Cabling and cable joints

What is Electrical Cable:

 The cable that is used for the transmission and distribution of

electrical power is known as the electrical power cable.
  It
is used for the transmission of high voltages in places where
overhead lines are impractical to use.
 The power cable is made of three main components, namely,
conductor, dielectric, and sheath. 
 The conducting path for the current in the cable is provided by the
conductor. 
  The sheath does not allow the moistures to enter and protects the
cables from all external influences like chemical or
electrochemical attack and fire.
 Various types of Cables are used everywhere for various
applications, Not all cables perform the same application. 
 The electrical cables are made of aluminum or copper wires
protected by an insulating coating which can be made of synthetic
polymers.
Cables types
 Overhead cable
 Underground cable
 Ribbon Electric Cables
 Shielded Cables
 Twisted Pair Cables
 Coaxial Cables
 Fiber Optics Cable
 Overhead cable
 Used in power transmission line
 Light weight and less cost
 Strength equal with steel
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC.  Low corrosion
 Aluminum wire would expand
and contract with varying load,
creating the loose connection.
Underground cable
 Underground cables are used for power
applications where it is impractical,
difficult, or dangerous to use the
overhead lines. 
 They are widely used in densely
populated urban areas, in factories, and
even to supply power from the
overhead posts to the consumer
premises.
 However, they are more expensive to
manufacture, and their cost may vary
depending on the construction as well
as the voltage rating.
Ribbon Electric Cables
 Itconsists of multiple insulated wires running parallel with one
another and is used for transmission of multiple data
simultaneously.
 For example, this is used to connect the CPU with the
motherboard and are generally used for interconnection of
networking devices.
Shielded Cables
 It consists of 1 or 2 insulated wires which are covered by a woven
braided shield or aluminum Mylar foil for better signal
transmission. 
 These cables transmit high voltage electric current and are
protected by a shield.
Twisted Pair Cables
 Ithas two or more insulated copper wires which are twisted with
each other and are color-coded. 
 These types of wires are usually used in telephone cables and the
resistance to external interference can be measured by the number
of wires.
Coaxial Cables

 This consists of solid copper or steel conductor plated with copper

which is enclosed in the metallic braid and metallic tape. 
 This is entirely covered with an insulated protective outer jacket. 
 These type of cables are used for computer networking and audio-
video networking.
Fiber Optics Cable
 There are these types of cables which transport optical data signals
from an attached light source to the receiving device.
Maintenance of cables

 In electric cables there is generally preventive maintenance, and we

have to protect them from mechanical damage and ensure their
correct handling. 
 Wires, when stripped at the ends to connect to plugs or to cable
connectors, must be cut properly.
 High voltage cables must be checked for insulation resistance,
especially if they are the power cables of machines that work in
aggressive environments like handlers, tunnel borers, etc.
 The cables in these applications may develop low
insulation resistance, which can be due to mechanical
damage or because of working in humid atmospheres. 

 Therefore the cables must be periodically inspected and

tested, especially when checking the connected appliances
and machines.
What is cable joints:

 Cablejoints need to have the same number of cores to

work with the cables. 
 The manner in which cables need to be connected also
determines the kind of cable joints that will be used. For
example, if two cables are to be connected at a single point
then a straight through joint will be used.
The Western Union splice
 The Western Union splice is used wherever two lengths of wire
are to be joined end‐to‐end. and it is particularly designed for
those jobs where there is a likelihood of strain or pull being
applied to the wires after the joint had been made
Western union short-tie splice

 This is the most widely used splice or joint in

interior wiring installation to extend the length of
wire from one point to another.
The tap splice
 In electrical wiring, a T-splice is a splice that is used for
connecting the end of one wire to the middle of another wire,
thus forming a shape like that of the letter "T." 
 This splice can be used with solid or stranded wires.
The fixture splice
 A fixturesplice can connect wires of differing sizes. It begins in a
similar way to the rat tail joint. However, rather than the two wires
being twisted together, the smaller wire, called the fixture wire, is
wrapped around the bigger wire, called the branch wire.
Cross joint

 The same application is done as in plain tap and

the only difference is that this tap is a combination
of two plain taps placed side by side with each
other
Rat tail splice
 This kind of joint is commonly used to join two or more
conductors inside the junction box. It is suitable for
service where there is go mechanical stress when wires
are be connected in an outlet box, switch, or conduit
fitting
Tee joint
 When a tee joint is to be made in single wires, about 2 inches of the
main cable and 2 inches of the branch cable are bared, the insulating
material being treated as before described. The wires are cleaned, and
about 1 inch of the branch is wound round the main cable, and
soldered to it at the extreme end.
Wrapped tap joint

 This is used on large solid conductors where it is

difficult to wrap the heavy tap wire around the
main wire.
Knotted tap

 This is used where tap wire is under heavy tensile

stress
Y-splice

 Thismethod of wrapping is generally used on

small cables because the strands are flexible and all
can be wrapped in one operation.