
this system, the route is split into “Major
Sections”, with each major section comprising of
three identical “Minor Sections”, cross connecting
the sheaths between two-minor sections and
grounded together at every third minor section as
shown in the sketch below.
Figure - 4
The three sheaths connected in series are
associated with conductors of different phases,
and when cables are installed in trefoil formation,
their currents and hence the sheath voltage has
Next Page: Awards & recognition for KEC
equal magnitude but phase displacement of 120o.
The overall effect is that the resultant voltage and
current in three sheaths are Zero.
When cables are laid in flat formation the voltage
induced in the sheaths of the outer cables are
greater than induced voltage sheath of middle
cable and phasor sum is not zero. The cable is
therefore transposed at every minor section and
the cross connections are made with phase
rotation opposite to that of transposition. By this
method, the phasor sum of the sheath voltage
over the three minor sections will be zero.
A typical sketch of the voltage of the sheath for
cross bonding is shown in Figure-4. In the figure,
we see that the sheath voltage is at maximum
voltage at each minor section, i.e. 65Volts, but the
voltage over three minor sections is zero. This
pattern can be repeated continuously for any
route length without sheath voltage exceeding 65
Volts.
IEEE 575 guidelines to be followed for calculation
of induced voltage under different installation
configurations of cables.
Sheath Voltage Limiters (SVLs)
To limit high voltage appearing on the open
circuited sheath of Single Point Bonded and Cross
Bonded cable systems under transient voltage, it
is necessary to put SVLs across the interruption of
the metallic sheaths. The SVLs are non-linear
resistors having characteristics of a high
impedance to current flow when the voltage
across is low but an extremely low resistance
when the voltage is high. SVLs are housed in
associated link boxes. Bonding leads are used to
connect the accessories to the link box.
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 Awards & Recognition
for Vadodara Facility
We believe in Quality, and lay strong emphasis on
strengthening our quality team and processes.
While our journey towards excellence continues
to take root, it is a matter of pride that it gets
recognised by external Subject Matter Experts
(SMEs) from time to time. Towards the same,
three of our Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)
teams from Vadodara Unit have won meritorious
awards at the recently concluded VCQCC 2017,
28th Annual Convention on Quality Concepts.
The event was organized by Quality Circle Forum
of India (QCFI) Vadodara chapter. The theme for
this year was “Quality Concepts Creating Value to
the Corporate World & Society”. There were over
900 participants and 163 case studies at the
competition.
Vadodara Unit, QIP team with Awards
Next Page: What’s up @ KEC
We Care!
Eye-camp organised by Cables facilities
under Project Netranjali.
According to the National Programme for Control
of Blindness, India has almost 6 million blind
people, with 30,000 joining the fold every year.
Almost 80% of this blindness is preventable with
early stage interventions. Project Netranjali, a
unique initiative by RPG Foundation aims to
provide preventive eye care focusing on “Vision
care - eye checkup and eye care” for all, including
children, elders, villagers, and individuals from
poor and economically backward class of the
society, who cannot afford medical services and
very often avoid eye check-ups due to monetary
factors.
Under Netranjali, our all three cable facilities
conducted 43 camps for the community, including
school children, in which a total 8,118 pairs of
eyes were screened. Of this, a total of 2861
individuals were diagnosed with vision related
problems and were provided free spectacles.
Further, 1,733 individuals were referred to a
hospital for further check-up. The initiative has
received wide appreciation from School
authorities, parents of students and members of
the community.
Pg 5
What’s up @ KEC

Meet Our New Senior BUSINESS UPDATES

Vice President
Mr. VINOD KUMAR
Sales & Marketing
Mr. Kumar has more than two decades of multi-role
experience in Indian & MNC companies in the areas of
Sales, Business Development, Strategy, Marketing,
Distribution Management, Customer Acquisition &
Development, Product Development, Change Management
& Sales Training and driving & executing key organizational
strategies.
Mr. Kumar was associated with Birla Tyres, VE Commercial
Vehicles Ltd., Valvoline Cummins Pvt Ltd., CEAT Limited,
Megatrade Nigeria Limited, Bush Betta Wildlife Timeshare
Holiday Resorts Pvt. Ltd. and Apollo Tyres Limited.
Prior to joining us, he was the Business Head for Piramal
Water Pvt. Ltd.
On the move!
We have shifted our Hyderabad office to a new location!
H.NO.8-2-351/W/3/B,
Ground floor, Road no.3,
Near Times of India,
Banjara Hills,
Hyderabad – 500 034
Email: hyderabadcables@kecrpg.com
▪ In July, KEC’s market capitalisation crossed Rs.
8000 crore!
▪ The company bagged one of the single largest
orders in KEC’s history, of ~Rs. 1,000 crore from
Essel Group for the construction of 765 kV & 400
kV Transmission Lines.
▪ In the backdrop of KEC’s good performance in the
previous year, our CARE credit rating has been
upgraded to AA- from A+.
▪ KEC hosted CII’s Annual Transmission Line
Conference on “Infrastructure Growth: Challenges
& the Way Forward”. The conference, co-hosted
by PGCIL, witnessed attendance of several
prominent dignitaries from T&D industry and
Government of India, including Mr. Ajay Kumar
Bhalla, Secretary - Ministry of Power, Mr.
Yaduvendra Mathur, Additional Secretary, NITI
Aayog, Mr. IS Jha, CMD, PGCIL and Mr. David
Rasquinha, MD, Exim Bank. The conference
discussed various opportunities and challenges in
the Transmission Line industry, infrastructure
investments by the Government, implications and
imperatives arising out of GST, growth of exports,
especially through innovation and enhancing the
capabilities of EPC players.
▪ The Manufacturing team at Jabalpur has led a
unique initiative by planting over 2500 saplings in
and around the factory premises.

For additional information/queries/ & to subscribe, please write to: FOLLOW US ON:
Satish Barai
RPG Cables (A Division of KEC International Ltd.)
6th Floor, RPG House, Dr. Annie Besant Road, Worli, Mumbai – 400
030
Email: baraish@kecrpg.com
Tel: +91 22 6640 6489/ +91 22 66670300

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