Underground Electrical Cable Vs Overhead Lines

Moreover laying or burying cost of underground lines are greater compare to overhead lines.

Underground electrical cable vs overhead lines.

The design and construction of underground transmission lines differ from overhead lines because of two significant technical challenges that need to be overcome. Significantly less cost especially initial cost. In overhead line inductor plays major roles and in underground cable the capacitor plays major role. Voltage drop there is more voltage drop in the overheads due to the fact that their cables are of much smaller diameter than underground cables for the same power delivery.

Much less visual clutter. Overhead line is a source of electrical and magnetic field where underground cables have the magnetic fields screened so only electrical fields might be an issue in this case. Aesthetics underground s number one advantage. Longer life 30 to 50 years vs.

Safety less chance for public contact. To minimize a large charging current produced in high voltage cables the length of the cable should be minimized. Safety factors of underground vs. 1 providing sufficient insulation so that cables can be within inches of grounded material.

Digging around underground feeders is a disaster waiting to happen. 20 to 40 for new underground works. According to the may 2011 paper underground electric transmission lines published by the public service commission of wisconsin the estimated cost for constructing underground transmission lines ranges from 4 to 14 times more expensive than overhead lines of the same voltage and same distance. The electric field of the cable lines is fully limited by the metallic screen.

Overhead lines interfere with communication lines that are in close proximity have corona discharge radio and tv interference which does not happen with the underground lines. Undergrounding is the replacement of overhead cables providing electrical power or telecommunications with underground cables it demonstrates the higher technology in developed countries for fire prevention and to make the power lines less susceptible to outages during high wind thunderstorms or heavy snow or ice storms. With underground feeders you have to watch out when you are digging. Hvdc are three times higher compare to overhead lines e g.

Reliability shorter outage durations because of faster fault finding and faster. Following are the disadvantages of underground transmission. With overhead lines you have to watch that tall trucks farm implements augers and other tall pieces of equipment don t get tangled in them. Overhead lines are nothing but a conductor laid on the top of earth by installing transmission tower.

Cost overhead s number one advantage.