Undergrounding of

Transmission Cables
and Their Types
Presented BY
Muhammad ali(UW-11-EE-BSC20)
Haseeb Hassan(UW-11-EE-BSC-16)
Faisal mumtaz(UW-11-EE-BSC-60)
Punjab EDUSAT Socity

Introduction
An underground cable essentially consists of one
or more conductors covered with suitable
insulation and surrounded by a protecting cover.
The interference from external disturbances like
storms, lightening, ice, trees etc. should be
reduced to achieve trouble free service. The
cables may be buried directly in the ground, or
may be installed in ducts buried in the ground.

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Cable Structure

Conductor
Paper insulation
Metal sheath
Bedding
Armour
Serving

Properties of Insulating
Material

High resistivity.
High dielectric strength.
Low water absorption.
Non inflammable.
Chemical stability.

High mechanical strength. .

High tensile strength and plasticity.

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Insulating Materials for Cables

1. Rubber
2.Varnished Cambric
3.Impregnated Paper
4. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
5.XLPE (Cross Linked Poly-ethene)

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CLASSIFICATION OF
CABLES
Low tension (L.T) ----- up to 1000V
High tension (H.T) ----- up to 11, 000V
Super tension (S.T) ---- from 22KV to 33KV
Extra high tension (E.H.T) cables --- from 33KV to
66KV
Extra super voltage cables ------beyond 132KV

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Low Tension Cable

It consists of one circular core
of tinned stranded copper (or
aluminium)
insulated
by
layers of impregnated paper.
The insulation is surrounded by
a lead sheath which prevents
the entry of moisture into the
inner parts.
In order to protect the lead
sheath from corrosion, an
overall
serving
of
compounded fibrous material
(jute etc.) is provided.

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High tension
cable(H.T)
High-voltage cables
differ from lowervoltage cables in
that they have
additional internal
layers in the
insulation jacket
around the
conductor.
used upto 11 kV

Extra High Tension

Cable

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WEC

The following types of cables are generally used

for 3-phase service :
1. Belted cables upto 11 kV
2. Screened cables from 22 kV to 66 kV
3. Pressure cables beyond 66 kV.

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Cables for 3-phase

Belted Cables
In these cables the conductors are wrapped with
oil impregnated paper.
These can be used for voltages up to 11KV or in
some cases can be used up to 22KV.
As the insulation resistance of paper is quite small
along the layer leakage current causes local
heating, resulting breaking of insulation at any
moment

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3-core belted Cable

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3- Core Cables
Screened Cables
These can be used up to 33kv but in certain cases
can be extended up to 66kv.
Pressurized Type Cables
When the operating voltages are greater than 66
kV and up to 230 kV, pressure cables are used. In
such cables,in order to avoid air to enter the cable
pressurized gas or oil is ued.
Gas pressure cables are used up to 275KV.
Oil filled cables are used up to 500KV.
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3- Core Cables
Oil Filled Cables(upto
500kv)

In such types of cables, channels or ducts are

provided in the cable for oil circulation.

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Gas Pressure Cables

In these cables an inert gas like nitrogen is used to
exert pressure on paper dielectric to prevent void
formation..

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Laying of underground
cables
There are three main
underground cables :
Direct laying
Draw-in-system
Solid-system

methods

of

laying

Direct laying method

In direct laying method, the cables with steel
tape or wire armouring are laid directly as
they afford excellent protection from
mechanical injury. This method of the laying
underground cables is simple and cheap and
in much use.

Drawn in system
This method of cable laying is suitable for
congested
areas where excavation is
expensive and inconvenient, for once the
conduits have been laid, repairs or alterations
can be made without opening the ground.
In this method, a line of conduits or ducts are
of the glazed stoneware cement or concrete.

Solid system
In this method of laying, the cable is laid in
open pipes or troughs dug out in earth along
the cable route. The troughing is of cast iron,
stoneware, asphalt or treated wood.

TYPES OF CABLE FAULTS

Cables are generally laid in the ground or in ducts
in the underground distribution system. For this
reason, there are little chances of faults in
underground cables. However, if a fault does
occur it is difficult to locate and repair the fault
because conductors are not visible. Nevertheless,
the following are the faults most likely to occur in
underground cables
1) open circuit fault
2) short circuit fault

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OPEN CIRCUIT FAULTS

When there is a break in the conductor of a cable,
it is called open circuit fault.
The open circuit fault can be checked by megger.
For this purpose, the three conductors of the 3core cable at the far end are shorted and earthed.
The resistance between each conductor and earth
is measured by a megger and it will indicate zero
resistance in the circuit of the conductor that is
not broken.
However, if the conductor is broken, the megger
will indicate infinite resistance in its circuit

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SHORT CIRCUIT FAULTS

When two conductors of a multi-core cable come
in electrical contact with each other due to
insulation failure, it is called a short circuit fault.
Again, we can seek the help of a megger to check
this fault.
For this purpose the two terminals of the megger
are connected to any two conductors.
If the megger gives zero reading, it indicates
short circuit fault between these conductors.
The same steps is repeated for other conductors
taking two a time.

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Compaison between
overhead and
underground system

Bottlenecks
1.) Installation cost
2.) Underground line capacitance for power
cables is far higher
than overhead line
capacitance.
o
Wires are closer to each other
o
Wires are closer to the earth (within a few
inches).
3.)Occurance of Ferranti effect

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Pros &Cons
Low maintenance cost
Less chances of faults
Small voltage drops
Cons
The major drawback is that they have greater
installation cost and introduce insulation
problems at high voltages compared with
equivalent overhead system.

WEC

Less liable to damage through storms or lighting

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Pros

Power Transmission

Generating station should be installed nearer to

consume side in order to reduce distance and
minimize loss due to ferranty effect in
underground system.

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Future
Recommendation

 Undergrounding can increase the initial costs of

electric power transmission and distribution but
may decrease operational costs over the lifetime
of the cables.
Due to undergrounding we can see Much less
subject to conductor theft, illegal connections.
Hazadious accidents can be reduced by installing
them.

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Conclusion

THANKS
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