Name : Moustafa Mouhammed Moustafa Ali

ID : 1024

Doctor : Ahmad Kamal

High voltage

1. Rubber insulator for underground cable

Properties of Rubber insulator for underground cable :

Rubber may be obtained from milky sap of tropical trees or it may be

produced from oil products.

disadvantage of Rubber insulator for underground cable :

It has relative permittivity varying between 2 and 3, dielectric strength is

about 30 kV/mm and resistivity of insulation is 1017Ω cm.

Although pure rubber has reasonably high insulating properties, it suffers

form some major drawbacks viz., readily absorbs moisture, maximum safe
temperature is low (about 38ΊC), soft and liable to damage due to rough
handling and ages when exposed to light.
Therefore, pure rubber cannot be used as an insulating material in
underground cables.

2. Vulcanised India Rubber (V.I.R.)

Properties of Vulcanised India Rubber (V.I.R.) :

Vulcanised India Rubber insulated cable.

Along with imperial T&E, one of the most common historic wiring cables
still in use

Comes in 2 forms:

Twisted pair, cotton/rubber insulated, with no outer sheath

singles drew into conduit.

2. Most VIR wiring doesn’t include an earth wire, which is sometimes run
as a separate uninsulated single.

3. Rated to 60C.

4. Rubber insulation perishes, cracks & falls off

5. Properties with VIR cable are usually in urgent need of rewiring

and may represent a significant safety risk. However, some of the Jute /
Hessian reinforced rubber cables that are often seen on consumer unit
incomers are still often relatively safe.

It is prepared by mixing pure rubber with mineral matter such as zine oxide,
red lead etc., and 3 to 5% of sulphur.

The compound so formed is rolled into thin sheets and cut into strips.The
rubber compound is then applied to the conductor and is heated to a
temperature of about 150ΊC.
The whole process is called vulcanisation and the product obtained is known
as vulcanised India rubber.

use of Vulcanised India Rubber (V.I.R.) :

The VIR insulation is generally used for low and moderate voltage cables.

advantage of Vulcanised India Rubber (V.I.R.) :

Vulcanised India rubber has greater mechanical strength, durability and wear
resistant property than pure rubber.

disadvantage of Vulcanised India Rubber (V.I.R.) :

Its main drawback is that sulphur reacts very quickly with copper and for
this reason, underground cables using VIR insulation have tinned copper
conductor.

the potential dangers of VIR cables?

It has been proven that with time, VIR cable wiring systems may break
down thus becoming extremely hazardous. To be more precise, the
insulation material used on VIR cables will dry out and become brittle with
time hence leaving behind exposed live electrical wires. What’s more, the
earthing system can easily become compromised from any alterations.

It is imperative to note that the major threat which arises from VIR electrical
wiring is associated with insulation. On most occasions, this type of
insulation doesn’t age well. After some time, the insulation on this type of
electrical cable usually crumbles away thus leaving behind live conductors
exposed in critical areas within the house such as roof cavities and walls.
Apparently, this is a serious electrical problem that significantly increases
your risk of electrical fires, injuries, shock as well as electrocution.
It is also critical to reiterate that VIR electrical cables don’t often age well.
As a result, they can easily result in inconsistent power flow and this may
not bode well with your household electrical appliances. VIR wiring equally
lacks an earth wire which is ideal for earthing metal-related fittings.