Screening

Screening
 Semi-conductor screen
 Metallic screen / sheath

 Semi-conductor screen:
– Prevent electric field concentration
– Protection of insulation from electric
discharges

 Metallic screen:
– Nullify electric field outside cable

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Metallic Screen
 Nullify electric field outside cable:
– High voltage wires produce electric field around them which may affect
operation of surrounding electric equipment.
– HV cables may induce unwanted voltages in cables running in parallel.
– Affect operation of control cables
– A metallic screen can be considered as grounded Faraday’s cage.

 To prevent electric field concentration

– Protects outer jacket (outer sheath) from electric field discharges

 Draining the capacitive currents passing through the insulator

– Acts as second electrode of the capacitor formed by the cable

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Metallic Screen
 Circulation of currents induced by external magnetic fields
– Prevents screened control cables from effects of magnetic fields induced by
power cables in the vicinity.

 Draining the zero-sequence short-circuit currents

– In case of earth fault, acts as return path for part of zero-sequence currents.
– This determines size of metallic screen

 Prevent insulation from humidity

– Forms a radial barrier to prevent humidity from penetrating cable
– Presence of strong electric field and humidity together deteriorates insulation
by ‘watertreeing’.

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Types of metallic screen
 Extruded lead alloy sheath
 Waterproofing guaranteed
 High electrical resistance, therefore minimum energy loss
 Excellent corrosion resistance
Heavy and expensive
Lead is a toxic metal
Limited capacity to expel zero-sequence short-circuit currents.

 Concentric copper wire screen with aluminium tape

 Lightweight and cost effective design,
 High short-circuit capacity
Low resistance needs special screen connections (earthing at one point or
crossbonding) to limit circulating current losses.

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Types of metallic screen
 Aluminium screen
 Lightweight structure
 High short-circuit capacity
 Impervious to moisture
Low resistance needs special screen connections to limit circulating current
losses.
Higher Eddy Current losses than other screen types.

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Voltages induced on Metallic Screen
 When an alternating current runs through the conductor of a cable, a
voltage proportional to following is generated on metallic screen:
– the induction current
– the distance between phases
– the length of the line
 Under normal operating conditions, this voltage may reach several tens of
volts.
– Earthing of screen can prevent risk of electrocution
 In case of SC faults induced voltage can reach few kV.
– Practically it remains lower than a level harmful to outer jacket.
 In case of lightning overvoltages or switching overvoltages, induced
voltage may reach several tens of kV
– Sheath voltage limiters are used to limit this voltage to prevent damage to outer
jacket.

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Metallic Screen Earthing: Single Point Earthing
 Cable sheaths are solidly bonded and earthed at one point
 Applicable for short length cables (<500m)
 Voltage present between sheath and ground (should be limited below 25V)
 No closed sheath circuit and no sheath circulation current loss
Need sheath voltage limiter (SVL)

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Metallic Screen Earthing: Two Point Earthing
 Cable sheaths are solidly bonded and earthed at both points
 Applicable for longer length cables (up to 1km)
 No equipotential cable required
 No need of SVL
Circulation current present in sheath causing loss and heating
Reduces current carrying capacity of cable

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Metallic Screen Earthing: Cross Bonding
 Cable sheaths are solidly bonded and earthed at both ends
 Cable sheaths are cross-bonded at equal interval in multiple of three, at
cable joints.
 The phase sum of the induced voltages will be zero
 No circulating current when cable laying is symmetrical
Link box with SVL are needed at cross-bonding points

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Metallic Screen Earthing :Cross Bonding and
Transposition

 For unsymmetrical cable laying the induced phase voltages are not equal.
Therefore, the phase sum of the voltages are not zero despite cross
bonding.
 The cables are transposed at each joint position and the cable sheaths are
cross connected
 Sheaths are earthed at every third joint position.
 the phase sum of the induced voltage on sheaths over three sections is zero
 No circulating currents, no losses and heating
Link boxes with SVL are needed.

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Metallic Screen Earthing :Cross Bonding and
Transposition

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Calculation for induced voltage on sheath

 For Trefoil formation:

𝑆𝑆
𝐸𝐸 = 2ω𝐼𝐼 𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 × 10−4 (V/km)
𝑟𝑟
 For Flat formation:
2𝑆𝑆
𝐸𝐸𝐴𝐴 = 𝑗𝑗ω𝐼𝐼 𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 + 𝑗𝑗 3 ln 2 × 10−4 (V/km)
𝑟𝑟
𝑆𝑆
𝐸𝐸𝐵𝐵 = 𝑗𝑗2ω𝐼𝐼 𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 × 10−4 (V/km)
𝑟𝑟
2𝑆𝑆
𝐸𝐸𝐶𝐶 = 𝑗𝑗ω𝐼𝐼 𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 − 𝑗𝑗 3 ln 2 × 10−4 (V/km)
𝑟𝑟
Where,
E, EA, EB, EC : induced voltages on sheath. S : Center to center
ω : angular frequency (2πf) distance between cable
I : Current r : Mean radius of sheath

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Losses in screen
 Losses in screen occur due to:
– losses caused by circulating currents
– losses caused by eddy currents

 IEC 60287-1-1 defines calculation method for losses in screen as well as

armour.

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 Thank You!

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