LAYING OF LARGE EHV UNDERGROUND CABLE NETWORK

- ISSUES OF HEAT DISSIPATION

SM Takalkar
Managing Director

KG Gaikwad
DGM

KN Velani
Jr. Engineer

Takalkar Power Engineers & Consultants Pvt. Ltd. Vadodara, Gujarat, India
1.
Introduction
1.1. Normally the EHV underground cables are
laid over a small distance due to the cost
aspect. Laying of underground cable is
preferred when there is severe crunch of
right of way (ROW). The utilities serving
the metropolitan and congested urban
areas prefer to lay under- ground cables
over longer distance.
1.2. The EHV underground cables are now
being preferred even in big industrial
areas, SEZs and Smart Cities. In these
cases, the underground cables are also
used for an aesthetic look.
1.3. However, underground cables suffer from
the problem of heat dissipation. The other
problem is overvoltage during less loads or
no load. However, this can be overcome
by providing reactors.
1.4. The presentation here below tries to bring
out issues of heat dissipation being faced
while designing a large EHV underground
cable network for a typical smart city.
Details of Typical Underground EHV
Cable Network.
2.1. A developing urban area having major
industrial loads and state of art
infrastructure like wide roads, airports,
metro rail, sport complexes, holiday
resorts, university, Public places, wild life
sanctuary, hospitals, shopping malls,
recreation facilities etc., will have all smart
applications. Overhead power transmission
and distribution is totally ruled out.
2.2. Such developing area is generally a green
field project. In one such a typical project,
the entire network from 400kV to 400V is
laid underground and all the switching is
through GIS.

2.3. The transmission cables will have voltages

of 400kV, 220kV and 66kV. The
distribution cables will be of 11kV and
415 volt. The entire network from 400kV
to 11kV is in the form of a ring main. This
will ensure 24X7 power supply.

2.

2.4. The GIS and the RMUs will also be

connected through the underground cable
network.
2.5. Various options to lay the cables were
explored. The direct burial was ruled out
as the city is going to come up in the
phased manner. Investing on cables in

anticipation, would be disadvantageous.

Since water table is very high (rising up to
1.5 m below ground) deep tunneling is
also ruled out. The only option left is to
make a box type RCC trench.

Cable Tunnel
Box Type R.C.C. Trench

Cable Trench

2.6. It is envisaged to lay the cable in the

trenches designed to carry the number of
various sizes/ voltage levels of the cables.
2.7. The soil in the area under development is
marshy. It is proposed to fill the existing
land before constructing the roads. The
cable trenches are also expected to have
atleast 600mm layer of soil above them.
All the trenches shall be RCC with
appropriate wall thickness to resist soil
pressure. The trenches will have opening
at every 100mtr length.

8mm M.S. ROD

Cable Buried
TYPICAL SECTION CABLE SUPPORT

PLAN
FOR 3 M CABLE TRENCH

PLAN
FOR 2 M CABLE TRENCH

F.G.L

F.G.L

F.G.L

F.G.L

TYPICAL CROSS SECTION

FOR 3 M CABLE TRENCH

2.8. The cable trenches are expected to cross

the corridors of other utilities such as,
roads, water supply, drainage, ICT, Gas
pipeline, strom water drain etc. The
trenches and the cables will change their
course in plan and elevation.

TYPICAL CROSS SECTION

FOR 2 M CABLE TRENCH

PLAN
2.5 M CABLE TRENCH

F.G.L

F.G.L

TYPICAL CROSS SECTION

FOR 2.5 M CABLE TRENCH

2.9. The sizes of cables selected are such that

each cable will normally loaded upto 50%
only. However, in case of breakdown in
the ring main any cable can be loaded upto
100%.
3. The Issue Related to Heat Dissipation.
3.1. For designing the ventilation system, heat
dissipation and subsequent rise in
temperature in the cable trench/RCC
tunnel, has to be worked out. This is
required from the view point of working
environment in the trench. If temperature
in the tunnel trench goes beyond 50 deg.
C, it will be difficult for the maintenance
3

3.2.

3.3.

3.4.

a)
b)

c)
d)
e)
3.5.

3.6.

3.7.

crew members to carry out any work in the

tunnel.
Considering the maximum ambient
temperature of 45 deg. C, one has to work
out the resultant temperature in the tunnel
when a design load is carried by the
cables. As already indicated, the water
level is very high, hence trenches are
likely to be relatively in the cool condition.
Simultaneous occurrence of high ambient
temperature, maximum current passing
through the cables and need of a crew
member to enter for maintenance in the
cable trench is unlikely.
Since the cables are connected in ring
mains the chances of a single cable getting
loaded to 100% along with the
simultaneous eventualities indicated in 3.2
above, are very rare. The cable designer
may therefore have to focus on load ability
of the cable and resultant heat dissipation.
Referring to British Standard (BS) 7769-22.1-1997 & IEC 60287-2-1-1994 various
calculations for thermal resistance have
been given. The calculations are given for
different cases as under:
Thermal resistance between one conductor
and sheath.
For single core cables, belted cables, two
core belted cables with circular
conductors/sector shaped conductors etc.
Three core belted cables with different
shapes and composition.
Oil fill cables
Thermal resistance between sheath and
armors.
There are various empirical formulae for
calculation of temperature rise for equally
loaded, unequally loaded and groups of
buried cables.
There is no specific mention of any
formula when the cables are laid in the
RCC trench. Under the circumstances, a
precise value of heat dissipation is found
to be difficult.
The heat balance equation may have to be
evolved for this specific case covering the
installation of underground
cables
throughout the brand new city coming up
on a barren land.

4.

4.1.

4.2.

4.3.

4.4.

4.5.

Means to contain heat dissipation and

increase in the temperature inside the
RCC trench.
After calculation of heat dissipation taking
some base load and the ambient
temperature of 45 deg. C, it may become
necessary to find out the ways and means
to contain the inside trench temperature at
around 45 deg. only. This temperature
may perhaps allow the crew member to
work safely.
In the case under consideration, openings
have been provided at an interval of 100
M. It is necessary to carry out the study
for the induced draft and the forced draft
for containing the temperature inside the
trench.
The provision for forced draft would mean
spending energy. It is possible to monitor
the heat dissipation in the trenches by use
of sensors and optical fiber cables. For
such a large system it will be necessary to
plan the cable laying and for balancing the
heat dissipation in the trench. It is felt that
in the beginning, the system can be
designed with induced draft and then at a
later date forced draft cooling system can
be developed depending upon the heat
dissipation requirement.
It is also possible that the cable designs
themselves may be such which can
guarantee manageable temperature rise in
the trenches under different loadings and
ambient temperature. The manufacture of
underground power cables is continuously
undergoing changes with regards to
material & configuration.
Heat dissipation will also depend upon the
size of the cable trench and number of
cables inside it. It may be pertinent to note
that for such a large underground power
system, cables of different voltage class
and the different ampacities will be carried
in a common cable trench and therefore
the precise calculation of heat dissipation
will be difficult. It will be futile to design
the system considering all the cables
simultaneously loaded to full load and
dissipating heat.
4

4.6. The laying of cable with different

configuration (Horizontal, trefoil, buried
etc.) is also likely to vary the heat
dissipation and rise in temperature in the
trench.
5.
Anticipated Cable Network
5.1. The proposed scheme when finally
realized, is likely to have the cable lengths
as follows:
Cable Description
400 kV Cable
220 kV Cable
66 kV Cable
11 kV Cable

Length (km)
0.3523
32.822
125.291
188.114

5.2. The extent cabling indicated above may be

laid in common trenches based on the final
design of the Electrical System. However
at the preliminary design stage,
assumptions are made on the pattern, type
and quantum of Electrical loads. Thus, the
heat dissipation working done now will
serve as a guide line for the final design of
trenches/tunnel etc.
6.
Conclusion
6.1. For a large underground power cable
network to be housed in the RCC cable
trenches it is necessary to postulate proper
heat balance equitation and resultant
temperature rise in the trenches.
6.2. While working out heat dissipation, it is
necessary to take into account various
factors of land and topography, water
tables, length of the cable and the trench
etc.
Authors

Subhashchandra M. Takalkar
Born on 30th March 1948 and graduated in
Electrical engineering from the MS

University of Vadodara in 1971. He has

more than forty years experience in
transmission and distribution of power as
well as hydro power. He retired from
Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation
in the cadre of chief engineer in March
2006. Presently he is a Managing Director
of consultancy firm named Takalkar
Power Engineers & Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
in Vadodara. The firm is engaged in
design, engineering and construction
supervision of transmission lines and
substation up to 765 kV. The firm is also
actively involved in industrial electrical
design and hydro power designs.

Kishor G. Gaikwad
Born on 20 June 1983 and graduated from
Mumbai
University
in
Electrical
Engineering in the year 2006. He has to his
credit 8 years experience in the field of
electrical engineering for the transmission
lines and substations up to 765 kV.
Presently he is working as a Deputy
General Manager in the consultancy firm
named Takalkar Power Engineers &
Consultants Pvt. Ltd..

Keval N. Velani
Born on 23 rd Sep 1989 and graduated in
Electrical
Engineering
from
Birla
Vishvakarma Mahavidhyalaya, VV Nagar
in 2011. He has more than three years
experience
in
substation
design
engineering
work,
Power
System
Protection and Distribution Network.
Presently he is working as a Jr. Engineer in
the consultancy firm named Takalkar
Power Engineers & Consultants Pvt. Ltd..