Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Cable Engineering in Substation and Power Plant
Cable Engineering in Substation and Power Plant
com
http://electrical-engineering-portal.com/cable-substation-power-plant
Cable Engineering in Substation and Power Plant (on photo: Sealing of power cables through the outer wall in substation; by Roxtec Ltd. @
Flickr)
losses induced in the wires causing significant heating of the cable and subsequent derating of its current carrying
capacity.
The same principle applies when selecting cable clamps.
3. Even if a single core cable is armored with ferromagnetic material like steel then three single core cable has to be
laid in trefoil arrangement so that the flux of all the three single core cable cancel each other as happens in three
core cable.
What type of armor should be used, wire or strip armor and when?
As per bureau of Indian standards no 7098 part-2 clause 16.2 Type of Armor Where the calculated diameter
below armoring does not exceed 13 mm, the armor shall consist of galvanized round steel wires.
The armor of cables having calculated diameter below armoring greater than 13 mm shall consist of either
galvanized round steel wires or galvanized steel strips.
In case the system is resistance/inductance earthed or unearthed, the phase to ground voltage of two healthy
phases rises to approximately phase to phase voltage when earth fault occurs in the third phase.
The phase to ground voltage of healthy phase comes very close to or attains phase to phase value depending upon
the degree of effectiveness of system neutral earthing. Hence phase conductor to armor insulation of cables used in
unearthed or resistance/inductance earthed system should be rated for full phase to phase voltage instead of VL/3.
For example in case of 6.6kV unearthed or resistance earthed system 6.6kV/6.6kV UE class cables should be
used while 6.6kV/3.85kV E class cables are adequate for solidly earthed system.
So insulation class of cables of any particular voltage level for unearthed system is equivalent to insulation class of
next voltage level of earthed system.
So now question is for 6.6kV resistance earthed system can we use 11kV/6.35kV E class cables?
Since for the selected cable phase to phase voltage is 11kV and phase to ground voltage is 11kV/3=6.35kV, which
is lesser than the phase to phase voltage of 6.6kV system and hence during earth fault in one phase the insulation
of healthy phase may prove to be insufficient.
AS PER IS-IS 7098, Indian Standard Specification for cross linked polyethylene insulated PVC sheathed cables
part-2 for working voltage from 3.3kV up to and including 33kV (7098 part-2) gives the following clause for the
same:The standard covers the requirements of following categories of cross linked polyethylene insulated and PVC
sheathed power cables for single phase or three phase (earthed or unearthed) systems for electricity supply
purposes:
a) Types of Cables
1. Single-core unscreened, unarmored (but non-magnetic metallic tape covered)
2. Single-core screened, unarmored
3. Single-core armored (non-magnetic) screened or unscreened
4. Three-core armored, screened or unscreened
b) Voltage Grade (UO/U)
1. Earthed System 1.9/3.3 kV, 3.8/6.6 kV, 6.35/11 kV, 12.7/22 kV and 19/33 kV
2. Unearthed System 3.3/3.3 kV and 11/11 kV
NOTES:
Cables of 6.35/11 kV grade ( earthed system) are suitable for use on 6.6/6.6 kV ( unearthed system) also.
The cables conforming to this standard may be operated continuously at a power frequency voltage 10
percent higher than rated voltage.
Under Rule 54 of the Indian Electricity Rules 1956, in case of high voltage, the permissible variation of
declared voltage at the point of commencement of supply is +6 & -9 percent.
How many types of cable faults are there & how are they diagnosed?
Faults can be divided into two types:
Diagnosis:
Usually the first indication of the possible existence of a fault is given by the automatic operation of the circuit
protection. The faulty cable should be disconnected from the other electrical equipments and is retested for
confirmation of fault in insulation by applying D.C. High voltage or by Megger.
If the insulation indicates a healthy result, cable continuity should be checked.
In case the insulation shows a faulty cable, the value of fault resistance should be measured with a multimeter.
Facts about interface cabling between control & instrumentation and electrical for any power plant or process plant.
Regarding C&I cables for any power or process plants, please note that there are two categories of cables:
1. Those C&I cables which are to be considered by electrical group. They are mainly
control/indication/annunciation related cables.
2. Those C&I cables which are to be considered by Instrumentation group.
The C&I cable supposed to be considered by electrical group:
1. Special cables for interface between PLC/Relay based control panel (in local control room to) and main plant
DCS or ECP. In most cases nature of such cables is Fiber optics because of large amount of data to be
carried over a large distance.
2. Cables between PLC and MCC for analog and binary signals. Nature of such cables is usually paired cables,
which may be twisted or untwisted pair. Engineering including scheduling with terminal details and
interconnection diagram, procurement and erection of above mentioned two types of C&I cables is carried out
by electrical group.
The C&I cables supposed to be considered by Instrumentation group and consequently excluded by
electrical group:
1. Paired cable from PLC to instrument JB in the local instrument rack or enclosure in the field.
2. Paired cables between Instrument JB in the local instrument rack or enclosure to field instruments.
3. Paired cable between PLC & packaged vendor panels like VMS (Vibration monitoring system), IPR & SOV.
4. Paired cable between above mentioned packaged vendor panels to Junction box in field.
5. Special cables between field junction box to individual instruments by packaged vendors like vibration
sensors.
6. Paired cable between PLC to modulating drives.
7. Paired cable between bidirectional drive to PLC.
8. Cables between GPS clock system (for time synchronization) and PLC/SCADA. Please note that the target
of such time synchronization of DCS or PLCs (located geographically apart) with GPS is that, if we have
more than one controller system, by default each system will have its clock adjusted individually from the PC
which downloaded the program in the system, so if any trip or trouble occur in the system and all the system
doesnt have the same time, the reports will be messy and confused about at which time the problem occur
due to difference in reporting time.
.
So a main controller or GPS signal is send to every control system in a specified time so that every system
readjusts its clock and has same time in terms of hour minute and seconds.
Summary
Cables mentioned in point number-II are the only two types of instrumentation cable which electrical group
considers and engineering done thereby requires interface & coordination with C&I department.
Eight types of cables mentioned in point number-III, should not be considered by electrical group of any project.
These cables are exclusively C&I cables and entire engineering & procurement is to be carried out by C&I
department.
Erection is sometimes carried out by electrical contractor, but in most cases erection is carried out by C&I site team
on perforated type cable trays dedicated for instrumentation.