Cables and accessories: some trends in standardisation, rationalisation and ratings

Prior to nationalisation of the electrical supply industry in 1948, with more than 500 separate undertakings, design of equipment frequently depended on the preferences of individual engineers. This situation was influenced by local conditions or precedents, and often by forceful commercial pressures. In 1949, after nationalisation, joint consultative committees were formed, with the CEGB Area Boards and the electrical manufacturing industries, to discuss immediate requirements and to plan future activities as electricity demand steadily increased. The manufacture of electrical cables was included in this scheme, and this paper discusses the results achieved by this collaboration and surveys the possible fields for future discussions. A number of examples have been chosen to illustrate the continuous progress: (a) standardisation and rationalisation of cable types and dimensions (b) initiation of type-test procedures for proving new designs of cables and accessories (c) provision of a forum to agree procedures for assessing new techniques and solutions to problems arising from service experience Future activities are recommended, considering the advantages of collaboration and the greater facilities for research and development now available. It is suggested that the emphasis is no longer on the e.h.v. field, but on the production of designs in the intermediate-voltage range to improve the economics of underground distribution.