Q & A of the Day - Is a separate CPC in parallel with armour necessary?

BookmarkThis 11.09.2008
BASEC (The British Approvals Service for Cables)
 

Our Voltimum Experts answer your questions on a daily basis in our Technical Expertise area. This Question of the Day, about separate circuit protective conductors (CPCs) run in parallel with armour, is answered by BASEC:

Armoured cable - does it need a separate CPC?
Armoured cable - does it need a separate CPC?
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Question: I've just been reading an article regarding a research program by another organisation, which states that, following results of tests, in most cases a separate CPC run in parallel with the armour is not necessary. Can anyone tell me whether this is now the case? I understand the research was commissioned in 2007.

Answer: In many applications, the amount of armouring present on an armoured cable will be of sufficiently low resistance to permit its use as an acceptable CPC.

However, where a full-conductor-sized CPC has been specified, or where other considerations apply, this will not be the case and a separate CPC should be installed. It will depend on the actual system design and should be specified by the designer. Calculations should be carried out whenever the armour is used as a CPC to make sure.

The armouring would, of course, need to be properly terminated through appropriate glands at both ends, and tested as normal for a CPC.

To see many more Q & A in Voltimum UK's Experts Area, please click on the link:

www.voltimum.co.uk/consult.php?universe=consult.index.questions

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The British Approvals Service for Cables (BASEC)
23 Presley Way, Crownhill,
Milton Keynes MK8 0ES
Tel: 01908 267300
Fax: 01908 267255
Email: mail@basec.org.uk
Web: www.basec.org.uk
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Source: BASEC & James Hunt

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