ASB cable: value, scope, varieties and characteristics

There are many different brands of cables for carrying electricity from substations to buildings. One of them is called "ASB". The ASB cable is used for installation in power grids with voltages of 1000, 6000 and 10,000 V. Usually it is laid in the ground, taking into account the corrosive activity of the latter. It should not be too high, otherwise the cable will soon become unusable.

Scope of application

ASB cable is used in the industrial field. It can be installed in almost any building and under any conditions. This is facilitated by its special structure, which is weakly amenable to stretching and deformation.

Outside the premises, the ABS is laid in the ground, and inside the building it can be pulled directly along the walls. In this case, it is not necessary to choose a place that is far from the heat source. The cable is equipped with a dense lead sheath and a layer of impregnated paper, which makes it resistant to the spread of fire. However, in areas where there is a risk of explosion, it is better not to use it.

Before laying the ABS in the ground, make sure that there are no stray currents nearby. Otherwise, the metal parts will collapse.

Explanation of the abbreviation

There are three letters of the name "ASB" of the cable, the decoding of which is as follows: each of the letters indicates a certain constituent element of the cable. Since its strands are made of aluminum wire, the letter "A" is used in the abbreviation. The shell is made of lead, so the name contains the letter "C". The letter "B" means that the cable is armored. Steel bands play the role of armor here.

ASB is subdivided into several subspecies:

1. ASBl. The last letter indicates that a bituminous tape is present in the structure. It is located under a layer of armor. This wire is more resistant to corrosion.
2. ASB2l differs in that it can be laid even in the soil with increased corrosive activity.

Device and marking options

The core of the cable is aluminum wires. Their cross-section can have both the shape of a full circle and the shape of sectors of a circle. Moreover, they can consist of both one wire and several. They are insulated with paper impregnated with a special substance.

The wires are wrapped in a lead sheath and armouring tapes. The gap between these two layers is filled with bitumen. The last layer is fiberglass, which acts as an outer cover.

As you can see, the CRS is quite complex and therefore reliably protected from various negative environmental influences. That is why it is used for installing electrical wiring in the ground.

Manufacturers offer two methods for marking aluminum conductors:

1. Numerical. Using numbers from one to four.
2. Color. The cross section is measured in square millimeters. The minimum cross-sectional area is 35 sq. mm, and the maximum is 240 sq. mm.

Marking can be done, for example, like this: ASB 3 × 35. This means that the cable consists of three aluminum conductors with a cross-sectional area of ​​35 sq. mm.

Important indicators when choosing

When buying a cable, you need to know its weight and diameter. Mass is usually measured in kilograms per kilometer and outer diameter in millimeters. The mass and diameter depend on the number of cores and their cross-section.

The lightest one, which has three thin veins with a cross section of 35 square meters. mm, weight - 1947 kg and diameter - 30.1 mm. The heaviest one has three veins with a cross section of 240 sq. mm, outer diameter - 63.7 mm, and weight - 8371 kg. The most common brands of ASB are three-core with a section of 70, 95, 120, 150, 185, 240 sq. mm.

Many factories are engaged in manufacturing.

The best quality products are produced by such enterprises:

• Sevkabel;
• Kamkabel2;
• "Kavkazkabel";
• "Moskabel".

Specifications

One of the main technical characteristics of the ASB cable is the operating voltage. The fact that ASB is designed for voltages of 1000, 6000 or 10,000 V has already been mentioned earlier.

Another equally important characteristic is the current frequency. For ASB, this is 50 Hz, although it can also be installed in a DC network. When installing the cable, it is important not to forget that it has a certain operating temperature. ABS can be used at temperatures from -50 to + 50 ° C. Only in this case will it retain all its positive properties.

It is also important to remember the permissible operating temperature of the conductors:

• If the voltage in the network is 1000 or 6000 V, then the conductors can be heated up to + 80 ° C.
• If the voltage is 10,000 V, then the conductors should not be heated above 70 ° C.
• In the event of a short circuit, the conductors can withstand temperatures up to + 200 ° C.

The ABS can be mounted only at positive temperatures. The smallest bending radius is 15 outer diameters if the cable cores consist of several wires, and the aluminum core is only one wire.

The resistivity of aluminum conductors in a cable depends on the temperature and on how many wires these conductors are made of, for example:

• At 20 ° C, a 1 km single wire core has a resistance of at least 29.11 ohms.
• The resistivity of a stranded conductor of the same length at the same temperature will be 0.29 Ohm higher.
• If the cable is rated for 1000 V, then the resistivity of the insulating layer over a 1 km section at a temperature of 20 ° C is 100 million. Ohm.
• If it is designed for a higher voltage: that is, for 6000 and 10000 V, then the resistivity of the insulation layer at 20 ° C and with a length of 1 km will be 200 million. Ohm.

When used correctly, an ABS cable can last 30 years.