Power cables play a particularly important role in the transmission of electricity between the power grids from the national scale to the family and residential areas. Based on each purpose of use, there will be different requirements for electrical cable standards, that standard will specify the name and parameter symbol on the cable, and from the name on that cable will help technicians. The technician can distinguish what type of power cable it is, and what purpose it is used for.
Understanding electrical cable specifications is a mandatory requirement for technicians, as well as positions that require proficiency in electrical cables. For unrelated parts, understanding and being able to interpret what the numbers on power cables mean are both necessary and exciting, so learn how to read power cable numbers below.
How to read parameters on power cables
The basic electrical cable symbol has the following formula: 1+2+3+4, where:
- 1: Symbol of conductive core material;
- 2: Symbols of insulating and sheathing materials;
- 3: Symbol of rated voltage of cable;
- 4: Symbol of cross-section and number of conductor cores.
Orders 1, 2, 3, 4 are reversible depending on the manufacturer’s specification.
Material symbol
Materials include: Conductive core materials (Copper, aluminum, aluminum steel cores), insulating materials (PVC, XLPE…), sheath materials (PVC …)
- C or Cu: Copper;
- A or Al: Aluminum;
- AS: Aluminum with steel core;
- X or XLPE: XLPE cross-linked polyethylene resin;
- V or PVC: thermoplastic PVC;
- DATA (double alu tape armoured): Stainless steel wrap;
- DSTA (double steel tape armoured): Aluminum tape;
- E: Ground wire.
Voltage symbol
The rated voltage is denoted as follows: Uº/U (Um), where
- Uº is the rated voltage at power frequency between the conductor of the power cable and the earth;
- U is the rated voltage at power frequency between conductors of power cables;
- Um is the maximum voltage that the power cable can carry.
Example: Nominal voltage 18/30 (36) kV.
Conductor core symbol x cross-section
- Example 1: 4Cx16mm2 means the cable has 4 conductors, each conductor has a nominal cross-sectional area of 16mm2.
- Example 2: 3Cx16 + 1×10 means that the cable has 4 conductive cores, but one of them is a neutral core with a cross section of 10mm2, the remaining 3 phase cores have a cross section of 16mm2 each.
- Example 3: 4Cx7/0.52 means that the cable has 4 conductive cores, each core has 7 electrically twisted circular wires, the diameter of each round wire is 0.52mm.
Example of power cable parameters
VD1: SUNWON – 300/500V – Cu/PVC/PVC-2C means SUNWON brand wire, working voltage 300/500V, 2 copper conductors, PVC insulation and PVC sheath.
VD2: SUNWON-450/750V-Al/PVC-1C 1x120mm2 means SUNWON power cable with 1 PVC-coated aluminum conductor, working voltage up to 450/750V, cross-sectional area of conductor core is 120mm2.
VD3: SUNWON-0.6/1kV-Cu/XLPE-4×150 means SUNWON low voltage cable with 4 copper conductors, each core has a cross section of 150mm2 and is XLPE insulated, working voltage up to 0.6/1kV. This is a twisted pair cable.
VD4: SUNWON-0.6/1kV-Cu/XLPE/PVC-1×95 means SUNWON low voltage cable with 1 copper conductor, XLPE insulated core and PVC sheath, conductor cross-section is 95mm2, voltage working to 0.6/1kV.
VD5: SUNWON-0.6/1kV-Al/XLPE/PVC-3×70+1×50 means SUNWON low voltage cable with 4 conductors, of which 3 phase cores with cross section 70mm2, 1 neutral core 50mm2. Aluminum conductor, XLPE insulation and PVC sheath, working voltage up to 0.6/1kV.
VD6: SUNWON- 0.6/1kV-Al/XLPE/PVC/DSTA/PVC-3×70+1×35 means SUNWON 4-core aluminum power cable, including 1 35mm2 cross-sectional neutral core, 3 conductors the rest has a cross section of 70mm2. Core with XLPE insulation, PVC insulating screen, stainless steel cuff and PVC sheath, working voltage up to 0.6/1kV. This is an underground cable product , wrapping tape + insulating screen… is required in underground cable structure.
VD7: SUNWON-18/30(36) kV-Cu/XLPE/PVC-1×300 or SUNWON-CXV-18/30(36)kV-1×300 means SUNWON 1-core 300m2 copper cross-sectional power cable, core with XLPE insulation and PVC outer sheath, cable working voltage up to 18/30 (36)kV. This is a medium voltage cable.
VD8: SUNWON-20/35(40.5)kV-AS/XLPE/HDPE-1×400 means aluminum medium voltage cable with steel core, core with cross-sectional area of 400mm2 XLPE insulated and sheathed with HDPE, voltage up to 20/35(40.5)kV.
