Aluminum Cables Research Articles

Evaluation of low voltage on electrical cables using microct and COMSOL Multiphysics

Safety and quality are critical challenges in electrical engineering and unscheduled system outages caused by device failures present a significant concern. One of its main causes is the presence of air voids in the insulating layer of power cables. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of current pulses, which generally occurs in transients, on the proliferation of voids in the insulating layer of electrical cables. X-ray microtomography (microCT) was used in the identification and analysis of air voids in aluminum (Al) and copper (Cu) electrical cables, with different cross-sectional areas, before and after electrical current pulses. The results showed an increase in voids caused by current pulses and an increase in electromagnetic fields and temperature inside the conductor. Furthermore, it was observed that the current pulses applied to the cables increased the agglomeration of small imperfections in voids of larger diameters and it was possible to verify the phenomenon of electrical arborescence in the cable with the aluminum core, as well as modifications in the core of stranded cables. Soon after, the Comsol Multiphysics software was used, which uses the Finite Element Method (FEM), solving Maxwell's equations, to better understand the information accessed by the microCT technique that describes electromagnetic phenomena in power cables. The results showed that cables with a greater number of voids have higher electromagnetic field densities when compared to cables without voids in the insulation, showing an increase of 7.5, 10.16, and 9.91 for the copper cables of 25, 35 and 50 mm2, respectively.

Formation mechanisms and mechanical properties in aluminum cables and copper terminals ultrasonic welded joint

To fabricate highly reliable Al cables/Cu terminals components and elucidate the microstructure evolution of the joint during ultrasonic welding, ultrasonically welded structures of 50 mm2 Al cables and 2 mm-thick copper terminals were conducted at welding energies from 1200 J to 2800 J and an amplitude of 54.6 μm in this paper. As the welding energy increased, the degree of plastic deformation of the Al wires gradually increased, the microstructure of the Cu side remained basically unchanged, and the effective contact area of the Cu/Al interface was gradually enlarged, enhancing the coherence between the Al wires, and the Cu-Al interfacial structure changed from an unbonded area to continuous mechanical interlocking. Parallelly, the Al grains transformed from fine serrated to equiaxed and lamellar crystals driven by geometric dynamic recrystallization (GDRX), continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX), and dynamic recovery (DRV), forming distinct shear textures of B/B̅{111}<110>, Rt Goss{110}<110>, Rt Cube{001}<110> and the recrystallization texture F{111}<112>, and the content of shear textures increased from 2.9% to 17.4%. In addition, the tensile shear failure load of the joint reached 2962 N, which met the requirements of cable installations in the field of new energy vehicles (>1650 N). Fracture analysis showed the fracture location transitioned from the Cu-Al interface to the Al-Al interface with an increase in welding energy from 1600 to 2400 J. This work has theoretical guidance for the continuous promotion of vehicle light-weighting.

The End of Life of PV Systems: Is Europe Ready for It?

Like other plants, every photovoltaic (PV) power plant will one day reach the end of its service life. Calculations show that 96,000 tons of PV module waste will be generated worldwide by 2030 and 86 million tons by 2050. Such large quantities of waste can endanger the environment and people if they are not disposed of properly. This paper investigated how photovoltaic waste is currently handled, how this problem is legally regulated and to what extent reuse, recycling and disposal are represented. As recycling is the best option in terms of environmental protection and a circular economy, an overview of recycling technologies and recovery rates for the materials contained in the PV system is given. Currently, there are a small number of recycling plants for PV modules in Europe, but none in the Balkan countries. The main reason for this is the small amount of PV waste in these countries, which is far below the profitability threshold for the recycling of 19,000 t/year, and even below the reduced threshold of 9000 t/year. The analysis shows that only seven EU member states will exceed this threshold by 2040, and more than half of the EU member states will not even reach this threshold by 2050. For this reason, PV modules (after dismantling the aluminum frame and cables) are mostly disposed of in landfills in these countries. This is an indication that this problem should be seriously addressed in the EU. In this context, the main obstacles to the reuse and recycling of PV modules are listed, together with guidelines for their removal.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of ultrasonic welded copper to aluminum cables joints

The experiments of ultrasonic welding were carried out for BVR2.0 copper (Cu) cables and BLV6.0 aluminum (Al) cables with different welding parameters. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), temperature measurement, microhardness evaluation and tensile tests were conducted to investigate the microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu−Al cables joints. The results show that the tensile load of Cu−Al joints reaches 355.6 N, while the welding parameters are set as follows: welding pressure of 0.21 MPa, amplitude of 31%, and time of 860 ms. The diffusion thickness of well-welded Cu−Al joint is only about 3 μm and the peak temperature is 212 °C, which avoids the formation of intermetallic (IMC) effectively. The joint fractures on the copper side rather than the interface of the Cu−Al with a ductile−brittle hybrid fracture mode, indicating that the joint has excellent properties.

Modeling and Analysis of Aluminum Cable Joints in Steady State for New Energy Stations

Compared with copper cables, aluminum cables have certain advantages in engineering costs and transportation costs, but have installation difficulties in the application process. However, limited by the manufacturing process, installation technology, and operating conditions, the intermediate joint of the aluminum cable is prone to failures such as insulation deterioration caused by abnormal temperature. The temperature of the core of the conductor in a steady state in the cable joint is the most direct and effective physical quantity, which can reflect the operating state. So modeling and analysis of the aluminum cable joint, as well as the study of its internal temperature change mechanism and influencing factors, are to improve the process and installation level of the aluminum cable joint and to develop the basis of the corresponding temperature monitoring system. In this paper, the thermal conduction mechanism of aluminum cable joints in a steady state is analyzed by using the thermal circuit theory. Then, the thermal circuit model of aluminum cable joints in a steady state based on the equivalent thermal circuit model and its parameter calculation method are proposed. By building an experimental platform, the validation experiment finally proved the accuracy of the method proposed in this paper.

Design and Feasibility Assessment of an HTS Sector Shaped High-Current Conductor for Fusion Coils

Technologies based on High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) are evolving rapidly toward maturity. Within the magnetic confinement fusion environment, several projects are demonstrating the possibility to integrate HTS in the coil systems. With respect to Low Temperature Superconducting (LTS) technologies, HTS could allow extending the operating space of fusion coils, either at higher temperatures, or at higher magnetic field levels, and in any case with larger operating margins. Different perspectives and development strategies are proposed, depending on whether HTS is considered a technology to completely substitute LTS, or to integrate and extend its performance range. A fundamental common requirement is the assessment of the layout, the feasibility, and performance demonstration of high-current conductors. Starting from the results achieved with the Al-slotted core cable-in-conduit conductor, and with a view on existing concepts for standard copper and aluminum cables, we have designed a new HTS sector-cable concept, to allow a flexible conductor design and a robust industrial processing. Several trials have been carried out, to verify the manufacturing approach, using either Al- or Cu-based stabilizers. Prototype sub-cables have been characterized at 77 K and self-field, as a necessary step toward the final target of a CICC operating stably with 60 kA at 4.2 K and 18 T, that is presently of interest for the EU-DEMO Central Solenoid Coil.

An optimisation methodology for suspended inter-array power cable configurations between two floating offshore wind turbines

Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) convert wind energy to electrical energy in deeper water areas where installing bottom-fixed offshore wind turbines is not feasible. However, technological obstacles have to be overcome to make them cost-effective, with inter-array power cable designs being one of the potential areas to be investigated. This study presents a novel configuration of suspended inter-array power cables using subsea buoys between two 5MW OC3-Hywind FOWTs. In this configuration, the inter-array cable is kept afloat between the seabed and the sea surface by attaching several buoys distributed along the cable. The effects of marine growth at a water depth of 320 m are considered. First, steady-state analyses are performed in the Start of Life (SOL) and End of Life (EOL) states to select the configurations which satisfy the minimum breaking load (MBL) and minimum bend radius (MBR) acceptance criteria. The selected configurations are then further investigated by considering a fitness optimisation criterion. Subsequently, full dynamic analyses are performed on the best configurations identified through the fitness optimisation criterion, considering the operating and feathered modes of the FOWTs. Copper and aluminium cables with two differently sized buoys are evaluated. The results indicate that the suspended inter-array power cable concept is feasible using the proposed buoy setup and optimisation methodology. Smaller buoys yield better designs for both cable types than larger buoys. The aluminium cable configuration has a lower effective tension but also a lower safety margin to its MBL limit than the copper cable configurations. The copper cable configurations result in smaller horizontal excursions. The configurations with closely spaced buoys result in large bend radii.

Application of Lean Manufacturing in Aluminum Cable Ladder Manufacturing Companies: Case Study at PT. Indra Saputra Triassic

After the Covid-19 pandemic, the manufacturing industry was faced with the challenge of continuing to create the highest quality products at the lowest possible cost and in the shortest possible time. PT also experiences this. Trias Indra Saputra is a manufacturer of Aluminum Cable Ladder located in Kabupaten Tangerang, Indonesia. Lean manufacturing is one method that can be used to identify and reduce waste in the production process. The existence of waste in the production process can lead to increased cost and processing time for a product. Value Stream Mapping (VSM), as an approach in Lean Manufacturing, can be used to find problems in the flow of products and information. Identification of waste begins with describing the current state of VSM and then analyzing the waste into 7 categories. After obtaining the waste category, continue conducting a Root Cause Analysis before designing and taking action to improve the process. By implementing Lean manufacturing PT. Trias Indra Saputra can reduce production time by 52%, Man Power by 70%, and production cost by 34% with the same quality even better than before.

(Digital Presentation) Super Ultra-Fast and Highly-Sensitive Non-Enzymatic Electrochemical Sensor to Detect Uric Acid By Electronic Waste to MoS2 and Functionalised MWCNT/MoS2 Coated High-Performance Aluminium Electrode

Electronic waste also known as (E-waste) includes used computers, televisions, refrigerators, mobile phones, laptops, electric and electronic cables and so on possess a severe threat to the society and the environment. Among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) about six goals are interlinked to tackle the e-waste management stress to understand and focus on the challenge. In the present work, we report the utilization of waste aluminum cables as high-performance modified electrode to detect the uric acid in human urine. The obtained waste PVC wrapped 2mm diameter aluminum cable is peeled off, cleaned and cut in to 7 cm rod to be use as an electrode. MoS2 and Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) doped MoS2 are separately grown on the Al rod through hydrothermal synthesis. The XRD patterns reveal that both the MoS2 and MWCNTs/MoS2 are in 1T phase structures, but the doping of MWCNTs promoted a minor phase shift and transformed to accurate 1T structure. The fundamental modes of vibration and qualitative chemical analysis are obtained from FTIR and Raman analysis. The interlaced nanosheets underlying in flower like morphology of MoS2 and MoS2/MWCNTs are clearly seen from the FESEM images which offered the high sensing ability of the sensor with a detection limit of 1.13 µM and sensitivity of 97.6 nA µM-1 with linear response (R2=0.99) within 2 seconds. The stability and reproducibility of the electrodes were determined by 15 repeated cyclic voltammetry response to 0.1M uric acid. All the detection parameters were studied in comparison with MoS2 and MWCNTs/MoS2 electrode and the later offered the superior results as mentioned. Though there are many publications on uric acid detections through nanomaterials modified standard electrodes, the present work initiates to report the non-enzymatic detection of uric acid in human urine samples by modifying the Al electrode for the e-waste. This work may pave the way towards decreasing the usage of conventional fossil carbon electrodes. The developed MWCNTs/MoS2 electrode offers a super ultra-fast and highly-Sensitive electrode that can be employed in biomedical sensing applications. Keywords: E-waste, Aluminum rod, Modified Electrode, MoS2, MWCNTs doped MoS2 Figure 1

Analisis Kinerja Plant Produksi PT. JCC Dengan Menggunakan Perhitungan Overall Equipment Evectiveness (OEE)

PT. JCC Established in April 1973, PT Jembo Cable Company Tbk. started by producing Low Voltage Electrical Cables - copper conductors. Then continue to add product varieties, such as Low Voltage Cable - aluminum conductor, Medium Voltage Cable, Telephone Cable and Fiber Optic Cable and also expand its market. Production Plant performance can be improved or maintained by conducting regular evaluations of the process. The evaluation carried out is by analyzing OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness). OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) is a calculation method used to determine the effectiveness of a process that is being implemented by identifying the percentage of production time that is truly productive which is influenced by three factors, namely availability, performance, and quality. reached 85% or above. The research was conducted by observing the cable production process at the Aluminum Cable Plant and the Copper Cable Plant. Based on the observations made from January 2021 to June 2021, the highest OEE value was obtained for the Aluminum Cable Plant in January and February, namely 97% and 94% while for the next month below 90%. For the Copper Cable Plant, since observing from January 2021 to June 2021, it has not yet reached the required OEE value, which is 85% and above. From the results of the analysis, the main factor is not achieving the OEE Value influenced by the low availability ratio It's because almost 50% of the machines in the Aluminum Cable Plant and 25% of the machines in the Copper Cable Plant don't get a workload.

Selection of process for aluminium separation from waste cables by TOPSIS and WASPAS methods

The separation process, particularly gravity and electrostatic separation, is very important in the recycling processing industry. Some characteristics of waste cable, as well as separation have a significant impact on the results and effects of aluminium recycling. At the same time, this process requires a significant amount of energy which significantly affects the overall recycling costs. This paper focuses on the recycling of waste aluminum cable by gravity and electrostatic separation. Experimental tests were performed on three different separators. Therefore, this paper presents the application of multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) methods, combining TOPSIS and AHP methods, as well as WASPAS and AHP methods, which should enable an efficient selection of the separation process. Also, the impact of the criteria weights to the ranking order of alternatives was performed in order to verify the obtained results. Results of all the studies presented in this paper show that a corona-electrostatic separation process is the most acceptable process for waste aluminium cable recycling.

Calculation and measurement of ampacity for class 5 flexible aluminum cable at 110 °C

Calculation and measurement of ampacity for class 5 flexible aluminum cable at 110 °C

Calculation and measurement of ampacity for class 5 flexible aluminum cable at 110 °C

Class 5 flexible aluminum conductors are not common in cable manufacturing industry due to insufficient study on cable joints and connectors. The table of ampacities for aluminum conductors at 110 °C in AS/NZS3008.1.1 standards are also not available as a reference guide for electrical system designers that restricts the installation of aluminum low voltage (LV) cabling system to operate at 90 °C of conductor maximum operating temperature where 110 °C cables are permitted in Australia. In this paper, the cable ampacities of various LV Class 5 flexible aluminum cables at maximum operating temperature of 110 °C are calculated using IEC60287 and AS/NZ3008.1.1 standards. The calculated ampacities from the formula presented in clause 4.4. of AS/NZS3008.1.1 are verified by using the 6kA inductive current generator to determine the suitability for use. The joint temperature between cable and shear bolt mechanical connectors are simultaneoulsy simulated using the calculated ampacities to determine the suitability of mechanical shear bolt connectors when the coefficient of thermal expansion of material is considered. The observed differences between the calculated and measured values demonstrate the relevance of formula used in determining the current ampacity at 110 °C conductor temperature in free air.

Solution of the problem of optimum power distribution of individual compensating devices for a group of asynchronous motors for a stable operating mode and for a smoothly changing load

Residential and industrial buildings with large territorial dimensions, have mainly radial power supply schemes, which feed a large number of small and medium capacity 0.4 kV induction motors. For their power supply copper or aluminum cables of small cross-section (with high active resistance) are used. Calculations of electricity losses in such lines show significant values. In order to reduce active power losses in 0.4 kV cable lines, the optimization problem of minimizing active power losses in the radial power supply circuit is solved by optimal distribution of reactive power of a given value between compensating devices. The single-line scheme of power supply of a group of pumps of technological installation of petrochemical production is considered, the mathematical model of the optimization problem on criterion of minimum of active losses in power lines from reactive power flow is made, which limitations are presented as a system of linear algebraic equations. Results of distribution of optimum values of reactive power between compensating devices of asynchronous motors at maintenance of the set tg φ are received. The quantitative estimation of active power loss reduction in power lines at use of capacitor units, which reactive power is optimally distributed, is given.

Passive anti-frosting cables

Buildup of ice and frost on overhead transmission lines compromises their integrity and also poses a danger to surrounding infrastructure and people. We present a passive anti-frosting cable design that keeps the majority of the surface free of condensation and frost, effectively preventing a continuous layer of ice from forming. The design consists of an array of rings, each containing a wicking micro-groove, that are evenly spaced across the aluminum cable. Water preferentially wets the grooves and freezes into ice rings at cold temperatures. As ice exhibits a depressed vapor pressure relative to liquid water, these ice rings act as overlapping humidity sinks. Two supersaturations were tested, an extreme supersaturation of 3 to best measure frost accumulation through video analysis and a supersaturation of 1.5 more reminiscent of real-life outdoor conditions. Regions between rings remained dry indefinitely beneath a critical ring spacing whose value depended primarily upon the supersaturation and secondarily upon the ring diameter. In contrast, continuous sheets of frost grew on aluminum cables that were smooth and initially dry, even when treated with a superhydrophobic coating.

Analyzing Handling Effects on Performance Parameters of Ethernet Cables using the Feature Selective Validation Method and Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test

The use of Ethernet cables is a vital, if under- discussed element of the infrastructure for the internet of things (IOT). While there are many cable types on the market, one worrying trend is the wide availability of copper clad aluminum (CCA) cables, which are widely considered unsuitable for infrastructure deployment. The availability of these copper clad aluminum (CCA) cables frequently disguised as compliant Ethernet communication cables calls for a method of assessing their performance, as this is crucial to ensuring quality of service delivery. This paper presents a method of analyzing the measured return loss and impedance profile due to handling stress. In this research, four Ethernet cables of which one of them was copper CCA cable were subjected to three rounds of coiling and uncoiling tests to represent stress from handling during installation. The Feature Selective Validation (FSV) method and Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) tests were used to quantify the variations between the tests. The results indicate that the CCA cable has the lowest resilience to physical stress with high potential for degradation.

Study on corrosion mechanism of shielding line of copper clad aluminum cable in substation terminal box

By means of scanning electron microscope, energy spectrometer and X-ray diffraction method, the chemical element analysis and phase analysis of the cross section, corrosion products, fire resistance mud and shielding line of the copper clad aluminum cable under the special service environment in the terminal box of the substation were analyzed and the corrosion mechanism was studied. Salt Mist corrosion test was carried out on the shielding line with dilute HCl solution, NaCl solution and NaOH solution. The results showed that there are Cl elements and AlCl3, CuCl and other substances in the corrosive products, and a large number of Cl elements are found in the corrosion resistance mud and shielding line outsourcing materials. The salt mist test showed that the dilute HCl solution makes the corrosion rate of copper clad aluminum wire the fastest, and the cause of corrosion fracture of copper clad aluminum wire is the result of chemical corrosion of acidic atmosphere, corrosion of primary battery and corrosion of electrolytic pool.

Detection of terminal oscillation pattern in ultrasonic metal welding

Oscillation pattern of the mating parts during the ultrasonic welding process can provide reliable information about the fixation of the parts in the machine and possibly the bond quality. The present work is a very first attempt to in situ capture the oscillation pattern of the terminal. Terminals, made of a brass alloy, are the mating substrate in the process of ultrasonic welding of multi-strand single core aluminum cables in the automotive industry.In this research work, the time signal of the terminal oscillations is captured through piezoelectric transducers. Frequency spectrum of the time signal shows an excitation frequency of 20.3 kHz, which represents the operating frequency of the welding sonotrode. This spectrum also illustrates the novel discovery of the presence of higher-order harmonics at multiples of 2, 3, 4, and 5, i.e. 40.6, 60.9, 81.2 and 101.5 kHz, respectively.Moderate modifications of the geometry of the conventional terminal as well as changes of the terminal fixation in the ultrasonic welding machine are carried out in order to investigate the effect of these two important phenomena on the oscillation pattern of the terminal during welding.Observation of the frequency spectrum of the oscillations shows that terminal fixations during the ultrasonic welding process can strongly affect its vibration pattern, whereas the moderate geometry modifications do not show significant influences on the terminal oscillations.Results of the present study provide new insights into the fundamental understanding of the substrate vibration pattern and the possibilities to affect this pattern for the benefit of manufactured products using ultrasonic welding.

Environmental evaluation of recycling technology and the impact of the transport of Aluminum cables

The goal of this study is to document the environmental impact of a recycling aluminum process, using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, in accordance with the standards of International Organization for Standardization (ISO 14040/44). Today, the life cycle impact of European generic primary and secondary aluminum are well defined through the work of the European Aluminum Association (EAA). However specific recycling processes are not available in literature. In this study, the environmental assessment of cable recycling processing is examined. The data come from a recycling plant (MTB Recycling) in France. The specific and innovative process was developed by MTB Recycling engineers and is sold as a process solution in different countries. The specificity of MTB process relies on the absence of fusion for metal refining. Nevertheless, it reaches standard aluminum purity up to 99.6%. This performance is obtained using only mechanical separation and optical sorting processes on shredder cables. Environmental impact assessment is done using ILCD Handbook recommendations. On the one hand, the study demonstrates huge environmental benefits for aluminum recycled in comparison with primary aluminum. On the other hand, the results show the harmful environmental influence of the heat refining by comparison with cold recycling process.

Development of Al-Fe-(Cu) Series Alloys for Aluminum Cables and the Related Annealing Behaviors

In this work, Al-Fe-(Cu) alloys for aluminum cables were designed and the related annealing behaviors were discussed in detail to help understand the influence of processing and heat treatment on the electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of the studied alloys. The interaction between different solute elements was tracked by using hardness and electrical conductivity testing. The microstructure was investigated by using Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) technique, along with Scanning Electron Microscopy with Backscattered Electron Detector (BSE). The results show that the conductivities of Al-Fe-Cu alloy increased with the elongated annealing time, and reaches its maximum at 6 h, when annealed at temperatures from 275 °C to 375 °C. The addition of Fe to Al can strengthen the alloy and decrease its conductivity slightly, while the addition of Cu will influence the alloy conductivity significantly. The morphologies of precipitates will change with different amount of alloying elements as well.