Cable
Selection
CABLE SELECTION
Type Of Insulation
Type of Conductor
Type of Cable
Current Rating
Voltage Rating
Permissible Voltage Drop
Overload & Short Circuit Withstand
Capacity
Bending Radius
Type of Insulation
Cross linked Polyethylene cables
(XLPE)
PVC insulated cables
Paper insulated cables
Comparison
Sr.
Property XLPE PAPER PVC
No.
1 Operating Temp. 0C 90 65 70
2 Emergency Overload
Temp 0 C 130
100 120
3 Short Circuit Temp. 0C 250 160
160
4 Dielectric Constant 2.35 3.4 6.8
5 Thermal Resistivity
Cm/watt 350 500
600
6 Moisture Sensitivity Excellent Poor Good
7 Current Carrying Capacity
For 3 Core
Current Rating I
C/s Area Ducts Underground Air
1.5 14 16 13
2.5 18 21 18
4 23 28 23
6 30 35 30
10 39 46 40
16 50 60 51
25 63 76 70
35 77 92 86
50 95 110 105
70 115 135 130
Current Rating II
C/S AREA UNDER GROUND DUCTS AIR
95 165 140 155
120 185 155 180
150 210 175 205
185 235 200 240
225 260 220 265
240 275 235 280
300 305 260 315
400 335 290 375
500 370 320 425
630 405 250 480
ASSUMPTIONS
Maximum Conductor Temp. - 700C
Ambient Air Temp - 400C
Ground Temp - 30 0C
Thermal Resistivity of Soil - 150 0C
(cm/watt)
Depth of laying - 750 mm
Thermal Resistivity of PVC - 650 0C
(cm/watt)
DERATING FOR AMBIENT
AIR TEMP.
AIR TEMPERATURE RATING FACTOR
0
C
25 1.25
30 1.16
35 1.09
40 1.00
45 0.90
50 0.81
55 0.70
60 0.57
RATING FACTOR FOR THERMAL
RESISTIVITY OF SOIL IN UNDERGROUND
MULTICORE CABLES
Area Of Conductor THERMAL RESISTIVITY OF
sq. mm SOIL 0C cm/W
100 120 150 200 250 300
6 1.10 1.05 1.0 0.92 0.86 0.81
10 1.10 1.06 1.0 0.92 0.85 0.80
16 1.12 1.06 1.0 0.91 0.84 0.79
25 1.14 1.08 1.0 0.91 0.84 0.78
35 1.15 1.08 1.0 0.91 0.84 0.77
50 1.15 1.08 1.0 0.91 0.84 0.77
70 1.15 1.08 1.0 0.80 0.83 0.76
RATING FACTOR FOR THERMAL
RESISTIVITY OF SOIL IN UNDERGROUND
MULTICORE CABLES
Area Of Conductor THERMAL RESISTIVITY OF
sq. mm SOIL 0C cm/W
100 120 150 200 250 300
95 1.15 1.08 1.0 0.90 0.83 0.76
120 1.17 1.09 1.0 0.90 0.82 0.76
150 1.17 1.09 1.0 0.90 0.82 0.76
185 1.18 1.09 1.0 0.89 0.81 0.75
240 1.18 1.09 1.0 0.89 0.81 0.75
300 1.18 1.09 1.0 0.89 0.81 0.75
400 1.19 1.10 1.0 0.89 0.81 0.75
RATING FACOTR FOR VARIATION IN
GROUND TEMP.
For PVC insulator cables for 70 0C operation
Ground Temperature 0C Rating Factor
25 1.06
30 1.00
35 0.94
40 0.87
45 0.79
50 0.70
55 0.61
Rating Factor for Depth
of Laying
Depth of RATING FACTOR
Laying UPTO <25 & >= 300 Above 300
cm 25 Sq. mm. Sq. mm. Sq. mm.
75 1.00 1.00 1.00
90 0.99 0.98 0.97
105 0.98 0.97 0.96
120 0.97 0.96 0.95
150 0.96 0.94 0.92
180 0.95 0.93 0.91
and above
Group Rating Factor for Twin & Multi-Core
Cables in Horizontal Formation , Laid Direct in The
Ground (For Cables 1.1 to 22 k. V. )
Spacing For Cables
Number of Touching 15 cm 30 cm 45cm 60 cm
Cables
2 0.79 0.82 0.87 0.91 0.91
3 0.69 0.75 0.7 0.83 0.86
4 0.62 0.69 0.74 0.79 0.82
5 0.58 0.65 0.72 0.76 0.80
6 0.54 0.61 0.69 0.75 0.78
7 0.52 0.59 0.68 0.73 0.77
8 0.50 0.57 0.66 0.72 0.76
9 0.47 0.55 0.64 0.71 0.75
10 0.46 0.54 0.63 0.70 0.74
11 0.45 0.53 0.63 0.69 0.74
12 0.44 0.52 0.62 0.68 0.73
Group Rating Factor for Twin & Multi-Core
Cables in Tier Formation , Laid Direct in The
Ground (For Cables Up to 22 K.v.)
Spacing For Cables
Number of Touching 15 cm 30 cm 45cm 60 cm
Cables Cables Cables Cables Cables Cables
2 0.81 0.84 0.88 0.90 0.91
3 0.69 0.73 0.79 0.82 0.85
4 0.60 0.67 0.73 0.76 0.78
5 0.55 0.61 0.67 0.71 0.73
6 0.51 0.57 0.63 0.67 0.69
7 0.48 0.54 0.59 0.63 0.64
8 0.45 0.51 0.57 0.59 0.61
9 0.44 0.48 0.54 0.56 0.58
10 0.42 0.46 0.51 0.54 0.56
11 0.41 0.45 0.50 0.53 0.55
12 0.52 0.54
SHORT CIRCUIT RATING FOR PVC INSULATED
ALUMINIUM CONDUCTOR CABLES UP TO AND
INCLUDE 11 kV
NOMINAL SHORT CKT RATING
AREA MM2 FOR 1 SEC IN kA
1.5 0.114
2.5 0.189
4 0.303
6 0.455
10 0.758
16 1.21
25 1.89
35 2.65
50 3.79
70 5.30
95 7.20
SHORT CIRCUIT RATING FOR PVC INSULATED
ALUMINIUM CONDUCTOR CABLES UP TO AND
INCLUDE 11 kV
NOMINAL SHORT CKT RATING
AREA MM2 FOR 1 SEC IN kA
120 9.09
150 11.36
185 14.02
225 16.7
240 18.18
300 22.73
400 30.30
500 37.88
625 47.73
800 60.61
1000 75.76
ESTIMATED VOLTAGE DROP FOR PVC INSULATED ,
ALUMINIUM CONDUCTOR, ARMORURED THREE
CORE CABLES
Nominal C/S Area Voltage Drop Nominal C/S Area Voltage Dro
of Conductor V/KM/AMP of Conductor V/KM/AMP
•1.5 41.6 •95 0.68
•2.5 25.0 •120 0.55
•4 15.7 •150 0.46
•6 10.4
•185 0.37
•10 6.2
•240 0.30
•16 4.0
•300 0.26
•25 2.5
•400 0.22
•35 1.8
•50 1.3 •500 0.20
•70 0.94 •630 0.18
Minimum Bending Radius
Cable Voltage MIN. BENDING RADIUS
Type Grade SINGLE CORE MULTI CORE
PVC 1.1 kV 15D 12D
Codes & Abbreviations
Code Abbreviations
A Aluminum Conductor
Y PVC Insulation
W Steel Round wire armor
F Steel Trip
WW Steel Double Round Wire Armor
FF Steel Double Strip Armor
Y PVC Outer Sheath
AW Aluminum Wire Armor
sm Sector shaped Conductor
rm Multi Standard Circular Conductor
re Single Standard Conductor
CABLE SELECTION – Case
Study
Motor Full Load Current:
(200 x 0.746 x 1000)/(3 x 415 x 0.8)
= 260A.
De-rating factors:
i) Ambient Temperature @ 45oC – 0.90
ii) Ground Temperature @ 45oC – 0.90
CABLE SELECTION – Case
Study
iii) Soil Resistivity @ 150oC cm/W – 1.00
iv) Depth of Laying @ 75cm – 1.00
v) Grouping factor for horizontal
laying, 1 cable laid in isolation – 1.00
vi) Grouping Factor for vertical
laying, 1 cable laid in isolation – 1.00
Net De-rating Factor = 0.90 x 0.90 x 1.00 x 1.00
x 1.00 x 1.00 = 0.81
CABLE SELECTION – Case
Study
Continuous current rating of the cable to
be selected = 260/0.81 = 321A.
We can select a 3c x 400 [Link] AYFY
Cable, whose continuous current rating is
335A.
Secondly, we have to check the voltage
Drop of this cable.
CABLE SELECTION – Case Study
The estimated voltage drop is: 0.22V/kM/A;
Consider the cable length is about 120m.
During normal running, the voltage drop in the
cable would be: 0.22 x 0.12 x 260 = 6.864V,
which is just 1.65% of the nominal system
voltage of 415V. As per IS 325, a motor should
be capable of producing rated output even
with a voltage drop of 6%. So, it is seen that
with this cable, the steady state voltage drop is
kept within limits.
CABLE SELECTION – Case Study
Assuming that the starting current of the motor
is 6 times its rated current, the voltage drop in
the cable during motor starting would be:
0.22 x 0.12 x 6 x 260 = 41.18V, which is about
9.92% of 415V. During acceleration state, a
voltage drop of up to 15% is permissible.
Hence, with the selected cable, even the
acceleration state voltage drop is kept within
permissible limits.
CABLE SELECTION – Case Study
Lastly, we have to check the short circuit
current withstand capacity of the cable. For this,
we have to calculate the magnitude of short
circuit current at the terminals of the motor.
For this, the transformer impedance has to be
converted to Ohmic value from % value.
Z = [5 x 10 x (0.433)2] / 1500 = 0.00625 ohms
CABLE SELECTION – Case Study
The transformer resistance is 1.42 milliohms.
So, the reactance would be:
{(0.00625)2 – (0.00142)2} = 0.00609 Ohms.
The cable resistance & reactance will be:
0.0778 Ohm/km & 0.0729 Ohm/km; for 120m cable it
will be 0.0093 ohm & 0.0087 ohm respectively.
The total resistance is: 0.0107 Ohm & the total
reactance is: 0.0148 Ohm. The total impedance
Is: 0.0183 Ohm. The fault current at the motor
terminals would be: 13748A.
CABLE SELECTION – Case Study
The short time withstand rating of cable is given
by: t = (K2S2/I2).
K = 76 for PVC Alu.; S = 400 [Link];
I = 13748A; t = 4.89 seconds.
This cable will withstand this fault current for a
duration of 4.89 seconds, whereas the 315A
Fuse provided in the motor feeder would clear
this fault in about 4 milliseconds.
CABLE SELECTION – Case Study
Even if the fuse does not operate, the short
circuit release provided in the 2000A ACB,
which will be set for 5In (i.e.) 10000A, will trip in
about 300 milliseconds.
Hence, the cable will withstand the short-circuit
current too till cleared by the fuse or by the ACB
release.
CABLE SELECTION – Case Study
Hence, it is established that the 3c x 400 [Link]
AYFY Cable selected is suitable for the
Application with respect to the continuous
Current carrying capacity, steady state voltage
Drop, acceleration state voltage drop & short
circuit current withstand.
Conclusion: The selected cable size is OK for
the application.