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Cables
Protection
or Degradation - Separate the ‘quiet’ cables such as analog I/O
lines, digital I/O lines, or LAN connections - Motors starting, stopping,
switches on and off, controls blinking in and out … it is a cacophony of
electrical clatter. In today’s industrial environments, electronic devices,
signal and power wiring, and other electrical plant/process equipment often
interact to create “noise” or electromagnetic interference (EMI) problems,
which can degrade critical measurement and control signals. Proper
grounding and shielding techniques can help reduce or eliminate these problems
and maintain signal integrity. From InTech.
4.10
Haloarrest®
Low Smoke Zero Halogen Jacket Compound - Sarah Gladding -
The Haloarrest jacket offers a unique solution to fit many applications. The
Haloarrest jacket is a Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) alternative to traditional
wire and cable jacket compounds. Cables with the Haloarrest LSZH jacket provide
a useful alternative for industries that require restricted use of halogenated
products. Materials that contain halogens emit potentially harmful and corrosive
gases when they are burned. Haloarrest jacketed cables offer excellent flame
resistance, low smoke properties, and reduced toxicity. From Beldon.
4.10
How
Wire Fails - Stephen H. Lampen -
Wire and cable can fail from a number of causes. This paper is an overview of
the various failure modes wire can exhibit, how to predict each and how to help
prevent it. Often, installers or users mistakenly suspect one failure mode when
in fact another (or even none) is to blame. This article will also present an
analysis template to determine just which failure mode might be expected.
4.10
Cable
Alternatives for PWM AC Drive Applications - This paper
describes an alternative solution for cables used with Insulated Gate Bipolar
Transistor (IGBT) Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs). New IGBT technology has
introduced voltage stresses on motors and cables that leads to unpredictable
system performance and reliability. This paper includes a performance and cost
comparison between a continuously welded armored option, the option of lead wire
in conduit, and a proposed shielded tray cable. Unique physical characteristics
of the cables are discussed. A proposed cable with increased insulation
thickness is discussed that insures long-term cable service life under VFD
operation, while the shielded coaxial braid contains VFD EMI emissions. Other
applications, options, and termination considerations with respect to the
petro-chem industry is discussed. Cable performance is documented with
theoretical and experimental support.
4.10 Building
a Reliable VFD System - Brian Shuman - Special
consideration must be given to the proper installation and operation of the
overall system that comprises the VFD, the motor it controls, and the cable that
connects them. From Belden.
4.10 The
Adventures of Conduit Phil - Stephen H. Lampen - So
you're designing your install and you have a choice: conduit or non-conduit. A
lot of cable today is made non-conduit, (i.e. "plenum rated"). This is
almost always a better deal. Plenum-rated cable can go anywhere you want it to.
Cable in conduit can only go where the conduit goes. There are almost no
limitations on how much plenum cable you can put in a drop ceiling. Cable in
conduit is limited by the size of the conduit, and big conduit is mighty
expensive. It's easier to install plenum cable (not to mention the cost of
conduit installation), so your labor costs will be a lot lower. You can add,
change or modify an installation of plenum cable easily...just add another
cable. With conduit, you might have to add new conduit. Not a simple task. From
Belden.
4.10
Pyrotenax®
MI Cable
Industrial Wiring Installation Manual -
This manual covers storage and installation of Pyrotenax Alloy 825 Sheath MI
industrial wiring cables. It is assumed that the cables have been correctly
sized and the installation properly designed. From Tyco.
Best
Practices for Process Instrumentation Cabling - Saeed M.
AL-Abeediah - This article looks at the classes of instrumentation
circuits and wiring suitable for each class, signal noises, techniques that
minimize the impact of noise and interference on instrument signals, and
conclude with a proposed process automation grounding scheme that PAS vendors
helped develop - from ISA
The following links are from Olex Australia
Cable
Terminology - A list of common Terms
Frequently
Asked Questions 1
- How do I determine the rating of a cable?
- How do I measure the amount of current a cable can carry over a particular
distance?
- How do I determine the size of cable required for a particular current of a
distance?
- Are orange circular PVC cables suitable for use outdoors exposed to sunlight?
Is the orange PVC “UV stabilised”?
- What is the correct lug for use on compacted conductors?
- What is the correct lug for use on flexibleconductors?
Frequently
Asked Questions 2
Instrumentation
- What is the purpose of the screens in instrumentation cables?
- Why are there individually screened pairs or triples as well as overall
screened pairs or triples?
- Data cables have screens also – what is the difference between a data cable
and an instrumentation cable?
- There are cheaper instrumentation cable types available in the market.
What are the differences?
- Are Instrolex cables manufactured to any standards and do they comply with the
Hazardous Area Standards?
- What is the voltage rating of Instrolex cables?
Flexibles
- Why are some conductors tinned and others are not?
- What is the difference between a cord and a cable?
- Flexible cables are often used with oil or chemicals. How do you determine
which cables will be suitable for these applications?
- Why don’t manufacturers mix PVC and rubber in building a cable? For example,
a PVC insulation and CSP sheath.
- What type of flexible cord or cable is used on hot appliances?
- Are the Olex 4 core flexible cord core colours (Brown, Light Blue, White,
Green/Yellow), in contradiction with AS/NZS 3000?
- Can I use Flexolex® in reeling applications?
Frequently
Asked Questions 3
- Why would a contractor want to use a flat sheathed cable
instead of a circular cable?
- PVC is available at various temperature ratings, ie 75°C, 90°C and 90°C-HT.
As XLPE is rated at 90°C what's the difference between that and the higher
rated PVC?
- Does the change of V105 to V90-HT mean that this grade of PVC has been down
rated?
- What does the .6/1kV designation mean?
- Why are generally used cables designated as 450/750V when only 240 volts are
being carried?
Fire
Rating - A series of questions covering;
- If a cable has a fire rating, does this mean that it won’t
burn?
- Can a cable with a fire rating operate continuously in hot environments, for
example, very close to a furnace?
- What does a two hour fire rating mean?
- How is the resistance to mechanical impact measured?
- What does the cable system consist of?
Designs
and Reliability of Underground Cables and Systems - Hilary Marazzato and
Ken Barber - The excellent electrical performance of XLPE is the reason it
is now used almost exclusively for insulating low voltage, distribution and
transmission cables. While XLPE has far better resistance to moisture than paper
insulation or PVC, moisture can affect long term performance of XLPE under the
influence of high electrical stress. All low voltage and distribution cables can
be installed without precautions, but some moisture protection is advisable for
medium voltage cables and cables for sub-transmission. The use of metal sheaths
for transmission cables is considered essential.
The
Changing Pattern of Power Cables - Discussion on Power Cables with Flexible
Conductors - This paper discusses currently available technology, the
shortcomings, and the trends for future development.
Cable
Condition Monitoring to Improve Reliability - Hilary
Marazzato, Ken Barber, Mark Jansen, and Graeme Barnewall - The electric cable
industry is definitely in the mature product stage and while there are many
incremental developments and improvements, the history and experience gathered
enables us to approach issues of cable failure and cable life maintenance with
ever improving tools. This paper discusses currently available technology, the
shortcomings, and the trends for future development.
Global
Trends and Motivation Toward the Adoption of TR-XLPE Cable - P.J.
Caronia, A. Mendelsohn, L.H. Gross, J.B. Kjellqvist
- Dow Chemical Company - This paper discusses the multitude of accelerated cable
aging tests, implications and current global trends for both the TRXLPE and the
Copolymer XLPE insulations.
Underground
High Voltage Cables: Wiring Europe for the Future - Take a look at the
many benefits of underground high voltage cables and learn how they can be put
to work for you - From The European Confederation of National Associations of
Manufacturers of Insulated Wire and Cable
Specifying
Cable for your Next Design - Designers working on products involving
cables may find themselves faced with a multitude of considerations before
making a cable specification. It's often a good idea to identify some of the
major deciding factors before proceeding: for instance, whether the final
product is destined for domestic (North American) or international use. From
there it's possible to determine whether cable is needed at all, and then to
analyze which type or types of cable may be necessary. From Interpower.
Specifying
Armoured Instrument and Control Cable - Greg Passler - It’s sometimes
difficult to wade through the myriad of options and features available when
selecting a control or instrumentation cable for your application. Despite the
variety, choosing the more popular attributes and understanding the reasons for
doing so will make your task much easier - from Shawflex.
1.10
The following Technical information is from Northwire
Inc.
Cable
Fables - Confusion and Misconceptions about NFPA-79 -
Confusion abounds about the “new” NFPA (National Fire
Protection Association) regulations pertaining to
UL-recognized (AWM style) cable. Long after the practice became
widespread,inspectors became aware of the ubiquitous use of AWM (Appliance
Wiring Material) style cables in machine
interconnecting sensors, actuators, switches and other components—often as
part of premolded connector assemblies. The
2007 change to the NFPA-79 electrical code states that AWM-style
single-conductor wire or multi-conductor cable is
not permitted on machinery unless it is part of a UL-listed assembly. In
other words, machine wiring requires UL-listed cable. Clearly, UL-listed cable
has been available for many years. So the real
question is, which UL listing is appropriate for particular applications?
Flame
Testing - Testing for Flame Resistance of Electrical Cables -
Harold Gjerning – Agency Compliance Technician - The National Fire Protection
Agency (NFPA) publishes flame-resistance standards through its published
National Electrical Code (NEC). Other agencies, such as UL and CSA also publish
standards and also define certain tests for determine flame resistance (or lack
thereof). Flame resistance requirements are for the most part governed by local
and national codes which define the various levels of flame hazard, plus the
severity of the fires to which cables may be exposed. The important
considerations are propagation of flame, support of further combustion,
generation and propagation of smoke. The NEC deals primarily with fire hazards
in buildings, whereas UL and CSA deal with requirements based on use.
Custom
Cables for Medical Applications - Medical cables have to
meet requirements that are more demanding than the non medical variety.
This article discusses these.
Slimmer
Cables Can Take More Flexing
Selecting
the Right Cable for Foundation fieldbus Control Networks – What you need to
know - Sandy Fulton - FF-844 is the Fieldbus Foundation
cable compliance specification. FF-844 includes the electrical requirements of
ISA 50.02 and IEC 61158, but it also contains some additional requirements which
help you know your cable is the right cable for use in FOUNDATION fieldbus
control networks.|
Cable
Innovation Makes Industrial Networking Faster, Easier & More Reliable
- Cable Innovation Makes Industrial Networking Easier, Faster and
More Reliable - As engineers and systems integrators gain experience with
FOUNDATION™ fieldbus installations, they are realizing the advantages of
multi-pair fieldbus trunk lines in plant installations. These users are
simplifying installations by merging formerly scattered control and instrument
points into common bus segments and junction boxes. The benefits include
installation cost savings, more compact cable housing in a tray or conduit and
neater assemblage in the junction boxes. Instead of running bundles of
single-pair trunk lines, cable specifiers are requesting multi-pair fieldbus
trunk cables.
Know
Your High-Flex-Life Cable - When
your application calls for cable meant to stand the tests
of time and motion, you need to know what topurchase and what constitutes
product quality. Cable designed to survive 10
million to 20 million flexing cycles is
high-flex-life cable. It’s different from high-flex cable,
which is designed to be supple and highly flexible. High-flex-life
cable may actually feel stiffer than high-flex cable.
The two products are distinctly different and mutually
exclusive. Try bending the cable, twisting it,
pulling it, rolling it back and forth in a track,
having it bear weight, rubbing it and subjecting it
to extremes of temperature and to solvents, oils and chemicals. Now do these
things 10 million times in continuous motion,
without ceasing. You’ll learn the difference between highflex- life
and high-flex cable quickly – one cable isn’t the same as the next.
Why
Order Custom Cable? - Ted Beach - A project engineer can
choose off-the-shelf cable – the manufacturer's way – and then adapt it to
specific needs, or that same engineer can choose custom cabling designed for a
specific purpose – the project engineer's way. There are advantages and
disadvantages to both choices. this article reviews these.
Cable
Goes Twist Friendly - Constant motion can turn ordinary
wiring into a big maintenance item on equipment. Read how continuous motion can
destroy ordinary cables and what Northwire is doing to produce cable that will
last millions of twist, roll, and bend cycles. Consider how typical
industrial-automation equipment works today. Most of it is in use nearly 24/7.
It frequently contains robotic elements and assemblies that execute motions
repeating hundreds of times or more every minute. No question that these
applications put stringent demands on moving parts. This is true even for the
cabling that connects moving equipment to controls. This cabling can see
millions of flex cycles in the course of normal use. From Machine Design.
Out
of the Frying Pan and onto the Cable - Teflon® and Other Fluoropolymers -
Teflon, a product developed by DuPont and a common coating on cookware, is one
of a group of compounds known as fluoropolymers. Fluoropolymers are
fluorocarbon-based polymers with multiple strong carbon–fluorine bonds. Teflon
FEP - a different grade than the product used on cookware and other
fluoropolymers possess special electrical properties and have a high resistance
to solvents, acids and bases. These and other characteristics make
fluoropolymers ideal materials used in the manufacture of wire and cable
products.
Current
Capacity of Copper Conductors
The Following Papers are from Olex New Zealand
Recommendations
for Tests after Installation on MV Cables
The
Handling of Drums of Cables
General
Information on Cable Installation
Comments
on Additional Commissioning and Maintenance Tests
Cable
Sheath Repairs
Long
Term Sustainability of Cables - David Griffiths - This is an
excellent paper covering many aspects of cables and cabling.|
Why
Not Underground - David Griffiths
- Underground cables need a proper burial so therefore the engineer
must possess sufficient background knowledge in cable construction, the
installation design, actual installation, testing, and maintenance of the
underground cables.