What is an electrical cable
CABLE (cable, cable, Kabel, Leitung) — one or more insulated conducting wires enclosed in a common sheath. Depending on the purpose, the cables are divided into 3 main types: high current (or power), low current (or communication cables) and high frequency (or radio frequency).
According to GOST 15845-80: An electric cable is a product containing one or more insulated cores (conductors) enclosed in a metallic or non-metallic sheath, over which, depending on the conditions of installation and operation, there may be an appropriate protective coating, which may include an armor , and suitable in particular for laying in the ground and under water.
The main elements of power cables are conductive core (copper or aluminum), insulation of impregnated cable paper, varnished cloth, etc., protective sheath of lead, aluminum or plastic, and protective covers (impregnated cable yarn, metal tape armor), etc. ).
Depending on the number of conducting cores, power cables can be one-, two-, three- or four-core. Due to the widespread use of three-phase alternating current, three-core power cables are the most common.
For information on how the power cables are arranged, see here:
Classification and labeling of power cables
Standard sizes of wires and cables
The most common cables are:
Cables and wires of Russian manufacturers
Technical characteristics and installation methods of the AVVG cable
Features and types of installation of VVG-ng cable
Technical characteristics of the KG cable and options for its laying
Each core of a stranded cable is covered with insulation. In addition to this insulation, multi-conductor 1-10 kV cables have an insulating layer covering all insulated conductors.
Plastics, rubber, insulating varnishes and fibrous materials are the most widely used in the production of cable insulation.
Types of cable and wire insulation
Recently, XLPE insulation has become popular:
XLPE insulated cables: device, design, advantages, applications
Low-current cables are divided into multi-core and coaxial. Multi-core cables have a large number of insulated conductors with a small cross-section, grouped in one cable. They are different wires and cables that serve to distribute electrical energy on a single-phase current and contain two insulated conductors. Low-current coaxial cables are used in high-frequency communication lines.
The main criterion for the quality of cable communication lines is the width of the frequency spectrum they pass. The wider the spectrum, the more transmissions can be arranged on a given cable backbone.
Read more about control cables here:
Wires and cables in automation systems
Control cables in electrical installations — purpose, types of construction, application