Cable Joints & Terminations HV

Why Cable Manufacturers Want Their Jointers to be Certified

Republished with the Kind Permission of Sam Soady 

Eccentricity Pty Ltd Director /HV Operator / Cable Jointer

Jointer Training & Certification

With cables and cable accessory technology on the rise, high voltage cables are becoming easier and easier to work with.

There was once a time where underground cable joints on old paper insulated cables was an incredibly involved task.

Some joints you had to pour melted solder into a lug connector to make an electrical connection. These days manufacturers have developed a much easier approach to jointing and terminating high voltage cabling.

Plastic XLPE cables are at the forefront of the industry, providing a more adaptable approach to the varying types of installations in the industry.

With a wide variety of cable accessories which now range from heat shrink, cold shrink or slide on components it has opened the door for unqualified personnel trying their luck with terminating and jointing high voltage cables.

Basic electricians on construction jobs around Australia were attempting to join and terminate these cables with minimal training or experience. This resulted in a multitude of cable failures once energized.

Contractors were trying to claim their manufacturer warranties under the assumption that the cable accessories were the cause for the failures. Once manufacturers began to dissect the installations it became evident that poor workmanship of the cable preparation for termination was the cause of the failures.

This put a lot of stress on the industry as it diminished the integrity of quality jointers and their high standards of workmanship.

Manufacturers began to provide training on cable preparation techniques suitable for specific types of cable accessories. No longer was it a requirement to have a jointers license to work on high voltage cables.

This had a severe negative effect on the industry as the quality of installations became worse and worse over time and more and more failures were occurring.

This forced some regulation into the industry requiring not only jointers to be fully qualified by obtaining a jointers license but also have manufacturer specific training on the cable accessories to be used on an installation. This then ensured that contractors utilising suitably qualified and trained personal would not void their warranty with the manufacturer.

For already fully qualified jointers this was a frustrating scenario as it forced them to obtain manufacturer specific training for products even when their licenses already proved their competency. Manufacturer training generally was not a cheap process however it did clean up the shotty workmanship in the industry rather quickly.

Contractors now generally do not consider training general electricians for specific tasks but rather hire suitably qualified and competent personal to ensure the integrity of their installation is maintained.

See further information about Jointer Training & Certification | 66kV Training | 11kV 33kV Jointer Training Nexans | 33kV MV HV EHV Training Pfisterer CONNEX

About Eccentricity

Eccentricity is a specialised Brisbane based company with a team of dual trade electricians and cable jointers. Our technicians are fully qualified to work on cables up to 66kV, including XLPE, PILC and EPR cables, backed by over a decade of industry experience.

With a modern and fully compliant fleet of industry vehicles, we are capable of accessing any high risk environment to perform works with a wide range of major MV HV cable jointing projects including, mining, oil, gas, renewable energy, and high voltage transmission networks.

Eccentricity has the capacity for small or large scale projects, providing reliability of power networks wherein client satisfaction is a top priority. We provide a high level of quality with all aspects of both installation and commissioning, ensuring we comply with all relevant regulations and legislative provisions.

Specialist Suppliers of High Voltage Electrical Equipment & Cable Accessories

Jointing, Earthing, Substation Electrical & Safety Equipment Distributors

Thorne & Derrick International are specialist distributors of LV, MV & HV Cable Installation, Jointing, Duct Sealing, Substation & Electrical Equipment – servicing UK and global businesses involved in cable installations, cable jointing, substation, overhead line and electrical construction at LV, 11kV, 33kV and EHV.

THORNE & DERRICK Product Categories: Access Chambers | Duct Seals | Cable Cleats | Cable Glands | Electrical Safety | Arc Flash Protection | Cable Jointing Tools | Cable Pulling | Earthing | Feeder Pillars | Cable Joints LV | Joints & Terminations MV HV 

Distributors for 3M Cold Shrink & Scotchcast | Nexans Euromold | Pfisterer Connex

How to Locate Sheath Faults on MV Cables

Image courtesy of EE Publishers

Republished with the Kind Permission of Sam Soady |

Eccentricity Pty Ltd Director /HV Operator / Cable Jointer

How to Locate Sheath Faults on MV Cables

Maintaining healthy sheath insulation is extremely important for the safe operation and lifespan of an MV cable. If there are faults in the outer sheath, you can expect an ingress of moisture, debris, and the premature degradation of the cables structure.

In turn, it is difficult to pinpoint the location of the fault as it can occur anywhere along the run of the cable (which is usually buried underground). There are, however, methods to accurately determine the location of the fault, which apply a surge energy of around 500J that tests for breakdown and insulation resistance of the outer sheath.

When Eccentricity comes across a sheath fault, we are able to utilise specific test equipment which enables us to locate the fault very easily and accurately.

Once the location of the fault has been determined, the cable can be exposed by means of vacuum digging which prevents further damage. It is at this point you can physically see the damage to the outer sheath of the cable. Damage usually occurs due to poor cable laying methods or not enough care taken during installation.

Rectifying the damage can sometimes be as simple as installing some resin filled zip tube heat shrink, which re-seals the outer sheath and re-establishes the insulation resistance. In some circumstances, further damage to the under layers of the MV cable can occur and extra repairs such as rectifying termite protection or other protective layers within the cable must be completed.

Once the integrity of the cable has been re-established from the repairs, it is important to re-test the cable prior to backfill to prove the rectification works. Once verified, the cable can be backfilled and tested once again in its final resting position.

About Eccentricity

Eccentricity is a specialised Brisbane based company with a team of dual trade electricians and cable jointers. Our technicians are fully qualified to work on cables up to 66kV, including XLPE, PILC and EPR cables, backed by over a decade of industry experience.

With a modern and fully compliant fleet of industry vehicles, we are capable of accessing any high risk environment to perform works with a wide range of major MV HV cable jointing projects including, mining, oil, gas, renewable energy, and high voltage transmission networks.

Eccentricity has the capacity for small or large scale projects, providing reliability of power networks wherein client satisfaction is a top priority. We provide a high level of quality with all aspects of both installation and commissioning, ensuring we comply with all relevant regulations and legislative provisions.

Specialist Suppliers of High Voltage Electrical Equipment & Cable Accessories

Jointing, Earthing, Substation Electrical & Safety Equipment Distributors

Thorne & Derrick International are specialist distributors of LV, MV & HV Cable Installation, Jointing, Duct Sealing, Substation & Electrical Equipment – servicing UK and global businesses involved in cable installations, cable jointing, substation, overhead line and electrical construction at LV, 11kV, 33kV and EHV.

THORNE & DERRICK Product Categories: Duct Seals | Cable Cleats | Cable Glands | Electrical Safety | Arc Flash Protection | Cable Jointing Tools | Cable Pulling | Earthing | Feeder Pillars | Cable Joints LV | Joints & Terminations MV HV 

Distributors for 3M Cold Shrink & Scotchcast | Nexans Euromold | Pfisterer Connex

JOB | HV Cable Jointer 11/22kV | Location Dunedin NZ | Apply Here

• Location | Dunedin New Zealand
• A fantastic opportunity to join an industry leader
• Close-knit team

Published one behalf of Red Hat Recruits by Thorne & Derrick International

Martin Walker | Senior Consultant and Account Manager at New Zealand’s market leaders in Power Distribution and Transmission, Fire Detection & Protection.

Our client is seeking an EWRB registered Cable Jointer to join their team in Dunedin, installing cables, terminations and joints.

About the Role

We are seeking safety conscious qualified and experienced Cable Jointer to join our team to perform jointing and termination of cables from LV up to 11kV and 22kV along with solid experience in the electricity distribution sector.

The ideal candidate will have a current EWRB Cable Jointer practising licence and the ability to work in New Zealand.

You will need to have excellent communication skills, be able to cope with the physical demands of the role, work to a high standard and have an excellent safety record as well as a clean NZ driver’s licence.

If you are a team player with a ‘can do and will do’ attitude, please apply today.

Duties

• HV and LV cable jointing and termination
• Compliance, commissioning + test experience of cable jointing up to 22kV
• Adhering to best practice
• Compliance with health, safety, environmental and regulatory requirements
• Excavates and reinstates underground cable installation sites.
• Installs cables, terminations and joints in polymeric and/or paper insulated power cables.
• Installation, replacement and repair of underground distribution assets

Skills & Experience

• NZ Electrical Registration (EWRB) and current practicing licence
• Level 4 Cable Jointer qualification
• HV | LV Cable Jointing experience, 11kV (essential), 22kV (advantage)
• Comfort around working at heights advantageous
• Full Class 1 NZ Drivers licence
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Compliance with health, safety, environmental and regulatory requirements

Apply

If you meet the above criteria, we welcome your application including your CV and cover letter in Word format via Seek.

About Hard Hat Recruits

Hard Hat Recruits is in the hard-hat people business – from recruiting the best construction people through to bringing you highly sought-after engineering professionals and specialist operators.

When it comes to finding the right people in a timely and cost-effective manner, we deliver and that’s no bull.

We are a recruiting company head-quartered in New Zealand, that has in-depth knowledge of both global and local recruitment markets.

For us, it is all or nothing; there is no middle-of-the-road and we are not into compromise.

We seek only the right expertise that will give your project the credibility of which it is worthy.

www.hardhatrecruits.co.nz

Engineering | Construction | Technical | Mining | Water | Social Infrastructure

Specialist Suppliers of High Voltage Electrical Equipment & Cable Accessories

Jointing, Earthing, Substation Electrical & Safety Equipment Distributors

Thorne & Derrick International are specialist distributors of LV, MV & HV Cable Installation, Jointing, Duct Sealing, Substation & Electrical Equipment – servicing UK and global businesses involved in cable installations, cable jointing, substation, overhead line and electrical construction at LV, 11kV, 33kV and EHV.

THORNE & DERRICK Product Categories: Duct Seals | Cable Cleats | Cable Glands | Electrical Safety | Arc Flash Protection | Cable Jointing Tools | Cable Pulling | Earthing | Feeder Pillars | Cable Joints LV | Joints & Terminations MV HV 

Distributors for 3M Cold Shrink & Scotchcast | Nexans Euromold | Pfisterer Connex

The Purpose Of The Screen & Semi-conductive Layer On MV Cables

The Purpose Of The Screen & Semi-conductive Layer On MV Cables

Republished with the Kind Permission of Sam Soady |

Eccentricity Pty Ltd Director /HV Operator / Cable Jointer

Screen & Semi-conductive Layer

On MV Medium Voltage Cables

Every wondered what the purpose of the screen and semi-conductive layer on MV cables was? Wonder no longer – Eccentricity’s Guest Blog covers it here.

In most modern medium voltage (MV) cables, especially underground, cables are shielded or screened with an earthing conductor. The screen consists of lapped copper tape or metallic foil usually less than 1mm in thickness, which is the interface between the conductor and the insulation (PVC, XLPE).

The main purpose of this conductive screen is to maintain a uniformly divergent electric field and contain the electric field within the cable core. The conductor screen is made from semi-conductive material, which is designed to hold back voltage.

This smooths out the surface irregularities of the conductor by making the voltage on the inside of the insulation the same. This semi-conductive screen material is based on carbon black, which is dispersed within a polymer matrix. The concentration of carbon black needs to be sufficient to ensure adequate and consistent conductivity.

It must also be optimized to provide a smooth interface between the conducting and insulating components of the cable, which is important as it decreases the occurrence of high stress regions on the cable.

The semi-conductive screen also reduces voltage stresses where the conductive components interface with the insulating components.

It accomplishes this when the expansion of the insulating layer is typically 10 times greater than that of the conductor, so that when the cable is at its maximum operating temperature of 90^oC a large enough gap is formed to allow electrical discharges to occur.

This then serves to even out the stresses associated with these discharges which would otherwise attack the insulation at specific points along the medium voltage cable.

The screen wires are connected at each extremity of the circuit in solidly grounded systems, dispersing the circulating currents of the MV cable.

When connecting the screen wires, it is important to note whether the installation is using current transformers (CT’s) for the circuit protection. Any currents on the screen wires will be phasor summed in the conductor by the CT. In the case of fault currents, this is often directly out of phase with the conductor current.

As the screen passes through the CT as part of the cable it is then necessary to bring the made-up screen wires back through the CT in the opposite direction prior to grounding. This ensures the screen current is effectively cancelled out to ensure the correct operation of circuit protection devices.

About Eccentricity

Eccentricity is a specialised Brisbane based company with a team of dual trade electricians and cable jointers. Our technicians are fully qualified to work on cables up to 66kV, including XLPE, PILC and EPR cables, backed by over a decade of industry experience.

With a modern and fully compliant fleet of industry vehicles, we are capable of accessing any high risk environment to perform works with a wide range of major MV HV cable jointing projects including, mining, oil, gas, renewable energy, and high voltage transmission networks.

Eccentricity has the capacity for small or large scale projects, providing reliability of power networks wherein client satisfaction is a top priority. We provide a high level of quality with all aspects of both installation and commissioning, ensuring we comply with all relevant regulations and legislative provisions.

Specialist Suppliers of High Voltage Electrical Equipment & Cable Accessories

Jointing, Earthing, Substation Electrical & Safety Equipment Distributors

Thorne & Derrick International are specialist distributors of LV, MV & HV Cable Installation, Jointing, Duct Sealing, Substation & Electrical Equipment – servicing UK and global businesses involved in cable installations, cable jointing, substation, overhead line and electrical construction at LV, 11kV, 33kV and EHV.

THORNE & DERRICK Product Categories: Duct Seals | Cable Cleats | Cable Glands | Electrical Safety | Arc Flash Protection | Cable Jointing Tools | Cable Pulling | Earthing | Feeder Pillars | Cable Joints LV | Joints & Terminations MV HV 

Distributors for 3M Cold Shrink & Scotchcast | Nexans Euromold | Pfisterer Connex

PRESS RELEASE: Solar Industry Relaxes Planning Laws For Large Scale Battery Storage

By Solar Trade Association

14th July 2020

The Government has announced it will relax planning legislation to make it easier to construct large batteries to store renewable energy, in a move which will see ministers introduce secondary legislation to remove electricity storage, except pumped hydro, from the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime in England and Wales. [1]

STA Chief Executive Chris Hewett said: “We welcome the decision to make it easier to deploy flexible large-scale energy storage technologies in the UK, which will help to further decarbonise and improve the resilience of our energy system.”

“The next steps in unlocking the potential of energy storage, and maximising the crucial role it can play in managing growing solar and wind output, are to provide greater access to flexibility markets, including the capacity market, and applying fairer network charging rules.”

“Our aim has to be to fully decarbonise these flexibility markets and minimise all use of fossil fuel generation.”

There is currently in excess of 13.5GW of battery storage projects in the pipeline, with 1.3GW ready to build, 5.7GW with planning permission and a further 6.5GW proposed. [2]

Editors notes:

[1] The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy – The planning system for electricity storage: follow up consultation: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/the-planning-system-for-electricity-storage-follow-up-consultation

[2] Solar Media – UK Battery Storage Project Database Report: https://marketresearch.solarmedia.co.uk/products/uk-battery-storage-project-database-report

For further information or to request an interview, please contact:

• Name: Jack Dobson-Smith
• Title: External Affairs Adviser
• Main line: 0203 637 2946

Background on the Solar Trade Association

The mission of the Solar Trade Association is to empower the UK solar transformation. We are paving the way for solar to deliver the maximum possible share of UK energy by 2030 by enabling a bigger and better solar industry. We represent both solar heat and power plus energy storage, and have a proven track record of winning breakthroughs for all three technologies. Become a member.

THORNE & DERRICK SPECIALIST ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR

The LV HV Specialists

Thorne & Derrick distribute the most extensive range of Cable Installation & Electrical Distribution Equipment to the renewable energy sector – we service UK and international clients working on underground cables, overhead lines, substations and electrical construction at 11kV and up to and EHV transmission and distribution voltages.

• Key Products: MV-HV Cable Joints & Terminations, Cable Cleats, Duct Seals, Cable Transits, Underground Cable Protection, Copper Earth Tapes, Cable Jointing Tools, Feeder Pillars, Cable Ducting, Earthing & Lightning Protection, Electrical Safety, Cable Glands, Arc Flash Protection & Fusegear.

• Distributors for: 3M Cold Shrink, ABB, Alroc, Band-It, Catu, Cembre, Centriforce, CMP, Elastimold, Ellis Patents, Emtelle, Furse, Lucy Zodion, Nexans Euromold, Pfisterer, Polypipe, Prysmian, Roxtec.

LV – Low Voltage Cable Joints, Glands, Cleats, Lugs & Accessories (1000 Volts)

MV HV – Medium & High Voltage Cable Joints, Terminations & Connectors (11kV 33kV EHV)

Cable Laying – Underground Cable Covers, Ducting, Seals & Cable Pulling Equipment

T&D, CATU Electrical Safety & Arc Flash Protection Specialists for SAP’s, Linesmen, Jointers & Electrical Engineers – Largest UK Stockist