CEANDER cable for low tension underground distribution. Special tests

In order to unify and improve the benefits of low tension distribution cables and the service which the electrical companies are offering their customers, in July of 1993 the "GT de Averias de UNESA" (the GT UNESA Breakdowns), decided to undertake the matter together with the cable manufacturers. The mixed UNESA-FACEL Work Group was created in order to evaluate the different distribution cable designs at 0.6/1 kV, both technically and economically. Both the unipolar cables, the ones which are most commonly used in Spain, as well as the multipolar cable (Districable-France, CEANDER-Switzerland/Italy, etc.), used in most of the EEC countries were analysed. With the new CEANDER for low tension distribution (0.6/1 kV) and in order to have an experimental data base available, regarding the behaviour of the cable in critical service conditions, a series of special tests were carried out, at the request of IBERDROLA and ENDESA, which are detailed in this paper: short-circuit tests (25 cycles/15 s at 1700 A and 2000 A); overload tests (3 h at 504 A and 640 A); magnetic field measurement in a laboratory; and magnetic field measuring in a real installation