Joseph T.

Zimnoch - Consultant
ICC Spring 2011
This presentation will cover pipe type cables in
the United States from their inception to the
present time. They gained rapid acceptance
and became the most common type of
transmission class cables installed by utilities
here.
There were parallel developments of various type
cables for this same application in other
countries in this same time period. The
acceptance and usage of pipe type cable
elsewhere was at a lower level than in the
United States.
2
Patents were issued in 1931 and
1932 to The Okonite-Callender
Company for an
Oilostatic Cable System.
3

Over 90 percent of the pipe type
cables installed and in service in
The United States, have been
produced by four manufacturers.
4
1. ANACONDA WIRE and CABLE COMPANY

Plant located in Hastings on Hudson, New York
Ceased operations and plant closed in 1975
5
2. GENERAL CABLE COMPANY
(not current company with same name)

Two plants located in
Bayonne, New Jersey and Emeryville, California
Paper cable facilities sold to Pirelli Cable Corporation
in 1978.

Equipment relocated to Abbeville, S.C. and later to
St. Jean, Quebec, Canada

Pirelli Cables sold to Goldman Sachs and name changed
to Prysmian Power Cables and Systems in 2005.

St. Jean plant ceased operations and closed in 2010.
6
3. PHELPS DODGE COPPER PRODUCTS
CORPORATION
Plant located in Yonkers, New York
Purchased by Cablec Corporation in
1984.
Purchased by BICC Cables in 1989.
Yonkers plant ceased operations and
closed in 1996.
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4. THE OKONITE COMPANY
Plant located in Paterson, New Jersey.
This plant was a 1924 joint venture of Okonite
(U.S.) and Callenders Cable and Construction
Co. Ltd. (U.K.)
Cables manufactured up to 1948 were identified
as Okonite Callender.
Okonite acquired the 49 percent share from
Callenders and became sole owner in 1948.
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1. HPFF High Pressure Fluid Filled
Also called High Pressure Oil Filled (HPOF),
High Pressure Liquid Filled (HPLF), type HO,
or Oilostatic.
Pipe filling dielectric fluid is in direct contact
with the cable impregnant.
Largest percentage of all installed systems.
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2. HPGF High Pressure Gas Filled
Pipe is filled with nitrogen gas which is in
direct contact with and permeates into the
cable insulation wall.
Cable impregnant is very viscous to minimize
drainage.
Currently used at voltages of 138kV and below.
Second highest percentage of installed systems.
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3. GAS COMPRESSION Similar to HPGF
cable except with compacted oval shaped or
compacted triangular shaped (3 segments)
conductors and an extruded polyethylene
sheath reinforced with a bronze tape over the
insulation.
Nitrogen gas is not in direct contact with the
cable insulation.
Far less common than either HPFF or HPGF
type cables.
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4. OIL COMPRESSION Similar to the Gas
Compression cable but with the pipe filling oil
as the pressurizing medium.

Pipe filling dielectric fluid is not in direct
contact with the cable insulation.

Far less common than either HPFF or HPGF
type cables.
12
13
Conductor
Compact Round up to 1000
kcmil
Compact Segmental for larger
sizes
Predominately copper
Aluminum fairly common
during 1970s for lower
cost - about 2.1 million feet at all
voltages
14
Insulation Tapes
Kraft paper in thicknesses from 0.8 mils
to 8.0 mils
LPP (also known as PPP) introduced in
1987 in thicknesses from 3.5 mils to 6.5
mils. Each tape is approximately 25 %
paper 50% polypropylene 25% paper.
Cable Impregnant
Naphthenic or Paraffinic based mineral oils
up to early 1960s. Synthetic polybutenes
from then on.
165 SUS viscosity at 100C for HPFF
1000 to 3000 SUS at 100C for HPGF

15
Shielding Tapes and Skid Wires
Copper and brass up to early
1960s
Zinc alloy and then stainless
steel currently
Pipe Filling Dielectric Fluids
Naphthenic or Paraffinic based
mineral oils up to early 1980s
Synthetic polybutenes and
alkylbenzenes currently
60 SUS at 100C viscosity for
static systems
38 SUS at 100C for circulation
systems
16
Pipe Filling Gas
HPGF systems are filled with pure dry nitrogen
Type III per ASTM Standard D1933
Pipe
Carbon steel per ASTM A523 in sizes from 4 to 12
For land installation 1/4 thickness
For submarine installations 3/8 or 1/2 thickness
Somastic and reinforced coal tar coatings in 1/2 and 5/32
thicknesses in early years
60 mils extruded high density polyethylene with 10 mils
adhesive, or FBE epoxy with overcoats for HDD submarine
installations
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1932
Pilot circuits installed for Philadelphia Electric
Company at Plymouth Meeting, PA
750 kcmil and 1000 kcmil cables
with .375 insulation 66 kV operation.
1935
First commercial 132kV circuits for Pennsylvania
Railroad in Baltimore, MD
500 kcmil with .675 insulation.
18
1941
First High Pressure Gas Filled (HPGF) type
cables
installed at Detroit Edison in Delray-Warren,
MI
600 kcmil with .600 insulation 138 kV
operation.
1948
Gas compression and oil compression cables
first used in the U.S. These contain an
extruded polyethylene sheath with reinforcing
bronze tape to isolate the cable impregnant
from the pipe filling oil or nitrogen gas.

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1952
First 161 kV circuits installed at U.S. Army
Corp of Engineers, Bull Shoals, Arkansas
350 kcmil and 500 kcmil cables with .650
insulation.

1954
Pipe type cable installed footage surpasses self-
contained oil-filled cable footage in U.S.

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1955
AEIC agrees to sponsor a research and field test
program to develop 345 kV cables suitable for
500 MVA loading on a single circuit.

1957
Cornell University was chosen as the site for
the 345 kV field test program.
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1960
Cornell project dedicated and test program
begins. Two manufacturers submitted pipe
type cable systems and two manufacturers
submitted self-contained oil-filled cable
systems.

1963
Con Edison of NY chooses pipe type cable
systems and awards orders for 2000 kcmil and
2500 kcmil cables with 1.025 insulation to four
manufacturers for their new 345 kV circuits.
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1969 to 1971
500 kV rated pipe type cables are successfully
tested at Waltz Mills, PA No commercial
orders ever follow in U.S.

1982
765 kV PPP insulated pipe type cable is
successfully developed and tested with EPRI
and U.S. Department of Energy funded
program No commercial orders ever follow.
23
1987
After years of testing and development,
Laminated Paper Polypropylene (LPP)
insulated pipe type cables are first used
commercially. Two manufacturers supply
100,000 feet each of 2000 kcmil cable with
.600/.650 LPP insulation to Boston Edison
24
There are 3 published references (title pages
attached) that contain the following detailed
information on early pipe type cable
installations from 1934 to 1978.

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Operating Company
Location
Year Energized
Operating kV
Circuit Length, Miles
Pressure Medium
Manufacturer
Type Cable
Conductor Area
Insulation Thickness
Outside Diameter
Sheath or Seal
Pipe Inside Diameter
Pipe Wall Thickness
Pipe Inner Coating
Pipe Outer Coating
Cathodic Protection
Normal Joints-Number
Normal Joints-Distance
Apart
Terminals Number
Terminals Rated kV
Terminals
Manufacturer
Terminals Insul.
Mounting
Connected to O/H
Yes or No
Remarks e.g. Tunnel
Inst.
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1
st
Edition September 1951
Covered 15kV to 230kV HPFF and HPGF cables
in sizes from 3/0 AWG to 2000 kcmil
For HPGF cables Insulation thickness by
mutual agreement between manufacturer and
purchaser.
29
2
nd
Edition April 1967
Range extended from 15kV to 345kV in sizes
from 3/0 AWG to 3000 kcmil
For HPGF cables Insulation Thickness now
specified for 69, 115, 138kV
3
rd
Edition October 1973
Number 2-73 added for identification
Range extended from 15kV to 500kV in sizes
from 3/0 AWG to 4000 kcmil
Two different insulation thicknesses now
specified for 115kV to 500kV HPFF cables
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4
th
Edition October 1982
Now identified as CS2-82
Range changed from 69kV to 500kV
Qualification test procedure with impulse test
added for 115kV to 500kV
Slightly higher power factors allowed for 230,
345 and 500 kV cables that are designed to
enhance impulse strength withstand
31
5
th
Edition May 1990
Identified as CS2-90
Range extended to 765kV
LPP insulated cables now included for first
time.
Additional power factor measurements
required at 100C and 105C emergency
temperatures
6
th
Edition March 1997
Identified as CS2-97
General revisions
32
LONGEST
PIPE TYPE
CABLE PULLS
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UTILITY Southern California Edison Company
LOCATION Long Beach Harbor
Serves Offshore Oil Drilling Islands
YEAR 1967
CABLE PULL LENGTH 8300 feet (1000 kcmil)
7400 feet (750 kcmil)
7800 FEET (500 KCMIL)
6 reels each 2 parallel pulls
CABLE TYPE HPFF - 1000/750/500 kcmil copper
with 0.285 inch impregnated paper - 69kV rating

CABLE DIAMETER 1.85/1.70/1.60 inches
CABLE WEIGHT 4.1/3.2/2.4 pounds/ft.
PIPE SIZE 5.56 O.D. X 0.375 wall
34
UTILITY Consolidated Edison of New York
LOCATION Long Island Sound
Sands Point to Execution Rocks
YEAR 1978
CABLE PULL LENGTH 7300 feet
CABLE TYPE HPFF - 2500 kcmil copper with
1.025 impregnated paper - 345kV
rating
CABLE DIAMETER 4.14 inches
CABLE WEIGHT 13.6 pounds/ft.
PIPE SIZE 12.75 O.D. X 0.50 wall
35
UTILITY South Carolina Electric & Gas
LOCATION Charleston, South Carolina
Crossing of Cooper River
YEAR 2004
CABLE PULL LENGTH 7418 feet
CABLE TYPE HPGF - 2250 kcmil copper with
0.485 impregnated paper - 115kV
rating
CABLE DIAMETER 2.91 inches
CABLE WEIGHT 9.9 pounds/ft.
PIPE SIZE 8.625 O.D. X 0.375 wall
36
UTILITY Dominion Virginia Power
LOCATION Norfolk/Portsmouth, Virginia
Crossing of Elizabeth River
YEAR 2007
CABLE PULL LENGTH 7575 feet
6 Reels - 2 Parallel Pulls
CABLE TYPE HPFF - 2500 kcmil copper with
0.500 impregnated LPP - 230kV rating
CABLE DIAMETER 3.10 inches
CABLE WEIGHT 11.0 pounds/ft.
PIPE SIZE 8.625 O.D. X 0.375 wall
37
Pipe type cables have provided a highly
reliable, simple, trouble-free system with a
proven very long track record for bulk power
transmission in the 69kV to 345kV range.
Since their inception in 1932 they rapidly grew
to become the dominant cable design for
underground bulk power transmission circuits
in the U.S.
38
There are approximately 4500 circuit miles of
69kV to 345kV transmission cable in service in
the U.S. More than 75 percent of this is pipe
type cable.
With three conductors per circuit foot, this
equates to over 53 million feet of single
conductor pipe type cable currently in service
in the U.S.
39
LPP introduction in 1987 brought significant
performance features and benefits
Reduced thickness of insulation
Reduced dielectric losses
Reduced cable diameter and weight
Smaller diameter pipes
Less pipe filling fluid
Longer shipping and installation lengths
Fewer manholes and smaller splices
Increased savings of installation costs
Increased dielectric strength
Increased ampacity

40
Total installed footage of LPP pipe type cable at
345kV, 230kV, 138kV, 115kV since 1987 is
approximately 4.5 million feet
Reconductoring, of existing pipes with LPP
cables to upgrade MVA capacity, is ongoing
with projects on both the West and the East
coasts of the U.S.
Virtually all pipe type cables ever installed in
the U.S., including the first 1934 circuit, are still
in everyday operation. None have ever been
removed due to age or deterioration when
maintained and operated in accordance within
the original intended design criteria.
41
Many circuits are now over 50 years old. This
long term operating experience plus evaluation
and testing of removed cable samples
whenever they become available, (such as
reconductoring for upgrading the MVA, etc.)
have shown very little aging has occurred.
We may well be looking at a 100 year service
life for these cables.

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