Notes 12: Series Impedance of Cables

12.0 Introduction
We desire to determine methods of
computing the series impedance for cable
configurations. The main steps for doing so
are exactly the same as the steps for
computing series impedance of overhead
lines. These steps, given in Notes 10, are:
1. Determine resistance per mile and !"
of each conductor.
#. Determine distance bet$een conductors.
%. &ompute primitive impedance matrix
using e's. (%),*0+ of notes ) (see belo$+
$ith appropriate value of resistivity ,.
*. -erform .ron reduction to eliminate the
presence of the neutral and thus obtain the
phase impedance matrix.

'

+ +

+
+
f r
j
f R Z
i
i ii

ln
2
1
6786 . 7
1
ln 12134 . 0
0018836 . 0
!
(%)+
1

'

+ + +

f D
j
f Z
ij
ij

ln
2
1
6786 . 7
1
ln 12134 . 0
0018836 . 0
!
(*0+
&onsider /ig. 1, and observe the fact that the
neutral is actually comprised of several
conductors.
/ig. 1
No$ $e could treat each neutral $ire as a
separate conductor and build a very large
primitive impedance matrix. This $ould be
very tedious. 0 better approach is to obtain
an e'uivalent neutral.
12.1 "efinitions# nomenclature# e$uations
#
/ig. # defines some distances that $e need:
/ig. #
These distances are:
d
c
: phase conductor diameter (inches+
d
od
: nominal diameter over the concentric
neutrals of the cable (inches+
d
s
: diameter of a concentric neutral strand
(inches+
": radius of a circle passing through the
center of the concentric neutral strands (ft+
We also need these additional definitions.
!"
c
: geometric mean radius of the
phase conductor (ft+
%
!"
s
: geometric mean radius of a single
neutral strand
"
c
: resistance of the phase conductor
(12mile+
"
s
: resistance of a single neutral strand
(12mile+
3: the number of concentric neutral strands
0ll of the above information is obtained
from the tables given in 4Notes 11,5 $ith the
exception of ". This is computed as
24 12
1
2
s od s od
d d d d
R

(1+
6ur approach is to convert the concentric
neutral configuration to an e'uivalent
configuration having a single neutral, /ig. %.
*
/ig. %
"eferences 718#9 sho$ ho$ to derive
relations for such an e'uivalent
configuration. We assume phase conductors
are numbered first and concentric neutrals
numbered last. /or example, for % cables,
each $ith concentric neutrals, $e number
phase conductors 1,#,% and concentric
neutrals *,:,;.
The relations are:
:
&oncentric neutral geometric mean radius:

k
k
si cni
kR GMR GMR
1

(#+
Note that !"
i
<
i
r
based on previously
defined nomenclature.
Distance bet$een a concentric neutral and
an ad=acent phase conductor
k
k k
nm ij
R D D
(%+
$here D
nm
is the center8to8center distance
bet$een phase conductors corresponding
to the concentric neutrals i=. >'uation (%+
gives the geometric mean distance
bet$een all of the concentric neutral
strands of one cable and the phase
conductor of the other cable.
Distance bet$een a concentric neutral and
its o$n phase conductor:
R D
ij

(*+
$here " is given by e'. (1+ above.
;
Distance bet$een a concentric neutral of
one cable and a concentric neutral of
another cable:
nm ij
D D
(:+
$here, as before, D
nm
is the center8to8
center distance bet$een phase conductors.
The e'uivalent resistance of the concentric
neutral is
k
R
R
si
cni

(;+
10.2 %&ample
Three concentric neutral cables are buried in
a trench $ith spacings as sho$n in /ig. *.
The cables are 1:3?, #:0!&! stranded all8
aluminum $ith 1% strands of @1* annealed,
coated copper $ires (12% neutral+. Determine
the phase impedance matrix.
/ig. *
A
We obtain the data for the phase conductor
and neutral strands from the conductor data
table given at the end of 4Notes 11.5
d
od
<1.#) inches
#:0!&! 00 phase conductor:
o!"
c
<0.01A1 ft
oDiameter d
c
<0.:; inches
o"esistance "
c
<0.*100 12mile
@1* copper neutral strands:
o!"
s
<0.00#0B ft
oDiameter d
s
<0.0;*1 inches
o"esistance "
s
<1*.BA## 12mile
The radius of the circle passing through the
center of the strands, e'. (1+, is:
ft
d d
R
s od
011 . 0
24
0641 . 0 2' . 1
24

The !" of the e'uivalent concentric
neutral is:
ft
kR GMR GMR
k
k
si cni
0486 . 0 ( 011 . 0 ) 13 ( 00208 . 0 )
13
12
1

The resistance of the e'uivalent concentric
neutral is
mile
k
R
R
si
cni
* 1438 . 1
13
8722 . 14

B
No$ assume that the phase conductors are
numbered 1,#, and %, and the e'uivalent
concentric neutrals are numbered *, :, and ;.
The conductor8to8conductor and concentric
neutral to concentric neutral spacings are:
D
1#
<D
#1
<D
*:
<D
:*
<0.: ft.
D
#%
<D
%#
<D
:;
<D
;:
<0.: ft.
D
%1
<D
1%
<D
;*
<D
*;
<1.0 ft.
The spacings bet$een conductors and their
concentric neutrals are
D
1#
<D
#:
<D
%;
<"<0.0:11 ft.
The distances bet$een concentric neutrals
and ad=acent phase conductors are given by
e'. (%+, but because D
nm
CC ", $e may obtain
very good accuracy by =ust assuming this
distance is =ust D
nm
.
D
1:
<D
:1
<0.: ft
D
#;
<D
;#
<0.: ft
D
;1
<D
1;
<1.0 ft.
The self impedance for the cable in position
1 is:
)
mile j
j
f r
j
f R Z
* 464 . 1 03 . 0
60
100
ln
2
1
6786 . 7
0171 . 0
1
ln 12134 . 0 0'3 . 0 41 . 0
ln
2
1
6786 . 7
1
ln 12134 . 0
0018836 . 0
!
1
1 11
+

'

+ + + +

'

+ +

+
+

The self impedance for the concentric

neutral for &able @1 is
mile j
j
f r
j
f R Z
* 32'6 . 1 23'3 . 1
60
100
ln
2
1
6786 . 7
0486 . 0
1
ln 12134 . 0 0'3 . 0 144 . 1
ln
2
1
6786 . 7
1
ln 12134 . 0
0018836 . 0
!
4
4 44
+

'

+ + + +

'

+ +

+
+

The mutual impedance bet$een &able @1

and &able @# is
mile j
f
j
f D
j
f Z
ij
* 0468 . 1 0'3 . 0
ln
2
1
6786 . 7
. 0
1
ln 12134 . 0 0'3 . 0
ln
2
1
6786 . 7
1
ln 12134 . 0
0018836 . 0
!
12
+

'

+ + +

'

+ + +

10
The mutual impedance bet$een &able @1
and its concentric neutral is
mile j
f
j
f D
j
f Z
ij
* 3236 . 1 0'3 . 0
ln
2
1
6786 . 7
011 . 0
1
ln 12134 . 0 0'3 . 0
ln
2
1
6786 . 7
1
ln 12134 . 0
0018836 . 0
!
14
+

'

+ + +

'

+ + +

The mutual
impedance bet$een the concentric neutral of
&able @1 and the concentric neutral of &able
@# is:
mile j
f
j
f D
j
f Z
ij
* 0468 . 1 0'3 . 0
ln
2
1
6786 . 7
. 0
1
ln 12134 . 0 0'3 . 0
ln
2
1
6786 . 7
1
ln 12134 . 0
0018836 . 0
!
4
+

'

+ + +

'

+ + +

0nd so on for the rest of the terms.

The resulting primitive impedance matrix in
partitioned form is
[ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ]
1
1
]
1

nn np
pn pp
Z Z
Z Z
Z
! !
! !
!
$here
[ ]
1
1
1
]
1

+ + +
+ + +
+ + +

464 . 1 03 . 0 0468 . 1 0'3 . 0 '627 . 0 0'3 . 0

0468 . 1 0'3 . 0 464 . 1 03 . 0 0468 . 1 0'3 . 0
'627 . 0 0'3 . 0 0468 . 1 0'3 . 0 464 . 1 03 . 0
!
j j j
j j j
j j j
Z
pp
11
[ ]
1
1
1
]
1

+ + +
+ + +
+ + +

3236 . 1 0'3 . 0 068 . 1 0'3 . 0 '627 . 0 0'3 . 0

068 . 1 0'3 . 0 3236 . 1 0'3 . 0 0468 . 1 0'3 . 0
'627 . 0 0'3 . 0 0468 . 1 0'3 . 0 3236 . 1 0'3 . 0
!
j j j
j j j
j j j
Z
pn
[ ] [ ]
T
pn np
Z Z
! !

[ ]
1
1
1
]
1

+ + +
+ + +
+ + +

32'6 . 1 . 23'1 . 1 0468 . 1 0'3 . 0 '627 . 0 0'3 . 0

0468 . 1 0'3 . 0 32'6 . 1 23'1 . 1 0468 . 1 0'3 . 0
'627 . 0 0'3 . 0 0468 . 1 0'3 . 0 32'6 . 1 23'1 . 1
!
j j j
j j j
j j j
Z
nn
0pplying .ron reduction results in:
[ ] [ ][ ] [ ]
1
1
1
]
1

+ +
+ + +
+ +

,
_

4463 . 0 7'81 . 0 0328 . 0 31'1 . 0 0143 . 0 284' . 0
0328 . 0 31'1 . 0 4041 . 0 78'1 . 0 0328 . 0 31'1 . 0
0143 . 0 284' . 0 0328 . 0 31'1 . 0 4463 . 0 7'81 . 0
! ! ! !
1
j j j
j j j
j j j
Z Z Z Z Z
np nn pn pp
10.3 +ape s,ielded cables
The tape shielded cable uses bare copper
tape helically applied around the insulation
screen. 0n insulation =ac3et encircles the
tape shield. /ig : illustrates.
1#
/ig. :
/or a given ampacity, a tape shielded
conductor is less expensive than a concentric
neutral conductor because of the simpler
construction and manufacturing cost of the
tape shield relative to the concentric neutral.
Tape shielded cables are often called po$er
cables because they are more fre'uently
used in higher current applications such as
three8phase mainlines, since such
applications typically see less unbalance and
the neutral conductor need not be designed
to carry full load.
1%
-arameters of the taped shielded cables are:
d
c
: phase conductor diameter (inches+
d
od
: outside diameter over the =ac3et
(inches+
d
s
: outside diameter of the tape shield
(inches+
T: thic3ness of copped tape shield (mils+
,: resistivity of tape shield (18meters+ at
:0D &.
With this information $e may compute the
resistance of the tape shield as:
mile
T d
r
s
shield
* 10 '38 . 7
8


(A+
$here the constant A.)%B:>B converts from
meters per in8mil to per mile.
Eince the shield is in fact a hollo$ thin8
$alled conductor, $e need not correct for
the internal flux. Therefore, the number to
use as the shieldFs geometric mean radius is
exactly its radius, given as half the
difference bet$een its outside diameter d
s
1*
and its thic3ness T21000 ($here $e divide
by 1000 to convert from mils to inches+:
ft
T d T d
GMR
s s
shield
24
1000 *
12
1
2
1000 *

(B+
0s in the concentric neutral, $e number
phase conductors 1,#,% and tape shields
*,:,;.
Then spacings bet$een a tape shield and the
conductors and other tape shields are:
Distance bet$een a tape shield and an
ad=acent phase conductor
D
i=
<D
nm
$here D
nm
is the center8to8center distance
bet$een phase conductors corresponding
to tape shields i and = (ft+. Note that $ith
the concentric neutrals, this distance $as
given as
k
k k
nm ij
R D D
but $e concluded D
nm
$as usually a very
good approximation.
Distance bet$een a tape shield and its o$n
phase conductor:
1:
D
i=
<!"
shield
$hich is the radius to midpoint of the
shield (ft+. Gn the concentric neutral case,
this $as ", the radius of a circle passing
through the center of the concentric
neutral strands.
Tape shield to a tape shield of another
conductor:
D
i=
<D
nm
(ft+
This is the same as in the concentric
neutral case.
"eferences:
719 W. He$is and . 0llen, 4Eymmetrical component circuit
constants and neutral circulating currents for concentric neutral
underground distribution cables,5 G>>> Trans. on -0E, ?ol. -0E8
)A, No. 1, pp 1)181)), Ian2/eb 1)AB.
7#9 W. He$is, . 0llen, and I. Wang, 4&ircuit constants for
concentric neutral underground distribution cables on a phase
basis,5 G>>> Trans. on -0E, ?ol. -0E8)A, no. 1, pp #008#0A,
Ian2/eb 1)AB.
1;