Ampacity, submarine power cables, IEC 60287, Transmission Lines
Abstract
This paper aims to evaluate the influence of different factors on the ampacity of submarine power cable arrays based on IEC 60287 series of standards. For a directly buried single-core cable array, the ampacity variation is evaluated in relation to the operating frequency of the system, the arrangement of the cables, the metallic sheath earthing method, the spacing between phases, ambient temperature, burial depth and thermal resistivity of the soil. Among the evaluated configurations, the trefoil cable arrangement shows higher ampacity due to the balanced system. The bonding method defines the ampacity profile as a function of the spacing between phases, with cross-bonding being the method with the highest current rating and positive variation with greater spacing. Regarding seabed soil parameters, the thermal resistivity is the most impactful factor on the cable’s ampacity, as it considerably affects the thermal resistance of the surrounding medium.
