Cable and connector firm unveils new and improved website
September 16, 2011 by Paul Dvorak
Filed under Uncategorized
Lapp Group USA recently launched a completely overhauled website. The new site delivers engineering content related to the application of industrial cables and connectors. The site includes product selector tools, e-learning modules, a technical data resource center, application tips, educational videos, and more. The new Lapp website was redesigned with the needs of our North American users in mind. Moreover, our emphasis on delivering pertinent, regularly updated content will ensure lappusa.com is a destination web site for customers and the engineering community at large.
Lapp Group
www.lappusa.com
Materials ready for high voltage cables
July 18, 2011 by Windpower Engineering
Filed under Cables, Electrical Systems, Turbine Design
A complete product line of materials is available to manufacture high voltage and extra-high voltage underground (UG) cables –from 66 kV to 500 kV. The DOW Endurance line, for HV (66 kV to 220 kV) consists of Endurance HFDK-4201 SC compounds for insulation, and Endurance HFDA-0801 BK EC for inner and outer semiconductive layers. For EHV (220 kV to 500 kV) recommended materials consists of DOW Endurance HFDK-4201 EHV compounds for the cable insulation, and HFDA-0801 EHV for inner and outer semiconductive layers. The company also has conventional semiconductor shield compounds, including HFDK-0587 BK S, for use in outer shields.
Dow Electrical & Telecommunications
Cable Seal Works for Many Sizes, Many Cables
July 14, 2011 by Windpower Engineering
Filed under Cables, Electrical Systems, Uncategorized
Multidiameter is an adaptable through-a-wall cable sealing device based on modules with removable layers (diameter adjustments) that make installations easy and safe. To size it for a cable, the installer peels off layers for a perfect fit for cables or pipes. It allows sealing traditional cables and optic fiber cables or pipes side-by-side. A small, but proper distance between each cable creates area efficiency, and facilitates overview and maintenance. Built-in capacity makes it possible to add cables later.
Roxtec
www.roxtec.com
What are the issues with cables in wind turbines?
May 17, 2011 by Windpower Engineering
Filed under Cables, Wind Basics
The issue surrounding cables is their flexibility at low temperatures. Resilience cables for wind turbines should be Wind Turbine Tray Cable (WTTC) approved, and NFPA 79 (12.2.2) rated for constant flex and high performance. Cables in the nacelle carry low-voltage control signals, data, and communication signals, and work in exposed- run power applications. Cables should have a torsional and bend high-flex life, and exceed the OEMs’ cold-bend test at temperatures as low as -40°C.
Cables in wind work should be oil-resistant (oil res i and ii) because of the occasional hydraulic oil, and more likely the lubricating oil used in gearboxes. Another standard that may arise is a FT4 flame rating.
A recent rating for tray cables, TC-ER (tray cable, exposed run) was created from changes in NEC and UL standards. When a basic UL cable meets additional crush and impact requirements, UL lets a manufacturer add the -ER suffix to the basic cable listing. The ER says the cable meets physical toughness requirements that allow exposing the wiring in particular applications. Hence, wiring installed outside a tray is referred to as open wiring. The ER suffix on the cable lets the electrical inspector verify that the cable meets code requirements for use as exposed wiring.
Underground conduit makes it easy to plan for future cables
May 5, 2011 by Paul Dvorak
Filed under Cables, Construction, Wind Power News
The SubDuct allows customization with various numbers of ¾-in. chambers within a single jacket. It allows use of industry-standard couplers to match end-user requirements. The wire allows locating the cable when underground. More or fewer chambers can be wrapped into a conduit.
The ConQuest conduit can simplify installation and management of multiple cables in a single duct. The ConQuest Detectable SubDuct conduit targets underground cable networks having existing and future capacity requirements. It lets end-users install a single-duct today with additional capacity for future cable installations. This forward planning eliminates need to place additional dedicated conduit later as a network expands. Each separate pathway is capable of carrying individual cables while protecting against natural or construction-related damage.
The design allows customization with various numbers of 0.75-in. chambers within a single jacket, providing easy installation and allowing use of industry-standard couplers to match end-user requirements. Made from high-density polyethylene, the Standard Dimension Ratio 11-rated inner chambers provide ample protection for all cables and are ideally sized for the installation of standard all-dielectric fiber cables up to 144-count. The durable design of the ConQuest Detectable SubDucts permits the use of standard fiber-optic cables construction rather than micro cables.
Commscope Inc.
commscope.com
High-speed optical fibers
April 11, 2011 by Windpower Engineering
Filed under Cables, Electrical Systems, Turbine Design
A fiber optic manufacturer has added multiple OM4 fiber-optic products to its line of high-performance fiber optic cables. The recent OM4 Plug-and-Play fiber cable assemblies, preterminated duplex trunking cables, and traditional field-terminated cable and connectivity provide an extended distance, multimode option for 10 Gbps as well as future-proof migration options for 40 and 100 Gb/s applications. The OM4 modules and adapters are supported by a wide array of factory-terminated cable assemblies that combine reduced-diameter RazorCore cable with 12-fiber MTP connectors.
Siemon Co.
www.siemon.com
Hazards and job opportunities in offshore wind construction
March 4, 2011 by Windpower Engineering
Filed under Construction, Maintenance, Offshore Wind, Towers, Wind Power Projects, Wind Turbine Installation
Generally, a large wind farm like this one will be up to 20 mi off shore. Work on it will proceed 24/7 with up to 40 vessels at a time, and each crewed by up to 60 men
Constructing offshore wind farms differs considerably from onshore work in that it introduces new hazards and opportunities. For a better view of what’s in store for offshore work, we spoke with Joel Whitman, CEO of Global Marine Energy Inc. His company specializes in offshore cable installations. Aside from an opportunity for steadier wind, offshore work has potential for job growth.
“Take a Cape Wind-sized project, for example,” says Whitman. “Its total cost is about $2 billion with the cable install work about 7% of that. Double that figure for supplies as well. So about 15% of all things are cable related,” he says.
Because the U.S. wind industry is grappling with cable installation as a major portion of offshore installations, the Jones Act enters many discussions. The 1920 Merchant Marine Act calls for all goods transported on water between U.S. ports carried in U.S.-flag ships, constructed in the U.S., owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
Whitman says the company’s goal in North America is to educate developers, investors, and anyone interested in the market. That will let his company put Europe’s lessons to use here.
Offshore wind needs two sets of cables. Consider an average offshore wind farm of about 300 MW and 150 turbines, suggests Whitman. “The first cables laid are for the interarray. These 6 to 7-in. dia., 33-kV cables connect the turbines. On average, turbines are 0.5 to 0.75-mi apart depending on terrain, but every turbine has at least one cable and those must be networked. Also, farms cover about 25 mi2, an area with variations in the sea bed,” he says. So before an install, it’s important to have a clear picture of the underwater terrain, soil, tides, and currents because a crew will have to pull the cable up to a turbine foundation, bury it between the turbines, pull it up to the next one, and so on.
“Laying 150 cables is a major logistics exercise,” he says. Arrays are then tied together with inter-array cable and usually to a substation on its own platform. That substation has an export cable, about 10-in. dia. that brings power to the shore grid.
Ships of this sort service the cabling operations for Global Marine Energy in the North Sea. In U.S. waters, Whitman says barges will be used first.
The work also involves specialized vessels and a weather window open from April to November, so work goes on 24 hours a day. Whitman says the North Sea uses ocean-going vessels because the industry has matured in that way, but North America will use barges resulting in a smaller weather window. One count in the North Sea at the peak of the season tallied up to 40 vessels on site at any time. “This will be a major work site, one with its own safety and health considerations,” he says.
An important issue driving all this work is need for American workers and vessels, all special marine equipment. “The crew for one vessel requires about 60 men, all of whom – from captain down to the deck hands – have to be certified for this type of work,” says Whitman. What’s more, there are more than 12 different certifications – specialty engineering jobs. “I have yet to meet the developer or EPC contractor that wants to have an uncertified man on the crew. So this also goes back to being Jones Act compliant.” Whitman says his company operates a training school in the U.K. for this purpose. Getting ready for a project going in the water in 2012 will need men in training soon. That means bringing over the cable-installation school, coordinating with organizations here that do similar training, and starting to get American workers through the system,” he says. Everyone wants experienced people on the project, and here they want Americans.
In Whiman’s opinion, the industry is moving in the right direction. ”The fundamentals are coming into place so we can have a long, healthy growth curve on the industry.” Here’s a key point, he adds: The reason the industry exists in the U.K. and Germany is that regional politicians got behind it. “My opinion is that in North America, the East Coast and Great Lakes each has to operate as a region, not one state versus another or a province. It has to recognize there are common assets – the Great Lakes and the waters off the East coast. Governments can’t ask companies like ours to do a project on one set of requirements for each state and province. One set of rules and equipment must be sufficient for all players.”
WPE
Fast, easy installation of multiple cables
January 19, 2011 by Paul Dvorak
Filed under Cables, Connectors, Wind Power News
The Skintop Cube multi-cable bushing system is made of a frame and clip sealing modules. These cubes easily attach to appropriately assembled cable. A cable is clicked into the frame and fixed in place, protected against vibrations, strain relieved, and sealed in accordance with IP 64.
A multi-cable bushing system called Skintop Cube is said to provide better way to seal and clamp cables than competitive designs and with simplified service. Users install the frame to an enclosure just once. All repairs can be done without removing the frame. Advantages are said to include:
• Routing 8 to10 cables through standard 16 or 24 pole connector openings
• Much larger clamping ranges than competitors, greatly reducing inventory
• Excellent pullout strength with compression designed modules and frame
• Faster repairs as the frame remains on the housing at all times
• Preassembly of cables is possible, saving a huge amount of time at installation
• Oil, grease, ultraviolet and ozone resistant
• IP 64 degree of protection
• Requires no special tools, sealants, or lubricants
Lapp Group
www.Lappusa.com
Cable insulation adds flame retardant
January 12, 2011 by Paul Dvorak
Filed under Cables, Materials, Wind Power News
Estane TPUs said to be known for better abrasion, wear, tear and puncture resistance than conventional materials, such as rubber or PVC.
Estane Engineered Polymers, a business group within The Lubrizol Corporation, has developed Estane X-1311 thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a material that delivers a Limited Oxygen Index (LOI) of 40, developed for cable jacketing and molding. The industry is placing greater emphasis on the development of new compounds that have higher LOI to reduce flame spread while maintaining good flexibility and abrasion resistance. X-1311 TPU meets this industry demand for wire and cable jacketing used in applications such as robotics, industrial equipment and mass transit systems where high LOI and long term, flexible materials are necessary.
“The material combines great flame properties, abrasion resistance and low heat release while maintaining good mechanical properties for extrusion and injection molding,” says Chris Boyher, industrial marketing manager for Estane Engineered Polymers. “X-1311 TPU provides a shore hardness of 53D with an LOI of 40, extending our current offering by 20%. Our new product achieves a UL-94 rating of V-0 on the vertical burn of a 75 mil sample thickness.”
Lubrizol Corp
Find connectors and strain reliefs fast in this guide
December 29, 2010 by Paul Dvorak
Filed under Connectors, Electrical Systems, Wind Power News
A recent 56-page Engineering Specification Guide provides an overview of some widely used Ölflex and Unitronic cables, Epic connectors, and Skintop strain 
relief cable glands. The Guide makes it easy to find the right connector or strain relief for a cable. A few features include:
• Selection charts that make it easy to find the right Ölflex or Unitronic cable
• Cable part-number charts list the mating Skintop
• Most cables have a connector selection chart to help identify the right EPIC
connector series for the selected cable
• Free samples (This excludes certain hook-up wires and connectors)
• A wide range of cable and connectors
Lapp USA
