Types of electric cables and their characteristics
An electric cable has the purpose of transporting electrical energy from one point to another. Depending on its final application, the cables can have different configurations, always basing their design according to national and international regulations. Next, we are going to delve into the different classifications that can be made around electrical cables.
The tension of an electrical cable is measured in volts and, depending on these, they are categorized into one group or another:
Low Voltage up to 750 V: in a variety of applications, and with thermoplastic and thermoset coatings. They are designed and built according to harmonized standards. Low Voltage up to 1,000 V: (also called (0.6 / 1 kV). The cables in this section are used for industrial power installations in various fields (general industry, public installations, infrastructures, etc.). They are designed according to standards international (UNE, IEC, BS, UL). Medium Voltage: from 1 kV to 36 kV. It is used to distribute electricity from electrical substations to transformer plants. High Voltage: from 36 kV. It is used to transport electricity from generating plants to electrical substations. Types of the electric cable by their use Low voltage cables
Cables for electrical panels
Flexible cables for electrical panel wiring. Easy and safe installations. Electric cables especially suitable for domestic use , for installation in public places, for individual branches and for internal wiring of electrical cabinets, switch boxes and small electrical appliances.
Power cables
Power cables for industrial facilities and public places. It is common to find power cables in single tap applications, for power transmission in all types of low voltage connections, for industrial use in demanding conditions, and for variable frequency drives (VFD).
Armored cables
Cables with aluminum or steel armor for installations with the risk of mechanical aggression. It is also common to find armored cables in places with the presence of rodents, as well as in installations in places with risk of fire and explosion (ATEX).
Rubber cables
The use of extra-flexible rubber cables is very varied. We can find rubber cables in fixed industrial installations and also in mobile service. Welding cables should be covered with rubber, which allows high currents to be transmitted between the welding generator and the electrode.
Halogen-free cables
The halogen-free cables High Security (AS) with low emission of smoke and corrosive gases in case of fire are suitable for use in wiring electrical panels and public premises, installations of all kinds in public places, individual branches, emergency circuits, public distribution networks, and also for mobile service.
Fire-resistant cables
These cables are specially designed to transmit electrical energy in the extreme conditions that occur during a prolonged fire, guaranteeing the supply to emergency equipment such as signaling, smoke extractors, acoustic alarms, water pumps, etc. It is recommended for use in emergency circuits in places of public attendance.
Control cables
The control cables for fixed or mobile installations it is desirable to be extremely flexible as they mainly use is designed for small appliances, for interconnection of parts of machines used for manufacturing, for signaling systems and control, for connecting motors or frequency converters, for signal transmission where the voltage induced by an external electromagnetic field can affect the transmitted signal or for power supply connections to avoid generating electromagnetic fields.
Instrumentation cables
These are flexible and shielded cables for the transmission of signals between equipment in industrial facilities . Especially suitable for optimal data transmission in environments with a high level of electromagnetic interference.
Solar cables
These are cables especially suitable for the connection between photovoltaic panels, and from the panels to the inverter from direct to alternating current. Thanks to the design of their materials and their cover that is especially resistant to solar radiation, as well as extreme temperatures, they can be installed outdoors with full guarantees.
Special cables
There is a wide variety of electrical cables for special installations such as temporary installations of light garlands at fairs; crane bridge, hoist, elevator and elevator connections; applications in submerged pumps and drinking water areas such as aquariums, purification systems, drinking water fountains, or in swimming pools for lighting, purification and cleaning systems.
Aluminum cables
The aluminum cables for power transmission are suitable for fixed installation indoors, outdoors, and/or buried.
Medium Voltage Cables
RHZ1
Medium Voltage Cable type RHZ1 with XLPE insulation, halogen-free, and flame, and/or fire-retardant. They are cables perfectly adapted for the transport and distribution of energy in Medium Voltage networks.
Components of an electric cable An electric cable is made up of:
Electrical conductor: that channels the electrical flow Insulation: covering and containing the electrical flow in the conductor. Auxiliary elements: that protect the cable and guarantee its longevity. Cover: covers all the mentioned materials protecting them from the outside. Types of electrical conductors Bare Wire Conductor - This is a single, non-flexible, uncoated, solid-state wire. Insulated wire conductor: it is the same as the bare wire conductor with the difference that it is covered by an insulating material. Flexible cable conductor: it is a set of fine wires covered by an insulating material. They are flexible and malleable. Cord conductor: it is a set of cables that have double insulation, that of each cable plus an additional one that encompasses them all. Unipolar cable: it is a cable that has a single conductor. Multipolar cable: it is a cable that has several conductors. Coaxial cable: it has a wire conductor inside protected by an insulating layer and a copper shielded mesh and finally with an outer covering. Twisted cable: these are twisted pairs of cables. Duplex cable: these are two parallel cables. Shielded cable: it is a set of cables covered by a metallic coating. Ribbon cable: they are a series of cables placed in parallel. Rigid cable: it is a difficult cable to deform. Flexible cable: it is an easy cable to deform. Copper electrical conductors: it is the most commonly used material. Aluminum electrical conductors: in some cases, aluminum conductors are also used, despite the fact that this metal is a 60% worse conductor than copper. Types of insulation for electric cable Insulation consists of placing an insulating coating on the conductor to prevent current leakage. They are classified into two large groups: thermoplastics and thermosets.
1. Thermoplastic insulation They are more common in the manufacture of electrical cables are:
PVC: Polyvinyl chloride Z1: Polyolefins PE: Linear polyethylene PU: Polyurethane 2. Thermoset insulation The most common are:
EPR: Ethylene Propylene XLPE: Cross-linked Polyethylene EVA: Ethyl Vinyl Acetate YES: Silicone PCP: Neoprene SBR: Natural Rubber Types of metal protections for electrical cables In some cases, the cables may have metal shields.
Screens: they are electrical metallic protections that are applied to isolate the signals that pass through the interior of the cable from possible external interferences. Armors: they are mechanical protections that protect the cable from possible external aggressions: animals, blows, etc. Nomenclature electrical cables according to standard Each cable has a standard designation. This denomination is made up of a set of letters and numbers, each with a specific meaning. This designation refers to a series of product characteristics (materials, nominal voltages, etc.) that facilitate the selection of the most suitable cable for your needs, avoiding possible errors in the supply of one cable by another.
When a cable does not clearly indicate these data, it may be a faulty cable, which does not comply with safety regulations or guarantee the useful life of the cable and its proper functioning.
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