Power and Lighting Cable

A Power and Lighting Cable is an arrangement of a number of copper conductors put together under a covering sheath. It is used to convey electrical power from one point to another in a marine setting. Since it is a conducting cable, the conductor used should be able to relay electricity from the source to the destination safely. Their application cuts across almost all industries because power distribution is a necessity for the operation of most industries. At Nassau electrical, we provide a variety of quality power and lighting cables.

These cables are required in applications of high performance coupled with high temperatures and thus their coating is designed to withstand these conditions of operation. Flexibility is also a necessary requirement for routing the cable in complex patterns. For effective distribution of power, voltage systems in the range of low to medium are applied.

Types of Power and Lighting Cable
There are several types of power cables engineered for different uses and thus modified to suit different operation environments. Here are a few of them;

Seacoast type LS2J cable
This type of cable comes in two, three and four conductor configurations. The conductors are stranded copper wires of different sizes with or without coating depending on their size. The size 14 and below cables are not coated whereas those of larger sizes are coated using varying materials. Size 12 for example has a coating of rubber and specifically ethylene propylene rubber.Type LS2J cable is worthconsidering for marine environments.

Seacoast type DT/NT Cable
This cable design contains two copper conductors which are used in their bare form. The insulation used is thermoplastic and the cable is wrapped in a jacket of nylon. Moreover, an option for an armor of braided metal is offered and to add to that, the cable is resistant to fire.

Seacoast type DXT, DXTA, DXTB cable
Made of two conductors of copper and an insulation of polyethylene, the cable displays resistance to both moisture and fire.

Seacoast Types FT/NT, FT/NTA, FT/NTB Cable
This type of cable is made of four conductors and a PVC insulation. While the FT/NT type cable has an option for a metal armor, the FT/NTA type has an aluminum armor and the FT/NTB a bronze armor.

Seacoast Types TXT, TXTA, TXTB Cable
This cable has three conductors, a jacket made of PVC thereby resistant to moisture. In addition to the PVC jacket, the cable has a polyethylene insulation.

Construction
The cable has the following major parts;

Conductor - this is the wire that provides a path for the conduction of power through the cable. The two commonly used materials are copper and aluminum with identification of conductor sizes based on the resistance offered by the conductor.

Insulation – mainly PVC is used on the conductors or cross-linked polyethylene and in other cases rubber depending on the temperature in which the cable will be operating.

Beading – the purpose of this part is to hold multiple conductors in a multi-core cable together.

Armoring – the purpose of this process is to provide an earthing connection to the cable. Earthingprovides protection from electric shock during insulation failure by allowing a connection through the armor.  Armoring of cables used in mining is mainly for the purpose of conductance.

Outer sheath – this is more of a mechanical than electrical protection for the cable. It is the outer cover and is made from PVC.

Installation
There are two main ways in which power and lightin g cables can be installed for use;

Overhead installation is generally the more economical method of installation but is more prone to be damaged by debris transported in the wind. Overhead installation basically involves cables being passed over high rising metal towers.

Underground installation on the other hand offers a better and secure mechanism but is quite expensive. Cables are dug and buried directly into the ground in this mechanism.

Applications

  1. Power and lighting cables are applied in the following areas;
  2. Street lighting
  3. Overhead power distribution
  4. Railways
  5. Hydroelectric power generation

I hope this article has shed enough light on power and lighting cables. In case you have any questions reach out to us through our live chat. We are available all the time to respond to your questions and any other concerns.