Frank H. Rocchio, H.R. Stewart, and Donald A.

Voltz

F
14

rom the engineers perspective, the specification, selection, testing, application, and installation of wire and cable is becoming more complicated as we move fur-

Frank H. Rocchio is with The Okonite Company of Ramsey, New Jersey; H.R. Stewart is with HRS Consulting of Houston, Texas; and Donald A. Voltz is with Mustang Engineering of Houston, Texas. Rocchio is a Member, Stewart is a Life Member, and Voltz is a Senior Member of the IEEE. This article appeared in its original form at the 1999 Petroleum and Chemical Industry Conference.
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ther into the age of the global economy. No longer can engineering firms in their respective countries rely on their domestic standards for the application and installation of wire and cable on export or offshore projects. It is now necessary for cable engineers to have a working knowledge of international standards so they can specify the proper cable for installation across the globe. Herein lies the difficulty that most of the cable engineers face the unfamiliarity with international standards. When facing an export or offshore project, the engineer must investigate numerous country and international standards in order to prepare the
1077-2618/01/$10.002001 IEEE

January/February 2001

The Okonite Company

proper specifications for the wire and cable required. For instance, in continental Europe, can the engineer use a harmonized (HAR) European Union (EU), the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) [16], or International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard, such as ones listed below? s HD-21/PVC Insulated Wire and Cable. s IEC 60245-1 (HD-22)Rubber Insulated Cables of Rated Voltages Up to and Including 450/750 V. s IEC 60502-1Cables for Rated Voltages of 1 kV and 3 kV. s IEC 60502-2Cables for Rated Voltages from 6 kV up to 30 kV. Or is necessary to specify a certain countrys standard of specification, such as, VDE for Germany, CEBEC for Belgium, UNE for Spain, BS for the United Kingdom, etc.? This is also applicable for other parts of the world. In Asia, Africa, Canada, Latin and South America, and the Middle East does the cable engineer use IEC standards, U.S. national standards [the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies (AEIC), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), Insulated Cable Engineers Association (ICEA), and Underwriters Laboratories (UL)], the respective countrys standards, or a combination of all? We cannot provide these answers because of their complexity, but we intend to familiarize the user with a comparison between U.S. national and IEC standards. There is one thing for certain, no matter what type of standard is used to specify the cable, it will conduct electrical current. The IEC is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising national committees. The object of the IEC is to promote international cooperation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To this end, the IEC publishes standards that cover various subjects in modular form. The text in the IEC documents continually references other applicable IEC specifications for the topic being covereda thorough and formal system. Preparation of the standards is entrusted to technical committees composed of IEC national committees interested in the subject. The formal agreement of the IEC on technical matters, prepared by technical committees on which all the national committees having a special interest are represented, expresses as nearly as possible an international consensus on the subjects. The standards are published as recommendations for international use and are accepted by national committees in this sense. To promote international unification, national committees apply IEC international standards to the maximum extent possible in national and regional standards. Any divergence

There is one thing for certain, no matter what type of standard is used to specify the cable, it will conduct electrical current.

between the IEC standard and the corresponding national or regional standard will be clearly indicated in the national or regional standard. In effect, each country can add its national rules to the basic standard via the harmonized version of the standard in the European Norm (EN) format that is the same, word for word, in all European countries. The United States is a signatory to IEC standards through the U.S. National Committee of the International Electrotechnical Commission, administered by the American National Standards Institute. The national standards for the United States are the National Electrical Code (NEC) on land and the Code of Federal Regulations 46CFR (shipping) offshore. The U.S. national standards are developed from and reference the voluntary standards of AEIC, ASTM, NEMA, ICEA, IEEE, and UL. IEC standards are frequently referenced as bid specification documents outside the United States. The IEC standards serve as a basic start to furnish approved insulated conductors outside the usual domestic customer base. The IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which generates the rules on complete formal acceptance of products that are complex and would include the following steps for Europe: s 1. Contract with a third-party organization in Europe. The organization is to maintain a file of products that include catalog information and, more importantly, to have on file and maintain all qualification tests of the products. This entity is called a notified body. They would receive, on the manufacturers behalf, revisions of IEC standards and would notify the manufacturer of changes to specifications, rules, regulations, etc. The notified body would audit the manufacturer to confirm compliance. As an example, the notified body could be an ISO 9000 certification agency. s 2. The cable manufacturers contract with a notified body and the follow-up audits would permit the cable manufacturer to label products with the CE mark. (CE = Compliance European) The notified body would defend the cable manufacturer when the CE mark is challenged.
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3. The final step is to have knowledge of the users specifications (presumably IEC) and the rules and regulations associated with products as determined by each country. s 4. Items 1, 2, and 3 above illustrate the European use of the IEC standards and product-approval requirements. The CE mark is required for low-voltage cables in Europe. Mexico enforces a similar system. Central and South America, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay enforce less-stringent approval rules as well as other regions of the world. For a cable manufacturer to state that products meet or exceed IEC standards can be sufficient to offer a proposal in most cases or it can be the first step in the approval process. Attached is a comparison of U.S.-manufactured products to the IEC Specification 60502-1 [12] and 2 [13] (formerly 502 [1]) titled Extruded Solid Dielectric Insulated Power Cables for Rated Voltages from 1 kV up to 30 kV. The comparison is only shown in XLPE low-voltage power/controlmetal clad cable due to space limitations. Attached are tables comparing metric with AWG/kcmil conductor designs. IEC standards cannot reference a standard issued by another organization. Only IEC standards can be referenced. No standard can conflict with another IEC standard. No amendments are allowed between revision cycles except for safety issues. Revisions cycles will be between two and 12 years, as determined by the committee chair. Between cycles, the standard will be handled by a maintenance group. IEC standards have been renamed to match EN or CENELEC [16] designations, for example IEC 502 (1 - 30 kV) has been broken into renamed IEC 60502-1 [12] (low voltage, 1-3 kV) and IEC 60502-2 [13] (medium voltage, 6-30 kV). Domestic U.S. standards have the origin of standards writing in two broad-based cable user groups: utilities and industrials. Professional engineering societies are organized according to the power delivery market. The IEEE is organized into engineering discipline groups such as the Power Engineering Society, the Petroleum Chemical Industry Committee, and the International Marine Industry Committee of the Industrial Applications Society. Standards are based on the unique application needs of each group. The basic cable construction foundations can be traced to the cable manufacturing standards organization, ICEA. ICEA is the power cable technical arm of NEMA. Detailed testing procedures for materials are referenced to the ASTM documents. The U.S. NEC [17] is the base nationwide document for rules governing the safe, effective use of electricity. UL is one of several testing organization charged with the task of enforcing product safety rules outlined in the NEC. UL prepares cable
s

standards and investigates new cable designs via laboratory testing of completed cable constructions and continuously monitors the approved product designs though a systematic sampling of routine production. Inspection agencies throughout the United States monitor all aspects of construction: structural, plumbing, and electrical. These inspection agencies are part of local, state, and federal agencies. Local rules and regulations are adopted from the NEC and add specific requirements based on local conditions. The U.S. power cable standards and specifications are contributed to by all sectors: cable manufacturers, users and inspection organizations throughout the country. This article presents the differences in cable construction requirements between the basic IEC and domestic U.S. documents.

Rated Voltages
The IEC cable rating system and standard voltage ratings differ from U.S. practices as outlined in UL, AEIC, and NEMA (ICEA) standards. IEC voltage ratings are given in three terms: s Uothe rated power frequency voltage between the conductor and earth or metallic screen for which the cable is designed (phase to ground), s Uthe rated power frequency voltage between the conductors for which the cable is designed (phase to phase), and s Umthe maximum value of the highest system voltage for which the equipment may be used. The standard voltages of IEC versus NEMA (ICEA)/AEIC are given in Table I. Besides different nominal voltage ratings, the recommendations on insulation levels vary. The
Table I. IEC versus NEMA (ICEA)/AEIC Voltages
IEC - 60502-1
UO/U (UM) 0.6/1 (1.2) kV 1.8/3 (3.6) kV

NEMA WC 8 (ICEA S-68-516)

0-600 V 601-2000 V

IEC - 60502-2

NEMA WC 8 (ICEA S-68-516)

2001-5000 V

3.6 /6 (7.2) kV 6 /10 (12) kV 8.7/15 17.5 kV 12/20 (24) kV 18/30 (36) kV

5001-8000 V

8001-15,000 V 15,001-25,000 V 25,001 - 28,000 V 28,001-35,000 V

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IEC selection of cable system is divided into three categories: s Category AThis category comprises those systems in which any phase conductor that comes in contact with earth or an earth conductor is disconnected from the system within 1 min. This corresponds to the NEMA (ICEA) / AEIC 100% level. s Category BThis category comprises those systems which, under fault conditions, are operated for a short time with one phase earthed (grounded). This period should not exceed 1 hr. For cables covered by the IEC standard, a longer period, not exceeding 8 hr on any occasion, can be tolerated. The total duration of earth faults in any year should not exceed 125 hr. This corresponds to the NEMA (ICEA) /AEIC 133% level without the 8 hr of failure at one time and 125 hr per year. s Category CThis category comprises all the systems that do not fall into category A or B. This corresponds to the 173% level defined as the infinite time to de-energize. Of interest is the IEC recommended Uo rated voltage for all voltage levels puts Category A and B on the same level. This effectively eliminates the recognition of the NEMA (ICEA)/AEIC - 100% and 133% level systems. These system differentiations are well established and widely used.

The most common start of harmonization would be to change the 25 C temperature to the IEC value of 20 C so that conductor values would be in the same terms.

Metric Conductors
These are based on IEC 60228 [1], formerly IEC 228, which contains six classes of conductors: s Class 1 is solid bare or coated copper (0.5 to 150 mm2) and aluminum (16 to 300 mm2). s Class 2 is stranded bare or coated copper (0.5 to 1000 mm2) and aluminum (16 to 630 mm2). This class is divided into three categories, circular (noncompacted), compact, and shaped. Circular and compact use the same diameter range. s Classes 3 and 4 are no longer used. 2 s Class 5 is flexible copper (0.5 to 630 mm ). s Class 6 is very flexible copper (0.5 to 300 mm2). Conductor dimensions are determined by resistance, while classes 1, 2, 5, and 6 copper meet a maximum diameter while classes 1 and 2 aluminum meet minimum and maximum diameters. Class 1 (solid) and class 2 (stranded circular, compact, or segment) of the same material and same nominal cross-sectional area have the same specified maximum resistance in both single conductor and multiconductor cable. Classes 5 (flexible) and 6 (very flexible) of the same material and same nominal cross-sectional area have the same specified maximum resistance in both single conductor and multiconductor cable.

Stranded metric conductors are not required to have their individual wires twisted so that, in theory, all the wires could be parallel although, in practice, manufacturing a conductor without some degree of twist in the wires would be virtually impossible. ASTM, NEMA, ICEA, and UL strand requirements are for twisting the wires to a lay of eight to 16 times the diameter of the outer strand layer. The nominal resistance is adjusted to the configuration of the conductors in the final cable by the following factors: s Single conductor 2% and s Multiconductor 2%, plus one of the following: s One layer of conductors 2%, s More than one layer of conductors 3%, s Pairs or other precabled units 4%, and s More than one layer of pairs or other precabled units 5%. The elimination of the twist requirements in IEC 60228 will result in the conductor whether single or multiconductor having the same resistance value. The similar resistance is further amplified in the cable assembly. A comparison of IEC and U.S. strands is covered in Table II, Stranded Conductors.

Compounds
These are referenced by code in IEC standards rather than generic designations as used in North American standards. This trend may be changing as terms such as EPR and PVC are appearing in some IEC standards.

Metric Conductor Identification

For solid dielectric power and control cable, the metric conductor identification is based on IEC 60245-1 [2] and IEC 60227-1 [14]. IEC standards permit the identification of conductors by colored insulation similar to Method 6 of NEMA WC 57 [4], layer identification, or by numbers similar to Method 4 of NEMA WC 57 [4], Neutral or Single-Color Compounds with Surface Printing of Numbers. When using the method of numbers, the ground conductor will be green/yellow without being numbered and will be placed in the outer layer of the cable. All other conductors will be a neutral color other than red, grey, or white and
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Table II. IEC Class 2 Strand versus ASTM Class B Strand

mm2 . . . . IEC. . . . . Std. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 . . . . X .52 . . . . .75 . . . . .82 . . . . 1.00 . . . . X 1.31 . . . . 1.50 . . . . X 2.08 . . . . 2.50 . . . . X 3.31 . . . . 4.00 . . . . X 5.26 . . . . 6.00 . . . . X 6.64 . . . . 8.38 . . . . 10.00 . . . . X 13.3 . . . . 16.0 . . . . X 21.0 . . . . 25.0 . . . . X 34.0 . . . . 35.0 . . . . X 42.0 . . . . 50.0 . . . . X 54.0 . . . . 67.0 . . . . 70.0 . . . . X 85.0 . . . . 95 . . . . . X 107 . . . . . 120 . . . . . X 127 . . . . . 150 . . . . . X 152 . . . . . 178 . . . . . 185 . . . . . X 203 . . . . . 240 . . . . . X 254 . . . . . 300 . . . . . X 381 . . . . . 400 . . . . . X 500 . . . . . X 508 . . . . . 630 . . . . . X 635 . . . . . 761 . . . . . 800 . . . . . X 888 . . . . . 1000 . . . . X 1015 . . . . 1200 . . . . X 1600 . . . . X 2000 . . . . X X = IEC preferred size Diameter Copper Aluminum Max. Min. Max. mm (in.) mm (in) mm (in) 1.1 (0.043) 1.2 (0.047) 1.4 (0.055) 1.7 (0.067) 2.2 (0.087) 2.7 (0.106) 3.3 (0.130) Minimum # of Wires Class 2 Circular Compact Shaped AWG Size cmil

7X 7X 7X 7X 7X 7X 7X

6X 6X 6X 6X

20 18 16 14 12 10 9 8

4.2 (0.165)

7X

6X 6X 6X 6X 6X

6 4 6X 2 6X 1 6X 1/0 2/0

5.3 (0.209) 4.6 (0.181) 5.2 (0.205) 7X 6.6 (0.260) 5.6 (0.220) 6.5 (0.256) 7X 7.9 (0.311) 6.6 (0.260) 7.5 (0.295) 7X 9.1 (0.358) 7.7 (0.303) 8.6 (0.339) 19X

11.0 (0.433) 9.3 (0.366) 10.2 (0.402) 19X 12.9 (0.508) 11.0 (0.433) 12.0 (0.472) 19x 14.5 (0.571) 12.5 (0.492) 13.5 (0.531) 37X 16.2 (0.638) 13.9 (0.547) 15.0 (0.591) 37X

12X 15X 18X 18X

12X 3/0 15X 4/0 18X 250 18X 300 350

18.0 (0.709) 15.5 (0.610) 16.8 (0.661) 37x 20.6 (0.811) 17.8 (0.701) 19.2 (0.756) 61X 23.1 (0.909) 20.0 (0.787) 21.6 (0.850) 61X 26.1 (1.028) 22.9 (0.902) 24.6 (0.967) 61X 29.2 (1.150) 25.7 (1.012) 27.6 (1.087) 61X 33.2 (1.307) 29.3 (1.154) 32.5 (1.280) 91X

30X 34X 34X 53X 53X 53X

30X 400 34X 500 34X 750 53X 53X 1000 53X 1250 1500

37.6 (1.480) 42.4 (1.669) -

91X 91X

53X 53X

1750 2000 2368000 3158000 3947000

987 1022 1480 1520 1970 2583 2960 4110 4930 6530 7890 10380 11800 13090 16510 19700 26240 31600 41740 49300 66360 69100 80700 98500 105600 133100 138000 167800 187000 211600 237000 250000 296000 300000 350000 365000 400000 474000 500000 592000 750000 788000 986800 1000000 1243000 1250000 1500000 1579000 1750000 1974000 2000000

Not specified Not specified Not specified -

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contain consecutively longitudinally applied numbers with the numbering starting at one in the inner layer. The numbering will be in the same color at regular intervals not exceeding 50 mm (1.968 in). Consecutive numbers will be inverted in relation to each other. Numbers are to be applied longitudinally on the conductor. When the number is a single digit, a dash will be placed beneath it. If the numbers consist of two digits, a dash will be placed below the second digit. This type of number is similar to the longitudinal numbers described in Method 6 of MIL-C-24643A [4]. The method for colored phase identification of singles of multiple metric conductor cable using colored insulations does not permit the colors red, grey, white, and yellow and green when not in combination on the ground (earthling) conductor, to be used in multicore (multiconductor) cables. The green/yellow conductor designating the ground (earthing) conductor shall have one color cover 30% to 70% of the surface with the other color covering the remainder. A light blue conductor designates the neutral conductor and a brown conductor designates the layer tracer conductor.

The conductors that are the same color may not be green, yellow, light blue, or brown. North American color codes are started at the center of the cable, where IEC color codes have tracers and neutrals in the outer layer. Table IV contains a comparison of IEC and domestic color codes.

Metric Grounding (Earthing) Conductors

These are based on IEC 92-401 [5]. Grounds insulated with the same material as the main power conductor are the preferred type in IEC standards. The insulated earth wire (ground) will be colored green/yellow. Bare grounds are only permitted in a cable when the main power conductor is less than 6 mm2 (less than 9 AWG) and when in contact with a metallic sheath. Table V explains the use and sizing of metric grounding (earthing) conductors. NEC Table 250-122 provides the minimum size for equipment grounding conductors of copper and aluminum based on the ampere rating of overcurrent devices ahead the equipment protected. These conductors can be either bare or insulated based upon the end users need. No distinction is made between sizes for solid or stranded grounds.

Table III. Comparison of IEC and North American Color Codes

1/C cable IEC 60245-1 [2] No preferred color scheme. Use black when color is not indicated. No preferred color scheme. Use black and light blue when colors are not indicated. Ground included Green/ yellow Light blue Brown Green/ yellow Light blue Black Brown Green/ yellow Light blue Black Brown Black or brown Outer layer Green/ yellow Light blue All other Conductors Black Inner layers Brown All other Conductors Black Without ground Light blue Black Brown Light blue Black Brown Black Or Brown Light Blue Black Brown Black or brown Black or brown 1 NEMA WC 57 [3] Black

2/C cable

1 2

Black White Table E1 or E3 Ground included Black White Red Black White Red Green Black White Red Green Orange Table E2 or E4 Without ground Black Red Blue Black Red Blue Orange Black Red Blue Orange Yellow

3/C cable

1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5

4/C cable

5/C cable

More than 5/C cable

Light blue Brown All other Conductors Black Brown All other Conductors Black

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Black White Red Green Orange Blue White w/black Red w/black Green w/black Orange w/black

Black Red Blue Orange Yellow Brown Red w/black Blue w/black Orange w/black Yellow w/black

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Table IV. Metric Grounding (Earthing) Conductors

Main Power Conductor Ground in Cable 16 mm2 or less More than 16 mm2 1 to 2.5 mm2 4 to 6 mm2 Separate Ground 3 mm2 or less More than 3 mm2, but not greater than 125 mm2 Greater than 125 mm2 Flexible Cable or Cord 16 mm2 or less More than 16 mm2 Earthing (Grounding) Conductor Insulated Ground Same size as main conductor, but not less than 1.5 mm2 50% of the main conductor, but not less than 16 mm2 Bare Ground 1 mm2 1.5 mm2 Earthing (Grounding) Conductor Same size as main conductor, but not less than 1.5 mm2 for strand or not less than 3 mm2 for solid 50% of the main conductor, but not less than 3 mm2 64 mm2 Earthing (Grounding) Conductor Same size as main conductor, but not less than 1.5 mm2 50% of the main conductor, but not less than 16 mm2

Table V. Flat-Wire (Strap) Thickness

Calculated cable diameter Flat Wire Thickness Above Up to and Including Steel or Galvanized Steel mm (in) mm (in) mm (in) 30 (1.181) 0.2 (0.0078) 30 (1.182) 70 (2.756) 0.5 (0.0196) 70 (2.757) 0.8 (.0315) 0.8 (0.0315) The minimum thickness may be up to 8% below nominal thickness above. Aluminum mm (in) 0.5 (0.0196) 0.5 (0.0196)

Cable Assembly
IEC cable standards, 502 [1], 60502-1 [12], and 60502-2 [13] do not contain a requirement for the length of cable lay whereas North American standards limit the maximum length of the lay to: s Two conductors: 30 times the individual conductor diameter; s Three conductors: 35 times the individual conductor diameter; s Four conductors: 40 times the individual conductor diameter; and s Five or more: 15 times the assembled core diameter. Since length of lay affects conductor resistance by the longer path of each conductor, North American standards provide factors to compensate for the resistance requirement as previously shown under the section on conductors. IEC standards use only a maximum conductor resistance requirement for each conductor size no matter how many conductors are in the cable. This can result in different conductor diameters for the same size conductor in cables with a different number of conductors. North American conductors are of a fixed diameter range for each conductor size and type.

gory C (trip over 1 hr) recommendation is to use 3.6/6 (7.2) kV cables. These are covered in IEC 60502-1 [12] and 60502-2 [13]. IEC 60502-2 allows PVC with an insulation thickness of 3.4 mm (0.134 in) to be used at 3.6/6 (7.2) kV non shielded. IEC 60502-2 also allows ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) and hard EPR (HEPR) to be unscreened (nonshielded). However, this requires a heavier insulation thickness of 3.0 mm (0.118 in) for sizes 10 mm2 to 400 mm2 and 3.2 mm (0.126 in) for sizes 500 to 1000 mm2. Shielding is required for operating voltages above 2 kV for single conductors without shielding or armor or multiconductor cables without a discharge resistant jacket. This compares with the recommendation in Table 4-1 of NEMA WC 8 (ICEA S-68-516) for single conductors without metallic a sheath or armor or multiconductor cables without a discharge-resistant jacket. IEC standards do not take into account the differences of wet or dry locations as given in Table 310-63 of the NEC, nor is there any consideration for a discharge-resistant jacket.

Inner Covering
The inner covering may be an extruded layer or lapped tape. It is required on cables rated more than 1000 V that is to have metallic shielding or armor. On cables of 1000 V or less, the inner covering may be omitted when using metallic tapes with a nominal thickness of 0.3 mm (0.011 in) or less.

Shielding (Screening)
The shielding requirements of IEC and ICEA are not consistent. The IEC requirements are covered in both 60502-1 [12] and 2 [13]. IEC 60502-1 covers voltage systems of 1.8/3 (3.6) kV. The cate20
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Table VI. XLPE Power and Control Cable

IEC 60502-1 [15] Cable for rated voltages of 1 kV and 3 kV compared to UL Standard 1569 [6], Metal Clad Cables, 600 to 2000 V. IEC 60502-1 [12] XLPE UL 1569 [6] XLPE

Insulating Materials Temperature Rating Normal Operation Short Circuit Operation Jacket for 90C rated cable

90 C 90 C 250 C 250 C Thermoplastic PVC Thermoplastic PVC Thermoplastic PE Conductors Per IEC 60228 [2] Copper 14 AWG to 1000 kcmil copper 1. 5 to 1 000 mm2 Insulation Thickness Conductor Thickness Conductor Thickness UO /U (UM) UO /U (UM) mm2 0.6/ 1 (1.2) kV 1.8/ 3 (3.6) kV AWG 600 V 2000 V 1.5 - 6 0.7 mm (0.028 in) 14 - 10 0.76 mm (0.030 in) 1.52 mm (0.060 in) 10 - 16 0.7 mm (0.028 in) 2.0 mm (0.079 in) 8 1.14 mm (0.045 in) 1.78 mm (0.070 in) 25 - 35 0.9 mm (0.035 in) 2.0 mm (0.079 in) 50 1.0 mm (0.039 in) 2.0 mm (0.079 in) 6- 2 1.14 mm (0.045 in) 1.78 mm (0.070 in) 70 - 95 1.1 mm (0.043 in) 2.0 mm (0.079 in) 1 - 4/0 1.39 mm (0.055 in) 2.29 mm (0.090 in) 120 1.2 mm (0.047 in) 2.0 mm (0.079 in) 150 1.4 mm (0.055 in) 2.0 mm (0.079 in) kcmil 185 1.6 mm (0.063 in) 2.0 mm (0.079 in) 250 - 500 1.65 mm (0.065 in) 2.67 mm (0.105 in) 240 1.7 mm (0.067 in) 2.0 mm (0.079 in) 300 1.8 mm (0.071 in) 2.0 mm (0.079 in) 400 2.0 mm (0.079 in) 2.0 mm (0.079 in) 501 - 1000 2.03 mm (0.080 in) 3.05 mm (0.120 in) 500 2.2 mm (0.087 in) 2.2 mm (0.087 in) 630 2.4 mm (0.094 in) 2.4 mm (0.087 in) 800 2.6 mm (0.102 in) 2.6 mm (0.102 in) 1000 2.8 mm (0.110 in) 2.8 mm (0.110 in) Min. Pt. 90% - 0.1 mm 90% - 0.1 mm 90% 90% Assembly of cores, inner coverings, and fillers. a) Inner covering needed on cables with: Polyester tape is provided on cable with interlocked Armor, armor or continuously welded corrugated metal armor. Concentric conductor, or Other metallic layer. b) Metallic tapes can be applied directly over cable core. c) Inner covering is not required for circular cores not covered under a. Inner covering extruded or lapped (tape). Tape applied over core Types of metallic layer a) Metallic screen b) Concentric conductor c) Metallic sheath d) Metallic armor Cables rated greater than 1 kV Metallic layer surrounding the core either individually or collectively. Metallic armor Types of metallic armor

a) Flat wire armor (flat straps) b) Round wire armor c) Double tape armor (Parkway)

a) Armor consists of 0.55 mm or greater aluminum continuously welded and corrugated. b) Armor consists of interlocked steel or aluminum tape. c) Smooth metallic sheath.

Routine Tests Electrical resistance of conductors at 20 C 25 C for 1 km (3048 ft) Voltage test ac or dc at = 2.4 ac voltage 5 min Conductor to conductor and shield AC Voltage Rating U Voltage Uo 0.6 kV 1 kV 3.5 kV

1000 ft (304.8 m) ac 5 min Conductor to conductor and shield at 2.5 Uo +2 kV Voltage Conductor AC Rating Size Voltage 600V 14 -10 3.0 kV

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Cables with five or fewer conductors can have fillers in the interstices between conductors and tape to maintain a round configuration. The tape thick-

ness is 0.4 mm (0.016 in) for core diameters to 40 mm (1.57 in) and 0.6 mm (0.024 in) above 40 mm (1.57 in). All cables with more than five conductors

Table VI., Continued

8-2 1 - 4/0 250- 500 501 -1000 14 -10 8 6-2 1 - 4/0 250- 500 501 -1000 3.5 kV 4.0 kV 5.0 kV 6.0 kV 6.0 kV 6.0 kV 7.5 kV 9.0 kV 10.0 kV 11.0 kV

1.8 kV

3 kV

6.5 kV

2000 V

Special tests Frequency of special tests a) Conductor examination Check of dimensions b) Electrical and physical tests Requirements a) Insulation b) Non-metallic sheaths (Jackets). Physicals Tensile minimum Elongation minimum 200% modulus, minimum Aged at Tensile Elongation XLPE insulation characteristics Hot set test after and Max. elongation under load Max. elongation cool Set test, maximum Water absorption after Maximum variation of mass Shrinkage after Maximum, % Tensile minimum 12.5 N/mm2 (1800 psi) Elongation minimum Aged at Tensile minimum Variation between samples 25% Tensile, % of unaged, min. Elongation, minimum Variation between samples Elongation, % of unaged, min. Characteristics Loss of mass at Maximum 1.5 Mg/ cm2 Pressure test at high temperature Maximum indent at 90C Cold bending at Cold elongation Cold impact Pass eight of ten specimens Heat shock

Maximum of 10% of lengths Maximum of 10% of lengths See test section Min. Pt. 90% - 1 mm Min. Pt. 80% - 2 mm XLPE 12.5 N/mm2 (1800 psi) 200% 135 C for seven days unaged + or - 25% (125 - 75%) unaged + or - 25% (125 - 75%) 15 min at 200 C 20 N/cm2 (29 psi) 175% 15% 14 days at 85C 1 Mg/cm2 1 hr at 130 C, 4 Table 8 PVC Type ST2 sheath 12.5 N/mm2 (1800 psi) 150% 12.5 N/mm2 (1800 psi) 150% 25%

Once per size 10 % of master lengths See test section Min. Pt. 90% Min. Pt. 80% XLPE 12.5 N/mm2 (1800 psi) 250% 6.9 N/mm2 (1000 psi) 121 C for seven days 75 % 75% 15 min at 150 C 20.4 g/mm2 (29 psi) 100% 5% seven days at 70 C 10 mg/in2 (1.54 Mg./cm2) Not required

100 C for seven days -

200% 121 C for seven days

75 60 PVC Type ST 2 sheath Not required

100 C for seven days Typical 1.5 Mg/ cm2 50% -15 C No cracks -15 C -15 C

Not required 1 hr at -55 C No cracks Not required 4 hr at -35 C

1 hr at 150 C

1 hr at 121 C

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must have an extruded covering. The extruded inner covering may have an open helix of tape as a binder before the application of the extruded inner covering material. The binder is optional. The extruded thickness (1.0 mm or 0.040 in to 2.0 mm or 0.079 in) depends upon the diameter of the cable assembly. North American cables with metal covering require a tape inner covering [6]. However, the required covering is 0.30 mm (0.012 in) for article tape, 0.25 mm (0.010 in) for elastomer filled cloth, 0.15 mm (0.006 in), for elastomer filled Nylon (polyamide), or 0.05 mm (0.002 in) for a polyester tape that is much thinner than required by IEC standards. In both IEC and U.S. standards the tape thickness may be made up of one tape or the combined thickness of several tapes.

While a metal screen cannot be used as an armor, an armor can be used as a screen under the rules of some countries.

Metric Shielding Tape and Armor

These are based on IEC 60502-1 [12] and 60502-2 [13] formerly 502 [1]. While a metal screen cannot be used as an armor, an armor can be used as a screen under the rules of some countries. Cables can employ both a metal screen and an armor that when of different metals must have a separation screen between the metals. Cable rated greater than U of 1000 V (Uo of 0.6 kV) must include a metallic layer while cable rated at U of 1000 V (Uo of 0.6 kV) has the metallic layer as an option. UL/NEC constructions have two types of armor: interlocked, consisting of a steel or aluminum strip formed to lock each helical strip wrap together, and corrugated tube, consisting of a copper or aluminum tube wrapped about the cable, welded and smooth or corrugated. Corrugated tube, while invented in Europe, is not found in IEC standards except for IEC 60840 [18], which lists both welded smooth and corrugated aluminum tube for cable from 30 to 150 kV. Armor in North American standards is not considered or used as a shield as with some IEC armors. The types of IEC metallic layers are: s Metallic screen. It is composed of copper tape. On 1000-V cables, tape less than 0.3 mm (0.0118 in) may be applied directly over the cabled core without an inner covering. s Concentric conductors. These shall be applied directly over the inner covering. s Lead sheath. For all cable types, the minimum permitted nominal thickness of the lead sheath is 1.2 mm (0.047 in). s Metallic armor. When the metallic armor is of a different metal than the metal screen, it shall be separated from the screen by an extruded separation sheath meeting the requirements for the type material. The nominal thickness of the separation sheath is determined by: s tS in mm = 0.02 * Du in mm + 0.6 mm or tS in in = 0.02 * Du in in + 0.023 in,

where tS = nominal thickness of separation sheath. s Du = calculated (fictitious) diameter under the sheath rounded to the first decimal place. s The nominal thickness of the separation sheath shall not be less than 1.2 mm (0.047 in). s Minimum point = 80% - 0.2 mm of nominal or 80%/0.0078 in of nominal. Metallic armors are: s Flat wire. It may not be used for cable with a diameter less than 15 mm (0.590 in). Flat wire armors are galvanized steel, lead coated steel, or aluminum. Table V lists the required nominal thickness of IEC flat wire (strap in U.S. nomenclature) armors. On cables with a diameter above 15 mm (0.590 in), the thickness of flat steel wire required is 0.8 mm (.0315 in) with multiple flat tapes used to make the thickness. Flat wire armor is applied with a minimum gap between wires using the number of full flat wires that will fit around the circumference of the calculated diameter. When the gap is too wide, an open
Table VII. Required Nominal Thickness of Round-Wire Armors
Calculated Cable Diameter Above mm (in) Up to and including mm (in) 15 (0.590) Wire Diameter mm (in) 0.8 (0.031) Or 1.25 (0.492) 15 (0.590) 25 (0.985) 35 (1.379) 60 (2.363) 25 (0.984) 35 (1.378) 60 (2.362) 1.6 (0.063) 2.0 (0.078) 2.5 (0.098) 3.15 (0.124)

The minimum diameter may be up to %5 below, nominal diameter above.

Table VIII. Double Tape Thickness

Armor Tape Thickness
0.2 mm (0.0078 in) Over 0.2 mm

Required Bedding Tape Thickness

0.5 mm (0.020 in) 0.8 mm (0.031in)

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helix of galvanized steel tape 0.3 mm (0.0118 in) or greater may be applied over flat-steel wire armor, if necessary to fully cover the cable with metal. Round wire. These armors are galvanized steel, lead coated steel, or aluminum. Table VII lists the required nominal thickness of round-wire armors. The minimum diameter may be up to 5% below the nominal diameter above. Round-wire armor shall be closed with a minimum gap between wires using the number of full round wires that will fit around the circumference of the calculated diameter. An open helix of galvanized steel tape 0.3 mm (0.0118 in) or greater may be applied over round steel-wire armor, if necessary, to fully cover the cable with metal. Double tape. Known in the United States as parkway finish, this armor requires that the taped inner covering be reinforced by a taped
Table IX. Cable Diameter
Calculated Cable Diameter Above mm (in) Up to and including mm (in) 30 (1.181) 30 (1.182) 70 (2.757) 70 (2.756) Tape Thickness mm (in) 0.2 (.0078) 0.5 (.0196) 0.8 (.031)

bedding. The nominal thickness of the reinforced inner covering is the required inner covering thickness plus the required bedding tape thickness (see the section Inner Covering and Table VIII). The minimum point = 80% 0.2 mm of nominal or 80% 0.0078 in of nominal. An extruded inner covering meeting the requirement of the separation sheath does not require the additional bedding tape. The types of tape armor are steel, galvanized steel, and aluminum. Tape armor shall be applied helically in two layers so that the outer tape is centered over the gap of the inner tape. The gap between adjacent turns shall not exceed 50% of the tape width so that the cable is fully covered with metal (see Table IX).

Cable Marking
The requirements for cable marking are seldom found in IEC standards. IEC 80245-1 [2] is one of the few IEC standards that contain marking requirements. IEC cable marking requirements consist of the manufacturers name or trademark. This information can be provided by printing, indenting, embossing, or marking tape. This differs from North American cable, where the manufacturer, construction, cable type, and approval organization are applied along with any special properties of the material. Examples of U.S. special property markings are: s SUN RES for sunlight resistant, s FOR CT USE for cable qualified for use in trays, and s OIL RES for cables that contain oil-resistant insulations or jackets.

The minimum thickness is 10% below nominal.

Table X. IEC Special Electrical and Physical Tests

Length of Multicore
0-2 km (6562 ft) 2-10 km 10-20 km 20-30 km

1/C
0-4 km (13124 ft) 4-20 km 20-40 km 40-60 km

Number of Samples
0 1 2 3

Testing
Routine tests are performed on each length of cable in both IEC and domestic standards. Special test frequency for IEC standards is based on the length of cable produced and whether the cable is single or multiconductor. U.S. frequency is based on the length of cable produced and whether the conductor is larger or smaller than 250 kcmil (see tables). Type tests are performed on 10 to 15 m of cable in IEC standards. These tests are similar to the qualification tests listed in AEIC standards.

Table XI. U.S. Special Electrical and Physical Tests (Varies by Type of Test and Conductor Size)
Conductor Size
Less than 250 kcmil 250 kcmil and larger

Flame Tests
Number of Samples
0 1 1

0 -0.61 km (0-2000 ft) 0-0.31 km (0-1000 ft) 0.61-15.3 km (2000-50,000 ft) Additional 15.6 km (50,000 ft) 0. 31-15.3 km (1000-25,000 ft) Additional 7.6 km (25,000 ft)

Flame tests are intended to evaluate the characteristis of the type of cable being considered for an application. IEC flame tests are intended for IEC-constructed cables with the the overall metal protection while U.S. flame tests are intended to evaluate cables constructed to U.S. standards. While some flame evaluations are similar, most are intended for constructions manufactured to either IEC or U.S. standards. The mixing of IEC tests

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with U.S. constructions is meaningless except where the tests are similar.

Conclusion
Cables made to IEC and U.S. standards, while having the same purpose, are of widely different designs. Cables made to one standard cannot be made to match the requirements of the other. The cable made to the U.S. standards has been used in the U.S. and throughout most of the world. The IEC standards have not been widely used in Europe where national and private industrial and utility standards have prevailed. IEC standards have been mainly used in countries where there have not been strong electrical codes. The European Unions adaptation of the IEC standards under the harmonized EN standards of CENELEC [16] adds the force of law to the standards. This will promote a wider use of the IEC (CENELEC) standards on the European continent, although, at this writing, each country could still apply its national rules to the CENELEC standard. This is scheduled to change because all CENELEC European harmonized documents have already been withdrawn and replaced by European Norms. These are the same, word for word, in all European countries. CENELEC members are also members of the IEC and, therefore, do not operate a competitive policy with respect to the IEC. International harmonization of standards must be done at the IEC level. The addition of the CE mark to products meeting CENELEC is similar to the application of the UL mark to products meeting UL standards in the U.S. Worldwide harmonization of standards looks to be a long process. North American and European electrical systems are based on different voltages or frequencies, different conductor sizes, and a different concept of what an electrical system should do. Standards were written by local organizations, and those in Europe came to totally different conclu-

sions than those in the U.S. IEC standards generally favor European-based products, but this is likely due to the lack of serious U.S. participation. Until recently, U.S. standards have been based on domestic production because there was no need to get involved with the rest of the world. The most common start of harmonization would be to change the 25 C temperature to the IEC value of 20 C so that conductor values would be in the same terms.

References
[1] Conductors of Insulated Cables, IEC 60228, 1978. [2] Rubber Insulated CablesRated Voltages up to and Including 450/750 V, IEC 60245-1, 1994. [3] Standard for Control Cables, NEMA WC 57, 1998. [4] Cables and Cords, Electric, Low Smoke for Shipboard Use, MIL-C-24643A, 1994. [5] Installation and Test of Completed Installation, IEC 92-401, 1998. [6] Metal Clad Cables, UL 1569, 1999. [7] Fire-Resisting Characteristics of Electrical Cables, IEC 331. [8] Flame-Retardant Characteristics of Electrical Cables, IEC 332. [9] Marine Shipboard Cable, UL 1309, 1995. [10] Test on Single Vertical Insulated Wire, IEC 332-1. [11] Test on a Single Vertical Insulated Copper Wire or Cable, IEC 332-2. [12] Cables for Rated Voltages of 1 kV and 3 kV, IEC 60502-1, 1997. [13] Cables for Rated Voltages from 6 kV up to 30 kV, IEC 60502-2, 1997. [14] IEEE Standard for Type Test of Class IE Electric Cables, Field Splices and Connections for Nuclear Power Generating Stations, IEEE 383 ANSI N41.10, 1975. [15] Reference Standard for Electrical Wires, Cables and Flexible Cords, UL 1581, 1997. [16] CENELEC European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization, Paris, France. [17] National Electrical Code, NEC NFPA 70, 1999. [18] Power Cables with Extruded Insulation and Their Accessories for Rated Voltages above 30 kV up to 150 kV, IEC 60840 (IEC 840), 1999. [19] Polyvinyl Chloride Insulated Cables of Rated Voltages up to and Including 450/750 V, IEC 60227-1 (IEC 227-1), 1998.

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