Submarine Power cables specifications and tender requirments

 

PHOTO for ABB xlpe-submarine cable

Scope

This specification defines the mandatory requirements for the design, manufacture,factory inspection, testing, and shipment of three conductor, solid dielectric insulated, non-metallic sheathed, wire armored, submarine power cable rated for 5 kV, 15 kV,35 kV, 69 kV or 115 kV. This specification includes, as an alternative, requirements for composite submarine cable also containing fiber optic cable. The finished submarine cable shall be designed for operation in a submarine and platform riser environment.

STANDARDS:

Association of Edison Illuminating Companies

• AEIC CS6: Specification for Ethylene Propylene Rubber Insulated Shielded Power Cables Rated 5 through 69 kV
• AEIC CS9-682: Specifications for Crosslinked Polyethylene
• Insulated Shielded Power Cables Rated 69 through 345 kV
• AEIC CS8: Specification for Extruded Dielectric, Shielded Power Cables Rated 5 through 46 kV

American Society for Testing and Materials

• ASTM A111: Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) Iron Telephone and Telegraph Line Wire
• ASTM B3: Standard Specification for Soft or Annealed Copper Wire
• ASTM B8: Standard Specification for Concentric-LayStranded Copper Conductors, Hard, MediumHard, or Soft
• ASTM B496: Standard Specification for Compact Round Concentric-Lay Stranded Copper Conductors

Insulated Cable Engineers Association

ICEA S-97-682	Utility Shielded Power Cables Rated 5,000 to 46,000 V
ICEA S-108-720	Extruded Insulation Power Cables above 46 through 345 kV

General Description
As a minimum, the cable shall consist of the following components:

• Three power conductors of stranded copper  
  
• Core jacket of HMWLD Polyethylene
• Strand Sealant (Sealant between conductor strands or segments).
• Conductor Shield (Semiconducting shield around each conductor).
• Insulation - Cross-linked Polyethylene (XLPE) or Ethylene Propylene Rubber (EPR).
• Insulation Shield (Semiconducting shield around the insulation of each conductor).
• Metallic Shield.
• Lead Sheath 
• Fiber Optic Cable
  Fiber Optic Cable, when specified, with core jacket, located in an outer interstice  
  
• Filler

Shaped formed Polypropylene or other plastic filler of cable core and interstices.

•  Marker and Binder

Cable marker (over the cable core, under the core binder).
Cable binder of synthetic woven tape.

•  Outer Cable Construction

Bronze or copper tape (Terredo protection)
Armor bedding of asphalt-flushed polypropylene
Armor of galvanized steel wires
Overall covering of asphalt-flushed polypropylene or nylon roving 

Factory Splices

• Core splicing shall be performed prior to armoring. Core splicing after armoring is not acceptable.
• Splices shall be of the flexible type having an overall diameter approximately equal to the original cable. Vendor shall supply the maximum diameter over factory cable splices, as required by the DATA SHEET. All materials used for molding shall be compatible with the cable components.
• For initial orders, a test splice, witnessed by the Buyer, shall be performed prior to the commencement of factory production splicing.
• The test splice shall be performed on a section of the first cable length produced and shall duplicate the materials and conditions under which the factory production splicing is to be performed. The test splice shall  be radiographed or electrically tested, cut from the cable, sectionalized, and examined for acceptability in meeting the criteria established for an acceptable weld , including insulation and jacket splices, etc. For second or later orders, a test splice, witnessed by the buyer shall be performed as above, or the splices may be type-tested as required by CIGRE Recommendation 171.
•  It is the Buyer's intent to require of the Vendor to establish and maintain a baseline of splice information such that production welds, insulation and jacket splices, etc., may be evaluated unambiguously in the determination of an acceptable splice.
• Initial factory production splicing shall not proceed without written agreement between the Vendor and the Buyer confirming that splicing procedures, including conductor welding qualification, proposed splicing equipment, and the test splice are acceptable.