Cable

Classificat
ion

• Operating voltage
• Operating frequency
• Conductor type
• Insulation level
• Core number
• Neutral and Earthing cable
• Derating factors
• Cross section area (mm2)
Operati
ng
Voltage

• Low voltage cable [ 1 V-1000 V ] ,

0.6 /1 KV
• Medium voltage cable [ 1 KV-66
KV ], 12 /20 KV 11 KV, 18 /30
KV 22 KV, 6 /10 KV 3.3 KV
6.6 KV.
• Overhead conductor [ 66 KV-500
KV]
Operati
ng
Voltage

• The higher the operating voltage,

the more insulation required,
also lower crossectional area
required due to the presence of
lower current.
🔍 Summary Table — Voltage
Class Overview
Nominal System Typical Rating Example
Classification
Voltage Range (U₀/U) Applications
Building wiring,
0.3/0.5, 0.45/0.75,
Low Voltage (LV) Up to 1 kV domestic
0.6/1 kV
distribution
Medium Voltage Industrial feeders,
3.3 kV – 33 kV 3.6/6 to 18/30 kV
(MV) substations

64/110 to 127/220 Transmission

High Voltage (HV) 66 kV – 220 kV (+)
kV networks
Operati
ng
Frequen
cy
• The frequency at which the
cables are operating are 50 Hz
and 60 Hz.
Cables Classification
According to
Conductor Type
 Conductor
Types

• Aluminum (Al) and Copper (Cu).

• According to the International Annealed Copper Standard (IACS), although aluminum only has 61% of
the conductivity of copper it is only 30% of the weight, and therefore significantly cheaper.
• All medium voltage cables are made from Al because of two reasons:- Low current and Underground
cable cost, except cables used to fed motors load.
• Low voltage cables are preferred from Cu in the electrical distribution network.
• The voltage drop (mV/A.m) for aluminium cables is higher than the equivalent copper cable.
 Conductor
Types

• Aluminum cables appear cheaper, but this doesn’t take into consideration the extra cost and effort
involved in installing less pliable aluminum cables. Therefore, copper cables are still primarily used for the
low voltage network, except in situations where overhead cables are installed, and weight is a factor.
• Aluminum cable requires a larger cross-sectional area to match the conductivity of the equivalent copper
cable. An aluminum cable needs a 56% larger cross-sectional area to achieve the same conductive
capability as a copper cable.
• If run underground, the size and number of conduits would need to increase to match the increased
aluminum cable cross-sectional area. If run above ground, the width of cable tray would need to increase
to accommodate larger and additional aluminum cables.
• Installation of aluminum cables are more difficult due to the flexibility and size.
Conductor
Types
Conductor
Types

Key Insight 💡
• Larger cross-sections reduce resistance and improve current
capacity.

•Copper cables carry more current and handle higher short-

circuit stress than Aluminum.
Cables Classification
According to
Insulation Level
Insulation
levels

Type Standard Max Temp. at COST ($/m)

normal short circuit
temperature level
PVC 70°c 150°c Low

XLPE 90°c 250°c High

Layer Function Material Type

Copper Conductor Carries current Copper

Insulation Electrical isolation PVC / XLPE

Maintains round
Filler PVC / Polymer
shape

Banding Binds cores Polyester tape

Inner Sheath Core protection LSHF compound

Mechanical
Steel Wire Armour Galvanized steel
protection
Environmental
Outer Sheath LSHF / PVC
protection
Cables Classification
According to
Armouring Types

By eng. Ahmed Mahdy/ Khadija Academy

 Armouring
Types

Type Advantages

S.T.A (Steel Tape Armoured) S.T.A withstands mechanical stress

more than SWA, that’s why it is used
in underground cables.

S.W.A (Steel Wire Armoured) S.W.A more flexible than S.T.A, It

withstands high pull loads.
 Cables Classification
According to Number of
Cores and Cable
Formation
 Number of
Cores

Number of Cores Application

Single Core Cable If CSA of each phase greater than 300mm2, used in riser of residential
buildings, and as an earthing cable.
Two Core Cable Used in low voltage single phase system, where only a phase and a neutral
are needed, there is no earthing system [ L& N only ].
Three Core Cable Same application of two core but an additional core for earthing [L, N and
E], also used in the medium voltage cable where only 3 phases are needed
[R, S, and T].
Four Core Cable Used in the low voltage system where three phases are needed in addition
to the neutral [R, S, T and N].
 Cable
Formation

Cable Formation Application

Trefoil Formation • Same distance apart between which means the magnetic field and circulating
currents are equivalent for each cable phase.
• Trefoil phase formation is more commonly used for Low and Medium Voltage
applications up to 132kV due to ease of installation and the reduction in space the
formation has.
⚠️Heat Dissipation Limitation
Because the cables are touching each other, the heat dissipation is restricted.
This leads to higher cable temperature and therefore a lower current-carrying
capacity compared to flat or spaced formations.
 Cable
Formation

Cable Formation Application

Flat Formation What is Flat Formation?

Flat formation is an arrangement where three single-core cables (phases R, Y, and B)
are laid side-by-side in a straight line with equal spacing between them.
📏 Purpose:
To provide better air circulation and heat dissipation, especially for high-current
installations.
Common in Medium and High Voltage (MV & HV) systems.
Used where space is available — such as in trenches, ducts, or outdoor installations.
Ideal for long horizontal runs (substations, feeders, transmission corridors).
Since the cables are not symmetrically spaced, the magnetic field around each phase
is unequal.
 Derating
factor
• Derating factors or correction factors are the factors which makes a cable current carrying capacity less than
the designed value. For example, ambient air temperature, soil temperature and laying method of the cable.
• If a cable has derating factor of 0.8, this means that the cable can only provide 80% of it’s rated current
capacity, so we need to select a higher current capacity cable to compensate for this drop.
• Let’s say we have a cable with a current capacity of 100 Amps and the load is 100 Amps, this cable will not
be
able to satisfy load requirement due to derating factor, it will give only 80 Amps.
• If we select a higher current cable of value = I/derating factor = 100/0.8 = 125 Amps and install this cable in the
same conditions. This cable will provide 125*0.8 = 100 Amps, which is the required current.
 Key Observations from the table
Parameter Explanation
More circuits laid together cause greater mutual
Number of Circuits heating → lower derating factor.
Flat formation provides slightly better cooling
Formation Type than trefoil → higher derating factors.
Increasing spacing between circuits (e.g., from
Spacing (L) touching → 0.15 m → 0.30 m) improves heat
dissipation → higher derating factors.
 3 Typical Applications by Number of Circuits
3️⃣

Typical Applications by Number of

Circuits
How It’s
No. of Circuits Where It’s Used Comment
Configured
One set of Apartment
1 Circuit cables from risers, DB Typical small LV system
source to load feeders
Two identical
2 Circuits Transformer → For medium loads or
sets of cables in
(Parallel) Main DB reduced voltage drop
parallel

Factory feeders,
3–4 Circuits Three or four large For high currents or long
(Parallel) identical runs commercial distances
mains

Substation
Five or six
5–6 Circuits outputs, For high-capacity systems
identical cable
(Parallel) industrial or redundancy
sets
distribution
Selection of Neutral and
Earthing Cable Cross
Section Areas

By eng. Ahmed Mahdy/ Khadija Academy

 Neutral
Conductor
Cross
Section Area

• If the C.S.A of the phase conductor less than 35 𝑚𝑚2, then the neutral C.S.A will be the same as the
C.S.A of any of the three phases.
• If the C.S.A of the phase conductor greater than 35 𝑚𝑚2, then the neutral C.S.A will be half the
C.S.A of any of the three phases.
 4️⃣Example Table

Example

Phase Conductor Size (mm²) Neutral Conductor Size (mm²) Rule Applied
10 mm² 10 mm² Equal (≤35 mm²)
25 mm² 25 mm² Equal (≤35 mm²)
35 mm² 35 mm² Equal (≤35 mm²)
50 mm² 25 mm² May be reduced (>35 mm²)
95 mm² 50 mm² May be reduced (>35 mm²)
 Earthing
Conductor
Cross
Section Area

• If the C.S.A of the phase conductor less than 16 𝑚𝑚2, then the earthing C.S.A will be the same as
the
C.S.A of any of the three phases
• If the C.S.A of the phase conductor 25 𝑚𝑚2 or 35 𝑚𝑚2 then the earthing C.S.A will be 16 𝑚𝑚2
• If the C.S.A of the phase conductor greater than 35 𝑚𝑚2, then the earthing C.S.A will be half the
C.S.A of any of the three phases
 Power cables can be designed as:
•Single-core cable → each phase (R, Y, B) has its own insulated
Single or conductor
•Multi-core cable → all three phases and neutral (and sometimes
Multi Core earth) are contained in one outer sheath

Cable •Left diagram:

Multi-core cable —
all phases (R, C, T /
N / E) under one
sheath; compact,
used for LV feeders.
•Right diagram:
Single-core cables
— individual phase,
neutral, and earth
laid side by side or
in trefoil; used for
larger cross-
sections or high
current.
Cable Design – How To
Select Cable Cross-
Sectional Area?
By eng. Ahmed Mahdy/ Khadija Academy
 Find Rated
Current of The
Load and The
CB Rating

• I rated 6 =
40∗74
3∗380∗0
= 56.6 𝐴
• I CB = I rated
.8
* 1.25 = 56.6 *1.25 =
70.75 A.
• I Cable
I
CB
Derating
= factor
 Derating
Factors
- Catalog

• Assume using PVC cable, the air

temperature in the installation area is
50 °C, derating factor
= 0.82.
• The cable rating0.82
= 70.75
• =86.28 A.
Cable selected is (4x25)+16
mm2