9th International Conference on Probabilistic Methods Applied to Power Systems

KTH, Stockholm, Sweden June 11-15, 2006

Statistical analysis of the double line-to-ground

short-circuit current in MV urban network for
the power cable metallic screen rating
Roman Korab and Edward Siwy

Abstract-- The construction of the metallic screen or other

power cable elements designed for the short-circuit current
conducting has significant influence on the cost of medium
voltage cables in PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or XLPE (cross-linked
polyethylene) insulation. Not only the price of the cable, but also
the technical criteria must be taken into consideration while
choosing the types of cables and the cross-section of the metallic
screen or similar elements. These technical criteria can be based
on the double line-to-ground faults statistical analysis in the
network. The paper presents the description of the rules of
carrying out such analyses in urban cable MV network as well as
the sample results of computer simulations. The method of the
double line-to-ground fault currents calculation is consistent with
the international standard [1].

designed for short-circuit current conducting can occur in

principle in two circumstances:
during the single line-to-ground fault,
during the double line-to-ground fault in a galvanic
connected network, however, both of ground faults can
be situated in the same cable line as well as in two
different lines.
Sheath

Bedding

Conductor screen

Index Terms-- cable metallic screen rating, double line-toground fault, medium voltage (MV) power cable, MV urban
network, short-circuit current, unsymmetrical faults

Insulation screen
(semi-conductor)

Insulation

Conductor

Metallic screen
Cable armour

I. INTRODUCTION

HE metallic screen is the part of the medium voltage cable

in PVC or XLPE insulation [2]. It is usually made up of
copper tapes or wires helically stranded over the insulation
layer (in single-core cables) or the belt insulation (in threecore belted cables). Fig. 1 shows the standard construction of
the single-core MV power cable (not all shown in Fig. 1
elements of the single-core MV power cable have to occur in
every type of the cable). In the single-core cables individual
metallic screens are connected to each other on both ends of
the line. Metallic screens of every cable lines are grounded at
least on one end of the line. In some constructions of threecore cables the individual thin aluminum screen for each
conductor and the common copper centre conductor are used
instead of the copper metallic screen.
In normal operation conditions, the metallic screen is used
as a return path for both capacitive charging currents and
induced currents. In the event of an electrical fault, the
metallic screen can also conduct short-circuit currents. The
flow of the fault current in metallic screens or other elements
R. Korab is with Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Electrical
Engineering, Institute of Power Systems Engineering and Control,
2 Krzywoustego St, 44 - 100 Gliwice, Poland (e-mail: roman.korab@polsl.pl).
E. Siwy is with Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Electrical
Engineering, Institute of Power Systems Engineering and Control,
2 Krzywoustego St, 44 - 100 Gliwice, Poland (e-mail: edward.siwy@polsl.pl).

Fig. 1. The standard construction of single-core MV power cable

In the galvanic connected network double line-to-ground

faults can occur in three various cases. All possible cases of
double line-to-ground faults are shown in Fig. 2. In A case
both of line-to-ground faults (in phases L2 and L3) occur in
the same cable section. This cable section is the first section of
the whole cable line, hence the short-circuit current flows only
in the metallic screen of this cable section. In B case both of
line-to-ground faults (in phases L1 and L2) occur in the same
cable line, but in different cable section. In this case shortcircuit currents flow in metallic screens of three cable
sections, however, current flow in the metallic screen of the
first section of this line is induced by the short-circuit current
flow in conductors of phases L1 and L2. In A and B cases
appropriate overcurrent protective relays are activated. In C
case line-to-ground faults occur in two different cable lines
and therefore the short-circuit current flows in metallic
screens of both lines. In this case the fault current flow path
impedance value is probably higher than in A and B cases.
The fault current can be interrupted by one of two circuit
breakers installed on the beginning of each cable line,
however, not in all situations both of overcurrent protective
relays are activated (as a general rule in MV network twophases overcurrent line protection is applied).

Copyright KTH 2006

9th International Conference on Probabilistic Methods Applied to Power Systems

KTH, Stockholm, Sweden June 11-15, 2006

The main reasons for the double line-to-ground faults

occurrence are disadvantageous voltage and current transients
during the single line-to-ground fault. The frequency and the
probability of the double line-to-ground faults occurrence
among other things depend on the duration of the single lineto-ground fault and the length of galvanic connected lines in
the network. The network neutral point treatment has an
essential influence on the frequency and the probability of the
double line-to-ground faults occurrence. These faults
frequently occur in networks operated with compensated or
isolated neutral, less frequently in networks with resistive
grounded neutral. Various quantitative estimation of number
of double line-to-ground faults in the total number of faults
can be found in the literature. It is usually assessed that no
more than 25 % of single line-to-ground faults transform into
double line-to-ground faults. The research into several MV
cable urban networks performed in the 80s of the twentieth
century [3] showed, that the share of double line-to-ground
faults in the total number of faults is not larger than 15 % (5 %
on average). The mentioned research also showed, that the
biggest possible annual frequency of the double line-toground faults occurrence in the network made of cables in
PVC or XLPE insulation is not larger than 10 per 100 km of
lines.

II. THE METHOD OF THE DOUBLE LINE-TO-GROUND FAULT

CURRENTS CALCULATION
For the double line-to-ground currents calculation the MV
network model shown in Fig. 2 is used. The network is
supplied with a bulk power transformer. The power source is
characterized by the short-circuit power and by the transfer
resistance and reactance ratio. In the network model single- or
three-core cables in various insulation (PVC, XLPE, oilimpregnated paper) can be modeled. Modeled cables can have
different rated voltages and various cross-sections of metallic
screens or the common copper centre conductors. Various
network configurations are permissible. It is assumed that
metallic screens or common centre conductors of every cable
lines are grounded on both ends of the line.
The mutual location of fault points in MV network has a
significant impact on the double line-to-ground fault current
flow path impedance. The mentioned factor also influences
the fault currents flow. The resultant fault current flow path
impedance is equal to the sum of positive and negative
sequence power source impedance, and impedances of the
power cables situated on the fault current flow path. The value
of the double line-to-ground short-circuit current, in kA, can
be calculated on the basis of a symmetrical-components
method [4], using the following formula
I z2 =

1,1U n
2Z 1s + Z

(1)

where:
Un - network nominal voltage, in kV,
Z1s - positive sequence impedance (equal to the negative
sequence impedance) of the power source, in ,
Z - additional impedance, equal to the sum of
impedances of all power cables situated on the
double line-to-ground fault current flow path, in .
After the substitution to (1) the value of additional impedance
Z = 0, the maximum possible value of double line-toground short-circuit current is obtained. In this case, the shortcircuit current value is equal to a phase-to-phase short-circuit
current value during the fault on MV busbar. It can be
calculated by using the formula as follows
I z 2 = I "k 2 =

Fig. 2. The three possible points (A, B and C) of double line-to-ground faults
in the medium voltage distribution cable network

1,1U n
3 "
=
I k 3 = 0 ,866 I "k 3
2Z 1s
2

(2)

where I "k 3 is a value of initial symmetrical (three-phase)

short-circuit current, in kA, during the fault on MV busbar.
Formulas for calculating the single-core cable additional
impedance and the short-circuit current flow in metallic
screens during double line-to-ground faults are shown in
Fig. 3. Similar formulas for the traditional three-core cables
and the three-core cables with the common copper centre
conductor are shown in Fig. 4. These formulas were derived
on the basis of a ground-return circuit method [5].

Copyright KTH 2006

9th International Conference on Probabilistic Methods Applied to Power Systems

KTH, Stockholm, Sweden June 11-15, 2006

I z2
I2
I4

I1

x1

I z2

I3

x2 x1

I5
L

Z = a 0 (x1 + x2 ) + a1

x12
xx
+ (2 Z 1 2a 0 a1 ) 1 2
L
L

Z1 = Z r Z m

x
x
I 2 = I z2 I1
I 1 = I z 2 b1 1 + (b 0 b1 ) 2
L
L

Rp
Rp
b0 =
b1 =
Z p Zm
2 Z 2m
Zp
Z p + Zm

(Z rp Z m )2
Z p Zm

x
x
I 3 = I z 2 b1 2 + (b 0 b1 ) 1
L
L

a 0 = Z r Z rp + R p

R 2p

a1 =
Zp

I 4 = I z2 I 3

2 Z 2m
Z p + Zm

I 5 = I z 2 (b 0 b1 )

x1 x2
L

Fig. 3. The equivalent circuit scheme and formulas for calculating the single-core cables additional impedance and the short-circuit current flow in the metallic
screens during double line-to-ground faults

I z2
I z2
I1

I2

I1

x2 x1

x1
L

I z2
I z2

I1

I2

I1

x2 x1
x1
L

Z = a 0 x1 + a1

I 1 = I z 2 b1

(x1 x2 )2 + (2Z a )x
1
0
2

x1 x 2
L

Z1 = Z r Z m

I 2 = I z2 I1

b1 =

a 0 = Z r Z rp + R p

a1 =

R p2
Zp

Rp
Zp

Fig. 4. The equivalent circuit scheme and formulas for calculating the additional impedance of the traditional three-core cables or the three-core cables with the
common copper centre conductor and the short-circuit current flow in the metallic screens or the common centre conductor during double line-to-ground faults

Copyright KTH 2006

9th International Conference on Probabilistic Methods Applied to Power Systems

KTH, Stockholm, Sweden June 11-15, 2006

The statistical modeling method is used for calculations of

the short-circuit current flow in the metallic screens during
double line-to-ground faults. It was assumed that a probability
of the fault points location is equal in the whole cable
network. For each combination of the fault point location the
following quantities are calculated:
the impedance of individual power cable sections
situated on the fault current flow path,
the whole impedance of the fault current flow path,
the value of the double line-to-ground short-circuit
current Iz2,
the value of currents flowing in metallic screens of all
cable sections situated on the fault current flow path.
During computer simulations of double line-to-ground
faults the following condition was checked each time
I th Tk = I max (m + n)Tk I thr

(3)

where:
Ith
- thermal equivalent short-circuit current, in kA,
Tk
- duration of double line-to-ground short-circuit
current, in s,
Imax - the biggest current flowing in individual sections of
metallic screens, in kA
m, n - factors for the calculation of the thermal equivalent
short-circuit current, dimensionless values,
Ithr - rated short time (one-second) thermal current, in k.

0.6

frequency

III. THE SAMPLE RESULTS OF COMPUTER SIMULATIONS

The condition (3) was checked for all cable sections in

analyzed MV network. An exceeding of the rated short time
(one-second) thermal current was recorded when the condition
(3) was not satisfied. Such situations are extremely rare due to
quite unusual and unlikely location of the fault points. A
repetition cycle (in years) of the exceeding of the rated short
time thermal current has to be sufficiently long, longer than
the average service life of the cable line.
Computer simulations were performed for a few real 6 kV
and 20 kV networks [6]. These were pure cable networks
(6 kV networks) or cable networks with some overhead line
sections (20 kV networks). Analyzed networks operate with
isolated, compensated or resistive grounded neutral. The
duration time of double line-to-ground faults was equal to a
time delay of a delayed overcurrent protection plus 0,2 s. All
calculations of the short-circuit current flow were performed
for the actual value of the short-circuit power as well as for
the increased one (after the replacement of the present bulk
power transformer with the bigger one).
Fig. 5 to Fig. 10 show the frequency histograms of double
line-to-ground fault currents flowing in conductors or in
metallic screens of power cables for two chosen urban MV (6
and 20 kV) networks. In all mentioned figures an average
value of appropriate current is represented by a thick line.

0.4
I k'' 2 = 10 ,49 kA

0.2

0
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

I z 2 I k'' 2
Fig. 5. The frequency histogram of double line-to-ground fault current in 6 kV
cable conductor for the actual (126 MVA) value of the short-circuit power

0.4
0.3
frequency

Individual symbols used in Fig. 3 and Fig.4 represent:

Z1 - cable line positive sequence impedance, in ,
Zr - conductor impedance, in ,
Zp - metallic screen impedance, in ,
Rp - metallic screen resistance, in ,
Zm - mutual conductors impedance, in ,
Zrp - mutual conductor and metallic screen impedance, in ,
a1, a2 - cable line per unit impedance for calculating the
additional impedance Z , in /km,
b0, b1 - short-circuit current flow coefficients, dimensionless
value,
I1, I2, I3, I4, I5 - currents flowing in individual sections of
metallic screens, in kA.
One of the following currents I1, I2, I3, I4 and I5 has the biggest
value. The biggest current value in next sections of this paper
is marked with the Imax symbol.
Formulas shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 have a general nature,
i.e. they can be applied when one of fault points is located in
the given cable section and the second fault point is located in
a different one. When the second fault point is located in the
cable section situated closer to the power source, in certain
formulas x2 = 0. In other situations, when second fault point is
located in the cable section situated farther to the power
source, in certain formulas x1 = L. When both fault points are
located outside the considered cable section, then x1 = x2 = L.
In such cases the additional impedance is equal to 2Z1. This
result is consistent with the symmetrical-components method.

I k'' 2 = 5,34 kA

0.2
0.1
0
0

0.2

0.4
I z2 I

0.6

0.8

''
k2

Fig. 6. The frequency histogram of double line-to-ground fault current in 20 kV

cable conductor for the actual (214 MVA) value of the short-circuit power

Copyright KTH 2006

9th International Conference on Probabilistic Methods Applied to Power Systems

KTH, Stockholm, Sweden June 11-15, 2006

In Fig. 5 through 10 the fault currents are related to the

phase-to-phase short-circuit current value during the fault on
MV busbar. The value of the phase-to-phase short-circuit
current is shown in each figure. Usually in 6 kV networks the
value of the bulk power transformer impedance (calculated at
the lower voltage side of this transformer) is very small.
Hence, as a general rule, the value of the phase-to-phase
short-circuit current is large, larger than in 20 kV networks,
but it quickly decreases as the distance between the fault point
location and the MV busbar increase. In 20 kV networks the
phase-to-phase short-circuit current decrease is slower. The
main reason for the quick 6 kV phase-to-phase short-circuit
decrease is a power cable reactance. The value of 6 kV power
cable reactance is not much smaller than the reactance of
20 kV power cable, whereas a voltage in 6 kV network is
more than 3 times smaller than in 20 kV network.

0.4

individual power cable sections and the smaller the crosssection of the metallic screens are, the bigger decrease in fault
current is. The influence of these factors is growing when the
bulk power transformer rated power is increasing. As a result
double line-to-ground fault currents in 6 kV networks are
much smaller than in 20 kV networks.
For the actual value of the short-circuit power, the average
value of fault currents flowing in cable metallic screens in
analyzed real 20 kV networks ranges from 3.0 to 3.7 kA. For
the maximum possible value of the 20 kV short-circuit power,
the average value of these fault currents increases and ranges
from 4.0 to 4.9 kA (which gives about 45 60 % of the
phase-to-phase short-circuit current value during the fault on
20 kV busbar). In analyzed 6 kV networks, for the actual
value of the short-circuit power, the average value of fault
currents flowing in cable metallic screens ranges from 1.8 to
2.4 kA. For the maximum possible value of the 6 kV shortcircuit power the average value of these fault currents ranges
from 2.0 to 2.7 kA (which gives about 12 15 % of the
phase-to-phase short-circuit current value during the fault on
MV busbar).

I k'' 2 = 10,49 kA

0.6

0.2

0
0

0.2

0.4
I max I

0.6

0.8

frequency

frequency

0.6

''
k2

Fig. 7. The frequency histogram of the biggest value of current flowing in 6 kV

cable metallic screens for the actual (126 MVA) value of the short-circuit power

0.4
I k'' 2 = 16 ,65 kA

0.2

0.4

0.2

0.4

0.6

I max I
frequency

0.3

Fig. 9. The frequency histogram of the biggest value of current flowing in 6

kV cable metallic screens for the increased (200 MVA) value of the shortcircuit power

I k'' 2 = 5,34 kA

0.2

0.8

''
k2

0.4
0.1

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

I max I k'' 2

frequency

0.3
0

Fig. 8. The frequency histogram of the biggest value of current flowing in 20 kV

cable metallic screens for the actual (214 MVA) value of the short-circuit power

The value of double line-to-ground currents in the given

network mainly depends on the bulk power transformer rated
power. The level of the short-circuit power on 110 kV busbar
as well as the neutral point treatment in MV network have
much smaller influence on the value of these currents. The
value of double line-to-ground currents quickly decreases as
the distance between fault points increases. The longer

I k'' 2 = 8,24 kA

0.2
0.1
0
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

I max I

0.8

''
k2

Fig. 10. The frequency histogram of the biggest value of current flowing in
20 kV cable metallic screens for the increased (330 MVA) value of the shortcircuit power

Copyright KTH 2006

9th International Conference on Probabilistic Methods Applied to Power Systems

KTH, Stockholm, Sweden June 11-15, 2006

IV. THE POWER CABLE METALLIC SCREEN RATING

V. CONCLUSIONS

The rated metallic screen cross-section should be

determined on the basis of computer simulations in a way
which makes the repetition cycle (in years) of the exceeding
of the rated short time thermal current sufficiently long. It
means that the probability of the exceeding of the rated short
time thermal current should be sufficiently small. The
repetition cycle of several score years guarantees that the
exceeding of the rated short time thermal current of cable
metallic screens will not occur in all service life of the
considered cable network. Table 1 presents detailed results of
the repetition cycle for analyzed 6 kV and 20 kV networks for
different power cables types and different values of the shortcircuit power on MV busbar. It was assumed in simulations
that the annual frequency of the double line-to-ground faults
occurrence is equal to 2 per 100 km of lines.

Rational criterions for the power cable metallic screen

rating was formulated on the basis of computer simulations
results. These criterions depend on the network rated voltage,
the neutral point treatment and the double line-to-ground
duration time. Very often power cables with the minimal (6,
10 or 16 mm2) cross-section of metallic screen can be installed
in networks, especially with the resistive grounded neutral.
But in some cases the recommended in standard [2] metallic
screen cross-section can be insufficient.
Until now in Polish MV cables networks three-core and
single-core cables with 50 mm2 metallic screens cross-section
were commonly used. The application of proposed rules in
practice makes the use of power cable with the smaller
metallic screens cross-section possible. The installation of
power cables with the smaller metallic screens cross-section
cause significant savings of network investment costs.

TABLE I
THE REPETITION CYCLE (IN YEARS) OF THE EXCEEDING OF THE RATED
SHORT TIME THERMAL CURRENT FOR POWER CABLE METALLIC SCREENS
Power cables installed in analyzed network:
ShortType / Conductor cross-section [mm2] /
circuit
power
Metallic screen cross-section [mm2]
MVA
Real *)
5C/120/16 5C/240/25 5F/120/35
155
171
32
48
82
Un = 6 kV
175
141
30
41
73
lenght = 42,5 km
200
111
29
36
66
222
577
16
125
90
Un = 20 kV
260
215
9
59
46
lenght = 25 km
330
74
6
21
22
*)
different types of power cables with the different conductor cross-section;
mostly the metallic screen cross-section is equal to 50 mm2
Analyzed
network

Until now in Polish MV cable network three-core and

single-core cables with 50 mm2 metallic screens cross-section
were commonly used. For such metallic screen cross-section
the exceeding of the rated short time thermal current in
analyzed networks is extremely rare. The results presented in
Table 1 show that in most cases the metallic screen crosssection can be much smaller than 50 mm2. But it should be
emphasized that the recommended in standard [2] metallic
screen cross-section equal to 16 mm2 can be insufficient,
especially in 20 kV networks.
The presented method of calculation of double line-toground short-circuit currents include some safety factors.
These factors result from following assumptions:
the permissible short-circuit temperature is valuated with
some margin of safety,
the infinite value of 110 kV busbar short-circuit power is
assumed,
non-resistive double line-to-ground faults, power cable
connections and groundelectrodes are assumed,
the possibility of faster short-circuit interruption by cutoff or ground-fault protections is omitted.
Mentioned assumptions make the possibility of the exceeding
of the rated short time thermal current smaller.

VI. REFERENCES
[1]

[2]
[3]

[4]
[5]
[6]

Short-circuit currents in three-phase a.c. systems Part 3: Currents

during two separate simultaneous line-to-earth short-circuits and partial
short-circuit currents flowing through earth, International Standard IEC
60909-3, 2nd ed., 2003.
Distribution cables with extruded insulation for rated voltages from
3,6/6 (7,2) kV to 20,8/36 (42) kV, Polish Standard PNHD 620 S1:
2002(U).
G. Bartodziej, J. Popczyk, K. muda, Verification of the shortcircuit
withstand of wires of 620 kV cables in industrial networks, IV
International Symposium on ShortCircuit Currents in Power Systems,
Universite de Liege, Technical University of Lodz, Liege, 68.10.1990.
J.D. Glover, M.S. Sarma, "Power system analysis and design," 3rd ed.
Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole, 2002.
M. Krakowski, The ground-return circuit, Warsaw: WNT 1979 (in
Polish).
K. muda, R. Korab, E. Siwy, The analysis of possibility of the crosssection of the metallic screen reduction in the MV power cables in the
urban networks, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Tech.
Rep. MZE 04-073JK, February 2004, (in Polish).

Copyright KTH 2006

VII. BIOGRAPHIES
Roman Korab was born in Zawiercie, Poland, on
October 6, 1973. He obtained his M.Sc. and Ph.D.
degree from the Silesian University of Technology
in 1998 and 2003, respectively.
He is presently working at Faculty of Electrical
Engineering,
Institute
of
Power
Systems
Engineering and Control. His research interests
mainly include power system operation and
development economics, optimization and control.

Edward Siwy was born in Piekary Sl., Poland, on

January 17, 1963. He obtained his M.Sc. and Ph.D.
degree from the Silesian University of Technology
in 87 and 1997, respectively.
He is presently working at Faculty of Electrical
Engineering,
Institute
of
Power
Systems
Engineering and Control. His research interests
mainly include transmission and distribution
networks optimization.