SPECIFYING, SELECTING, AND TESTING QUALITY CABLE

Medium-voltage power cables are the backbone of the electrical system in modern petrochemical plants. These cables must provide maximum reliability and performance. Prior practice, in many instances, has been to select cable products based on price alone with little concern for proper specifications and new cable technology. Cable users must understand the importance of fully using industry standards along with the development of suitable owner specifications. Test requirements, both at the factory and in the field, must be considered to ensure that high-quality cable is manufactured and installed without damage. Cable technology changes rapidly with the development of new and improved cable materials together with design advancements. The user must keep abreast of these changes. A new approach, however, using life-cycle costs is making inroads in the petrochemical industry. Selecting cable that represents state-of-the-art technology is only a part of this process. Emphasis is now being placed on ''supplier performance'' by the use of quantitative and qualitative continuous improvement programs. Implementation of these programs will help increase product performance and reliability, thus resulting in the lowest evaluated total cost of cable system ownership.