Different type of materials uses for the construction of the High Voltage Power Lines. We cannot be imaging power system without electrical power cables. In the previous article, we have classified the power cable according to its voltage level. Today we are the plan to classify the cables in electrical industry compare to the insulation materials which consists inside of it.There are several properties of insulating materials of cables such as.
- High insulation resistance to avoid leakage current
- Non flammable
- Un affected to acid and alkaline
- High mechanical stress
- High dielectric stress.
There are several types of material are used to construct power cables such as followings.
1. Paper Insulated Cables
In this type of cables, papers are used as the insulation materials. This type of cables got great electrical properties compare with other insulations types.
The accuracy is also great and great performance in the plug end connections. The paper insulated cables are the most famous cable type in electrical power system.
2. Impregnated Paper Cables
In here the insulation material got suppress and there is rubber also consist of chemically pulped paper which impregnated by the paraffinic materials.
Compare to other types of cables these cables are low cost and also consist higher dielectric strength and higher insulation resistance.
Normally impregenerage underground cables also have protection cover to avoid hygroscopically.
- XLPE Cables ( Cross Linked Polyethylene)
XLPE cables are widely used for so many distribution based applications. The Cross Linked Polyethylene material got the capacity to work under temperature range between the 250 Celsius and this material also consider to having great insulation properties.
Normally XLPE cables are widely used for high voltage applications such as voltage levels up to 11kv to 33 kV. XLPE cables are got less weight compared to its size and the overall dimensions of this cable are also small.
Due to low water absorption and other properties, this type of cables is widely used for underground cables for Electrical power distribution systems.
- PVC cables
PVC is one of the commonly used cables in most of the low voltage domestic applications. The main reasons for its wide use of applications are the cost of it. Compare to another type of cables these PVC cables are cheap.
This cable is good to consider as good for low voltage levels which less than 3.3 kV and its consider that not suitable for high voltage applications.
- Ethylene Propylene Rubber
This type of material based electrical power cables are widely used where the flexibility is necessary. Normally ethylene propylene rubber cables are more easy to install and also got great protection from the fire.
The thermal stability of this conductors is far better to compare to other types of cables.Compared to the flexibility the mechanical strength and durability are also good in this type of conductors.
Most of this cables are used for low and medium voltage applications.
Hope that you have to get some basic idea about the type of materials which use for construct electrical cables and according to their properties in what applications they use for an electrical power system.
