Single-Conductor Cables in Parallel

The effect of the unbalanced current in a single-conductor cable circuit could have more adverse impact on the low voltage system than on the medium voltage system. This is because a low voltage cable circuit is generally sized to match the load requirement closely, whereas a medium voltage cable circuit is often determined by the system short circuit consideration. However, the adverse impact of the unbalanced current can be minimized if single conductor cables are arranged in a symmetrical configuration, or arranged in a "triangular" configuration (for Canadian practice only), if three, five, or six cables are needed in each phase.