The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) revised a testing standard for shielded power cables and began work on three new standards for voltage sag indices, anchor shackles and pole-mounted equipment enclosures in coastal environments.

It also began to revise another pole-mounted enclosure standard and another for dealing with lightning in overhead lines.

The IEEE approved the revised version of IEEE 400.1 - Guide for Field Testing of Laminated Dielectric, Shielded Power Cable Systems Rated 5 kV and Above with High Direct Current Voltage.

The revision removed content on obsolete cable designs and added information on new ones. It also updated information on materials and applications for all laminated and pressurized power cables used in transmitting and distributing electric power.

The first new standards project is for IEEE P1564 - Guide for Voltage Sag Indices, which will provide definitions for voltage sag indices to make it easier to compare monitoring campaigns. It will identify appropriate voltage sag indices and characteristics and the methods for quantifying the severity of individual events.

The second is for IEEE PC135.62 - Standard for Zinc-Coated Forged Anchor Shackles, which will address the dimensional, strength and testing requirements for procuring and manufacturing these anchor shackles for overhead transmission and distribution lines.

The third is for IEEE PC57.12.30 - Standard for Pole-Mounted Equipment - Enclosure Integrity for Coastal Environments, which will describe the conformance tests and requirements needed for pole-mounted enclosures to ensure long service life with minimum maintenance. It will apply to enclosure apparatus operating above 600 volts (V) that must meet the demands of corrosive environments.

The IEEE began to revise IEEE PC57.12.31 - Standard for Pole Mounted Equipment - Enclosure Integrity. The revision will update corrosion tests to reflect newer methods and reflect current IEEE format requirements. It covers enclosures energized in excess of 600 V including pole-mounted distribution transformers, switches, regulators, metering equipment and capacitors.

The IEEE also began to revise IEEE P1410 - Guide for Improving the Lightning Performance of Electric Power Overhead Distribution Lines to add references and information based on recent research. This guide identifies factors that contribute to lightning-caused faults on overhead distribution lines and suggests improvements to existing and new construction.

Source: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)