The concept of insulated aerial cables was developed in the early 1960’s in Europe to provide a reliable, safe and economical alternative system of electrification.
The development was accelerated due to progress achieved in the field of synthetic insulating materials such as polyvinyl (PVC) and polyethylene (PE). Crosslinked polyethylene(XLPE) was later added to the list.
National standards from a few European countries have been issued specifically for insulated aerial cable employing designs from experiences and research.Although these are mainly for low voltage installation standards for high voltage cables have been derived from specifications such as IEC 60502 which incorporates several extruded dielectrics for cables up to 30KV.
Aluminium and its alloys are used universally as conductors or neutral supports due to their inherent light weight;steel wires traditionally used in ACSR constructions are used as the supporting catenary especially for heavier medium to high voltage cables.
This cables permit longer spans, lower mounting, minimum support and simplified installation, particularly among trees or in congested areas. It also offers maximum personnel safety and protection against outage. Resistance to abrasion, flexing, and effects of heat, moisture, sunlight and cold assure high dependability through long years of services.
